If you live your life on two wheels, and love going the distance, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve either considered the Honda Gold Wing or maybe even own one. The Gold Wing has, for many, been the standard in long-distance riding for decades. Honda’s big luxury tourer turns 50 this year, and the wildest part about its story is that it was never designed to be the best touring bike on the road or the closest two-wheel equivalent to a car. Here’s how Honda accidentally changed motorcycle touring back in the 1970s.
Like many companies, Honda got its start by messing around with bicycles. Immediately after World War II Soichiro Honda found inspiration in the little engines that powered wireless radios during the war. Honda figured he could use an engine like that to make his wife’s life easier. He mounted an engine on her bicycle, which allowed her to ride to town much quicker than before. Given that smashing success, Honda decided to make a whole business out of it.
Honda’s first product was the Honda A-Type, launched in 1947, a year before Honda formally founded the Honda Motor Company, but a year after Honda started engineering. The A-Type was a die-cast two-stroke engine with rotary valves that delivered power to a bicycle’s wheels through a patented belt drive. Honda built its engines on assembly lines, and parts were designed so that anyone could put them together without manually filing and shaping the parts. In reality, Honda says, most of Honda’s early parts still needed manual finessing before they could fit together, but the concept was still sound and was refined as time went on.
It was only 11 years later that Honda would change the world. Honda and managing director Takeo Fujisawa traveled to Europe, where they found out that the small motorcycle culture was way different there than it was in Japan. They went back to Japan, convinced it was time for a revolutionary new way to travel. Honda’s new motorcycle would be neither a moped nor a scooter. It would also be designed to be inherently friendly and easy to ride. Further, this new bike was to be designed from the start to be for everyone, from the suited Japanese businessman to a woman in a clean dress. Oh, and the motorcycle couldn’t be complicated, so a traditional manual transmission was out, and the motorcycle had to be seriously rugged and powerful to survive Japan’s rough roads.
In 1958, Honda launched the Super Cub. The little motorcycle did everything Honda wanted and more. It was truly a motorcycle for the masses, no matter where in the world they lived. Perhaps even more brilliant than the Super Cub itself was its marketing. In a time when motorcycle riders were gaining a negative “biker gang” reputation, Honda proudly marketed the Super Cub as being the motorcycle for everyone. “You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda” remains one of the greatest marketing lines of all time. As such, it’s not one bit surprising that the Super Cub remains the world’s most popular motor vehicle, with well over 100 million examples sold.
Honda had shown the world that it wasn’t just the Americans, Germans, and British who could build awesome motorcycles. Now, it was going to flex its engineering muscles even harder. Of course, throughout all of this time, Honda was also making its name by building excellent cars, too.
In 1969, Honda blew the world away with the launch of the CB750.
This was the first mass-produced motorcycle with an inline-four engine and disc brakes. The CB750 was called a “superbike” and it combined Japanese reliability with British speed in a concoction that had riders falling in love. The success of the CB750 was so grand that its basic formula would become the standard across brands in Japan, leading to the so-called “Universal Japanese Motorcycle.” By 1978, Honda sold over 430,000 CB750s. Today, the CB750 is considered to be one of the most important motorcycles in history.
The hard part for Honda was figuring out how it was going to follow up the CB750. It just built a world-beating motorcycle. Naturally, the response would be to build something even more revolutionary. Honda would set its sights on creating what it called “the ultimate motorcycle,” a motorcycle that we know today as the Gold Wing.
Building A Flagship
Honda’s plans were ambitious, and to create the so-called “ultimate” motorcycle, Honda founded a Research & Development division in 1972. The R&D center was led by Soichiro Irimajiri, who made his name in auto racing and was the head of design for Honda’s five- and six-cylinder motorcycle racing engines in the 1960s. Honda’s ultimate motorcycle was going to be its flagship, and the team was going to do something entirely new for the brand.
According to Honda, Soichiro Honda took note of the popularity of large and sporty touring motorcycles in America, and decided that the new Honda flagship would be aimed right at the USA. At the time, Harley-Davidson was making bank on bikes like the Electra Glide while BMW and Moto Guzzi enjoyed a strong fanbase. Honda knew the market for a large bike was there, but if Honda was going to break into this market, it had to do something strong, something grand. Honda had to stand out in the field of big bikes in America.
As it turns out, Honda’s engineers were already working on an interesting project, from Honda:
Honda’s journey toward creating the ultimate touring motorcycle began in the early 1970s with the ambitious M1 prototype—an experimental machine that would lay the conceptual foundation for what was to come. Internally known as the “King of Kings” project, the M1 was developed under the guidance of Soichiro Irimajiri, the visionary engineer behind many of Honda’s most legendary racing engines.
Though widely believed as such, the M1 was never intended as a direct precursor to the production Gold Wing, but rather as a bold engineering exercise. It featured a groundbreaking 1470cc liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed flat-six engine paired with shaft drive—a configuration aimed more at exploring the limits of motorcycle performance than production feasibility. While technically impressive, the M1 proved far too complex for mass market realities.
Recognizing this, Honda pivoted its focus and refined the concept into something more practical, leading to the birth of the GL1000 in 1974. Though the production model swapped the six-cylinder for a more manageable 999cc flat-four, many of the M1’s core ideas—its smooth engine layout, low center of gravity, and shaft drive—carried over, influencing what would become a hallmark of long-distance motorcycling.
What’s interesting is that the very first Gold Wing, the GL1000, wasn’t designed to be strictly a touring machine. Honda wanted its ultimate bike to be fast, with great handling to boot. In Honda’s own retrospectives, it calls the original Gold Wing a “supersport” motorcycle, which is not something that you would say about the modern “Winger.”
In adapting the M1’s concepts to the Gold Wing, Honda’s engineers learned a few things. To accommodate the chunky flat engine, the rider would have to sit in a rather uncomfortable position. Thus, the big flat six became a more manageable 999cc flat four. This engine was a weirdo for Honda. Soichiro loved air cooling, but this bike had a big radiator and liquid coolant. It also utilized single overhead camshafts, and instead of noisy cam chains, the motorcycle utilized cam belts. That engine also featured a cush drive on the end of the crankshaft for smoothness. This was practically unheard of for Honda and rare in the motorcycle world.
In 1974, this smaller engine was bolted into a steel, full duplex cradle frame. Honda’s engineers didn’t stop with the flat four. Instead of fitting the bike’s tank right up top like most bikes, engineers put the fuel tank under the seat behind those huge side covers. The more traditional-looking “tank” was now a glovebox that contained the motorcycle’s tool kit and an emergency kick starter. Honda also stuffed the coolant reservoir and fuses in there. Putting the fuel tank under the seat and behind the engine helped keep the bike’s girth down low and better distributed, allowing the Gold Wing to feel lighter than its 650 pounds of wet weight.
Straddling The Lines
When the GL1000 launched in 1975, it was a bit of a confusing machine. The Gold Wing had that super buttery-smooth flat four, but it pumped out a sporty 78 HP and stopped on a triplet of disc brakes. It had cruiser-ish style and required low maintenance — perfect for touring — but a seat that some riders felt was too firm. Honda also left the bike totally naked.
The original Gold Wing’s unique straddling of two entirely different missions meant that the motorcycling press really didn’t know what to make of it. Here’s commentary from Cycle World:
Cycle World’s test in April of 1975 never painted the GL as ground-breaking; we referred to it on the cover simply as “Honda’s 1000cc Four, The Gentleman’s Choice,” and the Gold Wing name was mentioned just once in the entire issue. Only in the test’s conclusion did we write that the bike “may soon be the touring machine on American highways.”
At Cycle Guide magazine, where I was editor at the time, we praised the bike’s smoothness and powerband but stopped short of predicting its eventual dominance as a long-ride partner. And although the GL’s promotional materials occasionally mentioned touring, Honda offered no optional saddlebags, fairing, or even a windshield.
Some journalists compared the GL1000 to being a two-wheeled car. Meanwhile, Hagerty UK notes that one publication even lost Honda as an advertiser because of a negative review:
“Two Wheeled Motor Car?” sneered Bike, Britain’s best-selling monthly, before describing the Wing as ugly, overweight, too complicated and boring. That was enough to lose the magazine Honda’s advertising for a year.
While the bike mags might have been confused, Americans were not. The Gold Wing offered an interesting proposition. A 1975 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide was $3,555 ($22,106 in 2025), while the BMW R90/6 was $3,395 ($21,111 in 2025) and the Moto Guzzi 850-T was $2,699 ($16,783 in 2025). A Honda Gold Wing was more expensive than a Moto Guzzi but less expensive than a fully faired Harley at $2,895 ($18,002 in 2025).
Riders quickly fell in love with the Gold Wing’s effortless power, ability to ride crazy distances in a single ride, and nearly turbine-smooth engine. Suddenly, you could ride across the country at a moment’s notice, and your hands would still be vibrating long after you kill the engine. Your bike also wouldn’t be leaking oil or breaking down, either. Honda sold 13,000 Gold Wing units in America in 1975 alone.
As for touring gear, the aftermarket easily filled in the gap, and riders soon loaded their Gold Wings up with windshields, cases, and other road-trip-friendly bits. In a way, the Gold Wing was a learning exercise for Honda. Through the GL1000, Honda learned that people did adore the sporty parts of the Gold Wing, but wished it were also more road-trip friendly. Entirely by accident, Honda created a new kind of touring machine. The company might have sought to create a supersport for Americans, but instead, it found the formula for a quick, luxurious, and comfortable tourer.
The Gold Wing Finds Its Way
In 1980, Honda implemented those findings in the GL1100. From Honda:
The 1980s ushered in an era of sophistication for the Gold Wing with the introduction of the GL1100. An improved Gold Wing with several advancements, the GL1100 featured a larger 1085cc engine, longer wheelbase, electronic ignition, and improved suspension. This era saw the factory introduction of fairings and hard luggage and innovative features like an onboard air compressor, adjustable rear shock, and fuel efficiency improvements. This further cemented the Gold Wing’s reputation for long-distance comfort and reliability.
The GL1100 era came with various model options, including the standard GL1100, the GL1100 Interstate, and the GL1100 Aspencade. Each model featured unique amenities to cater to the preferences of different riders, such as the introduction of color-matched factory fairings, saddlebags and trunk, built-in stereo systems, and digital instrumentation. This wide array of choices expanded the Gold Wing’s appeal to an even broader range of enthusiasts.
I owned a naked GL1100 before, and it was an absolutely stellar machine. It was a motorcycle that was so comfortable that I was able to ride it for hundreds of miles at a time, even in the winter. Its flat four transmitted barely any vibration at all to the handlebars. For me, the best part was the engine’s sound. Mine had a custom exhaust and reminded me of some of the greatest hits of an air-cooled Volkswagen, but a bit more refined. I’d probably still have my GL1100 today if it weren’t for the fact that it blew its head gaskets and starter clutch at about the same time, which would have required a major teardown to fix that. I paid a whole $950 for the machine, and I think I got my money’s worth.
The standard set by bikes like the GL1100 was continued through successive generations. The Gold Wing would get larger, more comfortable, more luxurious, and more advanced. To many, the Honda Gold Wing is the standard in touring. Basically, if you aren’t criss-crossing the country on a big Harley, you’re probably on a big Honda.
Returning To Its Roots
In 2018, Honda launched the sixth and current generation of the Gold Wing. Honda said the 2018 bike was the first all-new Gold Wing since 2001, when Honda released a Gold Wing with an 1800cc flat six.
This time, Honda also flipped its script a little bit. A rear trunk and side cases had been standard equipment for Gold Wings since the 1980 Gold Wing Interstate. However, by the late 2010s, baggers — touring motorcycles with an emphasis on design, featuring hard side bags and a large front fairing — were taking off, and Honda capitalized on the movement. The new Gold Wing came with the top case and side cases just as it had for decades by that point. But Honda also offered a new version that had only side cases, which brought the Gold Wing’s visual weight down.
But this wasn’t all. Honda had recognized that, in making each Gold Wing generation more luxurious than the last, the Gold Wing lost its reputation for sportiness, and it instead had a reputation for being a bit of a two-wheeled car or a “couch on wheels.” Honda didn’t like this new look, and the sixth-generation Gold Wing was designed to be a bit of a return to the Winger’s roots.
Honda started with the chassis. The current Gold Wing sports an aluminum twin tube chassis, which, thanks to finite element analysis, Honda was able to get to weigh less than its predecessor. The suspension is also fascinating, as the Gold Wing sports a double wishbone front suspension with tie rods. This, Honda says, gives the rider the best of both worlds with ride comfort and handling.
Bolted to this chassis is Honda’s characteristic four-stroke flat six, but even this saw great changes. The big change, Honda says, was the adoption of its Unicam, which Honda describes as:
Honda’s innovative cylinder heads combine single- and double-overhead-cam designs, resulting in a compact engine that saves weight compared to traditional dual-overhead-camshaft motors. The narrow valve angle and flattened combustion chamber facilitate better ignition flame propagation, allowing for a higher compression ratio, improved engine efficiency, and increased power output. With the camshaft positioned lower in the cylinder head, the engine design contributes to a lower center of gravity, enhancing overall handling and stability.
For the Gold Wing’s engine, adopting Unicam meant that the 1833cc engine was able to lose 13 pounds of weight. It was also able to become physically smaller, too. Add the weight savings up, and the new Gold Wing weighed 83 pounds less than the fifth-generation model. In a world where everything gets bigger, losing 83 pounds is a huge deal.
The engine isn’t a slouch, either, with its 120 HP and 126 lb-ft. Shifting comes from your choice of either a six-speed manual or a smooth seven-speed DCT. The lightest of the new Gold Wings weighs 802 pounds, 200 more than the 1975 model, yet they’re still quick. A new Gold Wing can hit 60 mph in the mid-3-second range and race on to a top speed of 130 mph.
Honda didn’t forget the luxury either, of course. These come with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, reverse, cruise control, ride by wire, an electrically-controlled windscreen, a big central dash display, 55-watt speakers, heated grips, and LED lighting. They’re also tech-heavy with electronic suspension control, ABS, Traction Control, Hill Start Assist, and TPMS. The options list is insane and includes everything from a garage door opener and chrome accents to carpeting for your cases.
A Well-Deserved Celebration
Honda is celebrating 50 years of the Honda Gold Wing this year, and it recently invited journalists to experience the difference five decades can make. Pretty much all of America’s major motorcycling magazines seem to love it. Here’s just a snippet of Motorcycle.com‘s great review:
On our subsequent ride from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, to our destination in Daytona Beach, Florida, (more on that in a minute) I spent the first day aboard a seven-speed DCT model and the second day aboard a six-speed manual clutch model. Given the choice, I’ll take the DCT for public road riding every time. Depending on the rider mode selected (Tour, Sport, Econ, Rain) DCT will choose the appropriate gear. As aggressive as Sport mode is, DCT isn’t ready for track application even when manually switching gears utilizing the electronically selectable buttons on the left handlebar. There’s no doubt Honda didn’t intend for DCT to be used competitively, or for the Gold Wing, whether 1975 or 2025, to be on a racetrack, so why are we spinning laps around Barber in the first place?
Over the two-day, 673-mile route from Bama to Daytona, I appreciated the placid ride afforded by the double-wishbone front suspension and the unobtrusive way the DCT chose the correct gear for the situation. The DCT worked well even when performing tight U-turns, requiring only a little rear brake application to smooth throttle inputs. The electrically adjustable rear shock is great for quick preload adjustments, but this motorcycle should be outfitted with semi-active suspension. Cruise control has been on the Gold Wing’s features and benefits menu since the 1985 Limited Edition GL1200 model, which points to another missing modern convenience, adaptive cruise control. You’d think Honda would use an auspicious occasion such as a 50th anniversary to leverage the addition of such technologies… you’d think.
Cool mornings and warm afternoons had me shedding layers, closing and opening vents, switching heated grips and seat on and off, and raising or lowering the electrically adjustable windscreen on our ride. Wind protection from the narrower fairing deflects the elements well enough, while the windscreen in the up position creates such a quiet bubble behind it, I had a phone conversation without the person on the other end knowing I was riding 70 mph, which happened to be on U.S. Highway 27 next to the famous Suwannee River.
In short, it sounds like the new Gold Wing is so far ahead of its original 1975 model, and remains so good that it’s easy to see why it’s the touring standard for so many. Maybe I can convince Honda to let me take a ride before winter sets in!
Honda is celebrating 50 years of the Gold Wing with the 50th Anniversary Edition. The changes are purely cosmetic and include 50th Anniversary badging, Gold Wing logos, the instrument cluster says “Since 1975” when you turn the bike on, and the Gold Wing’s native navigation has been deleted. You also get a 187-page coffee-table book explaining the Gold Wing’s history, plus a 1:12 scale model depicting the 1975 GL on one side and the 2025 GL on the other.
Pricing starts at $25,200 for the standard Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition and rises to $33,500 for the Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT 50th Anniversary Edition. There’s no getting around it, the Gold Wing is an expensive bike. However, for thousands of riders, nothing Harley-Davidson or Indian makes can come close to the Gold Wing’s combination of speed, comfort, and handling.
Five decades ago, Honda changed motorcycle history, and it was technically by accident. What was once supposed to be “the ultimate motorcycle” and a supersport bike ended up being the first name in long-distance touring. Honda’s history is full of cars and motorcycles that changed the game, and I think this 50-year celebration is well-deserved. I can only hope that, 50 years from now, I’ll be able to see the Gold Wing hit its 100th birthday and be amazed at what Honda comes up with next.
Top graphic images: Honda; GoldWingParts.com
I bought a new GL1500 Interstate in 1994. It was a leftover 1991 that was still at the dealer with an ugly mural painted on the trunk lid. Picked it up cheap, spent a couple of hours with polishing compound carefully removing the mural and rode it everywhere, eventually selling to a friend in 2015.
I now have a GL1800 F6B. Basically a Goldwing without the trunk and a few other things. Once again I got it brand new in 2015 for a 2013 model and a big discount. The 1800’s are much better than the 1500’s. Aluminum frame, better suspension, faster and handle much better.
I don’t ride long distances as much as I used to but the new ones without the top trunk are pretty tempting. I’ve looked at and rode Indians, BMW’s, and Harleys but nothing is better than a Goldwing.
I love those GL1800s. I’m on a BMW K1200 RS now, but I can easily seeing that being my next bike.
My current bike is a ’96 Magna 750, but 30 years ago, I had a ’76 GL1000. It had a fairing, but no bags or trunk. I loved that bike. It was big and powerful, but also so easy to throw around.
I dropped it once, and very nearly gave myself an aneurysm picking it up! Still a great bike!
“your hands would still be vibrating”
Wouldn’t be vibrating?
Right? Doesn’t anyone read these articles before hitting “post?” I would love to proofread every story before allowing sloppy errors get online. And I find one or more almost every day.
David’s story about tires had “your mileage may very.” I nearly smacked myself in the forehead. Heck even whatever spelling and grammar checker the comments section uses caught that.
I’m with you there!
Now if only the readers who post would know how to proofread their comments…
I have been guilty of that myself when tired or intoxicated. 🙁
One of my old motorcycle friends over here (DK) built this supercharged GW years ago, which is often seen around the internet, due to it’s VERY cool looks:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcyclePorn/comments/6tlhhh/lightly_modified_1977_honda_goldwing_cafe_racer/
Actually it’s for sale right now, not quite as good looking as back then, 9000 USD: https://www.dba.dk/mobility/item/13062436
Supercharged. Wow. Oh, and it looks like it has a car tire out back. I had forgotten but that was a very contentious issue on the Gold Wing forum site I used to hang out on. GL1800riders.com
Being a heavy and powerful bike, it went through rear tires pretty rapidly. And people started putting far cheaper car tires on. I never rode one with a car tire, so I don’t know how different it might have felt or how it affected handling. But there was a lot of arguing about the wisdom of doing that.
I don’t own my GL1800 anymore, so I haven’t been on that forum for a long time.
I’ve never ridden a 4 cylinder wimg but I have tried GL1500 and an 1800. They are surprisingly agile and the 1800 is quick. It also felt comfortable to me unlike a Harley Davidson bagger which felt unnatural. I still feel these are too big and heavy and want a BMW R1200RT as the right balance of speed and comfort. Until then I need to put some miles on my R100S
I had an 1800. Once above 5 mph it felt surprisingly light.
The only miles I put on two wheels these days is on a Honda ADV 160. Fun scooter! Enough power for around town. It will do 70 MPH, but I don’t take it on freeways. There was a scooter Iron Butt from Oregon to Texas earlier this summer, but that just sounded like a ride too far. I’m sure it was a fun group of people to hang out with.
I remember the first time I rode a GW in the early 90s. I thought, “this thing’s way too big for a skinny kid like me”, but it was startlingly effortless to ride.
I guy I work with now has one and uses it on all but the very worst winter days. Below freezing? Sleet and light snow? He doesn’t care.
I may have shared this story here before, but I’ll share it again and with a small update:
Throughout his life, my dad was what I’d call a serial hobbyist. Bouncing from hobby to hobby, never really sticking with any one. Photography, horses, dog sleding, hunting, fishing, a hot rod, sailing. He tried a bunch of them. Motorcycles is what eventually stuck.
When I was a kid he picked up an old Goldwing (1980 maybe 81?) from a nearby farmer. He and I took a few trips with it. The most memorable being when we broke down on the Canadian border coming back from Thunder Bay. Literarlly at the the customs office. We ended up basically hitchhiking halfway home and some little old lady in Two Harbors MN took us in for a day or two while my mom drove up to get us. The Goldwing did get fixed and he took it on a bunch more adventures.
Eventually, as he aged, he traded the Goldwing in for a Silverwing. His hips weren’t great, so the step through scooter worked better, but the Silverwing was 600cc with basically a small trunk under the seat, so he kept touring. From Minnesota he rode it west as far as the Pacific in Washington and east as Nova Scotia as well as many times to various places in the mountain west. He put 50,000ish miles on that Silverwing, then traded it in for another Silverwing and put another 50,000ish miles on that new bike.
But, he’s getting up there and losing his strength and stability. About a month ago he dropped the bike at a low speed in a parking lot not far from home. Dinged up pretty good. Broke some ribs. But the real kicker is the concussion. He’s likely going to lose his license because of its effects.
I admire your dad. Wishing him a good recovery.
Thanks! He rode out to the Sturgis rally once or twice, but tended to laugh at a lot of those Harley guys thinking they were tough, when really, it seemed to be a bunch of dentists & lawyers trailering their bikes to maybe the Badlands and driving the last 50 miles in. Tough isn’t what you look like, it’s what you do.
Years ago I was visiting a friend in Ocala, Florida during bike week in Orlando. The hotel parking lots were crammed with motorcycle trailers. I wonder how many told the truth?
I’m not doubting you, but not ALL of them get trailered. I was in Boise a couple of days before Sturgis and there was a flock of maybe 20 Harleys heading noisily east on the freeway (I-84).
It’s kind of funny to think about showing up there on a Silverwing. And I think it would be hilarious to show up there on my scooter. But I don’t want to ride it 1100+ miles in two days each way.
And yes… best wishes for your dad.
I know the trunk is useful but the bike looks so much better without it. The naked GoldWing made a lot of money for Craig Vetter. I was a bigger fan of the CBX but there’s no denying what the GoldWing has meant to Honda.
The CBX was quite the bike. But you almost had to be bow legged to straddle it. They sounded pretty cool. But the GL1800 also sounded great when you rolled the throttle open. The Valkyrie was a pretty interesting version of the 1500.
I had a Vetter fairing and windshield on a Suzuki GS850. It was roomy enough that I could place a garage door opener remote in one of the compartments and install a little push button and run wires to it.
GS850? Excellent bike!
It was. My second bike. I loved that it had a shaft drive after chewing up a couple of chains on dirt roads on… My first bike was a GS550. Also a great bike. The salesman talked me up to that from a GS450 because I’m 6’2″ and he said that bike would be too small for me. Turns out that the Suzuki 550 was bigger than all its competitors at the time, so a Yamaha or Kawi would have been less comfortable. Probably the Honda as well. I commuted on the 550 for four years before giving it to a brother-in-law. Put 45,000 miles on it in that time.
The only modification I did was to replace the sealed beam headlight with a European style halogen headlight. It made a world of difference at night. Oh, and put a Yoshimura exhaust on it after one of the original mufflers rusted off and fell on the freeway on the way home from work.
In 1978 my dad and his ‘75 DO R90s (which he still has) and his buddy with his ‘75 or ‘76 GL1000 ride from central WV to Daytona for bike week. The weather cooperated on the way down and they had a blast (no wives! No kids!) but on the way back they were treated to an onslaught of rain, sleet, wind, and biker nastiness so much so that a few hundred miles in pop let his buddy pilot the R90s thinking the cafe fairing would fare (see what I did there?) a bit better than the totally naked GL. After 100 miles buddy wanted his Wing back. Even fully exposed the smoothness, plantedness, and calm of the GL was a better place to be.
I’ve ridden that original sled as well as a few from each generation since (save the newest one) and I must say even at their porkiest they’re incredible mile-eaters and almost always sportier than you’d expect.
Bravo, Honda. Here’s to another half-century of miles and smiles!
In the mid-80s a buddy and I rode from Sacramento up to Reno for a BMW-sponsored event. He was on a Kawi 650 cruiser and I was on a Suzuki GS850.
The next morning, we were allowed to pick bikes to take on an escorted ride. We were kind of late to the line… he got a K100 and I ended up with a K75. It was fine. So, we followed the lead escort westbound on I-80 out of Reno and doing an indicated 80 mph and a baby-shit brown Nevada State Patrol Mustang passed us. I thought we were all going to get pulled over and cited, but maybe he was onto to something more urgent. No lights. No siren and no scolding PA message.
I think it was the year that BMW unveiled its ABS feature, because before that ride, they showed off a bike with outriggers on a watered down part of a parking lot.
My GL1800 didn’t have ABS, nor did my Suzuki V-Strom 1000, but now my ADV160 scooter does. The only time it has activated was when I just tried it to see what it felt like. OTH, there have been several times I’ve gotten into the ABS to avoid collisions in my Accord. One of them was on a 75 mph Farm to Market road in Texas where an idiot tried to pass when they shouldn’t. I was amazed how well the ABS worked over the rumble strip on the shoulder and then into wet vegetation and loose soil beyond. The car remained perfectly steerable throughout the episode.
Helping my son learn to drive in our 2003 CR-V, I set up some obstacles in a parking lot, had him accelerate as hard as it could towards them and then nail the brakes as hard as he could and steer around them. I just wanted him to know it could do that and the vibrating brake pedal is not something to be feared. Or surprised by. ABS is a modern-day miracle of engineering.
I turned 21 in 1985, and got bored with the sales job I had, and worked a season with the local Honda dealer. I had been riding a Honda CB400T Hawk for years till I totaled it being a dumbass, drifting it in a light rain. The coolest part of that job was whenever we weren’t busy, we could take out any of the trade-ins. I knew the roads well, and about a mile from the store was a launching bridge over a creek to see how well they flew. After trying all the other bikes that appealed to me more, it was the GL1000’s turn. When I got back, the sales manager asked what I thought.” It’s not for me.” Never told anyone I was launching them.
I had a CB400T that I totaled as well in the first of several accidents that should have killed me. The valvetrain on the CB400T was a constant source of difficulty for me. Also, the size of the bike was too in-between — a bit unwieldly for urban riding and not enough power or refinement for distance riding. I learned a lot from that bike, and yet not enough about my limits as a rider.
The thought of launching any generation of GoldWing is terrifying to me. I never did with my 5G GL1800. Did inadvertently pop a wheelie on my Suzuki V-Strom 1000 with a woman I was dating. Mostly because I didn’t usually ride it with a +1 on the back and that does alter the weight distribution. We didn’t go all the way over and nobody got hurt. I was more scared than she was.
TBH, I don’t think I ever launched anything after the bicycles of my youth. Let’s see… I turned 21 in 1978. So, I am a little older than you. I started riding in 1980. Haven’t died yet. [Finding wood to knock on.]
Your GL1000 launch probably wasn’t as terrifying as I think it might have been.
I have owned three four-wheel Honda products that have all been impressive or at least good and reliable.
And nearly every gardener I have seen uses a Honda lawnmower for areas under an acre.
Nothing terrifying ever happened on those excursions. On bikes I owned, and confidant with, limits got pushed. GoldWings are meant for comfortable cruising. The suspension got fully unloaded, and a few inches of air under the front tire, not sure if the rear ever left the road. There was no thrill to it, and I didn’t turn it around for the faster approach from the other direction.
I think my favorite variation was the 1500 Valkyrie.
Rode one a couple of times and it felt powerful and not really as heavy as it was and once it was moving it just flowed. Not my kind of bike, but wow you can sure feel the appeal.
Those were very cool-looking bikes and a huge surprise from Honda, who didn’t ordinarily do things like that.
All the Harley riders I know all seem to constantly poo-poo the Honda GW’s… when they do, I always ask have you ridden a Gold Wing? And the answer is always no.
I had a neighbor with a H-D and I had my Suzuki V-Strom 1000, also a V-twin. We traded bikes for a ride around the neighborhood and when we got back, he said that he had bought the wrong V-twin. And I felt like I had bought the right one. Good grief, the transmission on the Harley, is like from a farm tractor. Which I have also driven a couple of.
Although the V-Strom 650 version is probably even more pleasant.
I ride a VFR800, but I fully intend to someday be a Winger.
The GL1500 was out when I worked for Honda dealerships. Rode many of them. Don’t let them fool you, they’re FAST!
You could split the difference and get an ST1300. I love the Honda V4s.
I had a buddy with one of those. I rode it and other than the weird gear whine or whatever was making that noise, I really liked it. I saw a lot ST1300 cop bikes, but now it seems like BMW has taken over.
The only BMW I have ridden was a K75 which was fine, but also pretty meh. TBH, I liked my years earlier Suzuki GS550 better.
My buddy also had a CBR 900 RR which was ridiculously fun to ride. I wouldn’t want to do an Iron Butt on it. Or maybe more than about two hours at a time, but it was fun in short spurts. A very precise machine for something a then 65-year-old should not be on. But 65-year-old me still had some intent on staying on the planet. It was just shocking the acceleration and braking that thing had. I never got into scraping kneepads on corners.
My love is for another shaft driven Honda, The CB1000c
As a younger person, I did not like or appreciate these big couches on wheels. I made fun of the old couples towing their matching trailers with their names and WB cartoon characters airbrushed on them.
These days I find them more appealing, but I’m not a huge fan of the modern styling… maybe I can track down and older gen model and paint my name on it.
counterpoint: as a young person (grade school age), I thought a motorcycle with built-in storage compartments was mind-blowing.
“a 1:12 scale model depicting the 1975 GL on one side and the 2025 GL on the other”
That sounds neat. I’d like to see that.
I regret that with the large population of bad drivers, expenses, lack of early retirement and pensions, I will not get to Goldwing around the country like my wife’s Grandparents did in the late 1990s on a beautiful teal Goldwing. He was very proud of it, I remember him showing me the throttle sensitive radio volume.
Goldwings are grand.
However, the 4-cylinder CB-series, to me, still reigns supreme*.
*Honda’s V4 & V2 bikes excluded from this comparison, it wouldn’t be fair.
Mercedes I have a Beautiful naked 1978 project bike. the engine is perfect and I have all the parts to restore it. it just needs clutch and throttle cables and a few other things. Its yours free if you want it. (Want a road trip to Colorado?)
I am liking and commenting on this to boost it. I bet we could get a good series of articles out of this!
Thanks! I am moving from Colorado to Georgia early next year so I am cleaning out my fleet. I would love it to go to a good home. I was going to convert it to a cafe racer but never got to it.
I have had several GL1000 bikes, and it’s a Love/Hate thing with them. I see one, it’s in decent shape, super cheap, I fix what is wrong with it, and ride it – it’s fast, reliable, comfortable, but it is BIG and HEAVY. To the point that I decide it’s too big, too heavy, and I end up selling it. Then I see one, it’s in decent shape, super cheap, and the cycle (literally) repeats….
My grandparents had a GL1500 with stylish cargo trailer to hitch behind it for decades. From their home in WI they went on rides to Nova Scotia, British Colombia, Arizona, Florida, and about every point in between. I don’t think they ever rode to Alaska but that bike had over 60,000 miles when he sold it
I well remember that 1980 Gold Wing.
One of the guys in my Dad’s squadron – Jack – had one and would ride it over to our house whenever he came over for dinner or to drive our family to the airport in Mom’s big Monterey.
I seem to recall his was white or gold tho?
I rode a GL1000 once and I was truck by how good the low speed handling was. It was very maneuverable and did not feel heavy at all. Whereas the Sportster I had at the time, which was actually lighter than the Gold Wing, felt ponderous and heavy at low speeds.
I’ve always wondered why these bikes were never used as police bikes. It seems like a natural fit.
Their first US production site in Marysville Ohio began with the Elsinore and Gold Wing in 1979.
To each their own, I will never understand the appeal of the GW.
I worked with a guy who purchased a new BMW touring bike every spring and took it on a three week ride from Indiana to the west coast, selling it out there, and flying back. If you listened to his catalogue of problems with those bikes, you’d understand the appeal of the Honda. But he was an old German guy who loved the propeller logo.
I can understand the quality aspect of it versus any German garbage. I just will never understand the appeal of a rolling couch. Just doesn’t interest me, and I’m not even into crotch rockets either, but GW really leave me confused.