Honda
GL1000 K2 Goldwing Test
Motorcyclist Illustrated December
1977
IT was gone midnight. Over 350 miles had passed
beneath my wheels that mild September evening,
but as I eased the Gold Wing off the A2 near
my Gravesend home I toyed with the idea of pressing
on to Dover, catching some improbable late-night
ferry to France, and riding east to meet the
sunrise. Few bikes drive me to such levels of
fantasy at that time of the morning in the autumn,
but the fact that I resisted temptation due
more to the lack of a suitably-timed ferry than
rider fatigue says an awful'lot for the big
Honda's credentials as a serious touring motorcycle.
For a start the machine's large, bright halogen
headlight with its excellent light pattern on
both main and dipped beams, was putting out
enough light in the right places for it to matter
little that the sun had migrated to the other
side of the world. And that's more than can
be said for most bikes; the Gold Wing's headlight
has but one or two peers in the motorcycle world.
Then there's the suspension, the seat and riding
position. All three are not remotely in the
BMW class but by Japanese standards there is
little to moan about from the comfort angle.
The suspension is well damped at the front end
considering the machine's formidable weight
at 6351b, but gives slightly too hajsh a ride
for a luxury tourer. The rear shock absorbers
are five-way adjustable and in the softer positions
return a fairly comfortable ride. Their damping
was just about adequate but might be improved
upon by fitting S & W or Girling units;
if the bike were mine I would leave them alone.
The dualseat turned out to be surprisingly comfortable.
I felt no unwelcome twinges after a 350-mile
day, and while the Americans seem to have a
vast array of after-market perches for the Wing
I'd be quite happy to keep the stock item. The
pillion portion must be very comfortable: my
wife fell asleep on one cross-London trip!
The riding position was another example of
the same old Oriental failing: great up to about
85mph, but beyond that speed it's too upright.
The footrests are in the right place for my
taste, but the handlebar could stand being flatter
to accommodate the forward-leaning stance we
all know and love. But given the constraints
on highspeed travel imposed by our masters
in Whitehall, my progress on the night in question
was not unduly impeded by wind pressure.
And then there's the engine. The watercooled
flat four may appear to traditionalists to be
the antithesis of what motorcycling is all about,
but it's this very motor that gives the Gold
Wing real character. Whereas most in-line fours
now seem bland and unappealing despite their
highly creditable performance, the Wing's horizontally
opposed four cylinders produce the kind of power
delivery that places the machine in a category
all its own.
The exceptionally light twistgrip feels like
it is attached to the carburettors by power-assisted
hydraulics rather than twin cables. The motor's
response to the throttle is so fluid, particularly
in the mid-range but essentially throughout
the 8500rpm power band, that the power flows
to the back wheel with an- effortless surge
which makes high-gear acceleration an incomparable
pleasure. Other bikes might beat the Honda in
a fifth-gear throttle roll-on comparison, but
the way the Wing picks you up and pushes you
progressively toward the horizon is a rare and
endearing feature. With SObhp on hand the Honda
loses none of this ability when laden with passenger
and baggage. The only thing to watch here is
the gross vehicle weight rating: with a couple
of well-built adults aboard you are limited
to perhaps 301b of luggage if the factory recommendations
are followed.
This smooth transition of combustion power
into forward motion had made my journey one
of the least tiring in my experience. The almost
total absence of noise above SOmph also contributed
to my comfort, as the water jacketing keeps
mechanical sound down to a clicking from the
tappets which is soon lost in the breeze. The
exhaust too is well silenced, yet emits an authoritative
growl when accelerating hard from a standstill.
Sitting there with only the wind for accompaniment,
my ears free from mechanical assault, body enjoying
the complete lack of vibration and my senses
revelling in the engine's responsiveness, perhaps
you will begin to understand why I just wanted
to keep on riding.
Not that everything in the garden is rosy —
it isn't. It's just that with the Gold Wing
(I was testing the latest K2 version with minor
modifications over the original Wing; a K3 model
with further mods is available in the States
but won't hit the UK market until the end of
1978) Honda have the main ingredients for a
good touring bike just right. Perhaps next year's
K3 will be even nearer the ideal.
The one area that must be sorted out before
long is ultra-high-speed straight-line stability.
Up to lOOmph the machine sits there on the road
with all the stability one would expect of a
heavyweight. Side draughts from overtaken artics
pass unnoticed, and even strong sidewinds have
less effect than on some other big bikes. But
at lOOmph and over, on that longitudinally ribbed
concrete surface which crops up on many roads,
the test machine would break into a disconcerting
and often downright frightening weave without
provocation from raised white lines or cats'
eyes. This weave seemed to stem from the rear
end, and I feel the 4.50 section rear tyre is
to blame. The Honda 750 K7 sports the same rubberwear
and exhibited the selfsame tendencies on the
same surface. After slowing down, moving back
along the seat, crouching low and gripping the
handlebar much more tightly the same speed could
be attained on the same surface without the
weave, but crossing raised white lines when
changing lanes brought on the condition once
more. Replacement tyres could make a big difference
which is a pity because otherwise these tyres
work well. They give plenty of cornering traction,
and are acceptable in wet weather.
Owners thinking of changing tyres will be pleased
to know that whatever covers Dunlop is dreaming
up for this model, they must be good. The test
bike was collected the same day if was returned
by Dunlop's tyre testers, and they had worn
away the ends of both footrests as well as a
sizeable portion of the left leg of the centre
stand. After this treatment there was no way
I could ground the stand on public roads, and
the bike had to be heeled way over before the
footrests touched down. New Wings that have
not had the benefit of the Dunlop testers' treatment
may ground the little nubs on the footrest ends
more readily, but even then ground clearance
is adequate.
The Honda's ability to be thrown around on
twisty lanes surprised me. It needed a firm
hand when laying it into a tight corner, but
considering its weight and sheer bulk the Wing
performed creditably in an area for which it
was obviously not specifically designed. The
motor's useful spread of torque and the duplex
frame's acceptable handling allowed high average
speeds over sinuous stretches of road.
Braking was just so-so. The triple discs never
gave cause for concern, but they offered the
rider little feedback and required strong pressure
from high speed.
Owners thinking of changing tyres will be pleased
to know that whatever covers Dunlop is dreaming
up for this model, they must be good. The test
bike was collected the same day it was returned
by Dunlop's tyre testers, and they had worn
away the ends of both footrests as well as a
sizeable portion of the left leg of the centre
stand. After this treatment there was no way
I could ground the stand on public roads, and
the bike had to be heeled way over before the
footrests touched down. New Wings that have
not had the benefit of the Dunlop testers' treatment
may ground the little nubs on the footrest ends
more readily, but even then ground clearance
is adequate.
The Honda's ability to be thrown around on
twisty lanes surprised me. It needed a firm
hand when laying it into a tight corner, but
considering its weight and sheer bulk the Wing
performed creditably in an area for which it
was obviously not specifically designed. The
motor's useful spread of torque and the duplex
frame's acceptable handling allowed high average
speeds over sinuous stretches of road.
Braking was just so-so. The triple discs never
gave cause for concern, but they offered the
rider little feedback and required strong pressure
from high speed. The large rear disc did not
seem exceptionally powerful, but all three worked
acceptably in the wet, again much to my surprise.
Preliminary results of tests by the Transport
and Road Research Laboratory into disc brake
materials show no difference in wet-weather
performance between stainless steel, chrome,
and cast iron discs, either drilled or undrilled.
It appears the problem is more one of water
retention by the pads, and the delay we all
despise on many Japanese bikes is caused by
the pads not heating up sufficiently to dry
out quickly. The final test results from the
TRRL should make interesting reading.
The transition from the early Gold Wing to
the new K2 has also meant a price increase from
a highly competitive £1,600 to a still
cheap-at-the-price £1,995. The only visual
difference is a more tasteful paint job and
chrome covers on the black exhaust header pipes.
The factory may have breathed slightly on the
engine as Honda engineers are wont to do between
model years, but nothing is substantially different.
The top speed of 118mph for a rider weighing
14 stone, crouching down in a two-piece rainsuit,
could probably be improved upon, but there seems
little point, f =am Hire about 123-124mph is
possible, but since the disturbing weave reared
its head during my top speed runs my mind was
not entirely wrapped up in eking out those last
few mph.
Sitting upright, a gradient and a headwind
combined to slow the Honda to 90mph in top gear,
yet on many smaller bikes I would have been
changing down a cog or two to maintain 70mph.
The standard of finish is very good, especially
the quality of the chrome plating. The engine
is well finished and is fairly easy to keep
clean. As one would expect from Japan, convenience
plays an important part in the overall design.
The plugs and their caps are readily accessible;
an oil level sight window on the right of the
engine told me the bike had used no oil in 1000
miles of testing; the sidestand has a rubber
flap to effectively take care of stand retraction
for the careless among us; and the centre stand
is not too awkward, bearing in mind the size
and weight of the Wing. The mirrors are better
than the Honda average — they are smooth,
throughout and you can actually see beyond your
elbows. Like the throttle, the clutch action
is very light and the five-speed gearbox shifts
easily and cleanly. The dipswitch was the only
awkward control, being a bit of a stretch and
badly placed. And the horn is quite inadequate
— it's almost embarrassing to use.
Perhaps the best-known feature of the Gold
Wing is its dummy tank which comprises three
panels; these open to reveal the electrics and
fuses on the left, the radiator header tank
and stowaway kickstart crank on the right, and
a toolkit and glove box in the centre. The tools
are above average, and beneath the tool tray
lies the air cleaner for easy servicing. For
some unaccountable reason the radiator header
needed topping up twice during the test, although
no leaks showed up and the automatic fan behind
the radiator never came into play. I understand
that the hose clips may be the cause of coolant
loss — it's worth checking. The water
temperature gauge, mounted in the tachometer,
registered just on the cool side of "normal"
throughout the test.
The real petrol tank nestles under the seat,
out of harm's way and helping to lower the centre
of gravity. he only drawback is that it holds
a mere four gallons, and while five would be
more practical an owner will find it is virtually
impossible to fit a larger tank at a reasonable
cost; Honda ought to do the job properly and
fit a five-gallon tank as standard. However
the fuel consumption averaged out at exactly
40mpg, good for 160 miles on a tankful which,
although way behind a BMW's 200-plus, is on
a par with much of the competition. The only
faux pas is in the positioning of the electric
fuel gauge — sitting there in the middle
of that fake tank, it is more than likely to
be covered by a tank bag when the Wing is used
for its intended purpose. Never mind —
the gauge was so inaccurate on the test bike
it registered empty when the tank was almost
half full!
The engine is a fairly straightforward 999cc
flat four, with single overhead camshafts driven
by toothed belt from the crankshaft. One 32mm
carb feeds each of the cylinders, and the traditional
torque reaction
of a horizontally opposed action with crankshaft
mounted longitudinally is countered by a contra-rotating
flywheel. Unlike the BMs, the Honda does not
lean to the right when the throttle is blipped.
Primary drive is by Morse Hyt-Vo chain. Riding
the Wing, a slight roughness can be felt below
4000rpm if the throttle is snapped open in fourth
or fifth gears, but this is only relative to
the utter smoothness of the engine and transmission
at all other times. The package is rounded off
by the immense attraction of shaft drive.
The engine's' flexibility and smoothness, coupled
with light low- speed steering, makes the Wing
one of the easier 'bikes' to ride in city traffic.
Giving t^e normal run of more town-orientated:
two-wheeled
commuters the slip in the rush hour is one of
the memories I cherish, purely because it seems
so unlikely.
And yet out on the open road the machine is
turning over at a leisurely 6000rpm in top at
lOOmph.
It could — and indeed bloody well should,
at the price — handle better and exhibit
more straight-line
stability at speed. But even with these present
limitations, the GL1000 K2 captured my imagination
as a desirable and effortless tourer. It just
begs to be ridden across a continent, and the
next time the opportunity arises I think I'll
succumb to that temptation. This time round
I let the head rule the heart: I parked the
Wing and went to bed.
Honda GL1000 K2 Specifications;
- Engine: OHC flat four,
water-cooled, 999cc.
- Bore and stroke: 72x61.4mm.
- Compression ratio: 9.2:1.
- Carburation: Four 32mm
Keihin.
- Claimed power: 50bhp at
7,500rpm.
- Claimed torque: 8kg-m at
6,500rpm.
- Primary drive: Hy-Vo inverted
tooth chain.
- Clutch: Wet multiplate.
- Gear ratios: 1st 11.98:1.
2nd 8.19:1. 3rd 6.39:1. 4th 5.26:1. 5th 4.50:1.
- Electrics: 300W alternator,
battery coil ignition.
- Headlight: Lucas 50/40W
halogen.
- Brakes: Twin llin discs
front: single 11.4in disc rear.
- Tyres: 3.50x19 front; 4.60x17
rear.
- Wheelbase: 61in.
- Seat height: 31.Sin.
- Ground clearance: Sin.
- Kerb weight: 6351bs.
- Petrol capacity: 4.2 gallons.
- Qil capacity: 6.2 pints.
- Fuel consumption: 40mpg
average.
- Oil consumption: None used
in 1000 miles.
- Top speeds: 118mph, 14
stone rider crouching down in two-piece rainsuit.
- Price: £1,995 inc.
VAT.
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