Honda Goldwing GL 1800 Review

Overall Rating

Too many good points to list but mainly:-
Extremely comfortable for pilot and pillion – so much so, the wife fell asleep in the pillion’s armchair on one occasion and that was at 70mph!
Good sturdy handling and holds the road well during cornering and at high-end speeds, especially in windy conditions – no wobble or weave.
Lots of power especially in overdrive – the in-line six just keeps pulling and pulling!

Rear boot lid seal leaves marks around rim of boot.
Does not come with rear speakers as standard - these are accessories which cost £150 extra.
Headlights are on all the time – something introduced on most new bikes now, I was told because of conforming to new EU regs?

Having owned a Honda Pan European ST1100 for several years and many other big bikes before that, I am used to comfort, reliability and power. When the new Pan (ST1300) replaced the ST1100 I was interested in trading up to the new Pan. That is until I test rode one. What a load of rubbish. Far from being impressed, I think Honda have ruined a good sport touring machine. I had a dilemma: I tried the FJR, which was better but did not have the carrying capacity of the old Pan. I considered the BMW RT, but was put off by other reviews. With only a 1200cc engine to pull a "tank", it is just too underpowered. Having driven the tried and trusted ST1100 (the police, AA and paramedics can’t all be wrong). The only alternative was to try out the Goldwing. I test drove the demo Wing at a local dealership for a whole day. What a machine!

At over £17000, I considered carefully before I bought one. I have now owned the new Goldwing (2006 model) for 3 months now and I can safely say that it is the best bike I have owned and ridden. I have done nearly 3000 miles which shows I can hardly stay off it! It is the ultimate bike and the new '06 model comes with heated seats and grips etc. The cockpit is very clear and easy to navigate despite all of the buttons and switches. A real posing machine which NEVER fails to turn heads. The windscreen is adjustable and gives excellent wind and rain protection but even in the recent heatwave conditions in the UK (recently 38 degrees celsius), there is an adjustable vent in the screen which allows a nice flow of air through to keep the pilot cool. Services are every 4000 miles (oil and filter) and because it is a six-cylinder, the major service is not until 16000 – rather like a car service schedule really. Fuel consumption is good – Im averaging about 40 45 miles per gallon and it seems to be a little better than my old Pan which averaged about 42 MPG. This depends on how it is driven. I was concerned about not being able to filter through traffic as well as I did with the Pan. I must say, the Wing commands respect in traffic and most other road users can both see and depending if you have the music on at mid range, they can hear you and most pull over to let you pass through. It is about 7-8 inches wider than the Pan, that is mirror-to-mirror edge, but because the Wing’s mirrors are raised higher, they usually glide over most car door mirrors when filtering is tight. The tyres wear much better – I would say about 7000 miles out of the rear and maybe a little more out of the front. Mine are about one third worn at 3000 miles. I have also been quoted £130 for the rear and £95 for the front, so cost about the same as the Pan’s despite being bigger.

Some superbike riders are fooled by the passive demeanour of the Wing. It can cruise comfortably at high speed and beats any superbike at prolonged motorway speeds – they soon fall behind after 20 minutes of wind buffeting. Motorway driving is a pleasure just slip the cruise control on and relax. When asked by the usual R1, Blade type biker, who I find are usually critical of anything not renowned for doing 200mph up, why I chose the Wing (I’m 40ish but look 30ish), I simply ask them how often they get the opportunity to take their “moped” above 100mph and what would they rather drive from the UK to say the Alps: a Lotus or a Rolls? Enough said! I have; piloted a Blade, a Firestorm and an R1 and for short journeys they are just about bearable. Try travelling more than 70 miles on one compared to a Pan, FJR or a RT1200! Well, the Wing is supreme in this regard. I did a 120-mile sprint from Nottinghamshire to the North Yorkshire moors recently with a group of other riders, some of whom were on mopeds such as Blades, Busa and the like. While these “moped” riders arrived fatigued, visors fly-encrusted, and walking like 90-year old arthritics (not to mention those with pillions who were equally saddle weary!), my wife and I hardly noticed the distance had been covered. Instead of spending 5 minutes stretching and straightening our legs and cracking our vertebra like the others, we went for a walkabout feeling quite exhilarated! So too was the Beemer pilot and his pillion. All I can say is: you only get what you pay for and you can have two new R1s for the price of a new Goldwing. Enough said! I could talk all day about the Wing. If you are thinking of getting one – don’t hesitate; you won’t be disappointed!

Members' Comments onWingCommander1's Review

• willow100 on 16th Oct 2008

  I found this review helpful because... its balanced and accurate.

• oldbiker777 on 8th Dec 2008

  Hi I have also graduated from a Pan to a wing about 7 years ago, I agree with most of your comments apart from one. The width of a wing is only 10mm wider than a pan? Not 7 inches. It is a big bike but I filter where all the other bikes filter no problem. My mate has a Pan and he normally follows me and although the gap may look tight to him he works on the assumption that if I get through he must be able to. Watch out for transits as they have the same mirror height as you!
  Ride safe kind regards ROGER.