# Honda Gold Wing
The **Honda Gold Wing** is a grand touring motorcycle manufactured by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. since 1975, known for its liquid-cooled horizontally opposed engine, shaft final drive, and long-distance two-up comfort. The first model, the GL1000, was developed as a flagship high-speed tourer for the North American market, and American riders' preference for fully equipped long-distance touring reshaped it into the luxury grand tourer it remains today.[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First model | GL1000, unveiled at the U.S. Dealer Show in Las Vegas in September 1974, U.S. sales from 1975[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/) |
| Original engine | Liquid-cooled 4-stroke OHC horizontally opposed 4-cylinder 999 cc, the largest displacement of any Honda production model at the time[2](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html) |
| Launch price | About $3,000, roughly twice the price of the CB750 FOUR[2](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html) |
| Current engine | 1,833 cc liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder four-stroke, 73.0 mm x 73.0 mm bore and stroke[3](https://powersports.honda.com/api/custom/downloads/specs?category=touring&segment=motorcycle&trim=GL1800DAT&year=2026) |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), shaft final drive[3](https://powersports.honda.com/api/custom/downloads/specs?category=touring&segment=motorcycle&trim=GL1800DAT&year=2026) |
| Safety first | 2006 Gold Wing carried the world's first airbag system on a production motorcycle[4](https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2005/2050908-eng.html) |
| Production milestones | 100,000 units by 1978, 200,000 by 1982, 700,000 by 2017[5](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/50th-Anniv/) |
## Origins and the GL1000
Following the success of the CB750 FOUR, launched in 1969, supersport models from other manufacturers eroded its advantages, and Honda in 1972 established an R&D department to develop an all-new flagship motorcycle.[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/) • [6](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/) The development team's answer was to build the biggest, most spectacular motorcycle it could, and the result was the first-generation Gold Wing (GL1000).[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/)
The engine was unique for a motorcycle of its day: a liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, OHC, horizontally opposed 4-cylinder 1000 cc unit. The fuel tank sat under the seat to lower the center of gravity, and the conventional tank position held electrical components instead, a configuration riders knew as the "dummy" tank, which also stored the kick-starter lever.[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/) • [6](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/) In 1975 it was a water-cooled four-stroke motorcycle, though not the first of that kind, as the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller had used water-cooling in 1894, and the flat-four engine drove through a shaft.[6](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/) • [15](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-mass-production-motorcycle) Honda's own history records the 999 cc engine as the largest displacement of any Honda production model at the time, priced at about $3,000.[2](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html)
Attribution of leadership differs among Honda sources: the Honda UK history names the designer Shoichiro Irimajiri as project leader,[6](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/) while a Honda News timeline credits development to Toshio Nozue, also responsible for the CB750, and calls the model "the ultimate motorcycle."[7](https://hondanews.com/en-US/powersports/releases/release-0030a39e894e48579763e323a7cdcaa3-honda-gold-wing-timeline-2) A later Rider Magazine retrospective quotes Large Project Leader Hisaho Nozue describing the first-year GL1000 as a "grand tourer with aristocratic elegance."[8](https://ridermagazine.com/2025-honda-gold-wing-50th-anniversary-edition-review/)
The GL1000 debuted at the U.S. Dealer Show in Las Vegas in September 1974 and made a strong impression when shown in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. Engines began leaving the Saitama Factory's Wako Plant in December 1974, with complete-model mass production at the Sayama Plant, and U.S. sales began in 1975.[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/)
## From high-speed tourer to grand tourer
Honda designed the GL1000 as a supersport-flavored high-speed tourer, but American riders began fitting fairings to enjoy long-distance tandem touring, and their preferences set the model's direction.[1](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/) In 1980 the second-generation GL1100 entered production at the new Honda of America Manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio, and the GL1100 Interstate added a fairing, saddlebags, and a boot as standard equipment, the first mass-produced Japanese motorcycle sold in full touring kit.[5](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/50th-Anniv/) • [6](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/) The GL1100 Aspencade followed in 1982, and the third-generation GL1200, with a 1200 cc flat-four, went on sale in 1984.[5](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/50th-Anniv/) • [9](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1988/)
**The six-cylinder era.** In 1988 Honda launched the fourth-generation GL1500 with a 1,520 cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine, a redesigned chassis, and an electric reverse system; it was also the first large motorcycle sold in Japan after the abolition of the voluntary restriction on motorcycles over 750 cc there.[2](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html) The GL1500 was manufactured at Honda of America Manufacturing in Ohio.[9](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1988/)
In 2001 the fifth-generation GL1800 raised displacement to 1,832 cc and adopted an aluminum twin-tube frame and Pro-Arm single-sided swingarm, the same configuration as Honda's supersport models. Developed under Masanori Aoki, who had led the NSR250R project, it brought fuel injection, an aluminum twin-spar frame, and optional ABS, and its 20 patents signaled the scale of the redesign.[2](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html) • [10](https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-2026-honda-gold-wing-features-benefits?selectedTabId=release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-photos) A 2006 version added satellite navigation and the world's first motorcycle airbag on a production model.[10](https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-2026-honda-gold-wing-features-benefits?selectedTabId=release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-photos)
## The 2018 redesign and current model
The sixth-generation Gold Wing of 2018 was a ground-up revamp. Its double-wishbone (front suspension using two shaped control arms instead of a fork) front suspension, in place of a telescopic fork, reduced total shock transmitted from the road surface to the handlebars by 30 percent and cut the inertial mass of front-end components manipulated through the handlebars by 40 percent, allowing engineers to keep a stability-enhancing 1,698 mm wheelbase while moving the rider position 36 mm forward compared with the previous generation.[11](https://hondanews.com/en-US/powersports/releases/release-d1827bafe8ae463da9ff58851b6826ba-2018-honda-gold-wing-tech-document) Power goes to the rear wheel through a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission; on DCT models a chain-and-gear system using the DCT shafts provides reverse, eliminating the conventional reverse mechanism and helping make the engine 3.8 kg (8.4 lb) lighter than the outgoing unit.[11](https://hondanews.com/en-US/powersports/releases/release-d1827bafe8ae463da9ff58851b6826ba-2018-honda-gold-wing-tech-document)
The current lineup spans Gold Wing and Gold Wing Tour versions, with the Tour Airbag Automatic DCT at the top.[10](https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-2026-honda-gold-wing-features-benefits?selectedTabId=release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-photos) The 2026 Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT uses the 1,833 cc flat-six with 50 mm throttle-body fuel injection, seven-speed DCT, double-wishbone front suspension with 4.3 inches of travel, a Pro Arm single-side swingarm with 4.1 inches of rear travel, dual 320 mm front discs, a 66.9-inch wheelbase, a 29.3-inch seat height, 5.5 gallons of fuel, and a curb weight of 856 pounds.[3](https://powersports.honda.com/api/custom/downloads/specs?category=touring&segment=motorcycle&trim=GL1800DAT&year=2026) The 2025 Gold Wing Tour 50th [Anniversary](https://www.edgepedia.org/anniversary) model was listed at $29,200 MSRP with a claimed wet weight of 845 lb.[12](https://www.cyclenews.com/2025/05/article/2025-honda-gold-wing-50th-anniversary-review/) Honda celebrated the model's 50th anniversary in 2025 with commemorative editions.[5](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/50th-Anniv/)
## Place in the touring market
The Gold Wing competes in the luxury touring segment against the BMW K 1600 series, whose inline six-cylinder engine debuted in 2012, and against V-twin tourers from [Harley-Davidson](https://www.edgepedia.org/harley-davidson), Indian, and Yamaha; Honda and BMW are the only manufacturers selling machines in this segment with more than two cylinders.[13](https://www.cyclenews.com/2018/10/article/honda-gold-wing-tour-vs-bmw-k-1600-gtl/) In a 2018 comparison, the Gold Wing Tour DCT was priced at $27,700 against $28,844 for the BMW K 1600 GTL Premium Package.[13](https://www.cyclenews.com/2018/10/article/honda-gold-wing-tour-vs-bmw-k-1600-gtl/) The current Gold Wing's 1,833 cc flat-six produces approximately 126 horsepower, against roughly 160 horsepower for the BMW K 1600's 1,649 cc inline-six, and the Gold Wing offers a seven-speed DCT option the BMW does not.[14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmD4ahrLC8) Reviewers describe the Gold Wing's strengths as comfort, quietness, and stability, with the BMW favoring a sportier, more upright riding position.[13](https://www.cyclenews.com/2018/10/article/honda-gold-wing-tour-vs-bmw-k-1600-gtl/) • [14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmD4ahrLC8)
## References
1. [First Generation Gold Wing Designed as Flagship High-Speed Tourer, Honda Global Gold Wing Stories](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1975/)
2. [75 Years of Honda History, Chapter III: Unique Technologies and Products, Honda Global](https://global.honda/en/about/history-digest/75years-history/chapter3/section1_2/page3.html)
3. [2026 Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT Specifications, American Honda](https://powersports.honda.com/api/custom/downloads/specs?category=touring&segment=motorcycle&trim=GL1800DAT&year=2026)
4. [Honda Develops World's First Production Motorcycle Airbag System, Honda Global Newsroom](https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2005/2050908-eng.html)
5. [50th Anniversary: 50 Years of Gold Wing, Honda Global](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/50th-Anniv/)
6. [A short history of the Honda Gold Wing, Honda Engine Room UK](https://www.honda.co.uk/engineroom/bikes/history-of-the-gold-wing/)
7. [Honda Gold Wing Timeline, Honda News](https://hondanews.com/en-US/powersports/releases/release-0030a39e894e48579763e323a7cdcaa3-honda-gold-wing-timeline-2)
8. [2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition Review, Rider Magazine](https://ridermagazine.com/2025-honda-gold-wing-50th-anniversary-edition-review/)
9. [Fourth-Generation Gold Wing Aims for Pinnacle of Luxury Tourers, Honda Global Gold Wing Stories](https://global.honda/en/GOLDWING/history/stories/1988/)
10. [2026 Honda Gold Wing Features & Benefits, Honda News](https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-2026-honda-gold-wing-features-benefits?selectedTabId=release-cf005034e20eb27505fd8e6bbb043b35-photos)
11. [2018 Honda Gold Wing Tech Document Press Kit, Honda News](https://hondanews.com/en-US/powersports/releases/release-d1827bafe8ae463da9ff58851b6826ba-2018-honda-gold-wing-tech-document)
12. [2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Review, Cycle News](https://www.cyclenews.com/2025/05/article/2025-honda-gold-wing-50th-anniversary-review/)
13. [Honda Gold Wing Tour vs. BMW K 1600 GTL, Cycle News](https://www.cyclenews.com/2018/10/article/honda-gold-wing-tour-vs-bmw-k-1600-gtl/)
14. [The Big Three Touring Bikes: Road Glide vs. Goldwing vs. K1600, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmD4ahrLC8)
15. [First mass production motorcycle](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-mass-production-motorcycle)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Motorcycles › Motorcycle manufacturers and marques*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license