I'd bet he dragged it out of a barn, got it running, only to discover the stator was shot, which was the reason it got parked in the barn. All the GL1100 and GL1200's would burn out the stators just after 50,000 miles. I'd still buy it except it's too far away from me. I could pull the engine and replace the stator and rewire the bike so it does not burn out the stator again. If you had to pay to get that stuff done the labor and parts would cost way more than the bike is worth.
Stator, not the starter. There was an alternator kit called a poor boy that used a small car alternator attached to the front left of the Goldwing fairing attachment frame and driven from a pulley attached to the end of the crankshaft. This eliminated the need to pull the engine and replace the bad stator. I think those kits are still sold on eBay by people that have cloned them. The person that originally came up with that modification passed away. The cost for them now greatly exceeds the cost of an aftermarket replacement stator and regulator. Personally, I would replace the stator but only because I can do that kind of work. I've never seen a GL1100 or GL1200 with over 50,000 miles that did not have a burned out (original) stator.
