Honda unveils 40th anniversary Gold Wing

Honda has introduced a 40th Anniversary Gold Wing in four colour options to celebrate four decades of the Gold Wing’s existence and popularity as a luxury touring motorcycle.

Apart from the colour options, the 40th Anniversary Gold Wing comes in a stunning two-tone paintwork and blacked out chassis, and special 40th Anniversary emblems and key fob.

The 40th Anniversary Gold Wing will have the same engine powering the current range of Gold Wings – a 1,832cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke 12-valve, single overhead cam, flat-six engine. The engine makes peak power of 118PS @ 5,500rpm and maximum torque of 167Nm @ 4,000rpm.

All that torque makes the Gold Wing a favourite among luxury tourers and also for its handling poise – both at low speeds or high. The Gold Wing is also popular for its ability to cover long distances, carrying capacity and all-day two-up comfort. Of course, at 421 kg kerb weight for the ABS version, it’s not everyone’s, er, handful of throttle. 

And with its 125mm ground clearance and 1690mm wheelbase, it is actually a very bulky motorcycle for everyday use, at least in India. But once out on the highway, there are very few bikes which come close to the Gold Wing in luxury and comfort.

The Gold Wing comes kitted out with a six speaker, 80W surround sound system compatible with iPod, iPhone and USB memory sticks and a standard Honda Navigation System on airbag models. Then there are features like heated grips, independently adjustable heated seats, foot warming system and electronic cruise control. And to enable riders to conveniently turn around the big Gold Wing, there’s a reverse gear too.

First launched in 1975 as the four-cylinder GL1000, the Honda Gold Wing went on to become a popular model in North America, Western Europe and Australia, as well as Japan. By 1985, the Gold Wing first got Honda’s programmed fuel injection. In 1987, the Gold Wing first got its six-cylinder horizontally opposed engine – a 1500cc unit which upgraded the Gold Wing’s image as the ultimate touring machine.

In 2001, the first 1800cc engine debuted on the Gold Wing, after eight years of intense research and development at Honda.  In fact, it was the first new model in over 11 years. By 2011, there were further visual and features updates to the Gold Wing, including some of the state-of-the-art features available in the current model, including an optional airbag.