1986 Goldwing 1200 stalls after driving on highway for a bit

[lschmunk599.]

Hello: I have a 1986 Honda GL1200 A with 21,000 Kilometers on it. The bike is in fantastic shape with everything working and looks brand new still. I just got the bike out of winter storage. When I start the bike up, it starts right away with the choke on full, then after 2 minutes i turn the choke off and the rpm stays at 1080. On the way in the city it runs perfect, but after a few miles on the highway at speeds of just over 100 to 110 Kilometers per hour, the bike all of a sudden is shutting down, then all of a sudden runs fine for a bit then today it all of a sudden completely shut down. I then tried to restart the bike, but all it did was turn over and not start. After waiting for about 10 minutes the bike started up and ran fine int the city until i got it home and parked it. Once again it started right up again. Also yesterday when i stopped at a mall, i put the bike in neutral with it still running, then all of a sudden it just shut down. I hope someone on here will have an answer to this problem as i really like the bike, but can only imagine on how much it would cost just to diagnose this problem. Any help from here would be greatly appreciated.

[dtcad]

It may have water condensate in the fuel tank. First I would check the fuel filter if it has one to be sure it isn't stopped up. If possible I would drain the tank and refill with fresh fuel with a cleanup dose of Amsoil's Quickshot mixed in. Quickshot will absorb some condensate and clean up the fuel system of varnish etc. If you can't drain the tank, add the clean up dose to what's in it and top off with fresh fuel. If that helps, follow up on subsequent tanks with a quickshot maintenance dose mixed in.

Be sure the battery cables are clean and tight.

[LAB3]

When it shuts off does it misfire or run rough before it happens of does it happen abruptly?

[lschmunk599.]

Hello: Thank you for your reply. I say it happens abruptly

[lschmunk599.]

I have put in new Premium gas into the bike, Checked the battery cables when it was stranded for the 10 minutes and they were tight. I am no mechanic at all, but do you think it is something electrical. I am baffled as i had the same bike but a 1985 many years ago, and i have not once came across that problem and that bike i had put on 145,000 Kilometers ?

[winguyjo]

have a spare spark plug ready the next time it stalls and won't re-start right away. remove a spark plug lead, insert spare spark plug into the lead an put it to a good ground while pressing the start button. by confirming or eliminating spark as the issue you will then have something to work with. youtube "check for spark" if you need help .

[LAB3]

have a spare spark plug ready the next time it stalls and won't re-start right away. remove a spark plug lead, insert spare spark plug into the lead an put it to a good ground while pressing the start button. by confirming or eliminating spark as the issue you will then have something to work with. youtube "check for spark" if you need help .

That's good advice. I'd also be inclined to think it's ignition related, fuel issues usually don't happen abruptly.

[terryt]

Check the coils they could be breaking down when hot but are ok when cooling down.

[julimike54]

If the above test proves no spark, it could be the 'run/stop' switch, or another 'hot' failure mode is the pulse generators are failing (when hot). The electrical service manual has step by step trouble shooting procedures.

[LAB3]

This thread is starting to look an awful lot like a bunch of neurotic old ladies telling someone that a small mark on their arm is cancerous. Sure, could be a coil or igniter but it could also be a dirty electrical connector. We still haven't determined FOR SURE that it's an electrical issue, it just points in that direction. Let's take it easy and help this person approach this reasonably and methodically!

[terryt]

This thread is starting to look an awful lot like a bunch of neurotic old ladies telling someone that a small mark on their arm is cancerous. Sure, could be a coil or igniter but it could also be a dirty electrical connector. We still haven't determined FOR SURE that it's an electrical issue, it just points in that direction. Let's take it easy and help this person approach this reasonably and methodically!

All comments are helping the guy. coils and igniters do breakdown the 30 plus years old. carbs get blocked terminals and wires burns out.

[lschmunk599.]

Thank you to those who have posted their inputs to what may be wrong with my bike. I knew this was not going to be an easy fix as it would be figured out by trials and errors. I have learned a lot by all of your experience's and your inputs on this web sight. I am going to take the bike to the Honda dealership here in Regina and hopefully they will be able to diagnose and fix the problem. I think for me to go and try the suggestions listed here would end up costing me a lot more than actually taking the bike to the dealership. Once again thank you all very much for giving me your input with this problem. I will definitely be posting on here what came about and what the fix was to my problem, so that it might help someone that runs into the same problem.

[alanc1100]

Sounds just like the dog bone fuse is cracked! If you haven’t removed it and put a new 30amp fuse holder in, might wanna do that. The stealer shop will charge you about $100 an hour to troubleshoot the problem IF they decide to. Most shops won’t touch bikes older than 5-10 years old.

[lschmunk599.]

Thank you alanac; Because of the weather here, I was unable to even take the bike to the dealer here. They do treat me very well, so i am not worried about them over charging me, but that being said, I will be changing the dog bone fuse tomorrow and see what that does. If it works, i will be posting on here

[Jsauceman]

I had an 84 gl1200 that did the exact same thing. I changed the pulse generator and fixed the problem. I found mine on in this forum from another rider. If you can’t find one here check eBay.

[Cutlass1970]

If you can check the pulsar coils for the ignition,they can make the bike do some strange things.

[MartinH63]

Have I missed someone already post this answer?

Sounds like a blocked (or partially blocked) fuel filter:
This happenned to me on an old Z1000, may be the same on your Wing:

At idle and city speeds, just enough fuel gets through to keep it running.
Remember there is also a fair bit of fuel in the tube betweeen filter and carbs.
But at motorway (highway) speeds, float bowls quickly get completely empty, and so the engine dies.
But after sitting for 10 minutes, enough fuel has seeped through the blocked filter to get the engine running again.

Mechanicall fuel pump would complicate this, as the engine has to be running to pump the fuel.
Although with a full tank, I think it would run without the pump anyway

I hope you find your problem turns out to be as simple as this.

If it is the filter, you shoud probably swish out the fuel tank

Good luck.

[donja1936@gmail.com]

re goldwing shutting down after highway run,
G/day I had a 1988 model and it did the same thing and it was very frightening when it happened to me.
well I disconnected the lean angle sensor and I had no problem afterwards.
cheers ,good luck from don down under.

[reggiefavre-1943]

I had this problem with my antique 1967 Harley. I was riding the other day into town, about 7 miles on a highway. Just before I pulled up to the first red light (it's a 2 red light town) the motor shut off, I looked into the gas tank, plenty of gas. In a minuet it cranked up. I road into town to "The Hardware Store", it's a small town. Started back to the house. About half way home it stopped again, That time I opened the gas cap on the right tank and I thought I heard a slight hissing noise. Cranked right up. Just before I got to the house it stopped again, this time I waited until every thing got quiet, eased open the gas cap, the hissing noise was from the vacuum in the tanks. The air bleed hole in the right cap is stopped up as the cap on the left side doesn't have one. Check to make sure the tank cap or the tank breather lines are not stopped up. BTW, I bought the 67 FLH new, still runs like new. The secret to maintain anything is proper maintenance. I'm 78 years young and still ride about 10 months a year. It only gets in the 30s or less down here in south west Mississippi. Yes we wear shoes or boots, we have paved roads, electracy, running water, indoor plumbing color TV and cell phones.

[gordonv]

Waiting to hear more, even thought I now drive a GL1500 Valkyrie, which uses gravity feed fuel. I know here in Vancouver no dealer would work on my bike, but all the power to you if you have the relationship with one there who will. I just think something like this could cost a lot and no outcome found.

My first thought was fuel delivery. The filter sounds like a good first start. I know my GL1100 had a mechanical fuel pump, and the GL1500 used an electric, I would think the GL1200 is also mechanical. But with only 4 cylinders instead of my 6, we usually get a gradual sputtering before it dies from lack of fuel. But the thoughts all sound like good first start.

Electrical would be my second guess, no spark. But if it's heat related, except being winter weather still where you are, would be hard to figure out.

Good luck.

[WingAdmin]

He did say "all of a sudden it shut down" which to me points to electrical. When the gas cap is clogged, the bike slowly loses power and acts as if it is running out of gas, slowly sputtering to a stop.

[MCRider64]

My first thought is fuel filter or worse, fuel pump.

[tbolden]

I had similar issues with a GL1500, it would intermittently die when in a gradual turn or corner. Turning off the ignition switch & turning it back on the engine would come back to life. The bank angle sensors were known to be problematic.

I had a similar problem with a 1520 Valkyrie, but changing the bank angle sensor didn't cure the problem, but turning off the ignition & back on the engine would start again. I tested the ignition switch by starting the engine, then wiggle the key would cause the engine to stop. Replacing the ignition switch solved the problem.

Check the kill switch too, it could have an intermittent contact issue also.

Good luck!

[Thesseus]

It happen with my 88 1500 there was problems with heat sink in CPU, got a used replacement, no more problems.

[gporganics]

Thank you to those who have posted their inputs to what may be wrong with my bike. I knew this was not going to be an easy fix as it would be figured out by trials and errors. I have learned a lot by all of your experience's and your inputs on this web sight. I am going to take the bike to the Honda dealership here in Regina and hopefully they will be able to diagnose and fix the problem. I think for me to go and try the suggestions listed here would end up costing me a lot more than actually taking the bike to the dealership. Once again thank you all very much for giving me your input with this problem. I will definitely be posting on here what came about and what the fix was to my problem, so that it might help someone that runs into the same problem.

I would suggest taking your bike to Action Cycle in Moose Jaw. Their shop rates are around $30/hour less than alsport in Regina. Also, they specialize in the older Honda bikes. I take my 94 GL 1500 there. I highly recommend them.