We love motorcycles because they are quick. Where else can you get vehicles that beat multi-million dollar hypercars on performance for well under $40,000? There is something very satisfying about the underdog winning the fight, isn’t there? However, there is another kind of motorcycle that endears itself to us as well, but for very different reasons.
It is the kind of motorcycle that isn’t quite concerned with how fast you can go, as it is about how far you can go. That means being reliable, offering a low cost of ownership for the class (you’re going to cover many miles and are going to have lots of maintenance), and features that make life easier on the road – for days, months, years, and even decades.
The Answer Is A Touring Motorcycle
The obvious choice for this is a touring motorcycle. There are many different kinds, but the kind that America loves is the laid-back, big-engine, massive torque tourers that allow you to ride for days. Their laid-back nature means that owners don’t feel the need to replace them immediately when the newer model comes out, and they usually have performance in reserve because they plan for all eventualities, including a climb up a hill when fully loaded. There are some incredibly worthy names available today, but there is only one model that has the perfect combination of technology, reliability, and performance that makes it the perfect candidate for a lifetime of riding.
The Honda Gold Wing Is The Motorcycle Designed For A Lifetime Of Riding
The Gold Wing started life as an oddity over 50 years ago, but Honda had a crystal ball. We know this because the public fell in love with everything that the Gold Wing offered, and it has established itself as a 100,000-mile bike through all its iterations. There may be other motorcycles that can reach that mark, but they won’t offer as much comfort, and they certainly will find it difficult to offer the kind of ease of ownership that a Gold Wing offers. With its smooth engine, remarkable performance, and great ownership experience, the Honda Gold Wing is the motorcycle designed for a lifetime of riding.
There Is Value To Be Found In The Gold Wing’s Price
The Gold Wing’s base price is $25,500. That is an expensive motorcycle, there’s no two ways about it. However, Honda offers a product that is complete for the price. You don’t need to add anything to it, which is not something we can say about all the other bikes in its class and price range. You can add an automatic gearbox (an honest-to-goodness seven-speed dual clutch one with a reverse speed, no less) for a paltry $1,000 more. If you want even more, the full-dress Gold Wing Tour costs significantly more, at $29,500, but asks for the same $1,000 for the DCT automatic gearbox. Oh, and you can have the world’s only motorcycle airbag for $33,800.
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Gold Wing Engine Is One Of The Greats
The Gold Wing has one of the most unique engines you’ll ever see. This is a longitudinal flat six that displaces 1,833 cc flat six and has a pretty relaxed (for a modern motorcycle) compression ratio of 10.5:1. It puts out 124.7 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 125.3 pound-feet at 4,500 RPM: again, figures that aren’t segment-topping, but the way in which it delivers the power is very impressive. There is torque across the rev range, and the engine now breathes easier with a four-valve per cylinder layout. Honda has managed to keep the width down thanks to its Unicam SOHC head.
It has also managed to keep the length of the driveline (and therefore the overall bike length) down by placing the gearbox under the engine. The output shaft counter-rotates to the engine’s crankshaft to eliminate the side-to-side rocking motion that is so common in bikes with longitudinal engines. You have a choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The DCT offers a regular ‘D’ mode, the ‘S’ mode with its aggressive shifts for sporty riding, and a manual mode if you want to take control of the transmission.
In both cases, Honda has allowed for parking-lot maneuvers with the Gold Wing: the manual transmission uses the integrated starter generator as a reverse gear to back the bike up, while the automatic transmission has a discrete reverse gear and a ‘walk’ mode in first to help move this bike around. This is a notable feature because none of the large American touring bikes offer reverse assistance, even as an option – you have to go to the aftermarket for help.
‘Aluminum Twin Spar Frame’ Sounds Like A Sport Bike Chassis
The Gold Wing might be one of the farthest things from a sport bike, but it still uses an aluminum twin spar frame, which is commonly used among sporty vehicles because of the weight reduction it offers. Like the sport bikes, the Gold Wing also uses the engine as a stressed member of the frame – and the ability to customize it has never been a priority for a Gold Wing owner!
Along with the unique engine, the Gold Wing also uses a different suspension setup than most other motorcycles. It has a double wishbone front suspension that has contributed to a shorter bike, better weight distribution, and a lesser reach to the handlebars for the rider. A single-sided swingarm with a Pro-link single shock is present. The suspension has electronically controlled damping, and the rear preload is electronically adjustable. The travel is decent enough, with 4.3 inches at the front and 4.1 inches at the rear.
The Gold Wing has some of the biggest brakes we’ve ever seen on a touring motorcycle: there are twin 320mm front discs paired with radial six-piston fixed calipers, and the rear has a single 316mm disc with a three-piston floating caliper. Like a sport bike, there are sintered brake pads fitted. It uses a 18/16 inch combination of alloy wheels and tubeless tires.
The Dimensions Work With The Rider, Not Against
This might be a long bike at nearly 103 inches, but the revised front suspension makes it far more comfortable for the rider. Plus, it separates the braking and steering forces to a large extent, so the bike’s stability is predictable. The fuel tank holds 5.57 gallons, and with its fuel efficiency, it can cover quite a lot of ground before needing a fuel stop. The 847-pound curb weight necessitates the reverse assistance, and the 29.3-inch seat height is fairly low for the class.
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Not The Most Features, But Definitely the Most Intelligent Combination
One of the things that the Gold Wing is known for is reliability. Now, reliability and new technology are usually enemies, so Honda has gone with a compromise and given it some new features, but has not compromised on reliability. The TFT screen is ‘only’ seven inches, but it doesn’t need to be any bigger, what with all the riding information displayed via the analog dials and LCD screens that bracket it. The analog dials show speed and revs, and the reverse LCD screens show other information like fuel level, coolant temperature, gear selected, fuel efficiency, range, and, of course, the odometer and trip meters. That means the TFT display is exclusively for navigation and Bluetooth duties – it helps that the Gold Wing has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 55-watt speakers and automatic volume adjustment are standard, and the navigation system uses a gyrocompass, so it keeps working even if you’re in a tunnel.
Also standard are heated grips, tire pressure monitoring, keyless ignition, remote locking and unlocking luggage, all-LED lighting, and an electrically adjustable windscreen that can be moved nearly five inches vertically. It changes its angle depending on its position, and it remembers the last position it was in if you turn off the bike. The options list isn’t massive, but it has practical additions like backrests for the rider and passenger, a 12V power socket, a center stand, aux lights, music controls for the passenger, rear speakers, wider footpegs for the rider, air deflectors, and Homelink – a button that can open and shut your garage door remotely.
On the electronic side, there are a ton of features that are useful, as one would expect. The current generation of Gold Wing has lost up to 90 pounds over the generation it replaces, making it a better motorcycle overall. Cruise control and hill start assist are standard. A by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU are present across the range, so there are ride modes, adjustable traction control, ABS with linked brakes, and there are cornering functions wherever necessary. Honda hasn’t overcomplicated things here; the features needed to make life on the highway better are present, and they work in the background to make life on the road simpler.
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A Couple Of Worthy Alternatives In Its Segment
There are some very good alternatives to the Gold Wing, but the choices are all based on personal preferences rather than one product being better than another. There is the Gold Wing’s natural competitor, the BMW K 1600 B ($24,975), that is equally reliable and has an inline six-cylinder engine with an incredible 160 horsepower. In all other aspects, it is quite similar to the Gold Wing, although it is a little sportier. There are some strange choices, like a two-way quickshifter being an expensive option, which will drive its price beyond the Gold Wing’s.
Then there is the default American choice: the Harley-Davidson Road Glide ($27,999). The Milwaukee Eight 117 has proven its worth as a long-haul powerplant, and the Road Glide’s features are second to none. It’s just that you’ll have to dip into the (almost unlimited) accessories list to get a complete Road Glide that looks good, and that will easily make its price cross $30,000. That means the Gold Wing not only has the reputation of lasting long, but it is also the most complete product at its base price.
Source: Honda PowerSports, Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorrad