QUICKSPIN I 2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary
P120
The 2025 Honda Gold Wing
50th Anniversary model fea-
tures subtle Gold Wing logos
across
the saddlebags and side
fairings, with a special 50th
anniversary badge above the
fuel cap lid and on the key fob.
Also, when the bike is switched
on, the instrumentation dis
-
plays "Since 1975." Everything
else
carries over from before,
including the bike's 1833cc
six-cylinder engine, its double-
wishbone front suspension and
Pro-Link single shock, multiple
ride modes, cruise control, hill
start assist, reverse, an electri
-
cally controlled windscreen, and,
well,
you name it.
Last month, to celebrate the
arrival of the 50th Anniversary
Gold Wing, Honda invited a
handful of lucky journalists to
revisit the Gold Wing experience,
which encompassed a two-day,
nearly 700-mile casual back
-
country ride from
Birmingham,
Alabama, to Daytona Beach,
Florida. Not to mention a few
fun laps around Barber Motor-
sports Park immediately fol-
lowing a few cautious laps on a
50-year-old
Gold Wing GL1000.
Even though I have accumulated
thousands of miles over the
years on the Gold Wing, it had
been a while since I last spent
any significant time on one,
not since the 'Wing's last major
revamp in 2018, so I was up
for this ride.
It goes without saying
what
a wonderful motorcycle the
Gold Wing is. Over the decades,
we've all heard nothing but great
things about the Gold Wing. And
they're all true. When it comes
to burning up the miles, the
Gold Wing is truly the zenith of
the touring motorcycle. Several
brands have tried to compete
with the Gold Wing over the last
50 years, but have had little suc
-
cess. As good as those bikes
were, most failed,
and some
of the manufacturers gave up
trying, like Yamaha with its
Venture Royale, Kawasaki with
its Voyager, and Suzuki with its
Cavalcade. The Gold Wing's only
The Gold Wing
has come a long
way since the
first Gold Wing
GL1000 (left)
emerged
50 years ago.
