Why The Honda Gold Wing Still Sets The Touring Standard In 2025

You can travel the world on any motorcycle, even a Honda Super Cub. Still, there’s a reason why motorcyclists are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on proper touring motorcycles. What sets such touring motorcycles apart is that they take you the long way while coddling you in comfort and spoiling you with extravagant luxuries. That’s why the touring segment is home to the most lavish, luxurious motorcycles today.

Among this fine line of full-dress touring bikes, the top spot is usually claimed by one Japanese motorcycle: the Honda Gold Wing, including its trunkless and Tour variants. With a cult following, it’s a legendary motorcycle that’s been in the business of taking people to the far ends of the world for over half a century. It’s safe to say that Honda pioneered the formula and refined it over the decades into what it is today: a touring bike that sets the touring standard in 2025. Here’s how it achieves this feat.

Everything You Need For The Long Haul And Then Some

Starting Price: $25,200 (Gold Wing 50th Anniversary)

Honda

Make a list of everything you need from your touring motorcycle, and the Honda Gold Wing offers that, plus a lot more. The Gold Wing checks all the boxes with a butter-smooth, powerful engine, couch-like comfort for the rider and the pillion, and enough luggage for the long road. It then builds upon this with one of the most sophisticated features and electronics packages in the segment, featuring an electronic windscreen, cruise control, an advanced infotainment system, and numerous rider aids.

Honda

Honda even offers the Gold Wing in multiple flavors. The first decision comes between the trunkless Gold Wing and the Gold Wing Tour, with the latter featuring a massive trunk that can hold two full-face helmets, as well as a substantial backrest for the pillion. Honda even offers the bike with two transmission options, a traditional six-speed manual for the purists, and a seven-speed DCT for those looking for a scooter-like twist-and-go riding experience. It’s easily the most powerful, most refined, and most luxurious version of the Gold Wing ever.

Honda

This comfort and performance come at a cost of over $25,000, and more for the Tour variant. That may seem steep, but when you pit it against its rivals, particularly the BMW K 1600 GT/GTL, it suddenly looks like value for money. Yes, the Beemer tourers are technically cheaper than their Honda rivals, but the price rises quickly once you start adding options. Plus, they can’t match Honda’s reputation for reliability and low cost of ownership, which starts mattering a lot more when you start putting high miles on the bike.

Honda Gold Wing Tour vs. Rivals

Other American rivals and some Japanese tourers, like the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra, Indian Roadmaster Powerplus Limited, and Kawasaki Vulcan 1700, don’t even offer similar levels of tech and comfort as the Gold Wing. That’s what makes the Gold Wing special. Ever since its inception, it has been setting the pace for touring motorcycles, and it still does so in its latest avatar. There’s a reason why it has a cult following and is the default choice for many motorcyclists when it comes to full-size tourers.

High-End Luxury (And Storage) For Days On The Road

Storage Capacity: 32 Gallons (Honda Gold Wing Tour)

Honda

When it comes to comfort, the Honda Gold Wing is a business-class experience on two wheels. Yes, like any other tourer, it has a relaxed riding triangle with neutral pegs and easy-reach handlebars, but that’s just the beginning of it. Honda adds to that with a premium suede-like seat cover and an optional backrest for the rider. The Tour variant’s trunk features a large backrest for the pillion, while the trunkless model offers a backrest as an option.

Honda

Taking comfort further is a full coverage fairing that directs air around you, with refined ducting to keep you cool on hot days. The windscreen is electronically adjustable with a 4.9-inch range, and its angles change as it rises or lowers. It even remembers the last setting! If the couch-like saddle keeps you relaxed on your 500-mile rides, the wind protection ensures you arrive at your destination feeling fresh as a daisy.

Honda

The Gold Wing adds a third layer to its long-distance luxury with storage, and don’t mistake the saddlebags for anything basic. The integrated saddlebags on every model open automatically with the push of a button and lock/unlock remotely with a smart key. These bags can hold 15.85 gallons of luggage, whereas the Tour variant adds a topcase, bringing the total storage to a whopping 32 gallons! Heck, the Tour’s top case is big enough to hold two full-face helmets!

Unparalleled, Unbothered Comfort And Nimbleness On The Highway

Power Output: 124.7 HP @ 5,500 RPM

Honda

The Honda Gold Wing is powered by a one-of-a-kind horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that’s famous for its butter-smooth character and linear power delivery. And in its latest avatar, it is over 13 pounds lighter than the previous generation. This engine produces peak torque at 4,500 RPM and peak power at 5,500 RPM, making for a proper, relaxed riding experience at highway speeds. In fact, with nearly 125 horses, the bike should munch miles without any drama.

While the standard transmission is a six-speed manual with overdrive top gear, Honda also offers DCT variants, featuring a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The DCT provides a twist-and-go experience with an overdrive seventh gear and Walking Mode, which lets you creep forward and backward under power at a walking pace. Don’t worry, even the manual variants come with a similar creep mode, only this time, powered by an electric reverse, not engine power.

Honda

Honda has also taken great care in keeping this behemoth of a motorcycle easy to maneuver in city or tight parking spots. As such, it features a lightweight frame that’s 90 pounds lighter than the older models, paired with a relatively low seat height. Even the flat-six engine architecture brings the center of gravity closer to the ground. As a result, the Gold Wing should feel much lighter than it really is.

Honda Gold Wing Performance Specs

The Gold Wing is also one of the very few modern motorcycles to feature a radical double wishbone suspension at the front, which helps move the engine and the rider closer to the front wheel. Honda claims this suspension offers stellar handling and gives the bike a sleek, sporty feel. At the back, a monoshock is paired with a single-sided Pro Arm swingarm with an integrated shaft drive. Finally, braking duties are handled by dual radial-mount calipers at the front, similar to those present on the RC213V MotoGP racer.

Laundry List Of Tech Features That Make Riding Stress-Free And Safe

Honda

Completing the holy trinity of what makes an excellent touring motorcycle is the extensive tech and features package. These features promise to make your riding experience stress-free and safe, whether you’re out on a weekend ride or an intercontinental expedition on two wheels. At the helm of the package is the advanced infotainment system, featuring a massive TFT display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and optional HomeLink. It is paired with 55-watt speakers with automatic volume adjustment that Honda says offers a rich auditory experience. Then there’s cruise control and heated grips that add to the bike’s touring comfort.

Honda

In tricky situations, various rider aids like Hill Start Assist, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), and ABS kick into action to help you keep the shiny side up. Rounding out the electronics package are four ride modes (Tour, Sport, Rain, and Econ), throttle-by-wire, a tire pressure monitoring system, and powerful LED lights. Not to forget the ridiculously extensive list of optional accessories Honda offers with the bike. To sum it all up, the Honda Gold Wing has everything you need for a relaxed, comfortable, and entertaining ride. It’s the ultimate easy-to-live-with tourer currently on sale.

Features And Optional Accessories