Winging Out Honda's New Gl1100
Winging Out Honda’s New GL1100
A Cross-Country Jaunt Suits the Interstate Just Fine
Steve Kimball
No sooner had we finished the six touring bike comparison test in the May issue than it was time to leave for the annual goings on at Daytona. Sitting in big silver birds isn’t any fun; sitting on big motorcycles, to me, is fun so the natural thing to do was load up the 1980 Honda GL1100 Interstate, the motorcycle we all picked as our cross-country favorite, and go to Daytona. After 6000 miles accumulated during a week-and-a-half, after having a lightning bolt in Florida blast the Honda and me across a road and having a tornado in Texas blow cars out of our way, there are a few other observations to be made.
First, I’ve never ridden a motorcycle that attracted so much attention. During the Superbike heat race at Daytona a crowd of people left watching the race and ignored the exciting riders and motorcycles to look at the first Interstate. People on Harleys, people on sport bikes and people in cars came over to look at the new top of the line touringmobile from Honda. Mostly other Gold Wing riders drooled around the Interstate. Something just didn’t seem right with people ignoring a restored Nimbus, back motor Triumph, gold plated Sportster, TZ750 with license plate and all sorts of motorcycle exotica to look at a Gold Wing.
Second, the Gold Wing made the trip the most effortless and comfortable long ride I’ve ever had. Even with the freezing cold, blowing wind and pouring rain, 800 mile days were no problem. One after another, three in a row, plus a little bit extra if it wasn’t raining at night and I was relaxing in Daytona just three days after leaving the Ca’ifornia coast.
With the seat adjusted to the rear-most position the GL’s seat was perfectly comfortable. It didn’t seem so after a shorter ride or even after a medium length ride, but after 2500 miles in three days there’s nothing about the seat I could criticize. Noise and vibration on the Honda are so low as to be nonexistent. The fairing provided really excellent wind and even rain protection. Only under the most extreme conditions (the lightning and tornado come to mind) was the Gold Wing less than a pleasure.
Third, if the people who designed the Gold Wing had ridden a prototype on that same ride the bike would certainly have come with a larger fuel tank. At high elevations the Honda’s mileage suffers. For the trip the GL averaged 38 mpg. Honda’s small cars get mileage at least that good
and they have larger engines and weigh more (hard to believe, isn’t it?) than the GL. Normally the Wing went on reserve about 150 miles after it had been filled up. When run a little harder than average the bike would go on reserve at 130 miles or sometimes 125 miles. Low mileage of the trip was 30 mpg and high mileage was 45 mpg. Those mileage figures came at moderate cruising speeds, usually around 65 with occasional cruising at 70 or 75 but nearly as much at lower speeds when in bear country.
Other than the mileage, the new GL1100 is a much better touring machine than previous Gold Wings. Used to be the rear tire would be bald in 4000 miles. The test GL had 2000 miles on it when the trip began, 8000 miles on it at the end of the trip and there was still enough tread left for another 2000 miles. The new tubeless tire has much greater longevity than the earlier model.
If there had been any tire problems things would be less rosy. There aren’t a lot of tubeless 17 in. tires available yet and changing tires on the Interstate isn’t a roadside job. Either the bike has to be laid on its side, and then picking it back up is a chore, or a second person has’ to hold the bike up on the sidestand for the rear tire to clear all the equipment. Even if the wheef can be removed from the bike, the chances a rider could break the bead on the new -style ComStar safety rims are slight without having the special tools along. Fixing a flat tire on the GF. then, isn’t a simp!* matter.
continued on page 148
continued from page 90
On-the-road maintenance is simple* enough, just because there's so little called for. In 6000 miles the Honda didn't burn if drop of oil. The water level never changed. There was no chain to lube or adjust. No points to check. The plugs went the dis^ tance without complaint and the valves didn’t need adjusting during tbe trip.
The Interstate accessories proved to be excellent, with some minor exceptions^ The saddlebag latches didn't always tit as well as they could have and the latches can be easily pulled off the saddlebag lids because the latch catch grabs tbe entire hook plate and bends it off the lid. The, weatherstripping on the edges of the saddlebags was pulling off the bags by the end» of the ride and needed to be glued onto the bags better. Other than that, the saddlebags were excellent with lots of room and the removable liners are a handv idea. Tbe top box was unusually large and easy^ to detach. Won’t it be nice when other companies copy this box? ^
The fairing is less impressive, not because it didn't do its job. but because it doesn't do its job any better than other fairings. Still, it's as good as any othír» fairing, mounts solidly, fits the motorcycle as though it w’as made for it and has thT” most integrated radio and instrument package available. The radio worked just as well at the end of the trip as when th^ bike was first ridden. It’s a well made unit, convenient to use on the road and wi^ru, super performance. Even the gauges were more useful than imagined, the altimetef" and air temperature gauge being the most interesting. It wasn't until leaving El Pascf at 5 a.m. with multiple layers of warm clothes on and feeling chilly that 1 wondered about the 59° temperature reading When a time and temperature sign showed the temperature to be 26°I understood why I felt so cold. Other than that the gauges worked without flaw. A
Finally, there were two accessories added to the G F that are. on a trip ofthat kind, mandatory. One was the Gyps^y Scout radar detector that saved me at least enough money in speeding tickets to paj*. for a new Interstate and the other was a Vista Cruise nylon throttle lock that aU. lowed occasional respite for my right hand. On a trip of that kind almost any throttle* return spring is too heavy.
Is the GF 1100 Interstate still the favorise for a cross country ride? Even more so. Ö
