The Ultimate Touring Machine
People these days sometimes look back at the 1970s with a certain level of disdain, as one of those decades that taste forgot. While many things that emerged in the 1970s, like platform boots, flared jeans and giant collars haven't stayed the course, there are other things that arrived in the 1970s that have gone on to be positively legendary. One particular item born in the decade of disco that has definitely gone on to be a rock-solid part of modern culture is the Honda Gold Wing.
The Gold Wing was introduced to the world by Honda at the Cologne Motorcycle Show in October 1974, and it has gone on to be an incredibly popular touring bike in Europe, Australia and North America. While the Gold Wing was under development, the Honda CB750 was already known as the "King of Motorcycles," so this new flagship model for the Honda Motorcycle had to go one further and was, therefore, declared the "King of Kings."
Such a moniker really was something to try and live up to, but the Gold Wing went on to go even further by quickly becoming the first name in touring bikes and "Gold Wing" is almost now a generic term for a bike of this type.
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In the early days of its development, the Gold Wing was envisaged as something of a large sports bike. But when it became clear that customers were doing an increasing amount of touring miles on their bikes, the objectives for the new Honda bike were rethought. It became clear that what the market was crying out for was something designed and engineered for the long-distance rider, which meant it needed to be comfortable, smooth, offer plenty of wind protection, and have an abundance of usable power available.
North America, with its wide roads and huge distances, was the initial target market for the Gold Wing, but Europe was seen as an important secondary market for the new bike. Shorter distances and narrower, winding roads in Europe presented different challenges, so handling and performance also had to be seriously considered.
The first-generation of the Gold Wing was the GL1000 that went into production in 1974, and over the years, the Gold Wing has been constantly developed and honed to perfection to the point where it's now setting even higher standards for Honda's rivals to try and live up to. The original Gold Wing brought new levels of comfort and relaxation to the touring bike market, but the latest model takes things to previously unimaginable levels with luxury features such as the smart key system, Apple CarPlay compatibility, and even the 21st-century convenience of Bluetooth connectivity.
Over the years, the Honda Gold Wing has become more than just a great touring motorbike. In fact, buying and owning a Gold Wing is now something of a lifestyle statement. Honda recognises this, which is why there are currently 14 specialist Gold Wing dealers situated around the UK that offer a dedicated, premium service to both existing Gold Wing owners, and those who are considering becoming Gold Wing owners in the future.
Gold Wing DCT
It might have been easy to start thinking the Honda Gold Wing couldn't really get much more refined and comfortable than it had already become over the years. After all, it's not an exaggeration to refer to the mighty Honda touring bike as a genuine road-going legend that's been honed and perfected over time. However, with the launch of the current sixth-generation in 2018, the Gold Wing took comfort and performance to completely new levels, especially with the introduction of an entirely new third-generation, seven-speed version of Honda's unique Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).
For anyone unfamiliar with such systems, a DCT is pretty much an automatic transmission for the Gold Wing. To be more precise, it's actually a clutch and shift operation system that still delivers the kind of direct acceleration and feel of a manual transmission, but with the user-friendly ease of an automatic. The DCT that's now available for the Gold Wing lets the rider focus on accelerating, turning and braking, instead of concentrating on selecting the correct gear. The result is increased confidence and control for the rider, so the optional DCT technology levels up the sheer joy of riding and controlling your bike to new heights.
The DCT also has something called a Walking Mode, which makes parking the bike easy by limiting the speed to 1.1 mph and softening the clutch engagement. The system even lets you reverse the Gold Wing at speeds of up to 0.75 mph. And instead of this all being done using the throttle, it's actually controlled by using the DCT's manual shift switches.
The model we have now isn’t just an update or a refreshing of the fifth-generation Gold Wing; it's actually a completely new bike from the wheels up. Although it's still a very sizeable bike, today's Gold Wing is now sharper, more compact and lighter than any of its predecessors.
A flat-six still powers the Honda, but these days it's a 1833cc unit that boasts four valves per cylinder instead of two, and it also comes equipped with Throttle by Wire, four riding modes, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), and even Hill Start Assist. The Gold Wing has always had incredible levels of available thrust, but the updated engine and more lightweight bike still manage to deliver big improvements in the vital mid-range performance area. Coming out of a corner, the latest Honda Gold Wing pulls even harder than the previous fifth-generation did.
Gold Wing Lounge at Motorcycle Live
Reading about what the latest Honda Gold Wing has to offer is one thing, but it's impossible to take in all the changes and enhancements to this touring bike legend without seeing it and experiencing it in the flesh for yourself. One of the best ways of seeing what all the fuss is about is by coming to see the bike at this year's Motorcycle Live event at the NEC in Birmingham.
Motorcycle Live is the UK's biggest motorcycle show, attracting fans from across the UK and overseas. Held between Saturday 16th November and Sunday 24th November, the show is the perfect day out for bike fans with everything you could hope to see under one roof.
Naturally, Honda will have a massive presence at the show with the entire range there for attendees to check out. However, the Gold Wing really is a special case, which is why we're giving it special treatment with its very own Gold Wing Lounge at the event.
The Gold Wing Lounge will be open to anyone at Motorcycle Live, but it's especially aimed at current and potential future Gold Wing owners and it really will have a special feel; almost as a separate brand of its own under the umbrella of the parent Honda brand. Come along and be our special guests at the Gold Wing Lounge, and let our team introduce you to the latest versions of a bike that probably deserves the flagship title more than any other.
Motorcycle Experience Team
Motorcycle Live has a big focus on encouraging newcomers to the world of biking, but the event is also a huge showcase for everything connected with motorcycles for those already involved and enthusiastic about all things two-wheeled. To further emphasise this wide-ranging approach, the Honda Motorcycle Experience Team will be running a test ride area for those wanting to try out the latest new Honda bikes, and a "Get On" area for those interested in getting into biking.
In the Test Ride area, experienced riders will be able to try out the latest versions of the Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT, CB1000R+, CBR650R, GL1800B – Goldwing, CB650R, GL1800D - Goldwing Tour and the CB500X.
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