Yoshimura used to GP race the GS1000, it was more a competitor to the Kawasaki KZ1000 than the GL. It's a super standard muscle bike. Sure people slapped windjammers on them and toured, and suzuki made the L model which was more cruiser styled. Remember back then there were no sport bikes or touring bikes they were all just general purpose UJM. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message----- From: Joey Kelley <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 08:28:26 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Re: 76 Wing Thanks for the history lesson! What I never understood - I look at my GS1000 (1978) and I see a bike that is unfortunately vastly inferior to the Wings of even the early 80s. What I guess I failed to remember was that this bike was brought out as a competitor to the 1975 era GL and shouldn't be compared to a model that wasn't even out yet. In many ways the GS1000 and the GL1000s are the same - add on touring parts etc. What I think is the biggest difference - the GS1000 advertisement I have talks about its drag racing ability - 0-60 time, Quarter mile ET, etc. Somehow I don't see Honda using that sort of information to sell Wings. Am I all wet? -Joey On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 12:29 AM, surfswab <[email protected]> wrote: > Not sure what the question is, but here's what I know about early > Wings: > > The 75 GL1000 was a brand spanky new design category, unique in that > it > was designed from the ground up as a tourer (heavy, torquey, > comfortable). > > Its success started a trend which spawned similar designs from other > manufacturers. So yes, your GS competed with it, in much the same way > as > categories of bikes from different manufacturers do today. > > The bike in the picture is a "naked wing" as they all were from > 75-79. But it's > fitted with aftermarket bags, trunk and fairing (mostly by Vetter). > Honda didn't > start making proprietary accessories until '79, when they offered > optional > Hondaline saddlebags and a trunk (but no fairing). The first model > refinement > was in '80 when they tweaked the motor to 1100 and offered a factory- > equipped > model -- the Interstate -- with integral bags, trunk and fairing. > They continued the > naked wing, but with the new 1100 motor, simultaneously, calling it > the Standard, > until '82. > > In '83, they upped the ante on the tweaking process -- 1200 motor, > slicker plastics, and > state-of-the-art (for the time) audio gear. And they've been doing > that ever since. > > > >> We've discussed 80s wings numerous times on here - but I don't >> recall many discussions about the mid to late 70s >> versions.http://maine.craigslist.org/mcy/3056560899.html >> The irony is - I went by that one and wondered if it was for sale :-) >> Here is the thing - I'm looking at the picture and well - >> frankly - I'm wondering if this is the bike my GS-1000 is supposed to >> be a competitor to. The shocks on the rear look tiny and the design is >> very close, particularly with a Windjammer or rebranded Windjammer >> fairing on it. >> Thoughts? >> -Joey >> >> -- >> -Joey Kelley >> JoeyKelley.com - My Life Online >> JoeyFixesComputers.com - Its What I Do! >> JoeyKelleyPhoto.com - Photographing Today, For Tomorrow > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. > -- -Joey Kelley JoeyKelley.com - My Life Online JoeyFixesComputers.com - Its What I Do! JoeyKelleyPhoto.com - Photographing Today, For Tomorrow -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
