Like fine wine, Honda’s Gold Wing has aged spectacularly over its 50 years of production. No other motorcycle has endured the test of time for this length or been developed in such a way as has the Gold Wing. From the release and development of the GL1000 in 1975 to the 2025 Gold Wings I rode from Barber Motorsports Park to Daytona International Raceway as part of Honda’s 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic model, the Gold Wing has evolved significantly. The guiding lights at Honda have striven to develop the Gold Wing into its current world-class form, while always paying close attention to customer input. The result is arguably the finest long-distance touring motorcycle on the planet, and it happens to be an amazing ride even when it’s not touring.
Whether blasting along at highway speed with the cruise control engaged, carving through curves to the limit of footpeg clearance, or enjoying the scenery on the massively comfortable seat while letting the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) do much of the work, the Gold Wing does it all in style and grace with superior performance.
For all the traditionalists, the DCT is a marvel of function and adds a seventh gear to the mix. Do not let old, preconceived notions steer you away from considering this option. Honda claims that 70 percent of new Wings are ordered this way. Three hundred and fifty miles ridden on the Gold Wing Tour proved to me that there is no loss of the machine’s soul when there is no clutch lever. The ride experience is enhanced, and the need to shift is replaced with more focus on the surroundings and the ride itself. But I digress.
American Honda celebrated the Gold Wing’s 50th anniversary in grand fashion by inviting a small group of motojournalists to meet in Birmingham, Alabama, at the world-famous Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. If you’ve never been there, I suggest you place a visit high on your bucket list. We ambled through the hundreds of bikes with an eye on the many Gold Wing models displayed. When viewing the versions chronologically, one can easily spot the DNA evolution over 50 years of production.
The similarities are even more apparent when we lapped Barber’s 2.38-mile track on the original 1975 GL1000, and then switched to the 2025 Gold Wing DCT 50th Anniversary model. Sure, there are massive differences, yet the bikes’ personalities and the way they lead one into the riding experience evoke many of the same feelings.
I’m no stranger to the Gold Wing experience. I’ve owned two, and customized a 1981 Gold Wing Interstate GL1100 into a bagger. I rode the F6B—2015’s version of the 2025 Gold Wing bagger—from Los Angeles to Sturgis and back and wrote about it. I’ve told friends that this ride lives in my top ten rides. I also wrote our ruby anniversary homage to the Gold Wing 10 years ago. So, while I get to ride lots of bikes, I reckon you can call me a Gold Wing guy, or a Wing Nut, as some say.
As with motorcycles, moto gear, and tech items in general, I appreciate products that evolve over time rather than those that are replaced with new models that may or may not be better than earlier generations. The Gold Wing reigns with similarities that remain even after all this time.
Unchanged are the boxer-architecture motor, shaft drive, underseat fuel tank, and the positioning of the motorcycle as a flagship model. Sure, that old flat-4 (1000, then 1100, and then 1200cc) is now a flat-6 (from 1500 to 1833cc), and the long-lived five-speed transmission is now a manual six-speed or seven-speed DCT.
Moto lore tells us that Honda designed the GL1000 as a sport bike, yet Honda quickly realized what it built was more touring than sport. Enthusiast input helped to define this machine, and to this day, listening to owner feedback is a strong suit for management, which the design teams and Honda proudly admit.
What 2025 brings us is the culmination of all these decades of enhancement and evolution, as well as some items that have changed little or not at all. The 1833cc liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed, six-cylinder boxer has not changed to any degree, and I know no reason why it should. The 6-into-2 exhaust system gurgles luxuriously and growls nicely when the revs are increased under load. The appearance has a bit sharper look, and the anniversary model has some subtle graphics applied in the paint. New colors are now offered for all trim levels.
Still offered as top-of-the-line is the Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT. The airbag is a unique feature of the Gold Wing and operates via an acceleration sensor. While I did not ride the airbag-equipped bike, it looks like the others, except for eliminating the tank-mounted, lidded smartphone storage with a USB-C charging port. So, you’re trading convenience for safety—your call.
So much of the recent goodness remains for 2025, including the double-wishbone front suspension and the single-sided swingarm. Together, they provide the famously firm yet smooth ride and offer more confidence for the pilot by engineering out any trace of front-end dive under braking. All Tour models offer electronic spring-preload adjustment to accommodate a solo rider, rider and baggage, and two-up with baggage.
The chassis promotes precise handling in every scenario. Twist the wrist on some fast sweepers and the Gold Wing hunkers down on its suspension and urges the pilot to add throttle and lean. The 130/70 x 18 and 200/55 x 16 tire combination is all this machine needs to handle whatever you and the road throw at it, despite weighing over 800 pounds with the tank filled with 5.5 gallons of gas.
Like many or most of our readers, a manual transmission on a motorcycle is as essential as having two wheels—count me among that group. On this two-day ride, I rode the manual on day one and DCT on day two. I’ve ridden several Honda DCTs in my day, including the VFR1200FD, where the technology debuted, so I came in familiar with both clutch/transmission options.
Day one offered lovely weather. I was aboard the six-speed Gold Wing—the bagger version, sans a top case—for about 330 miles from Birmingham to Apalachicola, Florida. The manual transmission performed flawlessly on the open highway, as well as through the myriad small-town crossings with hundreds of traffic lights and sub-30 mph speed zones.
Clutch lever action and engagement are smooth and easy, with a cam damper between the clutch and transmission to minimize noise and shock. The Gold Wing bagger was terrific, and all was well with the world—until I rode the Gold Wing Tour DCT on day two.
I rode the last leg of the trip from Apalachicola to Daytona Beach—about the same distance as the day before, with miles of fast roads, and as many stops and starts. However, on the Gold Wing Tour, I just rolled on the throttle and let the DCT do all the work. Gone was the repeated chore of rowing through the gears over and over and over again.
When traffic signals turn green, the DCT springs from a stop to highway speed, while the manual bikes and their riders have to work hard to keep up. Indeed, the DCT is strikingly quicker than the manual version, and all while the pilot can whistle Dixie.
This allowed me to focus on the environment, enjoy the ride, and labor much less to achieve the same result. As a committed manual transmission lover—even my Lexus auto has a manual—I am completely sold on DCT. Not a jot of passion is lost if you make this choice.
Compared to earlier DCT Hondas, I found the current edition has markedly improved shift functions. The acceleration is smoother, and the action is much more dynamic during transitions requiring lower gears. On older models, I needed to use the bar-mounted downshift button at corner apexes because the transmission was slow to realize I needed a lower gear. That is no longer the case—the DCT is ready to pick up the pace after a corner.
This smoothness extends to the ride modes—Econ, Rain, Tour, and Sport—which are standard on all models. The manual transmission makes it easy to feel the differences in engine response, and Sport mode adds a sharp accent to the ride.
Ride modes on the DCT models change the characteristics of the ride dramatically. With Sport mode selected, the Gold Wing held gears to much higher rpm; when hard on the throttle, it held gears almost to the redline. This was a lovely feeling, yet all things considered, it was fleeting. For most of the ride, I left the bike in Tour mode for a more relaxed experience.
Fortunately, the Wings still enjoy a reverse function as standard equipment. This function is powered by the electric starter motor on the manual transmission models. On the DCT, engine power is used. Backing up or into a parking spot has never been easier, and all DCT models offer a standard Walking Mode that allows gentle movement forward or backward. This is especially useful in tight spaces when fully loaded and carrying a passenger.
Dual 320mm discs with six-piston calipers up front plus a 316mm disc and unconventional three-piston caliper in the rear provide all the stopping power needed. Both are ABS-controlled, and the linked braking system is excellent. Hill Start Assist is another brake-related standard feature.
For 2025, Honda has made its Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (ACP/AA) system wireless and eliminated the native navigation system. Anyone familiar with my recent reviews of ACP/AA devices will know that I consider ACP/AA far superior to any OEM infotainment systems.
The dash on the new Gold Wing is beautiful, and easily pairs my iPhone 14 Pro Max. I tested the setup with and without a cable; the operation was simple either way. On these long rides, I used the cable so my smartphone was still fully charged at the end of the day.
The seven-inch, full-color TFT display is crystal clear and easy to see, other than when the sun is behind you and reflects off the screen into your eyes—a condition that challenges the best displays. You get trip computer functions with trip odometers, fuel range, ambient temperature, and tire pressure monitors. On the downside, the screen is not touch-sensitive. Control is via either the central knob on the gas tank or the four-way switch on the left handlebar.
An electrically adjustable windscreen is standard. On the Honda Gold Wing Tour, the windshield raises to just about over my head—I stand six feet tall. This produces a relatively calm cockpit at highway speeds. The bagger’s windscreen is a bit shorter, yet it also delivers a calm environment.
This is a nice improvement over the short and wide mustache screen on the F6B I enjoyed so much 10 years ago. There is a push-button, pop-up air deflector at the top-center of the Tour model dashboards. When deployed, it sends more under-screen airflow toward the pilot rather than up and over.
Of course, cruise control is standard and has been improved over early models, which had a few-second lag from when the pilot pressed the set button to when it engaged. On my ride to Sturgis a decade ago, I passed a semi-truck, moved back into the right lane, set the cruise control, and released the throttle. Cruise engagement took two or three seconds, with the F6B rapidly decelerating, causing the close-behind semi and me to have simultaneously butt-clenching moments. That’s no longer an issue.
The cabin is spacious enough for my long arms and legs and a pleasure in which to spend time. The generous seat sits 29.3 inches high, which should be low enough for most riders; it’s high enough for me. Putting in 700 miles over two days proved the stock seat was all I needed. The Honda Gold Wing has a 200-mile range and you will be coddled the entire time, should you decide gas stops are unnecessary.
All models employ LED lighting, and the turn signals are self-canceling. Also, the starter motor does double duty as the generator and helps with weight savings.
During the trip, I knew our ride organizers had chosen Daytona Beach as our destination. It was likely the perfect place to end a two-day ride designed to show us what touring on a Gold Wing is really like. We motored into town on Friday afternoon, the day before the official opening of the weeklong festival.
Our group navigated Main Street on the way to the hotel. It was madness personified. Only bikes were allowed on this route, and the Harley ahead of us, which must have had a 1000-watt stereo, was blasting ZZ Top. As we crawled along the street, every few feet offered more cacophonous sights and sounds. People, bikes, colors, music, shouting, and vendors took up every square inch of the space. It was a sensory overload to be experienced—once.
Saturday was a day to remember. We visited Daytona International Speedway in the morning to watch a Honda presentation about the 50 years of the Gold Wing. The bikes on display showed each generation, and included the one millionth Gold Wing produced—a GL1500.
Later we migrated into the track area and were treated with a visit to the Team Honda HRC Progressive pits and some time with their reigning Supercross Champion Jett Lawrence, who is out for the 2025 Supercross season due to injury. We witnessed the inner workings in the pit and toured Honda’s trucks to see how they prepared for each race and the eventualities of needed repairs. Did you know that a pair of titanium foot pegs cost $3000?
The best part of the day was the Supercross racing that started just as the sun was setting. From high up in the box seats, we had a view that was priceless. The experience was amazing even though I am a road racing fan—dirt to me is a gravel parking lot, as I’m originally a New York City boy. Yet, I was blown away by the sights and sounds and the physical abilities of these young racers. It was a day to always cherish that ended a trip I’ll never forget.
What’s my favorite 2025 Honda Gold Wing? Well, I sure do like the Tour with its 61-liter top case that accommodates two XL-sized helmets. Yet, given my experience with the F6B, I’d say my favorite is the Gold Wing DCT 50th Anniversary bagger. For long trips I can strap a duffel bag to the back of the seat in lieu of a top case. I think the bagger design lines are just so sexy. Your opinion may vary, and two-up riders will undoubtedly prefer the Gold Wing Tour’s passenger appointments.
Breathes there a touring motorcyclist who could not love one of the 2025 Honda Gold Wing models? I think not. Two full days of riding every type of road under most conditions proves that there is nothing like what Honda has lovingly and painstakingly created over these 50 years.
Photography by Align Media and Jonathan Handler
RIDING STYLE
