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Motorcycle Investor mag

The Wing Nut files: Owner manuals then and now

Chasing an original owner manual for a 1975 Honda Gold Wing may seem absurd – and it is – but we reckon it was worth the trouble and has led us to look at owner bibles then and now

(Feb 2024, Guy 'Guido' Allen)

The last six months or so have been packed with new acquisitions and projects (plus a few sales), most of which would rate as quicker and sexier than the 1975 American import Honda Gold Wing bought through TT Motorcycles. However this bike (our second old 'Wing in recent years) has been a thoroughly engaging project.

It's a little early to unwrap the entire story (one of several in our current backlog!) but the recent arrival of a genuine factory owner manual from 1975 has prompted this little episurd until we get out to photograph the bike properly and unwrap a surprisingly convoluted yarn.

One of the relatively easy tasks for this one was to track down an original owner manual. When I say easy, you put the search out there and hope you pick up a catch. Which I eventually did after several attempts, via Ebay. However the price suggested the pages were made of platinum bound with gold thread, rather than paper with a couple of staples.

No matter, it was the real thing, complete with stains, owner notes in the back and dog-eared pages. Perfect – the motorcycle looks a little stained and dog-eared as well.

What is really striking is the content and how focused it is on owner servicing. And no, I'm not about to launch into a rant about how much simpler and better things were in the seventies – that's a concept which is very much open to debate.

The use of language is really interesting, covering a complete newcomer.

This was a sophisticated motorcycle for its time, so the owner had to be briefed on the joys of liquid-cooling in an era when air-cooling was very much in the majority.

Then the thought struck: why not have a quick look at how these owner manuals have changed over time? We're not pretending to do a thorough analysis, but had an easy comparison on hand, namely with the 2024 Suzuki Hayabusa 25th anniversary model currently sitting in the shed, bought through Mick Hone Motorcycles in Vic.

suzuki
hayabusa

Its version was developed nearly 50 years down the track after the Honda item.

Given the Hayabusa's sophisticated electronics (a six-way inertia measurement unit is central to all sorts of other gizmos), much of the owner manual is devoted to getting the most out of the rider aids and setting them up to suit your preferences. Oh, and then there is the task of dialing in the multi-function displays. That is a lot of territory to cover.

(In case you were wondering, I'm in the crowd who will set it for the default 'sport' or nearest equivalent and then cheerfully ignore the chapters of subtleties regarding menu displays...well, until I need something...)

Though a sophisticated motorcycle for its time, the Gold Wing required a more basic briefing for controls and instruments and what they did.

Despite the extensive digital dance shown above, Suzuki chooses to include some hands-on basics, such as removing the fuel tank, swapping the air filter, plus how to change the engine oil and filter. It correctly assumes that most people should defer to a dealer workshop for bigger tasks such as valve lash adjustment.

Similarly, Honda in 1975 goes through the basics of an engine and final drive oil change for the home mechanic.

From there, the two approaches diverge. For the tuner, the electronics on the Gold Wing are confined to breaker points which are in practice, despite appearances, quite benign to set up.

1975
Honda gold wing owner manual

The briefing covers adjustment and static timing, without getting into dynamic timing.

We're talking of an era when it was expected the manufacturer would provide comprehensive tuning and servicing guidance, even if the owner had no intention of getting their hands dirty. Some did, most probably didn't.

For those determined to take the DIY path, there is a decent guide on how to do the valve-lash adjustment which is by screw and locknut.

Despite the wealth of information offered by the owner manuals of the day, this was a period when aftermarket workshop manual giants such as Clymer and Haynes were making their fortunes, selling to people who wanted more info for a rebuild or who had ended up with a bike without the original guide.

While I have a workshop manual for the Gold Wing (it's around here somewhere...), the owner manual is very welcome. That's because out of necessity it has to be concise and focus on what you might need day-to-day. Virtues that are, I suspect, often underestimated.

More to come...

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