Post Sale Update: This GL650 sold for a best offer of $2,295 on eBay in Valley Center, California.
When it was first released, the Honda GL500 basically sat in a class by itself – a full dress, middleweight tourer. In general, press and riders liked the bike but thought it was underpowered. So Honda responded by throwing in the engine from the CX650, making the GL650 you see here in front of you.
Despite the name, the engine displaced 673cc and produced 64 horsepower – a 14 pony bump over the CX500. In addition, thanks to new transmission gearing, this bike got better gas mileage than its predecessor, despite the bump in weight and power. All this sounds great, but the GL650 lasted just one year before Honda killed it. Why? Because of the 45% import taxes on Japanese bikes that was instituted in ’83. The baby Gold Wing became overpriced and Honda decided to stop there. For more on the 650cc Silver Wing, check out this Retrospective from Rider Magazine.
From back in the days when bikes came with proper tool kits.
This example (VIN: JH2RC100XDM002011) has just shy of 20k miles and the seller says “it runs like a champ” as he’s gone through most of the systems in his time with it (a few years and 7k miles). 2.5 years ago he had Cascade NW Moto Sports in Eugene, Oregon give it a $700 service that also included a carb rebuild, front brake rebuild, LED lighting, new grips, mirrors, and windscreen. It’s offered in California with a Washington title. There’s a few scratches (especially on the bags) but the bike looks pretty good overall and the cosmetic flaws just mean you won’t feel bad about using it as Honda intended! The sale includes the factory side bags as well as the optional trunk which takes the place of the passenger seat – pretty slick.
Find this Silver Wing for sale in Valley Center, California with a BIN of $2,995 or best offer here on eBay.