The Honda Gold Wing Is A Cult-Classic Japanese Touring Bike That Refuses to Die

There was a time when Japan would go toe to toe with American motorcycle companies when it came to cruisers and touring motorcycles based on those cruisers. Over the years, though, customers have gravitated to American brands when they want a full-size, full-fat touring bike with all the bells and whistles. This is one of the few places where Japan’s reputation for frugality and economy hurts it, because this customer is fiercely brand loyal, and doesn’t particularly care about saving money. That is why, in fact, they are willing to drop upwards of $30,000 on a two-wheeler, after all.

Still, sometimes there is a compelling argument made to change loyalties, because the option is simply that good. The product will need to offer better comfort, performance, reliability, features, and even maybe tank range. Plus, they offer these things as a significant upgrade over the status quo. There is one Japanese touring motorcycle that has been doing this consistently for a very long time; this is the cult-classic Japanese touring bike that refuses to die.

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The Honda Gold Wing Tour Is The Cult-Classic Japanese Touring Bike That Refuses to Die

Price: $28,700

The Gold Wing is quite an amazing motorcycle any way you look at it, but it gets even more amazing when you think about the full-dress tourers available new today from Japan. There are only two available today, out of which the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager hasn’t been updated in an extremely long time. The Gold Wing, on the other hand, is now in its sixth generation launched in 2018.

It is so good and profitable that Honda, which is known for its economy and scaling, chooses to manufacture a model that shares essentially nothing with the rest of the entire two wheeler lineup. The Gold Wing’s ability to not just take it to the leaders of its segment, but become one of them. This is why it is the cult-classic Japanese touring bike that refuses to die.

Why We Picked The Honda Gold Wing Tour

• The only modern Japanese full-dress tourer available today
• Is unique in many different ways
• Only motorcycle available with an airbag

Honda Gold Wing Engine: One Of A Kind

So Good That Almost Nobody Has Even Tried To Copy It

The Gold Wing has always had a unique engine that the rest of the Honda motorcycle lineup didn’t share. This isn’t something you’ll see often because the costs of developing a unique engine are way too much in this day and age. This is such a profitable model that not only are a lot of things like the engine and gearbox unique to it, Honda chooses to manufacture it in a single location, its Kumamoto facility in Japan, and export it globally.

It is the largest Honda two-wheeler engine available today, and even though the gearbox uses the same dual-clutch technology present in other Honda models, its application is a little different in the Gold Wing. This is a longitudinal engine, so the gearbox counterrotates to the engine to cancel the rocking motion of the engine when you give it gas. And there is a shaft final drive, unlike the other models that use the automatic gearbox.

Of course, you also get all the electronics you’d expect from a luxury motorcycle. It comes equipped with a six-axis IMU, so not only is the cornering traction control helped along by the information, the gearbox shift points are also affected by the by-wire throttle. Other interesting features are the ‘reverse’ modes available – as a reverse gear in the automatic, and an electric motor in the manual. All Gold Wings also offer a ‘walking mode’ that allows you to walk the bike in a parking lot instead of having to use your pins to push its weight around. Cruise control, ride modes, and an integrated starter generator are all included in every Gold Wing, too.

Honda Gold Wing Tour Engine Specifications

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Honda Gold Wing Chassis: As Unique As The Engine

Lighter, More Manageable With The Current Generation

Honda focused on making the Gold Wing a more manageable motorcycle with the current generation, and it primarily set its target with the help of double wishbone suspension for the front wheel. This meant that the front wheel moves vertically under compression, and not up and backward. And this allowed the engine to be mounted further ahead in the chassis. What followed was a shorter motorcycle that had more weight on the front, which made the Gold Wing a much easier motorcycle to handle, at least at low speeds. It still is a massively heavy motorcycle, at 847 pounds, but Honda has done an admirable job of centralizing the mass and making it as narrow as possible despite the flat engine configuration.

This is thanks to the engine’s Unicam SOHC heads, which occupy less space compared to a normal DOHC head. Moving on, the suspension is electronic, and rear preload can be adjusted at the touch of a button. The brakes consist of twin 320 mm disc at the front grabbed by humongous six-piston fixed calipers and a 316 mm rear disc grabbed by a caliper of the same size but with half as many pistons since it is a floating caliper. The Gold Wing has C-ABS, so no matter which brake you operate, the bike will distribute brake force as necessary.

Honda Gold Wing Tour Chassis Specs And Dimensions

Honda Gold Wing Features

Insanely Long List

The Gold Wing is a halo model for Honda, so the feature list has to be impressive, too. Accordingly, it doesn’t just compete with the other full-dress tourers on its reliability and user-friendliness, but it also legitimately has a ton of features that make it at least an equal, if not one of the leaders, in its segment. The 7-inch TFT display sits at the heart of the features. This isn’t a touchscreen unit but has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It can also keep the navigation going in tunnels, thanks to its gyrocompass. We like that Honda has retained the analog and LCD elements – it should look like a busy design, but it somehow does not.

The electrical windscreen can be adjusted for both height as well as angle, and it remembers the last setting, while the paint is a special BASF compound that isn’t available on any other Honda motorcycle. As for luggage, there’s a trunk that can hold 16 gallons, or two full face helmets, easily. The saddlebags open electronically, all you need to do is push a button, and lock and unlock remotely. Heated grips and seats are standard, and the rider and pillion can set different temperatures for their seats. Tire pressure monitoring is standard, as is an audio system with automatic volume adjustment.

Aside these, a unique option is the world’s only motorcycle airbag on the DCT. The 50th anniversary Gold Wing Tour offers a few additional extras, like a different paintjob, new emblem, better speakers, and an exclusive 50th anniversary startup graphic on the TFT display. It costs a little more than the standard model, at $29,200.

Honda Gold Wing Notable Features

• World’s only seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox
• 7-inch TFT display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Auto-volume adjusting audio system
• Separate temperature for rider and pillion heated seats
• World’s only motorcycle airbag (optional)

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Honda Gold Wing Tour Competition

Surprising Number Of Options

You’d expect that a motorcycle that costs as much as a decently sized car wouldn’t have much competition – and you’d be wrong. There are quite a few competitors for the Gold Wing. Let’s start with the only other full-dress Japanese tourer: the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager. This is an old design but is extremely reliable and offers great value at the price. Another non-American value option is the BMW R 18 Transcontinental. This is again a more traditional take in the full-dresser segment.

The real competition comes from right here. The Indian Roadmaster PowerPlus is powered by a modern liquid cooled engine, although you can still have the air-cooled Thunderstroke if you prefer torque to power. And of course, there is the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra, which is the gold standard for two-up touring when it comes to American Iron. There is also the only other six-cylinder motorcycle that is on sale today, the BMW K 1600 Grand America that matches up with the Gold Wing Tour. This is a sporty tourer with unmatched smoothness and an impossible-to-reach power figure among the tourers.

Honda Gold Wing Tour Vs Rivals