Driving report Honda Gold Wing

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Driving report Honda Gold Wing

Great goodness

Oh dear, now the time has come! 1.8 liter displacement, price just under 50,000 marks. The only thing missing from the new Gold Wing is two wheels?

It was time. Even classics are not untouchable. Even with that name. Gold wing. Bricked in the ground? No. Stagnation means regression. And growth is progress. Also in the history of GL. It grew up, down, right and left over the years, its unique boxer engine added two more cylinders and a displacement increase of a full 50 percent from the beginning to the last 1500 expansion stage, and the equipment list took on automobile dimensions.
And now the GL 1800. A logical step. But does it lead directly to the Honda auto division? To answer this question, a look at the development history of the new Gold Wing helps. 13 years after the travel steamer underwent its last comprehensive relaunch, the list of requirements was as short as it was concise: Increase the travel quality, significantly improve everything else. Basta! And because “everything else” meant the driving dynamics above all, none other than Masanori Aoki, chief developer of other well-known Honda tourers such as the NSR 250 R, CBR 400 RR and CBR 600, was entrusted with this task.
When making contact for the first time in the Swabian Alb, MOTORRAD checked whether his efforts were bearing fruit. You read that correctly, Swabian Alb. In the middle of winter, in freezing cold. Because in the middle of the country, in Dotternhausen, directly on the B27 between Balingen and Rottweil, the company Gold Wing parts & more (phone 07427/915486). And because the “more” is to be taken literally in this case. Because while the official Honda importer is still waiting for the first copies, owner Enrico Stepan has already brought an American version across the pond.
So, cold or cold, let’s go. 1832 cm3 distributed over the six cylinders of the boxer greet you with rich, deep babbling. No question: That would be good for a decent goose bumps even at 30 degrees in the shade, and it is clearly more reminiscent of one of those fat V8s from Wing’s adopted home than of a boxer from Zuffenhausen. And this is exactly what the two-wheeler makes on the first few meters. This Gold Wing doesn’t roll out of the yard, it pushes. Already in first gear, for the first few meters with the typical muscle play of large-capacity cars, it is clear that the engine is making the music here. And while the pilot, in view of the massive accumulation of material in front of, below and above him, is still looking for the regulation for the central heating as a matter of course, the steamer is almost unnoticed three corners further, threading its way into the traffic without any effort? and drives. Quite simply, as a matter of course. Forget the cold, forget the weight, forget the dimensions, forget all doubts. What remains is pure pleasure. Okay, we already knew the easy-care manners from the old Gold Wing. On the new one, however, they are much more evident because chief engineer Aoki accentuated precisely those points where the old GL threatened to slide into the contourless nirvana between inertia and sedateful undersizing. Take the chassis, for example: the new aluminum bridge frame, combined with the fork tubes that are now 45 millimeters thick and a new single-jointed single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, ensures stability that has never been seen in Gold Wing circles. Where the old commuted and staggered, namely on fast stretches of the motorway and in brisk country road curves, the new one remains stubborn. Lies stable and inspires confidence, only weakens a little at speeds beyond 200 km / h or well below the voluntary self-restraint that long-distance travelers already impose on themselves from experience. However, the new Gold Wing is suitable and able to move this limit upwards because it offers a successful mixture of confidence-building measures and animating liveliness. The first category includes the fact that the fork and shock absorber now dampen more and offer far more feedback and the brakes (of course with dual CBS and in the German version also with ABS) decelerate with more bite. The second point relates to the handiness gained despite the wider rear tire (180/60 HR 16 instead of 160/80 H 16 on 5-inch instead of 3.5-inch rim). Amazing: Because around 1.1 kilograms less weight and a slightly modified chassis geometry do not provide a sufficient explanation for this.
The engine delivers this all the more convincingly. Honda claims 118 hp, 20 more than the 1500. Even more important: the increased torque from 147 to 167 Nm, which is still available at 4000 rpm. But it is elementary: this engine fits this motorcycle. Push this run forward like it was a bike. Again and again you let the six-cylinder take a deep breath, the speed plummets (which is not difficult thanks to overdrive) to experience this dialectic between casual babbling and full propulsion, which corresponds so wonderfully to that of enormous mass and playful handling and one together Driving experience results that should also inspire sworn 1500 fans. So far so good.
Und the equipment? Everything is fine, everything is there. Cruise control, radio, multifunctional display, central locking for the topcase and suitcase (even remote-controlled), continuously adjustable spring base via servomotor, two regulated catalytic converters, reversing aid, in short: whatever your heart desires. The extra list will satisfy all other wishes. The only thing missing is a servomotor for the windshield, which still has to be chipped into the desired position using a toggle. And interested parties maybe the necessary change. This Gold Wing, born in 2001, is available from Enrico Stepan from 47,990 Marks. In the driven version, around 4500 Marks are added for the CB radio antenna, CD changer and top case spoiler. And there some may really groan “great kindness” despite the kindness offered.

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