GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
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- Motorcycle: 1991 gl1500 interstate
GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Hi all. I bought my first goldwing last summer. It's a 91 interstate. Serial #000001. Anyway I found when riding if I came to a stop it would sometimes idle high ( around 2000 rpm ). But only sometimes. I would guess around 25% of the time. Bike runs perfect otherwise. Any ideas? Thanks.
- offcenter
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76 GL-1000
77 Honda Trail 90
Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Mine would do that "occasionally", when the outside temps were below 40 degrees.
Never does it in warm weather.
Damned if I know what causes it.
But since I rarely ride when temps are below 40, it hasn't really been
a problem.
Never does it in warm weather.
Damned if I know what causes it.
But since I rarely ride when temps are below 40, it hasn't really been
a problem.
George in Jersey.
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
99 Goldwing GL-1500 SE
76 Goldwing Gl-1000
77 Honda CT-90 "Trail 90"
- MikeB
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191K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
My first thought is that you have an intermittent vacuum leak. Cracked and deteriorating vacuum hoses could be the cause.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
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- Motorcycle: 1991 gl1500 interstate
Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Ok I will look for that. Thanks
- ct1500
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Absent a binding throttle cable and to a lesser extent enrichment cable the most likely cause would be from a carb sync problem where it was adjusted compensating for a carb problem.Swayze wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:32 pm Hi all. I bought my first goldwing last summer. It's a 91 interstate. Serial #000001. Anyway I found when riding if I came to a stop it would sometimes idle high ( around 2000 rpm ). But only sometimes. I would guess around 25% of the time. Bike runs perfect otherwise. Any ideas? Thanks.
If I had a dollar for every poster who said "other than this problem it runs great" I would be comfortably retired.

Local and need repair help with your 1500, Valkyrie or ST please click contact
Nothing leaves my shop till its' perfect
This is what I do
Nothing leaves my shop till its' perfect
This is what I do
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- Motorcycle: 1991 gl1500 interstate
Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Can I get to all the vacum lines by removing the top plastic and air filter? Thanks
- bellboy40
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
No. There are some under the air filter housing, some under the carbs and some more under the rubber mat below the carbs.
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Crap that's not what I wanted to hear
- WingAdmin
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1982 GL1100A Aspencade (sold)
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
The vacuum hose routing is pretty much spaghetti. It's buried, and it's extensive.
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
What is the rubber mat you are referring to? When I got my GL1500, 1999 trike it had a piece of rubber underneath the carburetors that looked like an inner tube? It was removed.
- bellboy40
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
That rubber mat under the carbs is there to control heat from rising up to the manifold, rubber hoses and wires above the engine. That much heat would shorten the life of the hoses and wires. It also helps keep the fuel from getting vapor lock and keeps some of the engine heat off the rider. If yours is missing, I would suggest you replace it.
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Thank you Bellboy40 that’s kinda what I thought. Can I still get the correct part from Honda? Or cut up an old inter tube. My carbs need major attention. You rebuild if I send them to you? I live in East Tennessee.
- bellboy40
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Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Here is the part# for that rubber mat. It is rather expensive for what it is but that's the way it is with motorcycle parts. I don't know how well a truck inner tube would work in that role but I suspect it would deteriorate rather quickly.
19050-MT2-010
Here is a couple of places to get it. They are the cheapest I found but I have never ordered anything from either of them. A search for that part# will show a lot of different places to get it.
http://www.adeptpowersports.com/oem-par ... -part.html
https://www.hondapartsnation.com/oempar ... water-pipe
To your question about rebuilding carbs, no I don't do that for others. I'm doing good just trying to keep my own motorcycle going!
19050-MT2-010
Here is a couple of places to get it. They are the cheapest I found but I have never ordered anything from either of them. A search for that part# will show a lot of different places to get it.
http://www.adeptpowersports.com/oem-par ... -part.html
https://www.hondapartsnation.com/oempar ... water-pipe
To your question about rebuilding carbs, no I don't do that for others. I'm doing good just trying to keep my own motorcycle going!
- WingAdmin
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- Location: Strongsville, OH
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1982 GL1100A Aspencade (sold)
1989 PC800 (sold)
1998 XV250 Virago (sold)
2012 Suzuki Burgman 400 (wife's!)
2007 Aspen Sentry Trailer - Contact:
Re: GL 1500 has a high idle but only sometimes
Regular rubber like an inner tube will very quickly deteriorate, harden and crack under the heat it is subjected to there.bellboy40 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 23, 2021 8:44 am Here is the part# for that rubber mat. It is rather expensive for what it is but that's the way it is with motorcycle parts. I don't know how well a truck inner tube would work in that role but I suspect it would deteriorate rather quickly.
19050-MT2-010
Here is a couple of places to get it. They are the cheapest I found but I have never ordered anything from either of them. A search for that part# will show a lot of different places to get it.
http://www.adeptpowersports.com/oem-par ... -part.html
https://www.hondapartsnation.com/oempar ... water-pipe
To your question about rebuilding carbs, no I don't do that for others. I'm doing good just trying to keep my own motorcycle going!![]()
If you are going to do a DIY replacement then use some high-temperature silicone rubber sheeting, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-12x12-i ... ref=sr_1_4