The Gold Wing made its debut at the Intermot motorcycle show in October 1974 as the GL1000. It featured a flat-four 999 cc (61.0 cu in) engine, and had a dry weight of 267 kg (590 lb). 13,000 units were sold in the United States in 1975. Although the GL1000 was listed as a touring motorcycle, it was sold without fairings. Soon, a market developed offering fairings and luggage accessories, including the Windjammer series by Vetter Fairing Company. With only minor differences for different markets, the model remained virtually unchanged during the 1975 to 1977 production run. In 1978 many changes were introduced, including changes to the faux tank shape, instruments on the top of the faux tank, seat, camshafts, carburetors, exhaust system, Comstar wheels, and removal of the kickstart.
