Story by Glenn Roberts

2012 Honda Gold Wing Review

The Gold Wing is a legend in motorcycle circles, known for its comfort and long-distance prowess, and although I never really had a huge desire to ride something as big as a Gold Wing, I can certainly see its appeal for the touring crowd. If I have the time, I prefer long hours in the saddle covering many kilometres in a day. My bike of choice for these types of rides is a large, well-planted bike that doesn’t get tossed around too much by either crosswind or headwind. I consider the Kawasaki Vaquero, Victory Cross Country or any of the Harley-Davidson touring bikes about as big as one really needs, and I have always thought of the Gold Wing as too bulky and awkward to manoeuvre, akin to trying to dock the Queen Mary at your local marina. But earlier this spring, I was looking at a ride that would consist of 16,000 km and 27 days, and I admit, I was looking forward to putting the Wing through its paces. I wondered if it would change my mind about its size.

After all, the Wing has been at the top of the list the world over as the long-distance touring machine, and with a production run of 35 years and counting, it has stood the test of time, proving itself over and over.

As it turns out, there isn’t a 2011 Gold Wing, as the ultimate luxury cross-country high-miler’s production line moved from Ohio to Japan, and in order to facilitate the move, production was increased for the 2010 model to tide things over until the Wing started production in Japan with the 2012 model.

 With only minor upgrades to the engine, the driveline on the 2012 Wing has remained virtually the same as the 2010 model, but the body work has been redesigned for 2012. The new body style is more fluid, with flowing lines that follow through from front to back, and I dare say it has a sportier look to it, if it’s at all possible for the biggest bike on the road to look sporty. The fit and finish, in true Honda style, is immaculate.

Something that hasn’t changed is the interaction with a Gold Wing. The Wing has always been known for its array of buttons, whether on the switchgear or on the console, likened many times by those who view them to the cockpit of an aircraft. Sitting on the bike with a plethora of buttons and switches can be a little intimidating, at least until you ride one for a while.

Beginning at the left switchgear, your hand has to go into contortions to reach the array of buttons. At the top are CB and intercom buttons. Directly below those are the standard high- and low-beam switch, horn and turn-signals button. Continuing south is stereo volume, channel select and mute buttons, and below those is a single button that allows the rider to zoom in and out and activate voice commands on the built-in GPS.

The right switchgear is similar to any other touring bike with a kill switch, starter button and electronic cruise control buttons. The difference is that the Gold Wing has a reverse gear button beside the starter switch. When the bike is running and the transmission is in neutral, simply push the reverse button, and once activated, as evident by a dash light, hitting the starter button will reverse the bike in a slow, controlled manner. A nice touch if you park on the wrong side of a grade. At 417 kg (919 lb.) full of gas and ready to ride, the Wing is not easy to manhandle, and the reverse gear worked very well; it got me out of a bind when my front tire found a pothole, eliminating the embarrassing need to ask a bystander for a push.

On the left side of the console are audio controls, some of which duplicate the left switchgear buttons. The updated stereo on the Wing provides a healthy bit of volume and with the help of the big windscreen, delivers crisp, clean sound at any speed. The stereo is iPod and MP3 friendly by plugging into the 8 mm jack for aux input to the stereo in the left-hand console storage compartment, but connecting an iPod to the USB connection that resides in the trunk will allow you to control an iPod from the left switchgear buttons.

The console controls continue front and centre with heated grips, the rider’s heated seat and digital display options, while the right-side console controls govern the GPS, height of the headlight beam and suspension adjustment. None of the right-hand console controls can be used while the bike is in motion for fear, I suppose, of taking your right hand away from the front brake lever. I can understand this for the GPS, as it takes time and concentration to operate but, in my opinion, adjusting the headlight height and rear suspension preload would be better done while the bike is in motion instead of stopping, adjusting and getting underway again, only to find that a setting isn’t correct and having to repeat the process. On the plus side, the suspension does have two memory presets to aid in quickly selecting suspension settings for particular riding conditions. MMM

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