Original
Honda GL1000 Prototype
Thanks
very much to my friend Mike Nixon for graciously allowing me to
publish these rare pictures of the original Honda GL1000 prototype.
Mike is very well known in vintage Honda circles…particularly
in the CBX world.
When
the GL1000s were new in the seventies, Mike was probably the top
GoldWing mechanic in the US. Mike has just finished editing the
4th edition of the classic textbook: Motorcycles: Fundamentals,
Service, Repair - the most popular mechanics textbook
in the industry.Mike has published a great deal of interesting
info at: http://www.motorcycleproject.com
Highly recommended!

"Nope,
this is not a trick picture. Honda made this prototype of the
original 1975 Goldwing back in 1972. Note the very automotive
six cylinder engine, and the BMW running gear. Apparently sandcast
cases hold a very Porche-like valve cover, and an ignition distributor.
The machine also sports a 1980 circa Goldwing front end because
the original had been removed and used on another project, and
one was needed to roll the bike around in Honda's R&D halls. This
bike still exists. These pictures were taken in Japan by Mike
Stubblefield, then Rider Magazine's Technical Editor. Although
they later appeared in at least two publications, including Honda's
own owner's magazine, at the time these pictures were taken they
were the only ones in existence. I got them on glass mounted slides,
from Stubb himself. What's interesting about this machine is that
Honda eventually went to six cylinders in 1988, and that the media
was prevented from publishing these images until then."


"Here
are some closeups of the engine. The transmission appears automotive.
Note the dipstick, tach drive, distributor, and the very 1500-looking
intake manifolds."
Thanks
again to Mike Nixon for granting permission for me to publish
these rare pictures.
For
more information on the use of material from this website, click
here.