Classic Wings

I have had my '82 Interstate for 5 years now, and done the normal maintainance for an old Classic - Rad hoses, new water pump, total brake rebuild, new Progressive springs and rear shocks, new timing belts, new tires. I've the bike from Halifax to Vancouver, and it runs like a champ. This past summer, I did some test rides on other new bikes (including the new GL 1800), and was quite happy to stick with my '82.
Looking forward to some good discussions on this new board!
Cheers,
Jim

I got my GL1100 2 years ago. Have done fan thermostat, changed all the fluids, had to rebuild the rear MC and then discovered the rear calipers were inproperly done and had to find used and rebuild them. The rear tire was badly weather cracked so I removed it to replace it and found that the final drive/driven flange was badly worn, replaced them. Replaced rear shocks with Progressive 416's.

This July my wife and I went down. The faring which was already damaged and repaired was totally wasted. Found use faring, repaired repainted faring, new faring lowers, new windshield, repainted top box and saddle bag lids.

Just got it back from having the pinstriping redone.

How much difference is there in the new front progressive springs?

Progressive fork springs will make the front end of the bike much more compliant over smaller bumps, while not bottoming out over the real teeth rattlers you hit from time to time. You can also run without air in the forks. All in all, the bike will sit a bit higher with both ends supported on Progressives, and handle heavy loads much better. It also is much better composed in corners.
As a final bonus - the bike is easier to get up on the centerstand.
Jim

Picked up my 1980 Interstate from an ebay'r in Wisconsin. When I bought it the thing was leaking gas. I got a good deal because the last buyer thought the motor was getting ready to explode while it was idling. When I hit the throttle, the motor smoothed out and sounded pretty good. While idling, it sounded like the engine was trying to die because the fuel wasn't getting to the engine. Oh, and it was leaking fuel from the air chamber.

Did I mention the fork seals were worn too?

After I got a guarantee from the PO in which he would give my money back if the thing caught on fire during the trip home, I headed out on that 300 mile trip back home. It got home just fine, rode pretty smooth considering the forks wouldn't hold air, but with the fuel leak, I was getting about 30 mpg.

Once home, and after purchasing some carb kits, I started rebuilding the carbs. They were pretty clean inside, and the parts I was replacing looked new. Some one had just rebuilt the carbs, but did a real crappy job of it. The floats weren't set, and one of the pilot screws was missing the spring, o-ring, and washer.

After the bench sync, and 1.25 turns of the pilot screws, I put the carbs back on the bike. Cranking it about 5 seconds, the thing fired right up, but still idled like crap. Turns out I forgot to clean out the idle jets.

Back off the bike comes the carbs. After trying everything I could think of to clear the jets of their goo (wire brush, welding tip cleaners, air, carb cleaner), I found a .009" guitar string will fit through the jet, but a .012" will not. Not wanting to rip all the carbs from the air chamber, I pulled the float bowls and floats from the carbs, took them in the house, put them in a roasting pan, and started pouring boiling water into the idle jets, then gently poking the guitar string through the jet. 3 of the 4 idle jets were clogged.

After clearing them, I put the carbs back on the bike (I'm getting good at that ). Cranking it about 5 seconds again, the bike started right up, and was idling 110% smoother than before.

I just replaced the bushings and seals on the forks, put on new shiny mirrors, and a new windshield. After all that, the new stereo and speakers I put on the bike to replace the 1980 junk that was on there, the used Travelcade seat, and the leather lever dangly grips with 100 skull beads (the beads make me look tough ) I have about $1800 in her...so far.

She's got a lot of nicks and scratches, but she shines up pretty good for being almost 30. I'm getting looks and talkers from people out here every time I stop for gas or drinks. 39000 miles so far. I think I'm gonna keep this one for a while.

Eric - Pittsboro, IN

Hi there. Nice to see some other 1100 Interstate riders out there. I just got my 81 GL1100i back in July. I had some issues but nothing that kept it from being a decent daily rider until the weather turned off colder.

I have it in the basement now torn down and starting the restoration processs and replacing all the fluds and filters. I am also adding some refinements at the same time. Both front a rear shocks leaked badly and therefore it was a pretty rough ride. I replaced the rear shocks and put new seals in the front forks but the front still leaked. I have a replacement set of forks now that will be rebuilt and going on along with an onboard compressor to allow auto-adjustments.

New timing belts are a must as I have no idea when of if the old ones have ever been changed. Better safe than sorry.

The thermal switch didn't work so the fan would not come on so getting stuck in traffic was a real problem. I had installed an external switch as a stop gap but now have replaced the switch.

I am also upgrading the stereo to a Clarion II with CB, Intercom and Cassette. Adding various new chrome and lights and a new coat of paint. It should be pretty nice IF I ever get it done.

Its great to be here on the Forum and hope you all have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Hello to all
Just picked up a 81 interstate. It's been sitting in a barn for four years after being ridden in and parked.
I am in the process of getting it back on the road.
Any suggestions of what to look for or inspect after the bikes long vacation would be great.
Look forward to being part of this forum.
Ross

One that has been sitting for some time has a unique set of issues to watch out for. Tires are a major factor. Even if they look like they have good tread depth, they can be dry roitted and therefore unsafe especially at high speeds,. Oil, oil filter and antifreeze need to be replaced for sure.

Also you need to check the gas tank. Best thing is to remove it, drain out all left over gas and clean the tank completely for debris and varnish. A fresh fuel filter is a must.

The one weak spot on an 1100 is the timing belts. They are a bit difficult to get to but if you foillow instructions available on this and other Honda Forums the job is not too bad and the belts can be bought for about $17 a piece (you need 2) from Napa. The Honda brand is much more expensive and not a better belt to my thinking.

The brakes are also a major piece to inspect. I would drain the brake fluid, check the pads for wear and then refill and bleed the lines checking the brake lines for any signs of leaks as I go. When bleeding the front there is a little trick that helps a lot. The front brake cylinder sets at a slight angle and an air bubble can get caught in the cylinder easily and will cause a real problem getting a good firm brake. If you loosen the cylinder just a little on top and remove the lower bolt that holds the cylinder on it can pivot without coming off the disc. This allow that last little air bubble to be removed during bleeding and give you a good strong front brake. This works even better than the pump method.

The 1100 engine is virtually bullet-proof except for thos belts. It will give you miles and miles of smooth and trustworthy operation if properly maintained.

Good Luck and Ride Safe.

This is to rb7632
In case I did not say thanks for the info--
Thanks for the info.
It gives me a direction to go
Thanks again
Ross

Don't know where my head was at but the trick with the brakes, its the caliper that needs to be loosened so it sets straight up and down. I kept saying the cylinder. DOH! Getting old is my only excuse.

Just bought an 81 GL1100 with 24,000 on the clock.Looks to have been well maintained but bought replacements for timing belts and unfortunately the service manual I bought "Clymer" is for all of the wings from 1000-1100 how dificult is the timing belt change, and what all has to be removed. I bought a special tool so apparently I wont have to remove the radiator and have access to a motorcycle lift.

Bigun,
I got my '82 with 59,000km on the clock (about 36,000 miles). First thing I did was to buy the GL1100 manual from Helm Inc. - it's the actual Honda service manual, and an absolute must for working on the beast. After studying what had to be done, I decided to remove the radiator so that I could replace the thermostat, the fan control switch, and the radiator hoses too, just in case. I also had the issue of a water pump that was leaking oil, so I replaced that too.
In order to get the radiator off, I had to remove the fairing and its support bracket, as the lugs that mount the horns fouled the top of the rad, making it impossible to remove otherwise. The timing belt change is quite easy, but you should have another set of hands to keep the cams from turning and getting the valve timing screwed up. While you're in there, check the belt tensioners.
I learned a lot about my old wing from that project, and I'm still enjoying the bike. But please get the right manual and read it thoroughly before you start taking bits off. You may want to document your work with your digital camera.

Good luck,

Jim