Question for all you knowledgeable Wingers

[Mark Miron]

Have a question for all you guys who are more knowledgeable than I. I bought my first Wing earlier this summer, an '83 with low miles. Love it. Have put about 1500 miles on it, and taken care of a few minor issues. Here's my question. It's decked out with a Vetter fairing, and GL tanks. It's clearly not an Interstate, with the Honda tagged fairing and tanks. So did Honda put some out with the aftermarket parts? Or was this something the dealers did? Or the first owner? Just curious about the variety of ways these bikes come.

[DenverWinger]

It's decked out with a Vetter fairing, and GL tanks. It's clearly not an Interstate, with the Honda tagged fairing and tanks.

If It's tagged "Honda", then it is not a Vetter product. Most Vetter fairings are labeled "Windjammer". I'm not sure when Honda introduced the "Hondaline" fairing, but if it came installed on the bike it would be OEM. It was certainly inspired by Vetter, but designed by Honda and was clearly different from the Craig Vetter product.

So did Honda put some out with the aftermarket parts? Or was this something the dealers did? Or the first owner? Just curious about the variety of ways these bikes come.

I Doubt Honda ever sold a bike with a third-party product (such as Vetter) installed, unless some dealer somewhere "Tricked out" a Goldwing on his floor with aftermarket accessories.

So if your bike has a "WindJammer" fairing and Vetter bags, that is all aftermarket.

My '80 is a "Standard", it was sold as just a really big bike with no trunk, saddlebags, fairing, or even a windshield. Totally "air in you hair" and "Knees in the breeze".

I show it in my profile as an '80 STD -Vetter' because it has the added-on full Craig Vetter kit, fairing with windshield, saddlebags, trunk, and even the Vetter "Cycle-Sound" add-on for mounting a regular car-stereo player and speakers.

An '83 had numerous factory options available, but all "Hondaline". And without digging into history, I think you could still get an '83 "Standard" with no accessories whatsoever, just like my '80, feel free to add whatever aftermarket stuff you wanted. And Aftermarket products for the Goldwing were getting very common in '83, GoldWings had been around for 8 years already!

[biguns]

Just to add to denver winger the 80 was the first year of hondaline faring and bags factory installed If your tank (faux tank) says Honda then it is a standard with an aftermarket faring installed by the customer or vetter installer.
If it has a pinstripe only covering about half the side of the tank it is or was an interstate or aspencade that came from the factory with a fairing.
The Vetter was a preferred faring by some because they were more aerodynamic, the accessories were far less expensive and replacement cost if something should happen were much lower.

[Mark Miron]

Thanks guys. Based on this info, I'd guess mine was a Standard (has Honda on the faux tank) and the add-ons were later.

[biguns]

Thanks guys. Based on this info, I'd guess mine was a Standard (has Honda on the faux tank) and the add-ons were later.

Nothing wrong with that, the standard has become a desirable model and the 83 was the most desirable, I would get a headlight and set of ears before they disappear incase you or next owner wants to convert it to a standard again, or maybe they were left on and folded in but there should be a weight where the headlight would be in place of the chrome headlight ears.

[Mark Miron]

Now that you mention it, the original ears are there, inside the fairing.

[biguns]

Now that you mention it, the original ears are there, inside the fairing.

Sweet!,, Now get the chrome headlight bucket if you don't have it, check the standard and see what your missing and get the best save it in a dry environment, I used to not worry about not finding wing parts but it is slim pickings on many parts that used to be plentiful.