Are Goldwings more AMERICAN than Harley-Davidson (GL1500 Review) 

Here I was like a schmuck taking home only two hotties from the bar, not knowing about this trick to fit a third on. Man, do I feel stupid.

I have zero interest in a goldwing, until i've been on the highway for for 3 hours or more and a i see a goldwing rider relaxed and happy lol.

I saw the title and told my wife, "Honey, watch this video with me and you'll see why I want a Goldwing!" Then Sean launches into the 3 chicks on the Goldwing...wife says I can have a Trail 50, no Goldwing.

As an owner of a 1996, I'll tell you honestly that you DO wish they had a 6th gear. There's enough power for a higher overdrive which would save tremendously in gas.

I've had a 1200, 1500 and now an 1800. I still feel the 1500 was the smoothest and best riding one of them all. The extra ponies in the 1800 is fun but it lacks the other positives that the 1500 had.

On the Goldwing, its not loud pipes, It Loud Stereos save Lives.

I have an 85 Goldwing 1200 cc 4 cylinder Aspencade. Built in the US. I bought the bike in France with 70 000 Ks on it. Goldwings are so unbelievably reliable. It can sit for 5 years and then crank it up and go again. I am from Australia and I had a 1000cc model years ago when they had a nickname "leadwing". I didn't care because I would do 3000ks on it in one trip. The things are tanks man. I love any Goldwing. They love the carbs tuned and synced and some nice oil and plugs and they will run forever. The French have a love affair with the Goldwing. There are heaps of them for sale. I cannot afford a new one which start at about 38 000 euro. Ouch. I don't care, I have my old clunker that turns heads everywhere. I would rent it out no problem to anyone that wanted to tour France. France is so fantastic to tour around, there are 35 000 different towns in France. Every 5 ks there is a new little town over the whole country. Don't believe me go on Google maps and scroll in to see all the roads in France. Australia is boring by comparison. I have my own love affair with the Goldwing. I did 700 k two weeks ago from Paris out to the Normandy coast where the GIs and Allies landed in WWII. There are monuments to WWII everywhere. I road down the coast and camped at a little camping ground under the apple trees on my air mattress. The Goldwing is the best bike on the road. Greg

You videos help me to decide to buy a goldwing now im a proud owner of 1989 gl1500 goldwing with 57k Thank you for your videos Greetings from California

I have a Evo Road King and a '95 Goldwing. I ride the RK local and travel on the wing. I love how smooth my GW is. I just bought it last fall. One nice thing about GW's is they built many so they are on the market for very reasonable money.

You did the nickel test wrong. You're supposed to set the nickel on its edge. I could do that on the valve cover of my 1993 Nissan Maxima. It was an amazing feat.

Shaun, I may have nitpicked at your videos in the past, but I must say all of them are very intriquing, informative, and illustrative of each bike's riding style. I subscribed about a month ago finally, because bikes 😂 Keep on doing what you're doing

I currently own my 3rd goldwing, a 2000 GL 1500 SE. After riding many other bikes including Harleys, in my opinion the GL 1500 goldwing is the best and most comfortable bike I have ever owned. My 2000 SE, also gets up to 44 mpg at 70 mph fully loaded with my wife and I. I agree with everything in this post, and would seriously recommend this bike for anyone interested in long distance touring riding.

Aspencade Was the flagship model (top of the range). Replaced later on by the SE spec. You should check out the first Aspencade I think it was 1983 GL1100 that featured adjustable suspension, cruise control, and a digital dash in the early 80s. It's a real gem if you can find one!

Your videos are awesome man keep up the test drives!

I have owned three goldwings. On the headshake thing. The tire is obviously the main culprit. Also, as you mentioned the neck bearings after some wear (10 minute fix at home), the third source of it and the uneasy feeling when you hit a pothole while in a curve is the fork brace. I am not sure about the newer ones, but classic goldwings are helped a lot by putting an ACCESSORY lol aftermarket fork brace on them. Love the content and the lack of using the Lord's name in vain on your channel! I preach for the Stewart Park church of Christ in Cross Lanes, WV.

Another excellent video Sean ..thanks for sharing / showing 👍🏼☕️🇺🇸🏍🛵

FYI, all the first generation (75-79) GL1000s were made in Japan, as were the earliest second generation gl1100s, until partway thru the 1980 model year. That's when they started assembly in Marysville, OH. Engines were made in Japan until 1985, when they started making the engines in Anna OH

I think the best thing about goldwings is that they feel much lighter than they are.

I'm so glad to see you do a Goldwing video on the older bikes. I have owned three of them my last one was identical to that one it was a 1997 aspencade. I thought I heard you call that one an 87 model. My friends did not believe they were made in the USA. Absolutely love them. Thank you for the video

Sean, GL1500 first year was 1988 and ran through 2000. 1984-1987 was the GL1200 4 cyl. Just helping out!

I have a 1987 gold wing a little over 70,000 miles and still runs great. Just can’t wait for the next ride, short or long ride so smooth.

I puckered up for you at that head shake moment...glad you caught it in time.

Been watching lots of these videos, I find it hilarious that Sean has such issues with almost every cruise control on every bike. I think this is the only one where he actually got the snooze set! Lol

Sean, I loved the 93 I use to ride. The 1 I rode was even the same color as that 1. I took it to my endorsement test. Every body there said I was crazy bringing such a big bike. I had no problem passed it on the first pass. Air ride radio. Only issue was that the choke stuck so I didnt use it.

Thanks for the clove test video

That wobble on cruise control made me grab for the handle bars. lol Picking up my first Goldwing this weekend, a 97 with only 6000 miles on it. Can't wait too cruise it. Great video and thanks for all the info.

Awesome 👍 great review, love my Wing, all the best.

Sean, the nickel is supposed to be on its edge. It is that smooth.

At 37,000 it’s been sitting a lot, I’m surprised the tires aren’t all weather checked. And the fact that it is fairly stock is amazing.

I have an 88 Goldwing smooth as glass only paid 1300 for it and the surprising part is everything works even the air ride system

Great video!

I have been a wing driver for over 40 years and I have owned every iteration of the wing except a 1200 Currently on a 1500 trike and I was very happy to be back on a wing. 67 y/o and not ready to quit riding and I want my last bike to be a wing! And oh by the way will never dark side

I have owned my 95 GL1500 Goldwing Aspencade for the last 17 years and it has 291,565 kms or 181,170 miles on it and it still rides like new as long as you keep them well maintained with full synthetic engine oil they will last 10,000 kms between oil and filter changes, spark plugs every 3 years, K&N air filter will last around 20,000 kms before it need to be cleaned as long as your not riding in dusty conditions, mine has never need a rebuild yet try getting the same mileage out of a Harley without needing a top end rebuild or a bottom end rebuild as for the values on the GL1500 well they have hydraulic lifters which work on the engine oil so you will never need to adjust them for the life of the engine, as for the power yes they have 75 Kw or 100 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm but they also have 150 Nm or 110 ft-lb of torque @ 3,250 rpm

I spoke to a motorcycle tech who had 2 Gold Wings in for service, one had 189,000 miles and the other had 212,000 miles. I would definitely say they are immortal.

I`ve owned several 1500 `wings over the years and even though I really liked the bike, they both had a shimy shake from front end even with new tires. Had both bikes in shop for this condition, never fix the shake and just something I was aware of and always kept both hands on the bars. Great bikes for sure!

Sean my Goldwing did the same exact thing yesterday at low speed, the handlebar shake thing. I'm putting a new front tire on it asap, thanks for sharing

Had one just like the one your Showing. Bought new in 92. I sure Miss it.

You are sitting on a bike that looks just like the one my I bought my father. Color and all. Made me really miss him

i do beleive loud pipes can help preserve a riders life, and goldwings are like sedans, its really hard to miss one. am allso a fan of the zero srf. best thing for a rider is smart offensive opperating.

I just got a 93 1500 trike the only thing that got me was the first time I seen OD on the dash till I figured out it meant over drive good video

I’m definitely looking at picking one up this winter for a repair and cruise come summer. 😅

Check the Headstock bearings while you're doing the tyre. Heavy bikes notch the bearings and notched bearing cause head shake.

I've owned my 97 SE from mile one. It is by far the most reliable and most comfortable bike for 2 up touring I've ever owned. It is why I have kept it. Only 9ssue I've had is no matter which battery you put in it an whether or not you put a floating charger (Battery Tender) on it, the batteries will suddenly have one or more cells fail - the plates from one cell detach from the connecting bridge to the other cells. No real issues with electrical connectors or the harness failing or brakes warping in mountain rides or parts vibrating off (HD) or overly complex electrical systems (BMW) that leave you broken down 8n mid trip.

Gold wings are massive and easy to see. Never had anyone merge into me on mine. However on my dirt bikes the loud ones did not get merged on nearly as often.

A new front tire's not going to help with that head shake, it needs new head bearings. But you are right about the Boss Hoss's having 2 speeds and the new DCT Wings having 7 speeds. With regards to loud pipes saving lives, it depends on where you are. Noise alerts people to your presence, there's no two ways about it. That's why we have horns, and that's why emergency vehicles have sirens. In the city where I do most of my riding, sometimes I'm left with no choice but to ride in someone's blind spot, and if they can't see me, I want them to hear me.

I'm 26 and just bought myself a 1992 Honda Goldwing Canadian Edition. such a great touring bike and so comfortable on long trips. Always feels weird to get back onto my 2018 kawasaki h2.

I ride one exactly like this one, with only 25k miles on it. Last summer l wanted a change in sound from ''silent''. I straight piped it from the cat back......I'm loving it.

Goldwings were in their own category for decades. They are still very much the top of the food chain.

As another commenter mentioned, some fixes for the "low speed wobble" on Goldwings are, replacing steering head bearings with "All Balls" tapered bearings, and putting a fork brace on. When "Darksiding" it, a lot of guys put a normal Goldwing "rear" tire on the "front" and mount it so it runs "backwards" from what it is designed to do. In this way you get a "car tire" on the back and a motorcycle rear tire on the front and you get a lot of mileage out of those tires. Of course, Mother Honda does "not" recommend putting car tires on their motorcycles. They claim the tire can come off the "bead" but Darksiders swear by it and don't seem to have that issue.

The last year for production in Marysville for the GL1800 was 2010. The production shift happened during 2011 model year.

At the Riverside Hotel in Laughlin upstairs there is a 1975 Goldwing them documented to go for 1 million miles and never had to take the engine apart for anyting. I had a 1975 Goldwing and I loved it. I sold it and then I realize how much I missed a bike. So I ended up buying a Yamaha Maxim very quick bike. Shortly after that a Honda Shadow. And I wasn't satisfied with those two I knew I wanted another Goldwing and now I ride a 1996 Goldwing and it's only got 33,000 miles on it then redone than from Tire to tire

I ride a 1982 GL1100 Goldwing and it runs like a sewing machine and rides like a Goldwing . It has around 78,000 miles on her and the reason I bought was because I'm a motorcycle mechanic and the Gold wing after the bugs were worked out they became the most dependable motorcycle on the road . The two models of Gold wing are interstate and aspencade the aspencade was loaded the interstate was more basic.

My uncle that taught me how to ride motorcycles back in the 80s had an '84 GW that even had a CB radio on it. I myself didn't like the rear end styling of bags and tour pack of the GW because they look like the projector cases that Will Smith carried around with him in the movie "Pursuit of Happiness".. I myself currently have a 2014 Street Glide with aftermarket had lowers and tour pack.

I learned to keep my tire pressure at 40-45 psi to keep the front tire from wondering and keep the tires from wearing out early.

I have wintersport car tire on rear, love it.

As near as I can tell, Aspencade is the original name for the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally in Ruidoso, New Mexico. This year is their 50th year.

wow that thing sounds like a spaceship! I thought somebody was blowing leaves in the back ground or something it was way quieter than his voice

Noooo, the first thing you notice when getting on a 4th gen goldwing, is lifting it off the kickstand. You feel like your manually lifting a car onto two wheels from four. The thing is a tank!

Nice video, Sean. Two on the back, one on the front, hilarious ...

Please review a Honda NM4. It looks like a really interesting bike.

Interstate is a base model. Then aspencade and se. Love my 91. The only thing I dont like is pulling off all the Tupperware to do any kind of maintenance.

The GL1500 Goldwing is a flat six (not a boxer) with matching crank pins in the same plane so in matching cylinders one piston is moving out while it's mate is moving in. A boxer has a 360 degree crankshaft and a non boxer flat engine has a 180 degree crankshaft.

The first generation, 1000cc Goldwings were made in Japan. Production was moved to the USA when the 1100cc model was released in 1980.

As mentioned by a couple other riders, the nickel should be up on edge. The Valkyrie engine shows this even better. Set up the nickel in the middle of the right valve cover with the bike on the side stand, then start the engine, then rev it to 5000 rpm, then let it go back to idle. The nickel will still be standing. Mine never tossed the coin.

@8:44 Damn bro, you had a small tankslapper there! You're lucky it didn't increase in severity or you would be one of the first youtubers to Highside a Goldwing! lol glad you okay though

I just picked up a used 2009 GL 1800, had a worn out Shitko tire in the front that made it wobble at low speeds. New set of Avon Cobra Chromes solved it.

I used Dunlop Elite III's and got nearly 33,000 per set on average. My 88 had 267,000 looked and ran perfect was destroyed on a cross country trip by highly contaminated fuel. Have an 1800 now but my favorite is 1500 version.

I like the position of the foot pegs but on my last long ride one knee gave out. Need to add highway pegs. Can't go for days on with my knees bent.

Yep they were more so, until they moved across the pond. The '09 and '10 were built at the same time, and were the last ones from the States.

Double darkside ... you put rear motorcycle tire on front and car tire on rear. Front tire cup you need to have steering bearings torque or replace.

All Honda boxer motors were made in Marysville Ohio at one time or another...Wings, Valks and Runes

I might this model as a beginner and then later upgrade to a 1800cc. Nice bike!!!

The aspencade was named after the aspencade rally,in Ruidoso New Mexico.

NECK BEARING? You mean like Linda Blair in the Exorcist or BENDER in Futurerama. STEERING BEARINGS, there are 2 and steering stem nuts are tightened to (Wings) 29 psi.. Around 24-ish and less you get that bar-shakes.

Honda issued a warning about the handlebars shaking with hands off of the handlebars due to the rake. This condition really rears its head with a worn front tire. You think you have a smooth ride. Add 2 oz of dynabeads inside the tires. I did 1150 miles on my 1998 Aspencade pulling a trailer. Was tired due to needing sleep. Did not get beat up by the bike or the wind. Only problem I had was that the carbs did not like the continental divide. Not a lot of performance and 20 mpg. I get 45 mpg doing 50/55. 36 mpg doing 70. 30 mpg doing 80.

Kawasaki Voyager 1300 was my choice in those years ... although I sure do like the Goldwing with the reverse

The problem that I am seeing if many of the dealerships in my area won't work on a bike that is over 10 years old

Might wanna do the steering head bearings aswell as a new tyre looking at that wee tankslapper you had there hiy

For anyone who is intrested in this sort of stuff, the old bmws and urals have mechanical reverse

I have 1990 Goldwing, still riding it.. now has 26k… ride it on “good” days.. preparing put trike on it cause being 67 years old, still have heart keep on riding.. while friends quit and sold theirs… owning 1986 700 shadow and 1100 shadow is what I rode to most every days.. “THE” 1500 Goldwing still always be my pride and JOY.

GoldWing, Valkyrie, Valkyrie Interstate and many Shadow motorcycles were MADE here in the USA until 2010. They made the switch in 2011 back to Japan. This is why there are no 2011 Honda GoldWing motorcycle.

Going back to PA. for a home visit. Thinking of checking your place out. Do you always have Goldwings for sale?

Ahh the 40mph deathwobble. my 84 and my 05 do it lol, but only with no hands on the bars

In 2022 Honda announced discontinuing production of the gold wing sometime in 2023.

There is a video somewhere , maybe RU-vid showing how they make the Goldwing on the production line in the USA 🇺🇸!!

really thinking of getting a 1500/6 as my first bike

That was a little scary at low speed withe the front end shaking places make another video of the work done. I really want a goldwing .

That was not the front tire when it shook like that....it was the steering head bearing.

I am the current owner of a 1999 SE model. I love the video but there is one comment that he made that he is in error. He said that with the onboard air compressor you can change the pressure of the rear shock on the fly, which I'm assuming he means while you're riding. I have tried it in the only time the compressor works is the transmission has to be in neutral. So you have to be stopped

I particularly love the Gold Wing, as I owned a 1978 GL1000 for several years, and it was dead smooth, even for a boxer 4 cylinder, and had plenty of power for interstate cruising. I find it disturbing that an American company like Harley Davidson can't take a hint and move into the future with 4 and 6 cylinder sport and cruiser bikes that would actually be competitive in today's market. Instead they insist on beating that antiquated V-twin to death, making it bigger and bigger, and adding modern electronics and fuel injection to try to squeeze more power out of it. If Harley doesn't get out of the dark ages pretty soon, they're going to go the way of the Dodo bird once again.😐

Ok so now I’m 57 but when I turned 50 looking towards retirement I looked to buy a Harley touring or a gold wing. I see them as the same. Everyone loves the gold wing! I also had several Valkyries ! Several Harley’s too. I’m still a gold wing fan for sure. As far as traveling the goldwing nails it for a long long haul. Just saying

I've listed my bikes on Riders Share after watching your video.

I have a 1998 Goldwing and my back brakes don’t work ,called two Honda dealers they said they don’t work on old bikes,because they can’t get parts anymore.

Could you do some two stroke bike videos please?

So, before 2009 when they moved to Japan, how much (percentage of parts) of the Marysville Goldwings were made in the USA? Did they import any parts from Japan and China and assemble them in the US?

(4:38) - I’m 99% sure the manual states adjusting the rear air pressure ONLY with the bike on the centre stand.

Yep I have a friend his goldwing has a hundred thirty three thousand and still runs like new

Of course they are, as an Englishman looking in American culture from the outside I can honestly say the most American thing isn't glitz and glamour Hollywood......its small town America, low budget small buck lifestyle and the honda goldwing is a low budget (compared to harley davidson) touring bike. Also when it comes to american low budget life style nothing is more american than a Honda.......got a family, got a small income, go down to your nearest dealership and buy an Accord or a Camry....Toyota is probably more American than honda but that's cars not bikes

The only problem I have with my cruise control is you can't set it over 85 mph. Keeps you alert in west texas, montana, wyoming

Everybody forgot in the 80's that the goldwing was originally designed and sold as a super bike when it was released. I'm a young guy, all of 34 years old, and I love my '94 goldwing aspincade. It sucks for village riding, but if I need to go further than 15 minutes, the goldwing gets the miles.