For whom
Here are the main features of the machine:
- 94 hp and 105 Nm for the engine;
- the motor is less noisy and vibrates than the previous model;
- The front suspension is equipped with an anti-dive function.
The Honda GL 1200 Gold Wing is perfect for traveling. Yes, the model is unable to compete with the famous Africa Twin from the same company either in cross-country ability or in practicality. Nevertheless, the motorcycle is an interesting option for the amateur tourist.
Engine
The engine here is excellent: it is a longitudinal unit with four strokes and the same number of cylinders. Its effective volume is 1182 cm³, compression ratio is 9:1. The engine is cooled by liquid; there are a pair of valves per cylinder. There is an excellent carburetor system.
The limit figures are as follows: at 7000 rpm the power is 94 hp, at 5500 rpm the torque is 105 Nm, the peak speed of the car is 172 km/h. These are remarkable characteristics for an eighties touring bike.
Dimensions and weight
The GL 1200 weighs 342 kg, which makes it one of the heaviest bikes not only of its era and class, but among all motorcycles in general. However, both the fuel tank and fuel consumption are pleasing: with a tank volume of 22 liters, the motorcycle consumes on average only 5.7 liters per 100 km.
The saddle height here is average and is 780 mm. The length of the motorcycle reaches 2505 mm, its width is 970 mm and its height is 1510 mm. The wheelbase of the GL 1200 is 1610 mm. These are quite acceptable dimensions for a touring motorcycle.
Gold does not fade!
GOLD DOESN'T FADE!
Dmitry TYURIN
HONDA GL1500 Gold Wing, grand tourer
(from the anniversary series) | Mileage not established | Approximate price
$ 12 700
HONDA GL1500 Gold Wing,
50 thousand km
$ 21 500
IN NO WAY WE WERE SHY.
Will we be able to cope with the mastodons in the city until we get to the track? Is it easy to maneuver at low speed when the total weight of the motorcycle and rider is about half a ton? There was no room for error: the motorcycles were not their own, they were borrowed, and their total cost was about 35 thousand dollars
Both have a 6-cylinder boxer engine with a cardan drive to the rear wheel, almost absolute wind protection and simply crazy equipment designed to raise the bar of driver and passenger comfort to unprecedented heights. There is a reverse gear, windshield height adjustment, a radio with four speakers, a ticker system on the RDS radio panel (on the new model), and a supply of warm air to the hands and feet, and headlight range control, countless glove compartments and trunks. The body of any driver will fit most comfortably in a leather seat: the shape and size of its loin do not matter. Both motorcycles form a classic upright riding position, with the lower back supported by a small backrest. Very comfortable: all muscles are relaxed. If the driver still gets tired of his back and fifth point of support, the seat of the new model can be adjusted “to suit himself”. It's like in the massage chairs of executive cars.
What if you move to the passenger (or passenger) seat? Not only do you “sit high and look far away,” but you really sit as if in a limousine: a throne with armrests (under which you can hide a lot of small things), on the “fresh” model there are also all imaginable and inconceivable adjustments. Even the volume of the rear speakers can be adjusted! The chair has a large backrest, so you can at least read a book while driving. Or even drink beer (and who will forbid the passenger?) * Emotions after at least temporary possession of such luxury excite
While we were licking our eyes at all the delights of our experimental subjects, the engines warmed up. The engine of the new model is equipped with a proprietary PGM-FI injection system, so it starts instantly. In the warm-up mode, it maintains higher speeds - you don’t have to push the enrichment lever in, like on the old one. The engines of both motorcycles operate barely audibly, without mechanical noise. But there was a sound, and clearly audible: the previous owner installed it on the “wedding steamer” (that’s how we called the white “Golda”). direct flow! Have you ever seen a Gold Wing with straight flows? So, such a miracle exists in nature.
The windshield on both is height adjustable. Two levers at the edges of the dashboard release the lock and the glass can be raised or lowered. I would like an electric drive. Well, okay, we are not lazy, we won’t overstrain ourselves.
Well, let's go! No, not right away - when they rolled out of the cabin, they were forced to move backwards for a couple of meters. In the one and a half liter Gold Wing, the reverse gear is engaged with a lever located at the level of the left knee, in the new one - with a button on the right steering console (you have to specify its location, since here, in addition to the steering consoles, there are also a bunch of all sorts of switches and buttons). The “R” - “Reverse” light up on the dashboard, you press the starter button and the motorcycle moves backwards. It’s nice that the Japanese took this need into account: at the slightest slope, when the “nose” is pointing down, moving the motorcycle back while sitting in the saddle is beyond human strength. Let the horses work better.
And since we started talking about mass. It is worth mentioning that motorcycles not only have side stands (which are easy to use), but also central ones! We looked at them and thought: were the designers making such a nice joke? Do they really think that it is possible to drag such a thug onto the “pedestal” alone? (How can we not remember that the equally heavy BMW K1200LT has a stand with an electro-hydraulic drive.) And come on, we tried it - it’s even very easy to install the “gold” masses on the “central”! There is a lever on it, I pressed it with my foot - and the rear wheel is already in weight.
The fear of not being able to control the car disappeared immediately after the first click of the gearbox: after 10 km/h both hippos turned into well-trained circus animals. Whether you go slowly or quickly, the motorcycles steer easily.
GL1500
A small “jamb” was discovered: both of us (and we changed devices) had the impression that the guides in the front fork were worn out, as a result of which the motorcycle in a turn, if the wheels got into a hole, was forced to steer. There's nothing you can do about it, age is making itself felt: in 11 years, the white “Golda” has probably covered more than the 33 thousand kilometers that its non-functional odometer showed (at a motorcycle service center, repairing the device will take 3-4 hours).
The acceleration dynamics exceeded all expectations. One and a half liters of volume, crammed into six cylinders, literally shoots out like a “limousine” when the tachometer needle passes the 3000 rpm mark. With an energetic start from a traffic light, cars that decided to race with us quickly turned into specks in the wide rear-view mirrors. Acceleration is vigorous up to 140 km/h, but then the windage of the crew takes its toll and the pace weakens. The box works “like a Honda” - smoothly, without any problems. When the top gear is engaged, the OD - OverDrive symbol lights up on the dashboard (this is the top gear). Nevertheless, the motorcycle gains “kopeck piece” without much effort. This speed is affected by the insufficient torsional rigidity of the chassis - the body begins to “wobble.” The suspensions “chew” small irregularities - they won’t choke, but on large ones it breaks the front fork every now and then. This means that it is necessary to change not only the guides, but also fill the shock absorbers with more viscous oil. The rear suspension is adjustable, so it can be adjusted to almost any weight of the driver, passenger and cargo in the panniers. The option is powered by a pneumatic compressor. This function has one very convenient side effect: in the right case there is a hose with a spool sticking out, by hooking up a second special hose (it comes with the motorcycle), you can use the same compressor to inflate the wheels.
I had to push into the recesses of my brain the sportbike habit of braking only at the front and remember that sometimes on motorcycles the rear brake is also relevant. But, I must say, by today’s standards the front one is also frankly rather weak, especially when compared with the brake of the 1800.
In general, the motorcycle is very, very lively and after a little maintenance it will give the owner many thousands of interesting kilometers.
GL1800
The Gold Wing 1800 in blue gave the impression of being new. For him, a run of 32 thousand miles (about 50 thousand kilometers) is like a break-in. There is not a scratch on the body; the rubber, although worn, is still factory. It is very similar to its predecessor, however, once you take the helm, you understand that it’s the same as transferring from the helm of a TU-134 to the helm of a Boeing 747. Everything seems to be the same, only more modern. In general, the engineers inexplicably managed to make a motorcycle of such mass truly controllable. The torsional frame is also stiffer compared to its predecessor.
Dynamics are a different matter. None of us expected that such a motorcycle could jump so quickly - just open the throttle all the way! From the very bottom, the motor “snatches” you with the roar of a big cat (and the uterine purr of a cat like a tiger) and confidently pulls you, breaking the wall of air. But after 3000 rpm, the colors of the world become a little blurry, the purring turns into the sound of a fighter in afterburner, and the “blue bird” rushes forward. Of course, he doesn’t take his hands off the steering wheel, but to say in a car “during acceleration I was pressed into the back of the seat” is appropriate. The dynamics are quite comparable to a 600 cc sports-road motorcycle and half a head higher than the dynamics of the 400-horsepower BMW M5, which dared to race us from a traffic light. By the way, the old one, one and a half liter, also did not give offense. The brakes on the 1800 are sharper and more precise than on the 1500. This is a merit not only of modern mechanisms, but also of a combined braking system (when braking with the front or rear brake, the mechanisms of both come into play), which has proven itself well on the CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird model. Here the Japanese did not skimp on technical delights and pumped up the brakes to the fullest. They even installed ABS! The system will not allow the wheels to lock during emergency braking, even on a wet (and you understand, terribly slippery) road markings.
Chassis and brakes
The frame is made of steel. It looks solid, as does the exterior as a whole: you can immediately see that this is a very large and heavy motorcycle on which you can load a lot of things; However, it is clear that this car is completely unsuitable for driving on race tracks.
The wheels here are alloy, which does not affect the appearance in any way, because this is not important for a touring bike. The steering wheel of the model is quite large, but due to its high location it will not rest on your knees. The windshield is not at all decorative. It is large enough to effectively protect the driver's face.
The bike is equipped with a pendulum suspension with two shock absorbers at the rear, while at the front there is a telescopic fork. The rear and front suspension travel is 100 and 140 mm, respectively. The rear brakes are equipped with a two-piston caliper and a disc with a diameter of 250 mm. The brakes at the front are two-piston calipers paired with two discs, each 232 mm.
Motorcycle Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991 review
Specifications Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Engine Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Transmission Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Dimensions and weights of Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Chassis and brakes Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Dynamic characteristics of Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Other characteristics of Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
Description Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing 1991
The model of the legendary touring motorcycle Honda GL1500 Gold Wing was first presented in 1987 at the Cologne Motorcycle Exhibition and was produced almost unchanged until 2000. Compared to its predecessor (Honda GL1200 Gold Wing), the new “Golda” had a number of technical changes, the main one of which was a new 6-cylinder boxer engine with a capacity of 1520 cc. see, producing 100 hp. power and 150 Nm of torque. Due to the strong depowering of the engine, it had a huge service life, designed to cover hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
Another important technical difference between the Honda GL1500 Gold Wing and its predecessors is the presence of a compressor, which allows you to pump air into the suspension using a button. In addition, the ability to reverse the motorcycle (using an electric starter) has been added.
Overall, the Honda GL1500 Gold Wing is a fully loaded touring motorcycle with a huge number of options and electronics. This includes a built-in music system, a radio station, glove compartments, wardrobe trunks, adjustable footrests, an adjustable windshield, the presence of a heater, cruise control, etc. All this allows you to comfortably move long distances in almost any weather.
Main modifications of the Honda GL1500 Gold Wing:
- Honda GL1500 Aspencade is an anniversary version of the motorcycle in honor of the release of the 500,000th model of the Honda GL1500 Gold Wing motorcycle.
- Honda GL1500 Interstate is a budget version of the motorcycle. It was lighter in weight due to the lack of cruise control, a reverse system and the presence of a simpler audio system. In 1999 it was replaced by the Honda GL1500CF Valkyrie Interstate.
Honda GL1500 Special Edition (SE) is a commemorative motorcycle model in honor of the 15th anniversary of the model. It was distinguished by color paint, a ventilated windshield, the presence of additional headlights, a modern audio system, adjustable footrests and heated feet.
- 1987 - the Honda GL1500 Gold Wing model was first presented at the Cologne motorcycle exhibition, which replaced the Honda GL1200 Gold Wing.
- 1993 - the model receives minor updates regarding the engine and cruise control system. Now the system directly read the revolutions from the crankshaft, which increased the accuracy of the cruise control.
- 1995 - The Honda GL1500 Gold Wing Aspencade model receives improved suspension, reducing ground clearance and thereby lowering the center of gravity. These changes made it possible to compensate for the increased dry weight of the motorcycle to 364 kg.
- 1997 – Honda GL1500 Gold Wing receives minor improvements to the engine and gearbox.
- 2000 – The Honda GL1500 Gold Wing model is discontinued and is replaced by a more modern version, the Honda GL1800 Gold Wing. This year's 1500 features a chrome and gold-plated valve cover.
Why is the Gold Wing 1500 so loved by many bikers? Probably for something that no one has surpassed it in - for comfort. When you go on a trip with it, it feels like you are riding in a house on wheels. Luxurious seats, excellent wind protection, music, a bunch of different adjustments, excellent power reserve, solid luggage volume and signature Honda reliability - yes, the Gold Wing 1500 has something to brag about, despite the fact that the age of some copies of this motorcycle has already exceeded a quarter of a century. But first things first.
Starting with the Gold Wing 1000, all motorcycles in this line have been equipped with boxer engines, and the GL 1500 is no exception. The six-cylinder boxer engine, producing a hundred horsepower, is powered by a pair of carburetors, and 150 nm of torque turns the Golda into a projectile that shoots sharply forward, as soon as you turn the throttle towards you. Despite a dry weight of more than 370 kilograms and a large windage, the Gold Wing 1500 can be called a truly dynamic motorcycle.
Due to the heavy weight and relatively high center of gravity, handling the motorcycle is not so easy, at least until you get going and reach a speed of 15-20 km/h. On the move, the Gold Wing 1500 handles simply fabulously; you simply don’t expect anything like this from this colossus. But at near-zero speeds there is a feeling that the motorcycle is “floating”, and there is no connection between the steering wheel and the front wheel. This problem, known among GL 1500 owners, is due to the fact that the thin fork “plays” too much and twists, including during braking. This problem is eliminated by installing a third triple clamp, which gives the Gold Wing 1500 fork the necessary rigidity.
The highlight of any Golda is its luxurious equipment. Of course, it varies depending on the configuration - for example, the Aspencade version lacks reverse gear and air suspension, but not everyone can independently push four tons of steel and plastic, even up a small hill. The top version boasts height-adjustable passenger platforms (it is believed that this option was only installed on motorcycles produced for the Japanese domestic market), rear air suspension and reverse gear. All versions of the Gold Wing 1500 are equipped with a music system, an adjustable windshield with a window and a whole bunch of other amenities.
Looking at the prices for used motorcycles in this class, you understand that the Gold Wing 1500 is beyond competition. This motorcycle is capable of providing the highest comfort, the 23-liter gas tank ensures long, carefree trips with a minimum of refueling, the glass and fairing reliably protect from water and wind... Well, if you want coolness, you can open a window in the glass, which will let in exactly as much wind as needed, so that it is pleasant, but not cold. On the highway, the GL 1500 is in its element, and it is capable of taking the happy owner far, far away, even on a trip around the world.
Of course, there were some downsides. The Honda Gold Wing 1500 is a really heavy bike and also very expensive to drop. Maintenance is significantly difficult due to the complex design, and almost any service operation takes a lot of effort and time, and in motorcycle services, due to the complexity of the work, they ask for a lot of money. But if you want to buy a used and not the most expensive luxury touring motorcycle, then the Gold Wing 1500 is a great option. This motorcycle combines reliability, excellent technical characteristics and the highest level of comfort.
Go to the entire range of Honda motorcycles, on this page you can find Honda GLX 1500 Goldwing motorcycles from other years of production and information about them
