Thread Rating:
  • 3 Vote(s) - 3.67 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Goldwing Newbie from Ontario Canada
Andy, I just noticed that you had an old bezer. I started my riding career in 1962 on a BSA 125 Bantam 2stroke. & followed that with 2xBSA500, Honda90 cub, BSA650, 2xTriumph650, 1936 H-D 45, NSU300, Yammie Virago hot rod. :d
Angela(fysty-1) & Dani
Surrey, B.C., Canada
'85 Honda GL 1200 (fully dressed) I. (sold)
pres. 95 Virago 1100
"No matter how blue life may get always remember that there's a rainbow in the sky."
"Grab life by the handlbars an hang on."

Reply
#16 11-29-2011, 12:23 AM,
Thanks SgtD - I sure hope so!
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#17 11-29-2011, 03:19 AM,
MagnAndy Wrote:Hi All,

Just bought my 1986 GL1200 Aspencadelast Monday.

And YES, I bought it without riding it - couldn't stand the thought of dropping somebody else's bike.

After being a Canadian peering into US websites, it is refreshing to find one with such an apparently strong Canadian connection.

MagnAndy

Welcome (welcome!) to the GL1200 GOLD WINGS forum. :YMHUG:

A long, long, long, long time ago (Pierre Trudeau was for the first time running for election, that's how long ago it was). I stopped off in Brampton -- very nice town -- with my then three kids to eat (they were ALWAYS hungry) on my way from Guelph to Toronto hunting for a job. A Yank having moved from New York City to Edmonton for graduate studies in 1964, it was the best move of my life. BUT after graduation from the U of A (with distinction) nobody in ALL of Canada wanted to hire me. Nobody! It wasn't me, but rather a we-have-enough-Americans-running-our-universities sentiment at the time. But I got even with "them" ... two of my daughters were born in Edmonton, and I took these two Canuks back over the border with me to New York City. Hah! :d

On to business. Let me suggest that you invest $29.95 in a DVD called "Ride Like A Pro V" by Jerry Palladino. In a stepwise and progressive procedure, Palladino demonstrates exercises to practice in an empty parking lot for gaining improved and a more relaxed control over your bike. Riding atop an approximately 320 Kg two wheeled powerhouse such as your '86 Aspy, many of the DVD's pointers will come in handy.

Ride safe(ly)!!!
[Image: Akriti2450x338.jpg]

" ... If you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Reply
#18 11-29-2011, 07:50 AM,
Hi Granpah,

Thanks for the tip, maybe Santa will bring me the DVD for Christmas if I am a good enough boy! I actually find my Wing a lot easier to ride at low speeds than my Magna or my previous bikes. Although it is by far the biggest bike I have ever forked, it seems to have the lowest C of G and basically wants to stay upright at slow speeds.

Switching between the Wing and Magna day by day lets me enjoy the unique pleasures of each great bike.
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#19 11-29-2011, 06:53 PM,
[attachment=0]

Yes I did Fysty, thanks for noticing.

250cc, single cylinder, 10.5:1 compression ratio, wood and fibreglas gas tank, kick start (only) with a decompression lever so you could kick it over, resonator instead of muffler, wire spoke wheels, two tone paint job. At least once a week this girl used to fling me right over the bars when the kickstarter snapped back - it got so that I never started it unless it was on the stand so I didn't have to pick it up after I picked myself up (I weighed under 100 pounds at the time!).

Not much on top speed - to hit 85 mph I had to lay flat on the tank, barely peering over the speedo with my feet over the rear turn signals (literally). But it had the low end torque to climb a wet wall greased with duck poo - a fantastic hill climber (even with its' bald tire).

This thing would cruise along happily firing every time it passed a phone pole - it had a hugely long stroke. Strangely it didn't seem to vibrate much for all that. It would be a cool curiosity to have now.


Attached Files
.jpg   BSA 250 Starfire small.jpg (Size: 5.44 KB / Downloads: 259)
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#20 11-29-2011, 07:28 PM,
Mine didn't have signals., but I never had any trouble starting it. Never more than 3 kicks. The center stand whas "clipped" to the rear fender & mounted to the rear axle. This pic is similar but newer than what I had. Mine was an olive green & almost military looking but not ex military (TMK).


Attached Files
.jpg   bsa-d7.jpg (Size: 104.52 KB / Downloads: 260)
Angela(fysty-1) & Dani
Surrey, B.C., Canada
'85 Honda GL 1200 (fully dressed) I. (sold)
pres. 95 Virago 1100
"No matter how blue life may get always remember that there's a rainbow in the sky."
"Grab life by the handlbars an hang on."

Reply
#21 11-29-2011, 08:56 PM,
MagnAndy Wrote:Hi Granpah,

Thanks for the tip, maybe Santa will bring me the DVD for Christmas if I am a good enough boy! I actually find my Wing a lot easier to ride at low speeds than my Magna or my previous bikes. Although it is by far the biggest bike I have ever forked, it seems to have the lowest C of G and basically wants to stay upright at slow speeds.

Switching between the Wing and Magna day by day lets me enjoy the unique pleasures of each great bike.

In my case, about five years ago ... after not riding for 20-25 years (raising four kids Confusedhock: , getting them through high school Confusedhock: , getting them through college Confusedhock: ), I checked the calender and looked in a mirror and said to myself: it's NOW or never. My LAST bike had been a Matchless 650cc, after a 500cc BSA, and going waaaaaay back, a Honda 305 dream (in 1962). Although I REALLY wanted a GL1200, I figured my reentry should be slower. So I bought an '85 Shadow vt500c (that this year I gave to my son ... a good professional mechanic), flunked the state's m'cycle driving test twice :oops: , then took and passed a safety class (automatic pass for state test). THEN I bought successively two GL1000s ('73 and '78) on which I learned to drive and drop a heavy bike; virtually gave them both to a young soldier stationed in Afghanistan ... on leave in Connecticut .... and THEN bought my present '85 GL1200 ... ready to ride confidently.

I agree with your: " ... lowest C of G and basically wants to stay upright at slow speeds."

Still, I hope you get "Ride Like A Pro V" for Christmas ... so be a good boy! :d
[Image: Akriti2450x338.jpg]

" ... If you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Reply
#22 11-29-2011, 09:35 PM,
Fysty: I "mis-typed" - no turn signals on mine either - just a brake light (signal). Those bikes were wonderfully uncomplicated - not even a battery.
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#23 11-29-2011, 09:46 PM,
Granpah,

I was away from riding for a while, same reason. Same return about 2ish years ago. Being a good boy - time for bed.
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#24 11-29-2011, 09:51 PM,
MagnAndy Wrote:Granpah,

I was away from riding for a while, same reason. Same return about 2ish years ago. Being a good boy - time for bed.

But Andy. It is only midnight there.???? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Angela(fysty-1) & Dani
Surrey, B.C., Canada
'85 Honda GL 1200 (fully dressed) I. (sold)
pres. 95 Virago 1100
"No matter how blue life may get always remember that there's a rainbow in the sky."
"Grab life by the handlbars an hang on."

Reply
#25 11-29-2011, 09:53 PM,
Angela - that's five hours from when I have to get up again to enjoy the start of a new day. Leaving for work now. BTW it is an hour earlier here than the post clock indicates.
MagnAndy
current:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (2009-current)
. -1986 GL1200 Honda Goldwing (2011-current)
Previous:
. -1985 VF750C-E Honda Magna (1990-1994)
. -19?? KZ650 Kawi (1973-1977)
. -19?? BSA 250 Starfire
(1971-1973)
Reply
#26 11-30-2011, 04:19 AM,
It's nice having you back, Angela.

Be well.

About early bikes, in fact my very first "bike" when I was 17 was a 1956 German made, 150cc Zündapp Bella motor scooter.
[Image: 2315689615_31ed09d042.jpg]
Driving around New York City, some jerk in a car cut me off making me swerve, hopped the sidewalk, and crashed through a pharmacy's large plate glass window (no damage to me, but my parents were very, VERY unhappy about it).

Then when I was about 22 years old, I bought another made-in-Germany, 200 cc Progress motor scooter to which I had attached a fairly large rack bought from JC Whitney..
[Image: 93132149_1thumb_550x410.jpg]
Once upon a time, during a Thanksgiving weekend in 1961, I drove with my new bride plus a suitcase on it from NYC to Providence, Rhode Island on the Thruway. Halfway back to NYC ... on a Sunday, yet ... in the middle of nowhere the clutch cable snapped. I got a mechanic to open his garage, somehow weld it back together, and we managed to drive all the way home. Which reminds me, some two years later, in 1964, this time driving a 1954 Ford Fairlane station wagon hauling a trailer (homemade from the back half of a 1947 Hudson pickup truck) we (wife + 1-1/2 year old son) were on our trailblazing way to the mythical city of EDMONTON ("mythical" from the perspective of a provincial New Yorker like me]. Outside of Regina, Saskatchewan, one of the Hudson's rear axles snapped .... and we limped to a nearby Husky station specializing in 18 wheelers. To the mechanics there we must have looked pathetic on account of what happened next. Well, enough high jacking of this thread. If someone REALLY wants to know what happened, I'll finish the story of our miraculous rescue in Regina.
[Image: Akriti2450x338.jpg]

" ... If you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
Reply
#27 11-30-2011, 05:25 AM,
MagnAndy Wrote:Angela - BTW it is an hour earlier here than the post clock indicates.
Yeh Andy I know. I have a new post about that of the forum. :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
Angela(fysty-1) & Dani
Surrey, B.C., Canada
'85 Honda GL 1200 (fully dressed) I. (sold)
pres. 95 Virago 1100
"No matter how blue life may get always remember that there's a rainbow in the sky."
"Grab life by the handlbars an hang on."

Reply
#28 11-30-2011, 02:18 PM,


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Newbie from Grafton, Ontario, Canada scty_p 9 6,205 04-24-2008, 12:53 AM
Last Post: overdrive26

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Contact Us | GL1200 GOLDWINGS | Return to Top | | Lite (Archive) Mode | RSS Syndication
google-site-verification: googled4b4fe31e07b65d8.html