The Honda Goldwing has been acknowledged as the epitome of long-distance highway tourers. Through its long, 42-year model history, beginning in October 1974 when the GL1000 flat-four was unveiled at the Cologne motor show in Germany, the Goldwing has undergone a continuous process of refinement.
As the very first shaft-drive motorcycle that Honda produced, the Goldwing occupies flagship status in Honda’s entire range of motorcycles, being the largest, and quite possibly the most comfortable, bike it manufactures. In its current incarnation, the Goldwing has a 1,832 cc, flat-six with PGM-FI that puts out 118 hp and 167 Nm of torque.
Launched in 2001, the GL1800 has been carrying the touring motorcycle torch for Honda for almost 15 years, and rumours are rife that the fifth-generation “Wing” will be replaced in 2017, according to a Visordown report. Wings have also been a showcase for Honda’s motorcycle technology, and the 2017 Goldwing replacement will probably be no different.
Motorcycle technology and engineering have progressed by leaps and bounds over the last decade-and-a-half, so expect the new Goldwing to come with Honda’s Dual-Clutch semi-automatic transmission (DCT), versions of which can be seen on the VFR, NC, CTX, NM and CRF range of bikes, among others. Semi-active suspension will probably be a feature, controlling ride height and suspension compliance in response to the heavy loads “wingers” sometimes subject their bikes to.
Reports have shown a front suspension system for the next-gen Goldwing using one of two variants of a completely new type of leading-link front suspension with a complicated multi-point linkage and a single shock. Multi-link front suspensions are not new, and have been proven to cope to braking and cornering loads at the front much better than traditional telescopic forks, but were usually not used due to weight considerations.
This would matter little to the Goldwing, which weighs 407 kg wet in its current incarnation. Electronics will be another area where the replacement Goldwing will show its strengths, building on the current model’s full suite of navigation and entertainment systems. The large collection of buttons and switches on both handle-bar pods, something that freaked wingers out when the GL1500 first appeared in the early 90s, will probably be re-organised and some functions re-located to a tank touchscreen, according to patents filed by Honda.
The 2015 Honda Goldwing retails in Malaysia for approximately RM180,000, depending on accessories and specification.
GALLERY: Honda Goldwing (1974-2015)
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They need to get XENON head lights!!!!
Honda is 5 years old on the model of head lights