Honda Gold Wing

Honda Gold Wing Highlights

The 2018 Gold Wing is the most exquisite looking model in its almost 4-decade old history. It the gets an all-LED treatment for the headlight, side indicator and tail light units. The bike gets a 7-inch TFT full-colour display, alongside the two analogue units and a small digital screen. Apart from the the fuel meter and speedometer, the console also displays outside air temperature, allows you to handle cruise control and also monitor the heater level. A USB flash drive plug-in and a Bluetooth headset are other ways to enjoy the ride while on the road. Not to forget, it’s also the first motorcycle to get Apple Carplay. Both, the Standard and the Tour variants are available in India, but only in one shade - Candy Ardent Red.

The motorcycle is powered by a horizontally-opposed, liquid-cooled, 6-cylinder, 1833cc engine that is more compact than ever before. The engine produces 126PS of power at 5500rpm and 170Nm of torque at 4500rpm, which is 7PS and 3Nm more than what the earlier version of the Gold Wing. The new Gold Wing features the newly developed 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), a technology we have experienced on the Honda Africa Twin as well. In manual mode, shifting gears is hassle free and can be done by just clicking the two buttons on the left-hand side switchgear. Honda claims that the exhaust has also been tunes for a more pleasing sound. Besides this, the transmission setup doesn't just get a reverse gear but also a ‘Walking’ mode as well, which makes it a breeze to park the hefty tourer.

Suspension includes a double wishbone unit, which is a pair of A-arms with a single shock and spring. While is taken care of by a monoshock unit. Anchoring the Honda Gold Wing to a halt are 320mm disc brakes at the front and a 316mm disc at the rear. Both with Honda’s patented combined ABS system. The front 18-inch and the rear 16-inch wheel comes wrapped with tubeless tyres. The Tour version of the Honda Gold Wing carries a kerb weight of 379kg, while the standard tips the scale at 364kg. The seat height stands at 745mm and the ground clearance is 130mm, which is in the same ballpark as any other big cruiser out there.

Competition includes the BMW K 1600 B, the Harley-Davidson Street Glide and the Indian Roadmaster.