The Honda Gold Wing is a series of touring motorcycles manufactured by Honda, with shaft drive and a flat engine. It was introduced at the Cologne Motorcycle Show in October 1974 and has since become the reference point for large touring bikes.
Honda Gold Wing at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Introduced | October 1974, Cologne show |
| Engine | flat four, later flat six |
| Final drive | shaft |
| First engine | 999 cc flat four |
| By 2001 | 1,832 cc flat six |
| Total sales | more than 640,000 |
| Main market | United States |
| Assembled in Ohio | 1980–2010 |
| Production from 2011 | Kumamoto, Japan |
| SAEJ landmark | 1974 GL1000 listed |
| Cycle World Ten Best | 18 appearances through 2012 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Gold Wing.
History of the Honda Gold Wing
A new flagship
In 1972, after the success of the CB750, Honda assembled an R&D design team to explore concepts for a new flagship motorcycle, led by Shoichiro Irimajiri, who had designed Honda’s multi-cylinder Grand Prix engines and its Formula One V12. The 1974 Gold Wing used a flat-four shaft-drive powertrain drawing on both motorcycle and automotive designs, and was the first Japanese production motorcycle with a water-cooled four-stroke engine. The press called it the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer’s first attack on the over-750 cc market.
Growth and production
The Gold Wing started with a 999 cc flat four in 1975 and had grown to a 1,832 cc flat six by 2001. Total sales exceed 640,000, most of them in the United States. Gold Wings were assembled in Marysville, Ohio, from 1980 until 2010, when motorcycle production there stopped; none were built for 2011, and production resumed in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, using tooling moved from America.
Equipment
The 2012 model had anti-lock brakes, cruise control, an electrically assisted reverse gear, an optional airbag, a heated fairing with adjustable windscreen, panniers and a trunk, a pillion backrest, satnav and a six-speaker audio system with MP3 and iPod connectivity. A 1974 GL1000 is one of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan’s 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology, and GL models have appeared eighteen times in the Cycle World Ten Best list through 2012.
Design and features
- Flat engine: from a 999 cc four to a 1,832 cc six.
- Shaft drive: a Gold Wing constant since 1974.
- Luxury equipment: airbag, reverse gear, audio and satnav.
- American production: built in Ohio for thirty years.
Honda Gold Wing versions
- GL1000 (1974): the original 999 cc flat four.
- Later flat-six models: up to 1,832 cc by 2001.
- 2012 model: airbag option and full touring equipment.
The Gold Wing is Honda’s largest tourer alongside the Pan-European and the Valkyrie, which used a Gold Wing engine. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Gold Wing, English Wikipedia: development, engine sizes, production, equipment
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