AllMoto's Motorcycle Investor mag

Honda's naked model for 1984 is relatively little known today, and could be something of an underestimated gem

It may be hard to accept any Honda GL series as an oddball, but this GL1200 Standard from the mid-eighties seemed to enjoy a short time in the market, when it's fully-dressed brethren such as the Interstate and Aspencade were ruling the touring roost.

However there seems to be a group of Wing nuts out there who are not only aware of the model but hold it in high regard.

If you've ridden a naked Gold Wing – most likely the original 1000 or second-gen 1100 – you may understand that, while it will never be mistaken for a sport bike, a naked Wing has a lot of virtues.

That's something we can confirm after owning a first-model GL1000 for a while (pictured below).

The GL1200 has fans for a number of reasons, mostly to do with the powerplant. A comprehensive upgrade saw it lift claimed power from 81hp at 7000rpm to 94. In addition, the gearing was raised significantly for a far more relaxed highway gait. In addition, the valve lash was changed to hydraulic, which made the engine as near as you get to maintenance-free.

Honda also introduced linked braking with this generation, connecting one of the front discs to the rear, operated off the footpedal, while the front lever operated as normal. Meanwhile the frame had been upgraded to a stronger unit. Dry weight was around 275kg.

Bring a Trailer sold the 1984 example you see here last February for Au$5800 (US$3700, GB£2900), which seems like a lot of bike for the money. We can't help thinking it would make a really good club run machine, particularly given how reliable they are.

Adventure Rider online makes a compelling case for owning one, likening it to a forerunner of the Valkyrie – see the story here.

It mentions one currently for sale in the USA via Cycle Trader at Au$6200 (US$4000, GB£3200).

See the 1975 GL1000 that was in our shed (above).

See our 1975 Gold Wing GL1000 model profile.

See the Classic Two Wheels period road test of the GL1000.

See our 1500 Valkyrie profile.

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