The Honda Gold Wing single-handedly invented the touring segment back in 1975, and since then, it has led the way forward. Over the past five decades, constant evolution has made it the benchmark for touring motorcycles and changed the way people think about them. Unlike some of its rivals, this Honda is not a slouch, slow-turning land yacht. It’s a properly modern, performance-first touring motorcycle, as Honda describes it.
So, to create an exciting yet comfortable touring bike, Honda has added numerous electronics and features to the Gold Wing. This has consequently made it one of the most feature-loaded motorcycles on sale today. It comes with everything, including an electronic windscreen, an optional airbag, reverse mode, and more. Here’s all you need to know.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Honda Powersports.
The Gold Wing Is The Most Feature-Loaded Honda Tourer
Starting Price: $25,200 (Gold Wing 50th Anniversary)
Think of all the features you’ll ever need on your touring motorcycle, and there’s a high chance the Gold Wing has that and more. Of course, the basics are there, such as a butter-smooth, powerful flat-six engine, couch-like comfort, and plenty of luggage space for two-up tours. Big Red has built upon that with one of the best tech packages in the segment, including features such as an advanced infotainment system, electronic windscreen, rider aids, and more. The Gold Wing is also the only production motorcycle of 2025 to come with an airbag.
A Handful Of Variants Ensure Something For Everyone
Honda offers the Gold Wing in multiple variants, too, starting with the trunkless model and the Gold Wing Tour, which features a massive trunk that can hold two full-face helmets. The latter’s trunk also doubles up as a backrest for the pillion. You also have the option to choose between a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission variant, depending on your riding style and preferences. Such a range of features and trim levels combine to make this the most refined and luxurious Gold Wing to date.
No Rival Offers This Kind Of A Package
Even when you compare the Gold Wing to its rivals, it stands out as one of the most feature-packed models. The only other rival that comes close is the BMW K 1600 series, but it becomes expensive quickly once you start adding optional features. Meanwhile, American tourers, such as the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra or Indian Roadmaster Powerplus Limited, don’t come close to offering a similar level of features. While features aren’t everything, it’s good to know that paying so much money at least gets you everything you’d ever need for your tours.
Packed With Every Feature You’d Ever Need While Touring
That brings us to the long feature list of the Gold Wing, starting with the massive TFT display. This display features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, complemented by 55-watt speakers with automatic volume control. Honda claims that this infotainment system offers all the information and connectivity, along with a rich auditory experience. Honda also offers an optional HomeLink system on all models, which allows you to activate devices such as garage doors, RF-controlled lights, and locks.
All The Safety Aids Are Standard
Various riding aids also come into action, making your Gold Wing more comfortable on the highway and easy to maneuver in the city. For example, all models come standard with cruise control and heated grips, while the Tour models also get heated seats. Hill Start Assist, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), and ABS have your back, and four riding modes help you tune the bike’s performance as per the occasion. Rounding out the package are self-cancelling indicators, TPMS, and Smart Key, along with an extensive list of optional extras.
Ample Luggage Storage For Your Weekend Shenanigans
We then come to luggage, though don’t mistake this for something basic, either. The integrated cases on every model open automatically with the push of a button. The Smart Key also allows you to easily lock and unlock the cases. On standard models, the two panniers can hold around 15.85 gallons of luggage combined. The Tour variant features a large topcase, increasing the total storage capacity to 32 gallons, which can accommodate two full-face helmets. The top case is optional on the standard trunkless models as well.
Business Class Experience On Two Wheels
On a touring motorcycle, comfort trumps everything else, and Honda has spared no expense here. As a result, the Gold Wing goes beyond the basics of comfort, offering much more than just relaxed ergonomics, easy-reach bars, and neutral pegs. This bike features suede-like seats, which are said to be supportive over long distances. Take the Tour variant, and the top case features a substantial backrest with armrests for the pillion, allowing them to take a nap on endless highways without becoming part of the scenery.
The Windscreen Is Electronically Adjustable
Adding to the bike’s comfort is its full-coverage fairing, which directs the air around you, keeping you cool and fresh despite long hours on the highway. The windscreen is electronically adjustable with a 4.9-inch range. You can adjust its height and angle in a stepless manner, allowing you to find the perfect setting that suits you. Honda has also added small ducts up front to direct some air to cool you on hot days and give you that “wind in the face” feeling without the windblast.
The Only Motorcycle To Offer An Airbag
One example that showcases just how high-tech the Gold Wing is that it’s the only motorcycle in the world to offer an airbag, and it has been doing so since 2006. Although the airbag is only available as an option on the Tour models, it is worth considering if you want that extra protection. Honda has developed the airbag based on real-world crash data, which found that many injuries and fatalities occur when the rider goes over the bars in a head-on collision.
Don’t worry, the airbag won’t deploy if you drop your bike in the parking lot. It’s designed to deploy only during high-impact front crashes. Here, the airbag absorbs the rider’s forward momentum, keeping them from going over the bars or testing the strength of their bones against the bike’s metal. It’s also an engineering marvel, since, unlike cars, it does not have any support surface behind it. Instead, this V-shaped airbag uses tether straps to anchor itself to the frame. It’s a terrific piece of tech that promises to save your bacon someday.
Equally High Tech Powerplant And Underpinnings, Too
This Honda touring bike also gets a top-spec powerplant and underpinnings. For starters, the horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine is known for its smooth yet powerful character and reliability. It produces 125 horses at 5,500 RPM and peak torque at 4,500 RPM, which is sure to translate into a relaxing riding experience on the highways. Honda says that this iteration of the flat-six engine is 13 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and it gets some high-tech components, including aluminum cylinder sleeves and an integrated starter generator system (ISG).
Automatic Transmission Makes Life Easier
On standard models, the engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission featuring overdrive top gear. You can also opt for a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for an effortless twist-and-go experience. To make the bike easier to maneuver, both gearboxes come with Walking Mode and reverse, allowing you to creep forward and backward under power at a walking pace. In manual mode, it is powered by an electric reverse, unlike the automatic, which is engine-powered. You can control it via the + and – buttons on the left handlebar switch.
Showa Suspension Lets You Glide Over Bumps
The bike also features a unique Showa double wishbone suspension at the front, which positions the rider and engine closer to the front, thereby improving the bike’s handling. It’s paired with a Showa monoshock with a single-sided Pro Arm swingarm with integrated shaft drive at the back. On Tour models, this suspension setup features electronic preload adjustment, which lets you adjust preload at the push of a button. Additionally, on the Tour models, the damping force is electrically adjusted to mood-specific settings, from soft to stiff.
There’s hardly anything on the bike that doesn’t serve a function toward comfort and performance. Whether you consider the extensive features list, wind protection, underpinnings, or the flat-six engine, everything on the bike is top-notch. That’s what makes this Gold Wing the most high-tech Honda touring motorcycle, as well as one of the most high-tech bikes in the segment, too. It’s a bike that can make $25,000 look like value for money.