Honda
Premium Tourer

YEARS OF ADVENTURE.

THE FIRST GOLD WING—THE 1975 GL1000—WAS REVOLUTIONARY, A MOTORCYCLE THAT OFFERED SUPERBIKE-LEVEL POWER, INCREDIBLE SMOOTHNESS, LIQUID COOLING, SHAFT DRIVE, AND A HOST OF TECHNICAL INNOVATION UNMATCHED AT THE TIME IN THE MOTORCYCLING WORLD. RIDERS ACROSS THE GLOBE RECOGNIZED THE GENIUS IN THIS MACHINE, BUT ESPECIALLY RIDERS WHO WANTED TO COVER LONG DISTANCES. AND SO THE GOLD WING BECAME A TOURING ICON. OVER THE YEARS WE ADDED BODYWORK, SADDLEBAGS, AND INCREASED THE ENGINE SIZE. NOW IT’S TIME TO GO BACK TO OUR ROOTS, TO THE KIND OF PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING THAT MADE THOSE FIRST GOLD WINGS SUCH AWESOME BIKES. HANG ON, AND ENJOY THE RIDE!

AT THE HEART OF EVERY GREAT MOTORCYCLE BEATS A GREAT ENGINE.

The new 2018 Gold Wings still use a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine, but that’s where all similarity ends. The new bikes feature a new bore and stroke, and a displacement punched out to 1833cc. Even more important, they’re the first Gold Wings to use four valves per cylinder, a design based off our high-performance Unicam® head design. The new engine also features aluminum cylinder sleeves and a shorter, stiffer crank. The engine is more compact front-to-back, and that lets you and your passenger move forward in the cockpit for more comfort, better handling, and a more connected feel with the bike’s steering. Other innovations include integrating the starter and alternator into one unit. The overall effect is groundbreaking: a Gold Wing that’s still a long-distance champion, but one that offers a degree of engaged, sporting performance that all motorcyclists live for.

7-SPEED AUTOMATIC DCT
THE BEST SPORTS CARS IN THE WORLD USE THEM. AND NOW THE BEST BIKES DO, TOO.

This is huge news for 2018. For the first time ever, both the Gold Wing and the Gold Wing Tour are available with a brand new 7-Speed Automatic DCT. If you’re not familiar with it, think of the paddle-shift gearboxes Formula 1 cars use. DCT stands for Dual-Clutch Transmission. Inside, the transmission looks like a normal manual, with strong, efficient, constant-mesh steel gears. But there’s no shift lever and no clutch lever—all your shifting is controlled by buttons on the handlebar. Or you can let the DCT function fully automatically, and the bike will upshift and downshift effortlessly. The twin clutch packs, one for odd gears, one for even, makes shifting quick and seamless. The DCT has been a big hit on many Honda motorcycles, and our Africa Twin® has proven it’s tough enough for fully loaded off-road travel. But the 2018 Gold Wings have the best DCT we’ve ever offered, and the first with seven speeds. Even better, our DCT models offer a special low-speed “Walking” mode in addition to reverse (see our Models and Options chart for more information). It’s a huge help when maneuvering into or out of parking spaces with a passenger on the back. We know plenty of Gold Wing riders still prefer a traditional manual transmission. Fear not—we have you covered. You can opt for a conventional gearbox on both the Gold Wing and Gold Wing Tour models. But we’ve gone ahead and made it even better for 2018, by adding a sixth speed. Closing up the gearbox ratios makes it easier to pick the perfect gear for sportier riding, yet the overdrive sixth still serves up relaxed top-gear cruising.

DOUBLE-WISHBONE FRONT SUSPENSION

One of the first things any rider will notice about the 2018 Gold Wings is the radical new doublewishbone front suspension. Gone is the familiar telescopic fork, replaced with a strong, twin-leg structure, a pair of “A” arms and a single shock and spring. Why? The innovative, Honda-engineered design changes the path the wheel follows through the suspension’s travel, making it more of a vertical movement. That lets us move both the engine and the rider/passenger closer to the front wheel for improved handling.