How to Check the Engine Compression of a Gold Wing
The first year Honda came out with the Gold Wing was 1975. Since then, there have been many model changes, with engines of four and six cylinders. Other specifications such as bore and stroke have changed over the years also. But it is still a motorcycle and if you are starting to lose power, perhaps your rings or valves are wearing out and you need an overhaul. A compression check will let you know. You must know how to remove your spark plugs and disable the ignition on your particular model to perform a compression check.
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Instructions
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Pull the spark plug wires off all your spark plugs.
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Disable your ignition system. Check your owner's manual for your particular model Gold Wing. Older models have a distributor and you can pull out the center wire. Newer models have an electronic ignition and you need to remove either the fuse or the ground wire.
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Remove the spark plugs with your spark plug wrench. Usually you will find one in your Honda tool kit that came with the motorcycle. Keep track of the plugs so you can install them back into the same cylinders.
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Insert the compression gauge into one of the cylinders. Some gauges just push in; others screw in.
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Open the throttle and crank the engine with the starter switch four or five times. Note the reading on the compression gauge.
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Release the pressure on the gauge with the release button and check it again. If it reads radically different, do the test several times until the readings are close to the same. Write down the reading. Depending on your year of Gold Wing, the reading should be between 140 and 170 psi (pounds per square inch). Check your manual for exact requirements, but if you don't have it, you should be OK within this range or even above.
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Check the compression in the same way for the rest of the cylinders, four or six. The compression on all of the cylinders should be within 10 pounds of each other. Compression under 140 pounds or having one or more cylinders more than 10 pounds away from the average indicates engine problems.
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Tips & Warnings
The comparison between the cylinders is more important than the actual compression of any single cylinder. If all of them are below 140, you probably need new piston rings and an engine overhaul.
Don't let any dirt get into your cylinders when you have the spark plugs out.
