2021 GOLD WING LINE UP

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GL1800 2017 vs GL1800 2018-19-20

2017 vs. 2018 It is easy to forget that the Honda Gold Wing was last updated at the turn of the millennium (as a 2001 model year machine), but you are jarringly reminded of this fact the second you sit in the 2018 Honda Gold Wing cockpit. Roughly 20 buttons are missing from the previous model, a vivid TFT display has been installed, the mass between your legs is roughly 90 lbs lighter, and the list of changes goes on and on. However, once you get moving on the road, the lineage between the two bikes is readily apparent. This is still very much a Gold Wing, for better or worse. Honda was kind enough to provide us a chance to ride the 2017 edition bike back-to-back with the 2018, and the results are what you would expect – after all, an 800 lbs motorcycle isn’t that much different than a 900 lbs motorcycle. The engines are remarkably similar in characteristic, smooth without vibration and linear in power delivery. The 2018 motor is an all-new design, and it packs plenty of power (torque, actually), while just sipping gasoline. This has allowed Honda to reduce the fuel tank size by a gallon, while keeping range the same. Of course, what everyone wants to talk about is the chassis with its (don’t call it a Hossack) “double wishbone” front suspension setup. The design is both the best and worst part of the new Gold Wing. It helps create a more compact chassis, which helps in the overall weight reduction of the machine. And while it handles the bumpy and mangled roads quite well, the feedback to the rider is equally muted. A parallelogram design living in a telescopic fork’s world, experienced motorcyclists are going to miss the feedback that they have grown accustomed to with traditional front-end designs on motorcycles. When talking to colleagues, we had a hard time agreeing on the exact issue, while some of us describe as understeer – slow and vague when tipping into a turn – others would complain about in issues once the bike was leaned over. It’s both, and it’s neither. The reality is that the front-end of the Honda Gold Wing is really good at muting some of the noise and chatter that comes from the road, especially when it is bumpy terrain. Dive during braking has almost been removed (Honda engineered a little dive into the system, just so we wouldn’t completely freak out), which is an interesting balancing act considering how potent the new dual-six piston radial caliper are in their function. But, these gains have come at the cost of less feedback, which is confusing even to the most veteran of riders. The more miles you ride though, the more that the language of the new Honda Gold Wing begins to make sense. Perhaps even fluency is attainable. It takes a while to gain trust in the 2018 bike’s cornering ability though, but the more we demanded of the bike in tight corners, the more it responded in kind. As one colleague told me, the front-end is fine for a touring bike…he just didn’t want to see it one on a superbike anytime soon. I would tend to agree. Other quick differences to point out is that the 2018 seat look visually bigger, and is a bit more stiff, though we preferred the previous generation’s contour and shape, which felt more comfortable. The riding position continues to be very upright and comfortable, though the 2018 bike is far smoother in terms of vibrations, especially at higher engine rotations. Six generations deep on the Gold Wing design brief, and for the most part our Honda Gold Wing Tour showed the refinements of its age. DCT or Manual? The 2018 Honda Gold Wing debuts the third-generation of Honda’s dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which has a number of improvements, both in the mechanics of how it works, and in how the software runs it. More interestingly though is the fact that the DCT-equipped editions of the Honda Gold Wing sport a seventh gear, which drastically overdrives the 1,833cc six-cylinder engine. Coupled to a slipper/assist clutch, and the total package is designed to be very smooth, which is something you want on a touring bike, especially when there is a passenger on the back. Here is the only issue though: it is really not that smooth…at least not during deceleration, and this is where I really prefer the manual gearbox. For well-traveled riders, the ability to rev-match gear changes and feather the clutch vastly outpaces what the DCT box can do, which likes to drag the gears as you slowdown for something like at a stop light. This not only creates its own kind of momentum lurch, but it is also unnerving, especial when you are laden with another rider and luggage, and as you approach nearly 1,000 lbs of mass. Similarly during low-speed maneuvers, the inability to modulate the power with the clutch becomes an issue with the instant torque that the Gold Wing throttle provides, which makes low-speed parking lot movements a bit hairy, especially during the honeymoon period of learning the machine.

MERRY CHROSTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

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EICMA - COLONIA 7-10 NOVEMBRE 2019

2020 HONDA GOLD WING LINEUP (7 FAST FACTS) FIRST LOOK

2020 Honda Gold Wing Lineup First Look: Updates, Colors, and Prices

Along with that, we have the colors you will see this coming year’s Honda Gold Wing motorcycles, as well as the prices. Here’s what’s new for the 2020 Gold Wing, Gold Wing DCT, Gold Wing Tour, Gold Wing Tour DCT, and flagship Gold Wing Tour DCT Air Bag. 1). There are new suspension settings for 2020. Honda isn’t saying what they have done with the suspension settings, front and rear, but they have been changed. 2). All versions of the 2020 Honda Gold wing get a USB charger in the saddlebag. This feature was previously only available on the Air Bag mode. Don’t worry, the dash-mounted charger hasn’t gone anywhere. 3). The software for the navigation system is updated. Again, no details on what is new about the software. 4). Tour models get new grab-handles for the pillion rider. According to Honda, the new handles “provide improved ergonomics for passengers of all body types.” 5). The 2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour models are more visible thanks to now-standard fog lights. Even if you don’t ride in the fog, this makes your Gold Wing Tour more conspicuous if you turn the lights on. 6). If you like the blacked-out look, the Honda Gold Tour models offer that styling. Selecting Pearl Glare White paint on the Tour or Tour DCT gets you the black paint on the frame, wheels, and horizontally opposed six-cylinder motor. The Air Bag version comes in one deliciously dusky color—Darkness Black Metallic/Gray. 7). Don’t despair if you like the standard Gold Wing—it gets a Matte Black Metallic paint and anodized surfaces. This applies to both the Gold Wing and Gold Wind DCT. 2020 Honda Gold Wing Line Colors and Prices : 2020 Honda Gold Wing and Gold Wing DCT Color: Matte Black Metallic Prices: $23,800 MSRP (standard); $25,000 (DCT) 2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour Colors/Prices: Pearl Glare White, $27,500 MSRP; Candy Ardent Red/Black, $28,000 MSRP 2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Colors/Prices: Pearl Glare White, $28,500 MSRP; Candy Ardent Red/Black, $29,000 MSRP 2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Air Bag Color: Darkness Black Metallic/Gray Price: $32,300