The Gold Wing doesn’t really need an introduction. It has been around for well over half a century, and it has grown, not just in size, but also in stature. Its main market is here, where the brave venture into the unknown (or at least, only known to the sat nav), and might want to cover at least a few thousand miles in a single trip on their touring motorcycle. As such, it gets great wind protection, a potent engine, and creature comforts that would make a five-star hotel suite envious.
The one thing that truly stands out, though, is its engine. Sure, there are other production motorcycles that have uncommon engines that don’t power many models in their lineup. But there are zero motorcycles that have an engine that powers just one model. Case in context is a flat six that has been powering the Gold Wing since 1987.
What Did The Gold Wing Launch With?
All the big tourers – American tourers to be specific – were powered by large-displacement V-twin engines in the 70s. Honda pioneered the use of the transverse inline four engine with the CB750 with great success, but the requirements for a touring motorcycle were a little different. A broad torque curve was more important, and the BMW of the time had shaft drive, which promised zero maintenance while on a ride. At the time, Honda’s dominant motorcycles all used chains, but try adjusting and lubricating a drive chain when you don’t have quick-release hard saddlebags, and you’ll realize that it can get frustrating in a hurry.
A new layout was chosen, a longitudinal one, and a flat four configuration was settled on because a flat six would make the Gold Wing too long. The shaft drive was implemented, and the Gold Wing was born. A refined, torquey cruiser with Honda’s legendary reliability. By the middle of the ‘80s, four cylinders weren’t enough, so Honda got back to the idea of the flat six.
Bringing Six-y Back
The Gold Wing’s first flat six was an interesting choice. Honda switched to just two carbs for six cylinders, while the flat four had a carb for each cylinder. This was also the first Gold Wing with the now-ubiquitous ‘reverse gear’. It was merely an innovative use of the starter motor to help back this heavy tourer up. This engine was at the heart of this model for 14 whole years. Then, major changes were introduced once again.
The Updated Six-Cylinder Mill Brought A New Generation Of Power
The turn of the millennium had Honda reworking the six-cylinder, adding PGM-FI fuel injection and much more power to it via increased displacement. It was now up to over 1.8 liters and 117 horsepower. This was the start of the Gold Wing powerplant as we know it today. This was also the last generation of Gold Wing to be produced in America. An interesting Gold Wing fact is that no 2011 year models exist, because that was the year that the tooling was transported from Ohio to Japan.
Circling back, this engine carried forward the legacy of smoothness with amazing torque, but it also had a torque spread that many cars would be envious of. That translates to a serene experience because you don’t have to slip the clutch much while taking off from rest, and you don’t have to change gears often when you have a lot of torque at your disposal across the rev range. A side effect of a low output is an unstressed, reliable engine. Honda has always had a reputation for building bulletproof engines, but this is among the best of them.
Sixth Generation, Six Cylinders
The sixth-generation Gold Wing had an immense number of changes. Among the biggest changes are a double wishbone front suspension at the chassis end and a redesigned engine. That redesign is comprehensive, but the base of the engine remains. The big changes are the fact that it now has four valves per cylinder, which means it can breathe better. That in turn means more power, torque, and efficiency.
A four-valve layout also usually means a DOHC setup. That makes the head bigger, and this being a flat engine, means it should be wider. But Honda has used its Unicam SOHC technology, which keeps the head compact and, in this case, keeps the engine narrower. Remember the problem the first six-cylinder Gold Wing had? The engine and gearbox combined were too long, and this, in turn, forced the four-cylinder layout.
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A Unique Transmission Puts The Power Down
Another problem solved by Honda is the side-to-side rocking you usually get on a motorcycle with a longitudinal engine. The gearbox shaft counterrotates compared to the engine’s output shaft, thus canceling out the rocking motion. This engine has got a by-wire throttle, ride modes, and all the electronic assistance you’d expect from a modern, premium motorcycle. It even has an automatic gearbox. No, it’s not the six-speed unit from the Africa Twin. It is a unique, world’s only seven-speed dual clutch automatic. This is so smart that it will change the shift points depending on how hard you’re riding. You can also have manual control over the gearshifts via paddles.
Thankfully, the reverse gear is retained on both the manual and the automatic options – it is a discrete reverse gear on the automatic, and the integrated starter generator is put to use for the manual. There is a ‘walk’ mode on the automatic, too, which will help with moving it in the garage or in a parking lot.
Reliability Has Been Impeccable Over The Decades
This tech might not sound like a lot of fancy technology compared to some of the other features on modern engines, but it is worth noting that this engine meets all emissions requirements globally, and that’s not easy to do when you have so many cylinders, so much displacement, and so much weight to haul around.
It gets doubly surprising when you realize you can trace this engine back 25 years to the start of the millennium – and it’s showing no signs of being phased out anytime soon. Although the next generation of Honda touring engines seems to be around the corner, with its forced induction. Whatever Honda might have in store for us, the Gold Wing’s engine will remain one of the greats of history, especially when it comes to reliability. That is why it is still in production after decades.
Sources: Honda Powersports, Honda Global