Issue 141 : June - July 2005
Riders Salute Simon
Winging It
Mile Munching Luxury
MAG Magistrate
Easter Egg Run
My Bike
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Riders Salute Simon
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30 years of Winging itHonda's 30th anniversary of the Gold Wing
When Honda set about the task of making a flagship bike, Soichiro Honda wanted the largest, quickest and most desirable touring machine ever, to become known as 'The King of Motorcycles,' and in my opinion his engineers achieved that aim. The first designs were of a 6 cylinder & nearly 1500 cc engined machine, with shaft drive and exceptional smoothness, ideal for long distance rides. Due to certain complexities with the 6, mainly to do with a very long wheelbase for that engine size, a revision in design was made, to make it 1000cc and 4 cylinders. Ideas from the Honda car makers were introduced, like liquid cooling, and rubber belts for cam drives, even using the same components in some instances which offers cost savings. The first 1000 Goldwing was launched on the world in 1974 at Cologne. The general reception was good, as the Gold Wing proved so smooth and quiet, was quick (for the day) very comfortable and refined. These are the virtues that came to be recognised in all subsequent Gold Wings. One of the bigger problems was in the handling department as riders tried to use them in competition with Kawa Z1s and their low ground clearance took their toll on centre stands and silencers. Around this period riders were trying out various after-market fairings and luggage boxes, with Craig Vetter in the USA doing a great job with his designs for many brands of bikes. So many early 1000s gained accessories which today are accepted as normal for a Gold Wing, that you'd be hard pressed to find a 'naked' post '83 bike.
Then another revision was made to make sure the Gold Wing remained at the top of the 'must have' tourers' shopping list, by increasing capacity by 100cc. This occurred in 1984, by which time all Gold Wings were made in the American factories, as that was the main market. Gold Wings were now taking such a big share of the big tourer market that some other manufacturers started taking protective measures to ensure their survival. Now we were seeing what were, for motorcycles very advanced electronics in the form of LCD dashboards, fuel injection, computer readouts for fuel consumption, temperature, trip distance displays, service indicating lights, an LCD map of USA and onboard compressors to adjust suspension when sitting in the saddle. Today there are riders of these 1200cc models with over half a million miles on their clocks. Owners of the 12s reckon they were the best. Evolution raised its head again, with the need to compete with others in the same field, such as Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Harley-Davidson, who all brought out competitors with similar gadgetry and luxurious accessories. In 1988 Honda then astounded the motorcycle world with a 1500cc Six, which was the bike that was originally planned, only no, it went around corners, had a full fairing and luggage, complete with nice fitted luggage bags you could take into any hotel reception without embarrassment. It was also quite quick, with 120 mph easily achieveable, but the brakes needed consideration hence the move to linked brakes. This in turn encouraged riders to carry more weight, and before long, trailers were being hauled, with complete camping homes for lengthy vacations. The American style for chrome and lights encouraged many accessory manufacturers to be very creative, and it is not unusual to see Gold Wings that would not look out of place in Oxford Street at Christmas, as their lights outshine the displays seen today. The 1500 had a good production run until 1999, when Honda made a very big change to the model by launching the 1800 at both the Munich show and on the same day, in California. It was so completely changed, nothing in the previous models could be seen in the design, nor in the mechanics. The engine was still a flat 6 and shaft driven, but the brakes were new and the chassis offered handling that was more like a sport bike in character, with radial tyres to help, all of which made the rider very aware that this was not like any previous Gold Wing. It went fast, (timed at 146mph), and could stay on the tail of Aprillias & Hyabusas, but still had a stereo/CD player, CB radio, intercom, quick release rear wheel, heated grips, integral security, computer controlled suspension, electronic ignition, fuel injection, exhaust emission control, catalytic converter and made to measure luggage You name it and it's likely to be there. This is the machine that marked another era in the evolutionary story of Honda's Flagship, 'King of the Road' which it certainly is. The 1800 offered civilised two wheel transport with reliability, comfort features that put many a car to shame, including air conditioning, (what? Ed), heaters, reverse gear, alternator that senses when load on battery needs a top up by boosting output, adjustable windscreen, and it still goes like a bike It's often underrated, but never can be ignored. Peter Russell |
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This year Honda Motorcycles celebrate 30 years of continuous production of probably the most underrated touring motorcycle of recent years. This potted history is not the complete story, but may fill the gaps in other riders' general knowledge of the model.
After a run of 5 years Honda raised the engine to 1100cc and fitted its own luggage together with a fairing that was designed as an integral part of the machine. Built in radio/cassette players, self cancelling indicators, air adjustable suspension front & rear, Comstar wheels, tubeless tyres, and other improvements were made to ensure this Gold Wing was the 'King of the Road' in the touring class.