1976 Honda GL 1000 (K1) - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

shorter rear shocks and drop the triple trees down the forks to match . ie if you get 10mm lower shocks you lower the trees 10mm down the forks to match. you could remove foam from the seat too if needed,

It may be overheating... I suggest you take it to a shop or you may burn up the engine.

check the cable is not at full extension. If you have an hydraulic clutch you may need to bleed it, or replace the fluid- hydraulic fluid absorbs water over time and will become next to useless. You should really replace hydraulic fluid at least once every 3 years because of this. I hope this helps.

You need an SE oil, Wal Mart used and maybe still does sell a motorcycle oil (not their brand). You probably will need 30 weight or a multi viscosity (which I use 20-50). Buy a good oil, maybe a synthetic with that rating. Rear final takes 90 weight in most instances except cold weather. A parts house or bike shop will sell the right oil. Just buy the best oil you can, and keep it changed frequently & the wing will just about go forever, Hope this helps you with your scoot, Rick

if u sre geting fire from the plug and u have gas i will say that its a good thing it dont start could led to fire and maybe alot of unnesry damge.but over all it should start hold to to the wild open it might be geting the wrong air to gas mix to run right .does it have alot of miles ,is the wires on right.if so then cheack ur time it may have jump or flat spot on cam .but if u have air gas and fire it has to start inless u r fireing on exs instead of intake.hope this helps u??

On the left side of the bike, you will need to remove the gear shift. This will allow the starter to be removed after removing to two retaining bolts. Be carefull when removing the starter. There is a starter chain that will fall if the starter is not removed slowly.

hi mate check to make sure the head bolts are all tight and the carbs are all tight against the cylinder i know what is happening its drawing in air from somewhere as the metal gets hot then it starts to expand also all caps on top for the throttle sleeves make sure there tight and spark plugs are tight

it can be repaired but id recommend replaceing

By the 1970s, all Honda 4-stroke (and, I believe, 2-strokes, too) engines used hardened valve seats that did not require leaded gasoline. I've run a 1974 CB550 for years and used to run a 1976 CB400f on unleaded gasoline with no ill effects. The increased ethanol content in modern gasoline is more of a problem for these bikes than the lack of lead.

If you are concerned, you can always add a bit of lead substitute each time you tank up. However, if you do that, you may need to change your spark plugs a bit more often, as the fuel supplement can lead to increased deposits on the plugs. Some bikes have this problem; others do not. You can pull a sample spark plug after a thousand miles or so and see how it looks. If it's clean and mostly-white, you're in good shape and have nothing to worry about.

Yes it can be bored, .050 over is fairly common on this bike. Before boring the cylinders, the new pistons should always be matched to the old ones. You always find problems with aftermarket parts. Have the cylinders bored to match the new pistons. Don't bore the cylinders and expect the new pistons to be a perfect match. I hope this helps.

Chances are you are still running the original point system. It sounds like one or both point sets have dirty contacts or are shorting out. Honda sold a tune up kit that came with plugs, condenser, and points mounted on a new plate. If that is no longer available you may still be able to order in the point plate assembly. If you enjoy touring or long distance riding and are sick of messing with the hole point set up , you can purchase a Dyna S electronic ignition system from Dynatek that is self contained under the point cover for around $170. I have two Gl1000's equipped with this system and have never regretted the switch. After 10 years with the Dynatek system I have never had a lick of trouble with them. For added performance you can add a set of Accel coils #140404 for CDI systems with wires. If your points are new but the coils are bad you need Accel coils for the point set up use #140403.

You may be dealing with a combination of things. First set your tire pressure to 35 PSI front and rear. Inspect your tire for uneven wear. Place your bike on the center stand and jack the front wheel just off of the ground. Now turn the handle bar from lock to lock and feel for bumps and look for centering of the bar . If the turning is not completely smooth replace the steering neck bearings with a one piece bearing kit from All Balls. I do not believe the there is a listing for your year, but I can tell you it is the same kit as a 1978 CX500 custom or deluxe.

they charge $1.00 per CC for used motorcycle engines, so a used engine is about $1000.00 in slavage yards with a warranty of 30 days, you could rebuilt yours for less than that.

You should try replacing all four of the spark plug caps. You can purchase inexpensive NGK spark plug caps for around $5 each. It sounds like the resisters in two of your caps are burnt out. The caps are screwed on to the end of the wires. Take off the double water cover over the caps, grab the wire firmly, and turn the cap counter clockwise. It will turn right off the end of the wire. If the end of the wire is stripped clip 1/4 inch off the end of the wire and screw the new cap on. If the points are giving you trouble, the points and condenser can be replaced with a compact electronic ignition for about $200 available through Parts Unlimited in the U.S.

NGK makes spark plug caps for about $5 each. Each cap has a resister ion it. When a resister gets corroded or burnt out you have problems with the affected cylinder. You have two coils on your motorcycle , each one operates two spark plugs. Since you are only having problems with one plug (not two plugs) Your problem is with the plug, the cap, or the wire. I recommend replacing all four spark plug caps . This should take care of the problem.
If it does not , consider replacing your coils with Accell coils. The coils in the Accell kit will directly bolt into your Honda coil mounts and come with new wire and caps (the caps require screw on tops for the plugs.)
A tune up tip for your 1976 GL1000 : Take the carburetor tops off (they are held on by two phillips screws) , pull out the floating pistons , clean the pistons , and clean the inside of the carburetor tops with carburetor cleaner. This is necessary yearly maintenance on early models and will help with idling, plug fouling, take off, acceleration, and general all around performance. This should take care of the rough running.

Man thats weird. Are you shure its oil, or is it water that has turned black from carbon in the pipes.

u probly dont hav piston at top dead center-TDC--bottom dead center can fool u--however try starting bike and see what happens

If you are sitting on the motorcycle, the upper right hand corner of the radiator, Look behind that corner of the radiator , behind the radiator, on the frame, you will see a plate with two holes 1 1/2" apart for mounting the horn. You should also find one green and one black wire with flat tab style female ends on them. Those are the horn positive and negative wires.

Take off seat, take off bar that was under seat,take off rear wheel, take off rear fender,drain tank, take off fuel petcock, you may have to get a shock or two out of the way, At any rate you should now get the big picture . The tank comes straight out the back of the motorcycle through the rear wheel area.

First of all make sure you need a clutch. If the clutch only slips for an instant when you let out the lever. You may only need a cable. You may be able to remove the clutch cover at the back of the motor(very very limited space). Unbolt the springs and remove the plates. It can be done on the 1100, with out unbolting the motor and spinning it for access. If there is enough room it would certainly save the time of removing carbs,radiator,left frame section, unbolting and spinning the motor to get better access.