The first Gold Wing's, the Honda GL1000, from 1974 comes to mind.
Most people associate "Gold Wing" with Winnebago sized behemoths with tons of crap
but they started out as naked bikes ( 1974 -1980 ), that more or less looked like a "normal" bike
if just a bit ...er...bigger
This is the 1974-77 model:
A bold complete re-definition of what a motorcycle engine could be.
Brilliant innovative engineering, absolutely bullet proof, no rattles or shakes, completely oil tight
and capable of problem-free sustained tree digit hi-speed riding.....and this was back 37 years.
The water-cooled, OHV , toothed-belt driven OHC boxer engine has a host of funky details
like the alternator that has an heavy fly-wheel and runs at 'over-crank'-speed in the
oppositedirection so as to counter the dreaded torque reaction known from the BMW's.
and it was fast too....VERY fast compared to anything else at the time:
Motorcycle Monthly August 1976: "..
a prestige machine and a winner...nimble for it's weight, as smooth as good Scotch
and as quiet as time passing.."
..standing quarter mile: 13.52 sec. / terminal speed 97.61 mph
..top speed 114 mph
Cycle, April 1975: "..
we knew that the bike was fast but a trip to the drag strip astonished everyone.
Bringing the revs up to 8000 and dumping the clutch produced a tire-howling smoke-thrower that lasted a good 150 feet..."
..standing quarter mile : 12.92 sec. / terminal speed 104.52 mph
It's an
absolute pleasure to work on this engine.
Here's one of mine: in my eyes it's a work of art
Tweak it a 'bit'....and like I did: putting a 60 cu.inch Magnacharger blower and a Weber carb on it
and you have a low-budget
seriously fun asphalt wrinkling street rod:
.