Honda GL1000 Goldwing

[natemoen]

Very beautiful! Mind if i ask how long it took you?

[James England]

Very beautiful! Mind if i ask how long it took you?

Thanks. No, of course I don't mind. I bought the bike on 20 September 2011 .... so that's about 3 1/2 months ago.

I stripped the bike and bagged and tagged everything in 'ziplock' bags which I then stored in a metal filing cabinet with loads of drawers. This is a great idea because there are just so many nuts, bolts, bits etc, it really is completely impossible to remember where they go or what they're from. I used a permanent marker and wrote it on each bag. On reassembly, I really would've had no idea what some bits were without the description on the bag.

I've done the following:

Powder coated frame and many engine bits, as well as fuel tank (under seat) and loads of other peripheral components. Respray for all panels. Rechrome on instrument cases, headlamp and carb trims. Pro carb rebuild. New bearings on everything on the frame/wheels etc. Complete brake caliper/master cylinder overhaul. OEM muffler, chrome trims and both fenders from the USA. Dyna 3 ohm coils and Dyna S ignition (OEM is points/condenser, ballast resistor, 1.5 ohm coils)) from the USA. Iridium plugs. Silicone, graphite core HT leads.New suppressor caps. New timing belts. New Viton valve stem seals. New battery. Main fuse modification (to blade type). De-Oxit on all terminals and re-binding the wiring loom. Rebuilt water pump. Liberal use of my zinc-plating kit. New cables all round. New clutch plates. Oil and filters. Replica decals all round. Rebuilt both clocks. Two new helmet locks and rear light from Holland. Repro blinkers from the USA. Replacement driveshaft from Germany. New temp gauge sensor and fan thermostat. Used fuel tank sender. Dummy tank Honda badges from Thailand. Hundreds of stainless allen bolts, washers, fittings etc. New PVC pipes, grommets, rubber bits etc etc.....

All in all, my post-lady has been a saint, struggling up the hill with boxes from all over the world (even the muffler).

I balanced the carbs tonight with vacuum gauges off eBay. They are great! They were only cheap but work brilliantly.

[petejw]

great work james, the bike turned out beautifully. :-)

[Brent]

before & after is Amazing. impressive work. Enjoy!

[natemoen]

That is much shorter a time span than I figured you would say. Even more impressive!

[James England]

That is much shorter a time span than I figured you would say. Even more impressive!

I kind of overdid though, I reckon. The idea was a winter project to keep me occupied. However, as usual, I flogged myself to death and couldn't keep off it! A lot of the time is waiting for bits to arrive. I managed to sell all the old parts which I replaced on the bike...there's quite a lot of demand for them. So, it's a kind of trade-in on parts.

I keep saying I'll stop doing them but I just bid on another XS1100 here in the UK.... described as a winter project... oh oh.

[crazy steve]

One thing James has going for him is his used motorcycle market is much different compared to the US. Vintage bikes generally bring much better prices there than they do here, so you can spend the money fixing one up with a reasonable expectation of at least getting your financial outlay back, if not your labor 'costs'. A bike that would realistically sell here in the $2-3K range can bring about double that amount there, while 'rebuild' costs are about the same. Sure, there's always a few exceptions, but don't bet on it...

James' pro-done paint, carbs, and plating costs are probably close or equal to what the finished bike would be worth here unless you could find the right buyer, not an easy thing to do. When I rebuilt the SG I recently sold, I watched costs like a hawk and did virtually everything myself. I was also fortunate in that I had almost no money in my 'starter bike' (by selling unwanted touring bits off it, I reduced my investment in it to under $50), so that allowed more for needed parts. And I didn't even try for the level of perfection James has reached, I settled for very 'nice'. I managed to 'make' money (recovered all my costs plus some), but my labor worked out to under $2 per hour... But I figured that going in, so it wasn't a surprise.

With all that said, James' 'wing is still a beautiful bike and you should be proud!

[jetmechmarty]

Vintage bikes generally bring much better prices there than they do here, so you can spend the money fixing one up

I would expect he's paying much more for parts as well.

[James England]

Basically, we are talking about two completely different markets, unfortunately for me. Everything in the UK costs more than in the US (eg gas $10 + a gallon). CD's, DVD's, new (and therefore, used) vehicles, food, eating out. A packet of 20 Marlboros is $11 (not that I smoke). Electrical goods. Anything. 65% of a gallon of gas is TAX

When I see the prices you pay over there for used XS1100's, it makes me very envious. I mean $300 sometimes? That's £200 in UK £'s and that won't buy any bike at all, never mind a vintage XS1100.

So, whilst our costs are higher re bikes, they sell for a lot more than in the US.

Re spares... I've bought lots of them for both bikes from the USA because they are so much cheaper and, even with shipping costs, it's cheaper than here for many things. UK Customs impose an import tariff if they check parcels over £40 in value... they add 20% on the cost of the goods +shipping and a clearance fee of $15.

Re renovating bikes. No, you can never get your labour costs back. No chance. In fact, you're lucky to break even on costs and that's why I've done bikes I want to keep. I paid $2160 for my XS11 before even renovating it and that was a fair price. The GL cost $1632 and that was less than average for a badly-running early GL in need of a full restoration. So, you can imagine what I feel when I look on US eBay and see what you can buy. I even considered buying a Honda CBX1000 from the USA and importing it because of the price difference. I know of one seller on eBay in the USA who posts videos of the bikes he's breaking for spares... I mean, he shows them running and sounding and looking great! "These spares came from a good running bike" etc. I can't help thinking that there is perhaps more of an attitude of disposability in the USA compared to here.. you know, throwing things out easily, I suppose. This appears to extend to bikes too. I'm not judging but only trying to see why you throw out/scrap bikes that we would restore here.

I think for me it's this... I like the bikes and had them when I was younger. I like 'saving' them and getting them to look and run really well for another couple of decades at least. They drive me mad with the problem solving side of things but people stop and look at them in the street and admire them. I could probably break even if I sold them but, importantly, the process of renovating them is therapeutic, an interest, cheaper than drink/drugs/psychiatric counselling or holidays! So, hey!, my little luxury. Would agree?

[crazy steve]

I would expect he's paying much more for parts as well.

He is, but not that much more from what I can see for most. Of course, it all depends on how many parts you need to buy; if you're having to make wholesale replacements, it can get expensive quickly...

[James England]

He is, but not that much more from what I can see for most. Of course, it all depends on how many parts you need to buy; if you're having to make wholesale replacements, it can get expensive quickly...

I've replaced loads but I sell the ones I take off. It's possible to 'upgrade' bits on the bike for cosmetically better ones and then sell the old ones. The difference is cheaper than re-chroming. On the GL, I've sold $750 of old parts from it...... it offsets the cost of the new bits quite substantially.

[jetmechmarty]

I can't help thinking that there is perhaps more of an attitude of disposability in the USA

What you're looking at is a business. An old motorcycle is worth far more in parts than it is whole. I can get here for my nice operating XS11, what you would have to pay for a junker. We can't make money that way. We can make money selling parts to restorers.

What you're doing is a labor of love. As has been pointed out, there's no money in it. If there weren't people out there doing what you're doing, there would be no money in breaking bikes for parts. They go hand in hand.

[trdriver71]

James how much did the rechromeing of the old parts cost in the U.K.? It is really expensive here.

[James England]

What you're looking at is a business. An old motorcycle is worth far more in parts than it is whole. I can get here for my nice operating XS11, what you would have to pay for a junker. We can't make money that way. We can make money selling parts to restorers.

What you're doing is a labor of love. As has been pointed out, there's no money in it. If there weren't people out there doing what you're doing, there would be no money in breaking bikes for parts. They go hand in hand.

Yes, I understand re the bike being worth more in parts etc... but what I mean is that the standard where it becomes a parts bike, sold to a breaker like yourself, is so much higher in the USA, it seems. ie people are selling bikes to breakers in the USA which people here would be glad to keep and run, just as they are. Our parts bikes have to be pretty bad in order to be parts bikes. Parts bikes generally hdon't run, or have a seized motor, or throw out huge clouds of oil smoke, or sound like steam hammers. Nobody here would dream of selling a working, running, nice looking bike to a breaker. Hence my comment about 'disposability' in the USA....the fact that you're breaking them means people are selling them to you... That doesn't really happen here, probably because vehicles cost so much more new in the first place.

[James England]

James how much did the rechromeing of the old parts cost in the U.K.? It is really expensive here.

I had the headlamp bucket and headlamp rim done, along with two carburettor trims, a couple of special bolts and also the speedo and tacho instrument shells. It cost $184 including shipping back to me. How does that compare to over there?