So, I started riding a year ago last September, and my beloved '82 GL500i, "Imoto", is my first motorcycle. I have learned a lot using this machine for fun and transportation,
and I intend to keep the relationship alive for many years to come. I might get something a little newer and lighter for my "urban assault" needs eventually, and put the old girl into semi-retirement, but I will keep making little improvements and refreshing parts of her when time allows. I brought her to a mechanic once, when I first got her, and regretted it. Since then, I have done everything myself, or with a worthy assistant like Fogelsville Joe.
For the curious, here's some statistics from the last 14 months...
-Miles ridden: approx. 40,000 (speedo was broken the first month or so, so I'm not 100% sure).
-Longest day of continuous riding, stopping only for fuel and basic human needs: 10 hrs "in the saddle", with 50 lbs. of gear, mostly freeway.
-Most NYC boroughs ridden through in one day: four (my first time in NYC, too- it was interesting). Also have ridden just about every bridge and tunnel in NYC on this machine.
-Mishaps: dropped four times, once while underway (ice); also knocked over by me backing up my pickup truck once (hey, at least it was me, not some stranger).
-Breakdowns on the road, requiring roadside repair or "rescue": ZERO.
-Failures of original parts:
Rear brake return spring
Front brake light switch
Rear bearings (O-ring first)
Rear oil seal (which prompted quad bypass, at about 36,000 miles).
Front cover gasket
Drive shaft boot
Lower exhaust valve tappet screw on R. cylinder (I didn't properly tighten nut after an adjustment, so it spun off and the screw got stripped).
...AND THAT'S IT, AFTER 40K MILES OF HARD DAILY RIDING IN ALL WEATHER...SO FAR, ANYWAY...
-Tires consumed: One pair Shinko 712s, One Shinko 230 rear, and a 230 front that should probably be replaced soon, LOL
-Parts replaced (mostly due to normal wear, or to add longevity):
brake pads and shoes
cam chain, stator, oil and mech seal
rear bearings and O-rings
front brake caliper seals
fork seals
shift lever rubber
clutch springs
rear shock
headers
One valve tappet adjusting screw
Both carb. pilot screws (one fell out, so replaced both)
-Upgrades/mods/add-ons:
Replaced horns with similar (but much louder) auto horns
"Daytona" style handlebars with 2" risers
Spin-on oil filter
Braided steel brake lines and 16mm-piston master cylinder
LED headlight
Crash bars
Trunk extender
Grip heaters
GPS
I've also adjusted the valve tappets about three times, changed the oil and filter at roughly 3,000-mile intervals, and recently disassembled and cleaned the clutch (and discovered it's time to replace the friction plates).
I change my own tires, and have used balancing beads (not Dyna-Bead brand, but the same thing, basically) with very good results.
Here's some pics and more comments...
You know those awesome-looking $20 gaiters from dime city? Don't buy 'em. These had barely 3000 miles on them before I ripped them off in utter disgust. The horns, however, are awesome... these are cheap Wolos from the local auto parts store... almost exactly the same, easy to attach to the stock bracket, and WAY louder than the originals.
My headers, which were starting to look like they'd been dredged up from the ocean floor, were recently replaced with the $70/pair units from David Silver. Perfect fit. We'll see how they hold up. A tip: just go ahead and replace the H-box, too, if you do this. Mine barely survived this operation, so I will be ordering a new one (also from DS). I know, it's over $100, there are decent cheap used ones out there...but my new motto is I WILL NOT BOLT ANY MORE RUSTY SHIT ONTO THIS BIKE.
Also seen here is one of the Open Trail LED aux lights that I recently got rid of... mor "flood" than "spot", not actually street legal, and the LED elements started burning out a while back.
The "cockpit" as it currently appears... Super-tall Goldwing windshield for winter riding, cheap new bars from Revzilla, not-so-cheap 2" Rox Pivot risers (still cramps the fuse box cover, but I will be re-locating that soon), excellent cheap grips from Randakk's, Nissen brake cylinder, reservoir, perch and lever, also from Randakk's, and braided steel brake lines. the brake stuff was a bit pricey, but WORTH EVERY PENNY. also worth every penny was the TomTom Rider: glove-friendly, waterproof, and with software that allows it to pick the curviest route to your destination if so desired. $300 with the RAM mount and wires to hook the mount dock up to the bike's electrical system. I LOVE this thing!!
Grip heaters from Trackside: $20 a pair, with wires, resistor, and switch...real nice, IF you re-solder the throttle side element wires so they are at a right angle to the bar. I also wrapped the wire once around the throttle tube this time.
My new grips (from Randakk's) have this great double flange, so I passed the wires between them. This allows a nice tidy loop when the throttle is closed (here we see it at its limit, throttle wide open).
A closer look at the new brake hardware... I was looking at cheapo remote-reservoir units on fleaBay, the new handlebars left my stock cup at a weird angle. But when I saw this beauty at Randakk's site, I said SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! It's intended for Goldwings (Randakk's claim to fame is making racers out of big Wings), but it works fine with the GL500's double-disc setup. Remote reservoir, which allows it to be level with almost any bar setup, larger piston, and it's adjustable. It's also not 33 years old, which allows more riding and less wrenching! The brake lines are from Revival cycles... order the lines by the foot, and build yourself with very nice threaded fittings. I scrunched the outer plastic a bit on this attempt, but they are holding up fine. note the double banjo bolt at the MC- I got rid of the old split setup, and ran two lines from the MC straight to the calipers. Cleaner, lighter, and the stopping power is ridiculous compared to the old setup.
A look at the lower half... using zip ties temporarily to secure the lines, LOL... I also disassembled, cleaned and replaced the seals on the calipers... MUCH better braking now, and I don't have to worry about the old flabby hoses anymore.
Tire update: this Shinko 230 front currently has about 18,000 miles on it, as does the Dunlop 401 on the rear. The 230 is doing better than its predecessor, but is defintely cupping a bit. The 401 is wearing very nicely... I might get another 10K out of it. I think the next front tire will be a Dunlop. I love the cheap, sticky Shinkos, but now that I'm commuting into NYC more often, they just won't last as long.
Got this TruckLite Phase 7 LED headlight a while back, and I like it. Still not perfect (I really need a good, coherent spot of light about 150 feet in front of me), but a huge improvement over the stock reflector, even when I tried a drop-in LED unit in it a while back. Replaces the entire headlamp reflector, and fits perfectly into the cradle. A nice, bright, wide, beam of light, and the high beam light pattern actually begins where the low beam ends, unlike the old reflector, which had a huge gap between the two. the chrome "eyebrow" is not included... it came with the Goldwing fairing/
Well, that's it for now... the saga will surely continue, as long as I can keep making money.
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