Bikers Workshop Series
Part 2; Fitting GL1800 Exhaust Turndowns.
By Steve Saunders.
Goldwings were just made
for adding accessories to. Perhaps it's because they are so big that a few
add-ons are needed to break the monotony of all that plastic bodywork. Whatever
the reason, I have yet to see a Goldwing over a few months old that hasn't had
some new piece of chrome or extra light added. The accessory catalogues from the
likes of Markland, Add-On, Drag etc. have Goldwing owners drooling and I'm sure
that more than a few postmen have bad backs from carting boxes of goodies down
our garden paths.
Anyway, to get you
started, this section shows you how to fit exhaust turndowns to a GL1800. It's
easy enough (the same procedure holds for the GL1500) and there is only one possible problem that might occur, as
explained below.
This is the view of the bolts holding the existing exhaust extensions on. There are three of them and you can get at them by laying on the ground at the back of the machine, unless you are fortunate enough to own a bike lift.
The bolt heads
are 8mm and after you remove them the extensions should just twist off.
On some machines,
the extensions are also held on with seam sealer as well as bolts. This makes it
impossible to twist them off and as you will have gathered, this is the problem
area that I mentioned in the intro at the top of the page. But fear not, the
solution to a stuck extension is to get a block of wood with a thin end, such as
the wedge shaped piece in the picture. The old surgical lump hammer will have
the extension off with a few taps and using the wooden wedge will avoid damaging
the extensions or the mufflers.
After the
new turndowns have been slid on and ready to bolt up. I'm a great believer in
copper grease. If in the unlikely event that you will want to remove the new
exhaust extensions, there will be less chance of a bolt shearing off. Have a
look at the exhausts from the rear before bolting up, to see if the tips are
level.
All done. The turndowns fitted to the GL1800 in the picture are Show Chrome ones. I had the Hondaline ones fitted to my last 1800, but I prefer the way the Show Chromes stick out a bit further at the back and also they turn down a bit more too. Different strokes and all that.
