The Honda Gold Wing is Honda’s flagship touring motorcycle. It launched in 1975 as the GL1000, with a 999cc liquid-cooled flat-four. Fifty years and six generations later, the 2026 Gold Wing runs a 1,833cc flat-six. More than 640,000 Gold Wings have been sold, most of them in the US.
This guide walks through why Honda built it, how each generation changed, where it was made, and whether a Gold Wing makes sense as your first big bike. Every date and number comes from Honda’s own pages or the sources listed at the end.
Why Honda built the Gold Wing
The Gold Wing did not start life as a touring bike. Honda Global’s history page says the first Gold Wing was designed as a supersport model, because big supersport bikes were selling well in the United States after the CB750 Four arrived in 1969. Honda wanted a new flagship above it.
In 1972 a design team led by Soichiro Irimajiri built a secret prototype called the M1, with a liquid-cooled flat-six and shaft drive. Those ideas fed straight into the Gold Wing. It was another big bet by the company I wrote about in my Soichiro Honda biography.
The 1975 GL1000: where it began
Honda showed the GL1000 to US dealers in Las Vegas in September 1974, then to the public at the Cologne motorcycle show in October 1974. US sales started in 1975.
Its engine was new for a motorcycle: a 999cc liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed four-cylinder with shaft drive. The fuel tank sat under the seat to lower the centre of gravity. What looks like a tank on top is a dummy that holds electrical parts.
Riders soon bolted on fairings and luggage and took it across the country. Honda’s timeline says those riders helped inspire an industry-wide shift toward long-distance motorcycling.
The Gold Wing generations at a glance
| Generation | First model year | Engine | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL1000 | 1975 | 999cc flat-four | Liquid cooling, shaft drive, fuel under the seat |
| GL1100 | 1980 | 1,085cc flat-four | More torque, longer wheelbase, air-assisted suspension, first factory-dressed Interstate |
| GL1200 | 1984 | 1,182cc flat-four | More power and torque, hydraulic valve adjustment |
| GL1500 | 1988 | 1,520cc flat-six | Two extra cylinders, new chassis, electric reverse gear |
| GL1800 | 2001 | 1,832cc flat-six | Fuel injection, aluminium twin-spar frame, optional ABS |
| Gold Wing (2018 on) | 2018 | 1,833cc flat-six | Lighter and more compact, double-wishbone front suspension, 7-speed DCT option |
My count: from the first GL1000 to today’s bike, engine size grew by about 83 percent, from 999cc to 1,833cc. The flat-four era lasted 13 years, from 1975 to 1987. The flat-six has powered every Gold Wing since 1988, which is 38 years and counting, nearly three times as long.
GL1100 and the Interstate (1980)
Honda’s timeline says the GL1100 was planned to move the Gold Wing out of the superbike world and into touring. The engine grew to 1,085cc and was tuned for torque rather than peak horsepower. A longer wheelbase gave the rider and passenger more room.
The bigger news was the Interstate. It was the first Gold Wing sold with a factory fairing, saddlebags and trunk, with an optional stereo. Before that, owners had to buy touring parts from other companies. In 1982 Honda added the Aspencade, with LCD instruments, a stereo, a CB radio and an on-board air compressor.
GL1200 (1984)
The GL1200 took the flat-four to 1,182cc. Honda says hydraulic valve adjustment made the engine close to maintenance-free. For the 10th anniversary in 1985, Honda dropped the unfaired standard model and launched a Limited Edition with fuel injection, cruise control, a four-speaker sound system and self-levelling rear suspension.
GL1500: the flat-six arrives (1988)
The GL1500 was the biggest change since 1975. Honda tested 15 machines through 60 prototype stages, which it calls the most thorough development project in its history at the time. The result was a 1,520cc flat-six. It also had an electric reverse gear, which matters on a heavy bike when you need to back out of a parking space.
GL1800 (2001)
The GL1800 brought a 1,832cc flat-six making 118 bhp and 125 lb-ft of torque, according to Honda. It added fuel injection and an aluminium twin-spar frame, and Honda patented 20 innovations during its development. In 2006 Honda offered a version with navigation and the world’s first motorcycle airbag.
The 2018 redesign
For 2018 Honda built an all-new Gold Wing that was lighter and more compact. The front end switched to a double-wishbone suspension, which Honda says cuts the shocks that reach the handlebars compared with a normal fork. Riders could choose a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).
Where Gold Wings are built
The first Gold Wings came from Japan. By 1979, Honda says more than 80 percent of Gold Wing production was going to North America, so it opened a motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio. Gold Wings were assembled there from 1980 until 2010. In 1996 the one-millionth motorcycle built in America rolled off the Marysville line, and it was a Gold Wing.
No Gold Wings were made for the 2011 model year. Production restarted in Kumamoto, Japan, using tooling shipped from Ohio, and the current bike is still built in Japan.
The Gold Wing today
Honda’s 2026 US range has five versions built on the same 1,833cc flat-six:
- Gold Wing: the “bagger” style, with a shorter windscreen and no top case.
- Gold Wing Automatic DCT: the same bike with the DCT gearbox.
- Gold Wing Tour: manual gearbox, tall windscreen, side bags and a top case.
- Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT: the Tour with DCT.
- Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT: the Tour DCT plus Honda’s airbag.
Honda lists curb weight, with fluids and a full tank, at 806 pounds for the standard Gold Wing and 856 pounds for the Tour Airbag DCT. Seat height is 29.3 inches and the fuel tank holds 5.5 gallons. Check Honda’s site or your dealer for current prices in your country.
Is a Gold Wing a good first big bike?
It can be, if you already ride well. The low 29.3-inch seat helps you get both feet down, and the reverse gear helps in car parks. But 806 to 856 pounds is a lot of weight at walking pace. A bike this heavy is hardest to handle when stopped or in slow U-turns, not on the open road.
If you are coming from a small bike like the ones in my Honda Monkey guide or my Super Cub history, build up first. Take a training course, practise slow turns and stops in an empty car park, and ride solo before you carry a passenger. A DCT version takes clutch control out of slow riding, which many new big-bike riders find easier.
FAQ
What year did the first Honda Gold Wing come out?
Honda showed the GL1000 Gold Wing in September and October 1974, and it went on sale in the US in 1975.
How heavy is a Honda Gold Wing?
Honda lists the 2026 Gold Wing at 806 pounds curb weight for the standard model and 856 pounds for the Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT, with fluids and a full tank.
How big is the Gold Wing engine?
The current Gold Wing uses a 1,833cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. The first GL1000 had a 999cc flat-four.
Where is the Gold Wing made?
In Kumamoto, Japan. From 1980 to 2010 it was assembled in Marysville, Ohio.
Does the Gold Wing have reverse?
Yes. Reverse first arrived on the GL1500 in 1988, and it remains a Gold Wing feature for moving the heavy bike at low speed.
Sources
- Honda Global: Gold Wing stories, 1975 GL1000, for the supersport origin, the under-seat fuel tank and the 1974 reveals.
- Honda News: Gold Wing timeline, for the M1, each generation to the GL1800, the Interstate and Aspencade, and Marysville history.
- Honda News: 2026 Gold Wing features and benefits, for current trims, engine, DCT, suspension, weights and the 2006 airbag, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikipedia: Honda Gold Wing, for total sales of more than 640,000, the GL1500 engine and reverse gear, and the move to Kumamoto.
Featured photo: Honda GL1000 Goldwing (1975), by SG2012, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
_-_10233920385.jpg){kind=link}