Motorcycle Repair: 1978 goldwing honda 1000 cycle, valve stem seals, jets air

Question
i  am interested in purchasing a goldwin 1978 bike the owner tells me that it backfires at the # 1 cylinder . Is this a serious problem that will be expensive to fix and make me not make the purchase or  should i go for it and hope its nothing what should i do or can i do to help assure me that this is ok  compressin check help?   thanks dave


Answer
Dave, obviously it isn't "nothing" or we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Backfires come from:
leaking intake or exhaust valves
blocked idle jets
air leaks at the manifold
bad spark plug or plug cap
Ignition timing inaccurate
Arcing spark plug wires
oil consumption from worn valve stem seals or damaged piston rings.

A compression check is the first step and/or a leakdown test, if available.

Pull the spark plug and see what it looks like... sooty black, oily? I would check the plug caps first, if they have never been changed.

Check this site for more detailed information on this series of Hondas.
http://www.classicwingclub.org/

Bill Silver