$5,995
Seattle, Washington
Year
1989
Make
Honda
Model
-
Category
-
Engine
499
Posted Over 1 Month
1989 Honda GB500 Tourist Trophy single-cylinder motorcycle showing 23,665 miles and climbing in this beautiful Summer weather here in the Pacific Northwest. This is the fourth GB I have owned and I have enjoyed them all. When I came across this bike a little over a year ago it was in less-than-perfect condition and, with some of the very difficult to find parts missing I decided it would be one to do a cafe' job on. My intent was to build a GB as it might have been if offered for sale in 1969 instead of 1989; an era pre EPA, DOT and the pox of accident/injury lawyers under which we currently suffer. To this end, I wanted to build a bike that was still a GB but a lighter, faster, louder GB and, to my eye, I got it right. The bike had a few miles on it, around 23,500 so the first thing was to make sure the engine was sound and running properly. Compression and leakdown tests were done and the numbers found to be satisfactory so the next step was to service the engine and address runability. The valves were set, sparkplug replaced, air filter changed, (the snorkel atop the airbox was removed to facilitate better breathing) and oil & filter changed. The smog pump was already off the bike and in a box, (where it belongs) so the carb was removed, cleaned, kitted, needle adjusted and re-jetted from it's skinny CARB-mandated OEM jets, (this is/was a CA-spec GB) with guidance from the great guys at Sigma Jet Kits. This simple act totally transformed the bike! It starts instantly, idles smoothly and pulls very strong through all five gears to redline. I would be willing to put this bike up against the 4,000-mile, Jack Batson Exhaust equipped GB I owned recently in terms of both straight-line and twisty-road performance...which brings us to the next issue to be addressed, weight. GB's are not heavy bikes to begin with, but their stock exhaust with huge resonator box is an abomination on such a small, sporting machine. Fortunately, that all beef wiener was already off the bike, replaced with a very simple little system that mimics the OEM unit's shape but...there's simply less of it. I don't know who made this thing or where it came from. It's not as lovely as that stainless steel work of art from Mr. Batson but it suits this little bike very well. So, that got rid of at least 15 pounds but now where else to go paring weight without resorting to a torch or saw? I wanted to clean up the look of the front end and while I love the rubber gaiters on my 60's & 70's CB's and CL's I remember when the Ceriani look was all the rage so, off with the fork boots! The OEM front fender, while not particularly heavy being made of ABS, was still too much so eBay yielded a nice little bolt-on chrome shorty and, problem solved! Next came that abomination of a rear fender with it's enormous tail light and stanchion; here I was gonna' get a two-fer gaining style and losing pork. Another off the shelf fender was found; small, chrome and lightly radiused and, when fitted along with the minimalist tail light suddenly that underseat grab bar had a reason for being as a fender support ala' period Triumphs and BSAs. Now I was getting somewhere and the huge stock turn signals were looming bigger by the minute. I found some LED units which were not only made of real metal but had the winker-clamped-to-a-separate-stem thing like my old Hondas, (a pair of resistors mounted under the seat got them flashing properly.) The bike needed a chain and sprockets so I went with a black chain with polished rivets to compliment the bike's overall black and alloy theme. The rear sprocket is really a favorite detail as it looks so old-school and does not suffer from that ugly safety-police chain guide riveted to the original. Tires, tubes and rimbands were replaced; the tyres being AVON AM26 RoadRiders which are available in the correct sizes and absolutely brilliant regardless of road conditions, (it rains a lot up here.) The OEM mirrors stuck up like a pair of rabbit's ears and simply had to go so a pair of tiny barends was fitted to the stock weights. The last issue was paint and upholstery...oh, and the missing seat cowl! Those cowls are unobtanium and stupid expensive if/when you can find one but I found a pattern part here on eBay hand-made by some guy in Germany, what a deal! The seat had been poorly recovered at some point so off to Mac's Upholstery in Seattle it went, returning as it's lovely self which you see here; with fresh foam for me bum! Now the paint... I've never been that big a fan of the OEM Black Green Metallic; it always looked a little muddy, ('though I like the stock graphics a lot.) I've been lusting after a Toyota Tacoma X-Runner recently and the Black Sand Mica finish available on that truck knocks me out so...you guessed it. Strangely enough, there is quite a bit of green in the pearlescence of this paint; the darn stuff almost looks stock, (but still better!) The stock graphics went back on and the bike was done. I'm not sure exactly why I'm selling this bike; it's a GB my way and I like it better than any I've owned. But there are soooo many bikes around here! My KTM Duke is giving me the stink-eye and begging me for that Keihin FCR I've been promising it. The Monster needs that damned valve inspection and belt replacement. My CB750K0 is due to go up on the lift for a freshening. OK, the GB's gotta' go. So, let's be clear; GB's have become collector bikes. I have friends who have spent north of $10K on them and I know how much some folks just love to trailer their bikes to shows and come home with a trophy and their self-esteem freshly repaired...this ain't that bike. It's not cosmetically perfect, it has miles, it's been MODIFIED for God's sake! It's a rider. It still draws attention from the uninitiated and GB guys as well. I like a little Wabi Sabi; I don't know if I've ever owned a perfect bike, (I've had new, does that count?) but I know that I want to ride my bikes without fear of a little wear and tear or worry with each mile that ticks by on the odometer. If you want perfect, they're out there; just plan on paying half again to twice as much as I'm asking for this one. If you buy it and you're not in town I can recommend and work with any shipper but it's on your dime. The bike has a clean, clear Title. No tool kit or Owner's Manual I'm afraid. 'Need more info? (206) 200-7014
Trim Tourist Trophy
