All Tests – 2012 Honda Goldwing Test: the golden-teen wing of the bike! – Pachydermic than that!

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Honda Goldwing 2012 test: the golden-teen wing of the bike !

All Tests - 2012 Honda Goldwing Test: the golden-teen wing of the bike! - Pachydermic than that!

Ambassador of excellence, the Goldwing evolves almost timidly in 2012, as if Honda feared to break the balance of this concentrate of luxury and comfort. It is true that the Golden Wing has probably never come close to perfection so closely… Test.

Pachydermic than that !

Once in the saddle – the design and upholstery of which have been revised for more comfort – the excellent ergonomics of the 2012 Goldwing allow you to quickly feel at ease. Honda having absolutely not altered the handlebars with long branches or the placement of the footrests, the position is exactly the same as before, is extremely comfortable !

The softness of the seat is matched only by the general smoothness: apart from the slowness and the relative firmness of the five-speed gearbox (to which is added an electric reverse gear actuated via the starter), the GL1800 Goldwing is delivers with disconcerting smoothness and ease through well-placed and precise controls.

Just like the throttle which acts as an extension of the thought: the injection does not deliver any suddenly and allows the Goldwing to largely meet Euro 3 standards, Honda assures us. This shows that a large engine, even a bit greedy in gasoline like the 6-cylinder Boxer (between 6.7 km and 7.4 l / 100 km measured in our previous tests), does not invariably dig a crater in the layer of oil. ozone – what happened to it? – at each acceleration !

As on the previous vintage (read or reread our), the melody of the "six flat" turns out to be a real treat for the ears: no normally constituted biker can remain insensitive to the "major six-cylinder concerto" delivered by Honda mechanics !

Full as an egg, it purrs without hiccups during wanderings on the last report, even though the tachometer needle does not exceed 700 rpm at idle. Then the thrust strengthens, without violence but with unwavering determination, while the purr becomes rumbling. Because despite appearances, the Goldwing has a strong character and even blows with an unsuspected force of 4000 rpm at 6500 rpm of the switch !

Incredibly manoeuvrable given its size, the 2012 Goldwing has lost none of its astounding propensity to immediately put you at ease, inviting you to change direction of a (big) flick like riding a small displacement ! Stability is not to be outdone, even if the redesigned aerodynamics did not completely eliminate this slight feeling of "fuzziness" perceptible at the level of the steering above 150 km / h…

Electronically adjustable in preload, the rear shock absorber performs its task royally, as does the 45mm fork whose action has been improved through new settings. With such a chassis and braking to match (assisted by a very good ABS and the excellent Dual CBS), having to deal with a ground clearance worthy of a Chopper (125 mm) quickly becomes frustrating in the winding !

All great things never end ?

Always as well equipped, the GL 1800 Goldwing 2012 has some very pleasant daily amenities: the audio system controls have migrated from the tank to the left side fairing, which allowed Honda to place a large lockable storage compartment above of the gas hatch.

A very useful equipment, but without hinges and only available on the version without airbag … In terms of unfortunate details, we should also point out that the warnings command – already not very accessible before – has migrated just in front of the left knee: sure that the motorbike taxis will particularly appreciate this impractical aspect when ascending the queues !

Revised and corrected in 2012, the new 80 W audio system offers a socket in the top case to connect a USB key or a smartphone, which can be controlled via the enormous left stalk. If the gain in terms of sound quality is not really transcendent, we appreciate on the other hand that Honda has now installed six speakers as standard, including two tweeters (four previously).

Finally, the digital screen now adopts a bluish tint and the information delivered is brighter, including that of the GPS announced more efficient. Complete and readable (read the "Instrumentation" part of our technical sheet on the following pages), this console could however embed a real on-board computer with consumption indicators, with the gear engaged (currently, only the engagement of the 5th gear is indicated by a warning light) and tire pressure.

Likewise, having to do without an electrically adjustable windshield on a motorcycle that flirts with or exceeds € 30,000 (€ 29,490 in "standard" version and € 32,490 with the airbag and GPS, according to our estimates) will undoubtedly leave a certain bitterness to its owner…

Because if the imposing windshield of the Honda protects remarkably well in the low position on the road, it still requires to be raised a few centimeters when traveling on expressways, especially if the driver exceeds 1m75 and / or 130 km / h !

"To install an electric windshield, engineers must completely redesign the front of the Goldwing", explains Honda France in an admission which in itself reflects the delicate position of the first manufacturer: knowing that the concept of the Goldwing is perfectly successful (and even" amortized ", will say the bad tongues), should we really take the risk of upsetting its incredible homogeneity by completely "recasting" it ?

On the other hand, although the only motorcycle in the world to offer an airbag, the Goldwing 1800 has not really changed technically since … 2001! Sooner or later, Honda will therefore have to resolve to modernize its "golden wing", if only by equipping it with driving aids (anti-skating, fully electronically adjustable suspensions, choice between several cartographies of injection, etc.) which tend to democratize among the competition…

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