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The Gold Wing Run (Guy 'Guido' Allen,
January-February, 2025) Honda's legendary Gold Wing turns 50 in 2025 and what better way to celebrate than take an original example for a nice long ride? See below for the road diary... Part 1 was to get our
very tidy 1975 example shipped from our home base in
Melbourne up to Brisbane, as we didn't fancy doing the
trip in both directions. We simply flew up to meet the
Wing, which was transported by Bike
Logistics. That's John delivering the machine in
Brisbane, at top. See our 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing profile The route? It's about 2000km (1200 miles) – maybe not epic, but enough to test a 50-year-old motorcycle. ![]() Here
is the road diary... January 29 ![]() Road sign of the day:
Terrors Creek, north of Brisbane in Queensland. We're
on the Mount Mee road, the reputation of which adds
flavour to the title. Why were we there? We
figured it was a good idea to take the Gold Wing for a
local gallop, in this case north of Brisbane to see
old mate Mark Reed – a man with a long and fascinating
motorcycle history, including working on Australian
Motor Cycle News with muggins, back in the
1980s. (In case you were
wondering, we did have television back then, but not
the internet. The dinosaurs had died out and we had
some very nice motorcycles.) It was a good excuse to
tour his shed, pat the Bultacos, the Ducatis and the
1920s Sunbeam. The run was a short
130-ish kilometres (80 miles) and was the longest time
we had spent in the saddle since it was purchased last
year. So how is it going? I'm
confident it will get back to Melbourne without
breaking into a sweat and it has plenty of power to
hoot along at a good rate. There are a couple of
little adjustment issues to be attended to, such as
the idle speed being too high and the height of the
rear brake lever. With more time and
resources, I'd also like to see the damping for the
front suspension backed off a little. That won't
happen on this trip. The big re-alignment so
far has been the trip itself, thanks to Mark's advice.
Plan A was to follow the inland Newell Highway (route
39). However in high Summer we've backed out of that.
The inland temps are roasting and the road is in
questionable shape – not great for this exercise. There is also a question
mark over whether we could safely park the bike
overnight in one or more of the towns along the way. (Ed's
note: Goondiwindi in Qld and Moree in NSW were
highlighted as trouble spots.) Meanwhile the coastal
Pacific Highway (route 1) is much cooler when it comes
to climate and better-maintained, if a little longer. ![]() Even though it was a
very brief run, we got to nominate the roadside
monument of the day, which was on the outskirts of
Dayboro: a beautifully-formed steel kangaroo and joey.
Hats off to the creator. (Ed's note: we've
since been told by Mark it's by David Ellsworth – see
his web site.) Meanwhile we've
'designed' the trip to be much more lazy than some of
our recent efforts (see the links at the end of the
story). I've done enough head-down and bum-up rides
over the years and have this strong sense that many of
those trips were on the edge of being an endurance
test. That's okay, but a bit more time to play rather
than endure would be welcome this time. We'll let you know how
we get on... January 30 ![]() A last-minute change of
plan has landed us on the Pacific Highway (more or
less), which means we're traveling in cooler weather
than we would have copped inland, although it now
seems certain we'll get wet tomorrow on the way to
Newcastle. It's not the end of the world, but it means the immaculate Gold Wing will need the services of a detailer when we get it home. Such is life... Meanwhile you know you've hit the tourist
trail when you start encountering 'big' and usually
bizarre roadside objects. The easy winner today was the
big prawn in Ballina, inexplicably located at the front
door of a hardware emporium, namely Bunnings (or Hammerbarn
if your kids are fans of Bluey). Maybe there are
plans for the nearby patch of grass. You might notice they've gone for the
cooked prawn look, rather than coming the raw prawn... ![]() We've landed in Coffs Harbour, which
boasts the big banana – though it's modest when compared
to Ballina's shellfish. The foreshore near the jetty
(above) is far more inviting. As for the Gold Wing, it's humming along
nicely, as you might expect. For a 50-year-old machine,
it's pretty good over a distance. The one modern feature
I'm really missing is cruise control. It's something I
have on three other bikes in the shed (1999 BMW K1200LT,
2001 Honda Valkyrie Interstate and 2024 Suzuki Hayabusa)
and has become a must-have for distance work. The one thing I didn't get around to
checking pre-ride was the fuel consumption. It's on the
thirsty side at around 12km/lt. That's 8.3lt/100km, or
34mph in the UK and 28mpg in the USA. The fuel tank claims
a 19 litre capacity (4.2/5.0 gallons), so useful range
with something in reserve is about 200km (120 miles). Best guess? It's jetted a little rich. I
would definitely be packing a spare fuel container if I
was using it down the Stuart Highway in the Northern
Territory, or on the Perth-Adelaide run. The one good decision I made prior to the
trip was fitting the bike with fresh rubber. That's almost
a reflex whenever I acquire a new toy and I suspect will
pay dividends when the rain gods decide to drop in.
Somehow this seemed like a fitting treat at the end of
the day. January
31 ![]() There are times when I wonder if
there is a deliberate plot underway to confuse and
baffle tourists. I give you today's two
prize examples. The first is from 'The Rock' service
station, north of Newcastle. You might notice that's a
very long way from Uluru in the Northern Territory. ![]() Number two was this rather
disgruntled camel on the Honeysuckle docks
district of Newcastle. Again, a very long way from
home. Anyway, the bike continues to trundle along without fuss. I'm regretting not changing over the American handlebars for something lower, as they do turn you into a wind sock. The upside is they discourage any land speed record attempts. I must confess to packing in about 18
seconds for this trip and one of the issues with that was
I packed enough camera gear to start a decent-sized
production company. It was way more than I needed, so I've
slimmed the kit right down and posted the excess equipment
home. (Of course Australia Post lost it and then asked
me to hang around for a couple of weeks while they hoped
it turned up! This isn't over, dingbats...) Unfortunately my predictions of rain came true and the once-immaculate Gold Wing is now looking a bit shabby. Tomorrow's first order of business will be to find somewhere to give it a tub, as I don't fancy letting the crap bake on. Newcastle is blessed with a great waterside location, with lots of beaches and harbour-side areas to explore. Tomorrow we swing by one of my favourite
sections of the trip, crossing the Hawkesbury River and
enjoying the spectacular views that northern approach to
Sydney has to offer. February 1 ![]() One of
the things that takes your mind off the
discomfort of long motorcycle trips is
playing spotto. For this journey it has been
looking for pics to send to the eldest
grand-daughter, who is of an age where the animated
TV series Bluey is a thing of
joy and importance. I'm inclined to agree
with her. It sure as hell beats watching
elections. Meanwhile
I've been enjoying seeing how towns portray
themselves as a way to entice you off the
motorway and into the centre to enjoy the
fruits of the labour of the local denizens.
Once
upon a time the highway went through the
town, so all they needed was the nameplate
on the outskirts, along with a badge or two
from Rotary and RSL, or whatever, to keep
them happy. ![]() Now, you
have to advertise – or so it seems. So there
is a staged effort in NSW where, as you near
each town, you get a series of tourist signs
pointing out the joys of pulling off the
main road. The last
of them is generally a giant poster, almost
exclusively extolling the great outdoors.
Beaches, mountain trails, whatever works.
Me, I'd be more impressed with the inside of
a wine bar or an engineering shop – the two
combined would be nice... ![]() Nevertheless, where we
pulled up for the night – sunny Ulladulla – has its
attractions. As for the Gold Wing, it
cruises along almost effortlessly. I'll do a more
comprehensive rundown at the end of the trip, as I'm
not convinced this mount was a great choice for the
journey. It would have been a sensational selection
back in 1975, but things have changed. (And yes, I'm
mindful this trip was all about the model's 50th
anniversary. See our
profile.) There are some arguments for and
against using one like this, which I'll chew over
and share in a couple of days. February 2 ![]() I can now say I have ridden a Gold Wing
to the Garden of Eden. Does one get a gold star at Sunday
school? While I have an unhealthy target-focused
drive on long motorcycle trips to sit in the saddle and
just grind away the miles, muggins has learned that
stopping regularly to smell the roses, or spot the irony,
is far more rewarding. And today provided an example that
was so gob-smacking I initially rode past while the grey
cells chewed it over, and then turned back in a hurry. For a moment there, I thought I was
seeing things. Who calls a caravan park the Garden of
Eden? Or did they buy said garden of Old Testament fame
and turn it into a caravan park? Where's Joni
Mitchell when you need her? ![]() That experience got me focused on place
names today and easily my favourite is this simple one:
Fat Cow Creek. There will be a story behind it. ![]() Speaking of anomalies, the Air Raid Tavern in Moruya had
me curious. My albeit limited knowledge of modern history
suggested there was no enemy air raid there, ever. So
what's the story? According to the local historical society: "The building follows the footprint of former Keating's Hotel which burnt down in 1943. After the fire, the bar re-opened in the stables – blackout rules were in place due to Japanese submarine activity off the coast – hence it became known as the Air Raid Shelter."
![]() Mural of the day goes to the good folk at
Merimbula, for the water tower beside the local rural fire
brigade station. Somehow the idea of a waterfall mural on
a water tower works. Note the little subtle
touches, such as the 'leaks' between the slabs. (It's
signed by Chalk Talk Inc.) Meanwhile the riding relationship with the 1975 GL1000 deepens. We got to play in some corners today and I have to say it busted one or two popular myths. More on that as we wrap up the tour, tomorrow... See our Honda GL1000 Gold Wing
profile. February 3 ![]() We're home, some 2000km (1200 miles) down
the track. Yesterday consisted mostly of good
old-fashioned single lane country roads, with all the
little surprises that go with them. It was a refreshing
change from the motorways, even if the going was a lot
slower. It was also more revealing of the Gold
Wing's abilities. I'll confess that my teeth grate
whenever someone comes out with the sarcastic 'Lead Wing'
nickname, as if it was a fresh joke. I've exercised
self-control and not smacked anyone, yet... So far, no-one who has used the accursed
Lead Wing term in my presence has actually owned one. They
prefer to offer long-winded explanations of a bike owned
by an alleged mate. The phrase "pack of uninformed
numbats" springs to mind. ![]() The GL1000 was unquestionably big and heavy for its day
and of course the series grew into giant fully-fledged
heavy tourers. But this early version is different. Old
mate and former Two Wheels mag staffer John Waugh
chimed in on our social pages regarding this theme: "I've
owned two of them, a K1 and K3," he wrote. "Great bikes
and often underestimated by those who have never ridden
them." Amen to that. John's K3 is above, complete with four-into-one exhaust...what a weapon!
So let's look at some raw stats. A 1975
Wing claimed 84 horses for a dry weight of 273kg. A
Kawasaki Z900 of the same year claimed 82 horses for a
230kg dry weight. The Kawasaki had a power-to-weight
advantage, but the performance gap from the saddle wasn't
as great as most people imagine. In other words, an early
GL1000 had the potential to be a quick motorcycle for its
day. That was something noted in the contemporary road
test featured at Classic Two Wheels even
though they fried the clutch on the drag strip. ![]() Five decades later, I wasn't expecting too much when I started flinging the thing into a few sets of corners. I know what worn 1970s Japanese suspension feels like and kind of braced for a floaty and unstable ride. Not so. It handled surprisingly well – no FireBlade, but really stable and predictable. In fact you could fling it at a set of turns at a respectable clip. Now you may recall that I whined about the overly stiff front suspension a few days ago. You see this bike had a big rebuild/restoration under the stewardship of a previous owner and had seen little use since. That is, until I got my scone-grabbers on it. The front end has since loosened up and works really well on backroads. Plus the rear end is far better than stock. A closer look reveals it is riding on a set of modern Ikon shock absorbers which look perfect for the period. Add in the set of Bridgestone tyres I had fitted just before the trip and you come out with a halfway decent package. That restoration, by the way, included braided steel
lines for the brakes, plus what I suspect was a careful
choice of pad material. They work pretty well, too. The
only hitch is a moment's delay in braking power if they're
soaking wet. Anyone who knows 1970s Japanese motorcycles
will be aware that's pretty good! As for the engine, it has enough grunt to enable you to select a single gear for a set of corners and just roll it through on the throttle. It's smooth for the seventies, but less exceptional now. Power is ample and the spread very good. When it comes to the transmission, it's typical GL1000, which means it likes a slower change if you want to keep it smooth. It can be clunky and a little rider sympathy goes a long way. The mechanicals are stock, with exception to the
aftermarket solid state ignition replacing the twin set of
points. A big factor in the decision to buy this example was it
was running a factory exhaust system. They are
near-impossible to find now in any sort of use-able shape.
There was someone in the UK making accurate aftermarket
copies for a while, but they seem to have disappeared. If
you're still out there, now is the time to get back into
business – you'd do alright. Aftermarket systems generally miss out on the balance
chamber between the two banks of cylinders, which makes a
big difference to how a GL1000 sounds and feels. As a classic tourer, I rate it very highly, probably ahead of my BMW R75/6 of the same year. It handles better and is much quicker, though the BMW would be more comfortable and has a better fuel range. Note that I said 'classic tourer'. The thing is, I have a
1999 BMW K1200LT which cost me less than the GL1000 even when you
throw in the big rebuild for the clutch and rear main
seal. It's faster, more comfortable, has greater
carrying capacity, handles better, brakes better, has
cruise control plus ABS and uses less fuel. But it doesn't look as good. From a collector point of view, the K1200LT will keep
dropping in value and was strictly a utilitarian purchase.
However early GL1000s have shown signs of garnering
collector interest, but don't expect to get rich. If you got an early Gold Wing you'd have a significant slice of touring motorcycle history that just happens to be a decent ride. We started this run with the question: can you still tour on a 50-year-old motorcycle? The answer is definitely a yes. See our Honda GL1000 Gold Wing profile. (ends) *** A few of our recent rides... ![]() ![]() The Kawasaki
GPz900R fly-buy-ride experience ![]() BMW R100GS
Paris-Dakar fly-buy-ride ![]()
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