All Tests – 2012 Honda Goldwing Test: the motorcycle’s golden-teen wing! – Majestically your …

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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! - Majestically your ...

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.

Majestically your…

A conspicuous demonstration of the breadth of Honda know-how, the Goldwing is – and will remain? – one of the greatest masterpieces of the winged coat of arms. Unveiled in 1975 under the name GL1000, the "Gold" has survived the decades successfully, definitively appropriating the status of "two-wheel limousine" in 2001 with the adoption of the six-cylinder (read "The Goldwing Saga" on following pages).

"The Goldwing has almost become a brand within the brand", confesses Sebastien Pernel, Honda France press manager, before letting us discover the changes made to the 2012 vintage of the" Golden Wing ". Rather modest developments to be honest, even imperceptible to an untrained eye.

, just before – as an express fact – that its ambitious competitor was launched, the 2012 Honda GL1800 Goldwing only had subtle retouches on its trim, sound system and integrated GPS navigator (only available on the version equipped with the airbag).

Due to the lack of modifications made to the flat-six 1832 cc or to the aluminum double beam type chassis, this "new" model therefore turns out to be very close to the current model tested by Site in 2007 (read our), then confronted at the K1600GTL during summer 2011 (read our).

The "Wingers" will have however already noted the slight facelift granted to the front part, as well as the elegant gray treatment of the interior of the optics. In addition, thanks to the use of multilayer fairings as on the new one, the silhouette gains even more in perceived finish: not a single screw comes to "pollute" the sides of the Honda ultra-road, to the delight of the eyes.

On the other hand, if the editorial staff of Site particularly appreciated the new lines of the stern – in particular the "American" touch distilled by the more tapered suitcases -, the new rear optics and the indicators are more "classic" than "classy": question taste, no doubt…

This new design does not – fortunately – interfere with the enviable load capacity (150 liters!) And the practicality of the rear storage spaces. The side cases still easily accommodate a full face helmet and lock electronically, while the opening of the "King Size" top case can be done via the remote control. For the long haul, hard to find better !

Just before lowering our mount from its central stand (a much easier operation than in the opposite direction, the fault of some 413 kg all full made to lift!), The press manager of Honda France tells us that the rear part did the subject of a great deal of aerodynamic research.

The first manufacturer would thus have improved the management of air flow on the rear of its 2012 Goldwing, which would directly benefit its stability. An interesting precision insofar as even if the "Gold" never had anything of a sausage with its 1692 mm of wheelbase and its hyper healthy chassis, its direction could sometimes lose in precision at very high speed…

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