After four decades at the top of the tourer pile, the legendary Honda Gold Wing gets a thorough reworking for 2018. And Bike have already ridden it...
HONDA MEAN BUSINESS with their new GL1800. After producing more than 100 prototypes and several years of development, the new Gold Wing is slimmer, sleeker, more efficient and 48kg lighter. It’s a dramatic upgrade. Our sneak preview ride is after the recent MotoGP round at Motegi. Not the ideal test arena for a tourer, however it’s a smooth, open, controlled environment, and a not-to-be-missed opportunity when the bike’s still to be revealed (hence the wallpaper disguise). First I get some time on the previous couch on-wheels, and frankly it feels pretty good. However, I then opt to try the new basic Gold Wing version, the one with a manual six-speed gearbox and no rear top-box. What a difference...
The new gearbox is an absolute revelation. It’s not a sportbike level shifter, but it is an enormous improvement. Gone is the longish throw at the lever, and gone is that hefty clunk as the next ratio comes in. Clutchless shifts are now easy and smooth, with a new slipper clutch eliminating that back-torque, keeping everything nice and stable when braking hard down into corners.
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bike UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Bike UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mae Rasys Ffordd Yn Mynd
Look out Isle of Man the Welsh are coming, August 2018…
Ready For Take-Off
Bike heads for Bolton to watch the first CCM Spitfires roll off the production line. Expect tales of proper engineering, an if-we-build-it-theywill-come business plan and bacon sarnies…
Motorcycling: The Next Ten Years
Imagine a world where bikes know where cars are coming from, and vice versa. A world where there are no traffic jams, far fewer collisions and no filthy smog. In this building a very different future of motorcycling is being created. And it’s got an awful lot going for it, especially for bikers…
The Cuba Option
In 1996, adventurer Chris Baker shipped his BMW R100GS to Cuba. He learned a lot in three months and even wrote a book about it. It’s a great place to ride a bike…
BMW R1200GS Rambler
Accessory giants Touratech show how far the big GS can really go...
Suzuki SX-S750
You have to feel a bit sorry for poor ols Suzuki,they tick all the right boxes with their new GSX-S,but it's still not enough.
Ride Like The Wind
Named after a Pyrenean breeze Triumph’s Tramontana tackles the Panafrica Rally and proves it’s more than just a PR stunt…
Into The Valley
5 November, snow storms shut the Stelvio Pass for what could be winter. 4 November, Ben Lindley pops through on a 2018 R1200GS Adventure heading for Milan, and EICMA. At least that’s the plan...
Ducati Monster 821
Revised middleweight takes style advice from Monster 1200, but is it enough?
Honda GL1800 Gold Wing
After four decades at the top of the tourer pile, the legendary Honda Gold Wing gets a thorough reworking for 2018. And Bike have already ridden it...
