I like my 83 850.I have hardly got to ride it yet.But I was wondering, I am thinking about a 1500 goldwing.If a 850 was dressed out,minus fairing radio etc but with tour pack and saddlebags which bike do you think is better? it would take a lot to dress out my 850, that is why i was thinking about a wing, that comes with everything.I owned 2 wings before.They are a lot heavier though.
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goldwing versus 850
- Thread starter ron bayless
- Start date
You're right. I love the weight of the 850.Its perfect for me.I have a tour pack to mount on it,doesnt weigh much.Once I get tc bros forward controls I will be good to go.Goldwing motors last longer, but the bikes are much heavier.And who rides a bike for 200,000 miles anyway? few people. I dont care anything about music playing.
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Ecklund
Guest
I grew up near Chicago and the flat mid-west makes for a lot of long straight roads. A decent 1500 is going to cost a fair amount more than an 850. But if you're looking to eat up hundreds of miles of highway in a day the 1500 probably has some advantages.
Of course most any bike can be used to do the long haul. I rode the poop out of my XS650 all over the midwest. Yes, my hands are still numb. I rode a 150, yes I said 150, from here in Juba to Kampala. The 850 would do the job just fine.
The 2006 or newer 1800s are really spectacular bikes. But of course they are a bag of money too. The 1500s are really pretty good and while a lot more than an 850 are not crazy expensive.
Ever look at the Yamaha Venture? I see nice 1300s for about $3K, 1200s for $2K or less. A 1500 with even moderate mileage is probably about $6K.
G
Guest
Guest
There are nice older Wings, like the one for sale on this forum, that can be had cheap.
The new ones are great, though, I have several friends with them.
The new ones are great, though, I have several friends with them.
I only have experience with a '78 or '79 1000cc wing. The 1500 was suposed to be a good handling bike. My 1000 sucked compared to an 850. Handling was so slow. You had to lean it a lot even in moderate turns, I think because of the long wheelbase. The seat was total crap compared to a '79 to '81 850. It was slow, and it took two turns to open the throttle. I was looking for an 850 or 1000G when I bought it, and I didn't keep it very long, because it was so much less fun to ride than a GS. It ran perfectly, and had all its maintenance. It was a high school auto shop project with all its maintenance done and everything rebuilt except the engine internals.
I know the 1500 is a whole different animal.
What tour pack do you have for your GS? The Samsonite and Krauser seem to be getting more and more expensive. I wonder what the vetter is like. I thnk a GS would look good with no fairing and a set of Vetter bags.
I know the 1500 is a whole different animal.
What tour pack do you have for your GS? The Samsonite and Krauser seem to be getting more and more expensive. I wonder what the vetter is like. I thnk a GS would look good with no fairing and a set of Vetter bags.
One important factor, especially since you're talking about older bikes, is that the Gold Wing is a LOT more complicated than an 850.
Both are dead-nuts reliable when you get them up-to-date, but you'll spend a lot more time and money getting an old Wing to that point.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I would suggest making sure your 850 is running and handling correctly and get some extended seat time before you write it off. From your statements in this and other threads, I suspect yours is not healthy.
You also stated you've owned Gold Wings before and weren't quite satisfied. If you want lighter weight plus bags, perhaps you should look into something like a Bandit or a V-Strom with Givi hard bags. You can pick these up fairly easily for around $3K to $4K.
But in the end, you're comparing apples to oranges. So ride whatever makes you happiest.
Both are dead-nuts reliable when you get them up-to-date, but you'll spend a lot more time and money getting an old Wing to that point.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I would suggest making sure your 850 is running and handling correctly and get some extended seat time before you write it off. From your statements in this and other threads, I suspect yours is not healthy.
You also stated you've owned Gold Wings before and weren't quite satisfied. If you want lighter weight plus bags, perhaps you should look into something like a Bandit or a V-Strom with Givi hard bags. You can pick these up fairly easily for around $3K to $4K.
But in the end, you're comparing apples to oranges. So ride whatever makes you happiest.
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L
LarryJ
Guest
I have an 1100GK, & had put some miles on an 1100 Wing. The GK has it all over the Wing. Better handling, lighter, easier to work on, just as comfortable. The add'l 25HP does't hurt either!
Thanks kent.After owning 2 wings,2 ventures, an ultra classic the 850 feels light.Its whatever a person gets used to.
I only have experience with a '78 or '79 1000cc wing. The 1500 was suposed to be a good handling bike. My 1000 sucked compared to an 850. Handling was so slow. You had to lean it a lot even in moderate turns, I think because of the long wheelbase. The seat was total crap compared to a '79 to '81 850. It was slow, and it took two turns to open the throttle. I was looking for an 850 or 1000G when I bought it, and I didn't keep it very long, because it was so much less fun to ride than a GS. It ran perfectly, and had all its maintenance. It was a high school auto shop project with all its maintenance done and everything rebuilt except the engine internals.
I know the 1500 is a whole different animal.
My bike has a k an n filter put in it.I am going to take it out once i investigate.I am thinking that is why it is surging.I know we all know what an 850 looks like, but mine is really a nice looking stock bike. I owned a bandit before too.They are what many guys here try to make out of a 1100 E. But I cant use the rear mount or midmount pegs.And having owned goldwings I can really appreciate the classic 4 cylinders but they are very problematic.I owned an 88 and 96 aspencade. I had a friend tell me my 96 was as big as his jeep. I do appreciate the input from you guys. I prefer the lightweight of the 850, at least to me its lightweight.I can now more understand why some people own more than 1 bike.
bwinger, you are right.I am not quite happy. I have days off now, am going to check into my tire age, look for airbox and or oring leaks,replace boots etc.I remember 8 years ago when I replaced the head gasket on my gs 1000, you had a really neat trick for compressing downward the spring on the cam chain tensioner. I have hung around here for years when not owning a gs just because of the knowledge,comraderie, and what great bikes these are.
This is the tourpack.I need to find a luggage rack to mount it to. IMG_20130809_091629.jpg (75.1 KB)
Steve
GS Whisperer
Well, as luck would have it, ... I happen to have both.
Click on the links in my sig, you can see them.
"Which one is better" would depend on the next question, "better at what?"
I like my Wing, no two ways about it. I use it as a grocery-getter at times. I have no problem hopping on it to go down to the corner to get a gallon milk. Somehow, the weight just does not bother me, as I have owned two bikes that weighed more.
Yes, it's more complicated, but, in the Honda tradition, it is also very reliable. I have had very few minor repairs in the eight years I have owned it, and the odometer is currently showing 183,xxx miles.
I like my 850G'K', as well. Not quite as refined as the Wing, but let's face it, it's 20 years older. It still has all the luggage to which I am accustomed, but it's all a bit smaller, so I can not pack the same stuff in the same manner. I have added a few things to give me more convenience and comfort. Things that most of the rest of GSR tries to avoid, as it adds weight and complexity to the bike, but I don't ride the same way they do.
A couple of years ago, I was working in New York at the time that Americade was happening. I knew I was going to be there for a while, so I took a bike with me. Since it is a "touring" rally, most of the bikes there would be full-dressers, and my Wing would be ... well ... just another Wing. I took the 850 for the fun of it and got a LOT of comments on it. A fwe weeks after Americade, Mrs. Steve came to visit for a weekend. We did a 3-day, 850-mile tour around New England on the 850. Almost as comfortable as the Wing, just a little less power to get over the hills. No complaints, we would do it again.
The "better" bike would be the one that more easily achieves your purpose. For a cross-country, multi-week tour, I would likely be packing my trailer, too, so there is no choice in the matter, the Wing would have to pull it. For a night at the local burger joint for bike night, I am more likely to take the GS, just to see the reactions and hear the comments.
Yep, I like them BOTH.
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I agree with you Steve.On my last goldwing, I loved doing 85 and feeling like it was 50.I loved the cruise control.That is a feature I wish every bike had. But seldom do i tour.But a friend of mine just bought a venture.That is why the whole touring bug got restirred up.
Doing it reverse...
Doing it reverse...
Interesting conversation ..Glad I stumbled on to it...
I am currently looking to do the reverse..I have a GL1500 in my garage,(actually 2-one is my sons). And I have over 126,000 miles on it and LOVE riding it.
However - Over the past year I have had the opportunity to own a GS650L and really liked the way it rode, and hadnled, and sounded. But my friends teased me about being too big for th ebike. They said i "...looked like a monkey humping a football.." . So I sold it when my oldest son (bikeless) said something about owning a home adn having a wife and not being able to buy the bike from me.
I sold it for a nice little profit. Then in late summer another friend "gifted" me a non-running CX500 that I fixed and sold also making another little profit in the process.
While I had these bikes in my possesion I realized that riding a smaller bike (than the 'Wing) had some advantages...better MPG, more fun, crisp handling and prolonged the life of the 'Wing as it wasn't doing 5000 miles per year just commuting into town everyday (yes I ride nearly everyday in season).
SO - I had to have a GS850 to do this commuting on, and the local rides to bike nights, and just tooling around the countryside where I live etc. I will still take the Wing when I am leaving on a multi-day 1000+ miles trip. The cruise, radio, custom seat, and other amenities mean a lot to me...
But I am going to get a nice GS850 GL running (with Steve's help) and really have a blast next summer enjoying the many advantages of the Suzuki.
Obviously with a nick name of WINGsconsin I am partial to Goldwings here in Harley Davidson loving Wisconsin, but something about the metric cruiser has drawn me in :clap:
Doing it reverse...
Interesting conversation ..Glad I stumbled on to it...
I am currently looking to do the reverse..I have a GL1500 in my garage,(actually 2-one is my sons). And I have over 126,000 miles on it and LOVE riding it.
However - Over the past year I have had the opportunity to own a GS650L and really liked the way it rode, and hadnled, and sounded. But my friends teased me about being too big for th ebike. They said i "...looked like a monkey humping a football.." . So I sold it when my oldest son (bikeless) said something about owning a home adn having a wife and not being able to buy the bike from me.
I sold it for a nice little profit. Then in late summer another friend "gifted" me a non-running CX500 that I fixed and sold also making another little profit in the process.
While I had these bikes in my possesion I realized that riding a smaller bike (than the 'Wing) had some advantages...better MPG, more fun, crisp handling and prolonged the life of the 'Wing as it wasn't doing 5000 miles per year just commuting into town everyday (yes I ride nearly everyday in season).
SO - I had to have a GS850 to do this commuting on, and the local rides to bike nights, and just tooling around the countryside where I live etc. I will still take the Wing when I am leaving on a multi-day 1000+ miles trip. The cruise, radio, custom seat, and other amenities mean a lot to me...
But I am going to get a nice GS850 GL running (with Steve's help) and really have a blast next summer enjoying the many advantages of the Suzuki.
Obviously with a nick name of WINGsconsin I am partial to Goldwings here in Harley Davidson loving Wisconsin, but something about the metric cruiser has drawn me in :clap:
I agree with you wingsconsin.I owned 2 83 ventures,88 wing,96 wing,04 ultra classic,01 royal star tour deluxe,and a valkyrie. The ventures are great bikes as are the wings, but they are really meant to be ridden straight down the road hour after hour mile after mile,in comfort.But around town and in parking lots they got to be a bit much for me. I was so happy to get a bike like the 850.Something that had enough power to tour if i wanted to, but light and nimble enough to do all the riding that i do the majority of the time.And in town traffic and parking lots,they are so much easier.Its my opinion based on my own riding experience but i feel you only need 50 rwhp to commute, cruise, or tour.Riding solo. I once put 12000 miles in 1 year on an 800 vulcan. I didnt mind it at all. The gs 850 has a claimed 76.Subtract 15% for getting it to the rear wheel and its about 65 rwhp.More than enough to do anything I want, even 2 up.My harley weighed 850 pounds and had only 62 hp.But it was good for touring.If you have Steve's help you are a lucky man. I got off my 88 wing one time and looked at it. I said you know, sometimes a bike is just too dang big. The wing seems that way to me, but millions say otherwise. The 850 is the sweet spot of size handling and performance for me.I hope it is for you too.
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G
GS ace
Guest
I've had them both, too. They have two wheels, four cylinders, and shafts. That's where the similarities end. They are two different, great machines, and either may or may not suit a particular rider. It might be pretty hard to do, but if possible, test each one before making the buy.
The best thing is to have one of each?
The best thing is to have one of each?
