50 Years Of The Iconic Touring Bike

Building on the success of the now legendary CB750, Honda saw a rather big gap in the market that needed to be addressed. With most customers using their bikes for long-distance touring, and accumulating a lot of miles, it was clear that something more suitable for the job would sell well. By 1974, the very first Gold Wing had been developed, precisely for the job.

Released as a 1975 model, it provided customers with a genuinely reliable, significantly more comfortable alternative to the sea of UJMs and the underpowered, woefully unreliable AMF Harleys of the 70s. In its first generation, it could have easily been mistaken for another UJM, but six generations and 50 years of evolution later, it has become the quintessential luxury touring motorcycle.

Related

Table of Contents

Toggle

Why The 2024 Honda Gold Wing Offers The Ultimate Luxurious Touring Experience

Be it comfort, horsepower, or ease of riding, the Gold Wing ticks all the right boxes

The Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Got The Ball Rolling In 1975

First Generation: 1975–1979

It became clear that there was a market for bigger, long-distance touring motorcycles in the 70s. The concept of motorcycle travel only grew in popularity after it was romanticized (somewhat) by the 1969 film, Easy Rider. While the main characters of that film certainly were not riding Hondas, UJMs were more accessible and already far more reliable. Upon its release, the 1975 Gold Wing looked like any other UJM, just bigger. A lot bigger.

The flat-four engine and shaft drive coupled with a more robust chassis meant that the weight went up a fair bit compared to the CB750. At 584 lbs dry, it was actually over 100 lbs heavier. This made it feel more planted, and more stable on the highway, with the unfortunate side effect of also feeling a little more sluggish, too. While there was room for improvement, the proof of concept was clearly there.

GL1000 Specifications

A Factory Tourer Is Born With The Honda GL1100 Interstate

Second Generation: 1979–1983

The touring motorcycle segment saw exponential growth through the 70s and by the end of the decade, it was pretty easy to see how people were using their bikes. One of the most popular modifications to the first-generation Gold Wing – and many other bikes of the era – was the addition of an aftermarket fairing. In what was a rather shrewd move, Honda released the GL1100 Interstate model in 1980, the very first Japanese motorcycle to come from the factory with a full fairing. Luggage was also fitted as standard equipment.

Related

2024 Honda Gold Wing: 10 Things You Should Know

A superb touring machine, the Honda Gold Wing’s poise and comfort is legendary on the open road

This landmark motorcycle coincided with the production moving to the US. Moving production to the US was a clear indication of just how successful the first generation was. It forced Honda to focus all attention on the US market and, by all rights, this move paid off. That’s because the second generation was what became the poster child for what a modern touring bike should look like.

GL1100 Interstate Specifications

The Limited Edition Honda GL1200 Gold Wing Changes The Touring Game

Third Generation: 1984–1987

By 1984, the standard Gold Wing had run its course, and with that, Honda firmly established the Gold Wing model line as a fully faired touring range. With competition in this space steadily increasing, Honda couldn’t afford to rest on its laurels. Fuel injection may have been fairly common in the automotive sector by the 80s, but it certainly wasn’t commonly used on motorcycles. So the mere fact that the limited-edition GL1200L came out with it already made it pretty special.

Add to the fact that it also got hydraulic valve lifters and a more powerful bored-out flat-four. Changes were not limited to the engine alone, as the chassis was stiffened, and the swingarm and suspension revised for the second-generation model. While the GL1200L was only made in limited numbers, the other versions sold like hotcakes and firmly established the Gold Wing as the leading touring class motorcycle.

GL1200L Specifications

A Flat-Six Engine Makes Its First Appearance In 1987

Fourth Generation: 1987–2000

The introduction of the smoother, more powerful flat-six was certainly the headline change for the fourth-generation Gold Wing. It also got a rather innovative reverse gear which made use of the starter motor which would engage the transmission and slowly “walk” the bike backwards. Considering how much the weight of the bike had increased over the years, this was a necessary addition. All the added weight had everything to do with how much more luxury the Gold Wing of the 90s offered.

Related

10 Reasons The Honda Gold Wing Needs To Be In Your Garage

If you love taking road trips on your motorcycle, then look no further

While negligible in the 80s, the stereo on fourth-generation bikes actually worked! The seating was genuinely comfortable for both rider and passenger and the wind protection was almost too good as it would give riders the impression that they were traveling slower than they actually were. To say the least, nothing could touch the Gold Wing when it came to luxury motorcycle touring. It became the default choice for touring riders and by the time the last GL1500 rolled off the Marysville production line in 2000, Honda had made over a million motorcycles in America.

GL1500 Specifications

Production Returns To Japan

Fifth Generation: 2001–2017

After thirteen years, the fourth generation finally got replaced. It seemed fitting that its replacement would quite literally bring the model into the 21st century. It was a ground-up redesign with a host of new features, chief among which was fuel injection. After dabbling with a rudimentary system in the 80s, Honda finally equipped all Gold Wings with EFI.

By 2005, the 500,000th Gold Wing rolled off the production line, but it proved to be bitter-sweet as Honda made the decision to move all production back to Japan five short years later. There is no 2011 Gold Wing as a result, with production resuming in Japan for the 2012 model year.

GL1800 Specifications

Celebrating 50 Years Of Ultimate Luxury

Sixth Generation: 2018–Present

The current Gold Wing Tour DCT is the very definition of a luxury motorcycle. Purists may argue against the existence of such a thing, but if anything, Honda has proven that no matter what the naysayers may think, there is a market for such a thing. Adding an automatic transmission to it only adds to the luxury.

Related

TopSpeed Best Cruiser Of 2024: Honda Goldwing

Our motorcycle experts voted for the best cruiser and tourer for the new year.

Honda has bet big on automatic motorcycles, and it seems to be paying off. The modern Gold Wing has more features and rider aids than ever before, but also weighs more than ever before, thanks in part to these innovative features. It is and always has been something of a contradiction, with luxury and riding a motorcycle seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum, but it works, and the fact that all other manufacturers offer similar high-dollar touring bikes only serves to prove the point.

Specifications