Gold Wing Carburetor Conversion

Gold Wing Carburetor Conversion

A Simple Solution To GL1000 Carburetor Blues

One carburetor per cylinder has become as normal on motorcycles as two shocks on the back of every bike used to be. Times, we are told, are changing.

Enter Dale Walker and HP (Holeshot Performance) Products. Besides a successful career as a motorcycle drag racer, Walker has a motorcycle repair shop. He’s also a tinkerer. So when he noticed the difficulties some riders had maintaining the four carburetors on their Honda Gold Wings, he set out to build a better carburetor setup. What he had in mind was a single carburetor connecting to a manifold. That idea led him to try a variety of carburetors and a variety of manifolds, changing manifold tubing sizes and lengths, fiddling with jets and linkages.

What he discovered is that bolting on a single carburetor to replace the four stock carburetors is not a simple bolt-on operation. A thousand wrong combinations exist for every right combination. With enough experimentation, Walker found a combination that did work.

HP Products’ single carburetor conversion for Gold Wings uses a Weber two-stage, two-barrel carburetor that bolts to a flange at the top of the manifold. Unequal diameter tubes connect the flange to a 30 cu. in. plenum chamber that branches out to the stock L-fittings leading to each intake port. The stock throttle cable connects to the new carburetor, while the choke cable must be modified to fit. A new gas line, breather and air filter are included with the kit. Rather than trying to improve the performance or the economy of a stock Gold Wing, Walker has put together a package that has equivalent performance to a stock GL1000, but does so with less maintenance, and perhaps more lowspeed power. We don’t have a GL with worn carbs to try the conversion on, so we couldn’t do a side-by-side test. However, Walker brought his early GL1000 to the CW office and let us ride his converted bike.

Direct comparisons are impossible, but Walker’s single carb Gold Wing started easily hot, ran without stumble or complaint and exhibited no flat spots or hesitation. It felt as though the progression of throttle opening was slower than stock, more throttle being needed to get under way, but the response was very good and predictable. With the engine running just over 1000 rpm in top gear,, the throttle could be opened wide and the Gold Wing would accelerate smoothly. In short, Walker’s GL ran as well as a motorcycle can run.

It would be possible, he says, to jet the Weber for better economy, but only by sacrificing power or engine response. For special applications, such as operation at high altitude, or trailer pulling, Walker says he can modify the carburetor to suit the needs. Certainly the Weber carburetor has wide tuning latitude, and it’s easy to change jets.

Walker’s kit sells for $349.95. All parts necessary for the conversion are included. Kits are available through HP Products, 311 Chestnut St., Santa Cruz, Calif. Phone (408) 427-3625.