I had an identical one for eight years, serving as my regular transportation. Absolutely fantastic bike, the 1983 650cc version is said to be even better. I don't recommend the single-seater setup because you can carry so much more on the pillion seat, and a big backpack bungied on makes a much more adjustable backrest anyway. This bike is so well designed, with its removable side cases, air adjusted suspension front and rear, shaft drive, etc.etc. The fairing and windshield provide superb protection; my favourite temperature for riding this bike was 7 C. Use top quality touring tires; I found that Metzlers with high pressure really improved the handling.
Looks very clean and very well kept. They will run 80 MPH no problem, but anything much over 65 and the RPM's start to get way on up there. Wont *hurt* anything, just a nuisance is all. Those bikes are VERY easy to work on. You can have the whole engine out in about 45 min. Can completely disassemble the entire bike in about 2 hours. Things to check: Steering head bearing play, driveshaft and gear shifter seals, front camshaft seal leak (will be VERY noticeable if it starts leaking) and timing chain tension. Also a good idea to set or have someone check / set the valve clearance. Other than that, *NEVER* use automotive motor oil in it! It will KILL your clutches. ALWAYS use motorcycle / ATV grade motor oil. Take it easy, take your time, and ride like NO ONE SEES YOU. 'Cause mot of the time they act like they don't. lol Nice 'ol 'wing there man!
Appreciate the info!! Thanks for the advice. I have it in the shop right now getting fork seals done. And wouldn't you know its a perfect 74 degrees here and I don't have my bike! Thanks for watching!!
LOL, that happens a lot it seems. (good weather and for *whatever reason* not able to ride!) I subscribed to your channel just to keep up. I seen a few of your firearm videos. We now have 2 things in common. If you like Jalapeno peppers on your pizza with a ice cold beer then we could be distant kin. hahahaha!!!!
I used regular motor oil in mine never had a clutch problem.. of course I rode it every day and not just on sundays ... and it was no problem to get it over a 100 handled the same
my wife and I would scoot around plenty of times and speed was never a problem... if you wipe the front windshield with rainx the rain will slide right off... if you are planning to be the only rider I would take the back seat off and put that high trunk on .were the seat goes .. it comes off and on real quick if some one wants a ride.. will give you good back support.... I had a 82 stripped down version and changed it to a touring package I put 95k miles on it till I got hit ..owned it for 10 years.. my fifth bike and the best one I had...popping wheelies were easy with it...working on it was easy.. I changed the front fork seals during lunch break at work one time..
Hope you still have it. The aluminum plates covers radio and cb controls, not speakers. The passenger seat comes off the rear pack moves forward to make a single rider with back rest. It is v twin with.a shaft drive.j in coroners you needs a slight throttle to give you the most ground clearance. The center and foot pegs will drag in coroners, if leaned to far. Story about the typing, did it without my glSses.
The Honda GL 500 silver wing is the greatest most reliable dependable motorcycle in history!! That model may not be the prettiest or "coolest" looking but it will never leave you broke down and stranded .
Great bike. For a 500cc they were pretty cool. Now in 2023 it's hard to find one and when you do they are keeping their price. Extremely popular for cafe racer builds.
Most you still find are pretty well maintained because owners know that it was one of the last sensible tourers ever build and they generally want to keep it. To the contrary of what is called a touring bike nowadays they are agile and fast enough to get you in jail (even on the Interstate). I just happened to come on a barn find, 34K miles and almost 40 years old.... after wanting one since 1981. Keep an eye on the engine, as long as it has enough oil and water you should have no problem but a little maintenance goes a long way. And make sure that you have the proper air filter... many people put in a generic filter but at the high end of the RPM that tends to make the mixture a little lean. Engines don't like that. Besides that, I concur with Coyote below.
I have two 82 Silverwings and they are both my first bike aswell! I took the Fairing off the interstate and it feels so good without all that extra plastic. love the bike and Im happy to learn on this bike :)
My first and favourite bike! Treat her well and she will do the same. There is a great resource, a Swedish Silverwing club that has a great forum. They helped me keep that girl on the road for many years. A much more popular bike in Europe than in the Colonies.
I think your “new” bike looks fantastic. Such a beautiful design and colour. I’m sure 500cc is enough really for any bike but everyone’s been sucked in by the bigger is better mode of thinking. I love these retro styles in the bikes as it brings back memories of when I was a young lad. Guys a bit older than me had their licence and riding Honda 350 fours, 500 fours and back then the massive 750 fours.
Just had the carbs rebuilt, new brakes put on and had it gone over. I still plan on a tire and battery. Im planning on putting some miles on her this season. Thanks for watching!!
I just found one of these same color and all for $600! It's just an old couple who literally can't ride anymore. 10,000 miles and no issues. They replaced tires brakes n clutch already too. Goin to pick it up tomorrow! I can't wait! I feel like I'm getting the steal of a lifetime. Pristine condition and ready to ride they said. Just don't need it. Too old.
My first bike was a 1980 CX500 very much the same bike but it didn't come with the factory fairing I had an aftermarket called a Windjammer fairing up front. Great bike I put 50,000 miles on it it didn't get too good of gas mileage for a motorcycle with that big fairing up front but it was a great bike!
i really like this old bike. I was looking to buy something newer, but I just couldn't do it. Im gonna ride this at least another season. thanks for watching!
Looks like the engine guards are missing? Be very careful not to drop it.. It’s a very nice bike, I have one as well. So much fun and just incredible for learning.. very agile, very top heavy, very high ground clearance, very comfortable, not too fast so you don’t get in trouble.. they really prepare you for a bigger bike, I see it as a good in between or a perfect step for learning towards riding a big cruiser!
there are fairings out there that connect to the handle bars and the shocks.. it takes all of 3 minutes to take off and on and you can adjust the rake of the sheild to get more air or to protect you from the rain and cold I had one for mine all clear no blind spots....
Mobylette 50,suzuki er21, gt 125,gl 500 sl wing , gtr 1000 gold 1100, sumo 1470,vn 800 , bmw k1200lt , silver wing500 best bike , en vacance au travail un moteur extra fiable et solide même avec ma femme et bagages..je roule encore avec après 32 ans comme ma gold wing 1100 , de 1982 ,du très bon matériel.
My first one was the Honda X8R, actually that's not a motorcycle. I've had it for 10 years. I would like to buy a chopper (Yamaha Virago, Honda Shadow, something like that) in a year but yesterday I've seen a Honda GL500 Silverwing for the first time and now I'm at a dead end. It's so beautiful! :) But a little bit old on the other hand, some problems with engine may occur in the future...
Id really like to get a chopper myself. I did sell this one. I got he carbs rebuilt and it still wouldn't run right. So I stopped dumping money in the old girl and bought a different bike. But I enjoyed it while i had it! Thanks for watching!
IMHO a GL as a first bike is fine, just a little more weight and complication than a naked bike. I have been riding for decades and advise nubies to get some 650 or under semi beater that won't send you to anger management if dropped in the driveway or mall parking lot. Get one around 5 to 10 years old so parts, books and online help are still readily available to learn repair & maintenance. I would be hopping mad at myself accidentally breaking plastic and external parts of a 30 year old classic survivor. I am a sucker for old Hondas and just found a real gem of an unmolested '83 cx650 Custom. Rare & wonderful. Even if the young Starbucks CBR & Ninja hoodlums have no idea what it is.
This bike served me well. i sold it to an older guy who wanted to fix it up and keep it original. It had one uncomfortable seat tho! thanks for watching!!
@@ringomayhem Yup. I am 6' and the 500 cramped me. The 650 cx is not much better for long day trips. But that is not what I bought it for. If you get lucky you may find a real motorcycle seat upholstery guy. They are worth their weight in gold when they make a seat just for you. I have learned bike comfort is a very personal thing that takes an hour or two in the saddle to know. But once you find it... I added (no longer available) steed sticks highway pegs and a custom Corbin seat to a Honda ST1100 and took her from Los Angeles to Washington DC, then Canada, then back to California. 29 days and 7500 trouble free miles. I would not have done that on anything that did not fit.
Nice and tight bike lad.I got a 82 about a year ago, first bike ever, and learned how to ride on it. Mine’s sliver in color and only 14000 on clock :) going by u-tube a lot have been turned into cafe racers! I will keep my bike stock 👍🏻 Didn’t realize this bike was such a “Classic” before I bought it. My bike will probably last longer than me, but in the meanwhile I’ll keep riding and smiling. Great video.
Hey thanks!! i really liked this bike. the seat was hard on the ass tho. The SilverWing was really nickel and diming me so it had to go. I replaced it with a 2009 Shadow 750....Love it!
Kevin Robinson I had new fork seals done and the bearing in the handlebars replaced. seems to run nice. as a matter of fact I think I'll go on a short ride right now!
@@ringomayhem , I completely understand. Motorcycles are very expensive to have repaired. They're kinda build-in obsoleting. If you can (have time), they can be cheap to own SOMETIMES. It's best to buy a used bike about 5-10 years old. Anything over 10 years old and they can get pricey to keep going.
I passed my class this week and am considering buying this model from an acquaintance. Would you still recommend it for beginners? I'm around 140 lbs, so I have concerns about being able to pick it up if it falls over.
It was my first bike and I think it was a great beginner bike. They are all heavy to pick up lol. After 75-100 miles you really hate the factory seat. And the boxes make moto camping and running errands real easy. Congratulations on passing your class!!
so it has been over a year since you had it... how is everything going with it... only problem I ever had with mine was the oil /water seal.... had it changed at almost 12 k miles and at near 90 k the fan came off and stuck up near the neck till I got home from flordia and with out it the bike just ran a little bit warmer then usual...
I had the carbs rebuilt and some other maintenance done to it and I don't know what happened to it but it started running real shitty. bad throttle response, hard to start wanted to flood on me. i was tired of putting money in the old bike and i found a deal on an 09 shadow areo 750. But the guy that bought it from me got right on it and rode it 2 hours home!
when I first got it 120 was no problem but after years of driving baack and forth to work i coudnt get 85 out of it... took it down to fl.one year and the constant high speed going down I guess blew the carbon out cause as I was getting home I could get up near 120 again.. and it ran fine till the end
do you have any problem getting it on the center stand? of so there is a easy to do it .. and another easy way to pick it up if it ever fell over... I only weighed 140 when I drove it and had no problem were guys bigger then me coudnt do it..
I would grab the left side handle bar, and the handle on the back seat. Stand on the bar that sticks off the center stand, cuss a lil and it would pop right up. I never dropped it all the way, lol but i did almost pull my back out trying to not drop it in the yard on time.
well you were doing it right pull towards the back at the same time you step on the bar and it is no effort at all,,,,, now to pick it up you grab the bar below the back seat and under the gas tank and get down on your heals and just stand up while leaning over the bike.. comes right up and easier on the back.... for about a year I didnt have a kick stand.. i wore it out had to weld the hole shut and drill and retapp it...like I had said before I had it for 10 years and that is the only thing I drove every day to work.. rain snow no matter i drove it
I like this motorcycle a lot. However.. big bikes are a poor choice for beginners.I suggest you get something smaller, much lighter, but with the same excellent upright riding position. If not, at least take a motorcycle safety class. 60 yrs riding.
