Honda Gold Wing (GL1800) reviews

I purchased the Goldwing Airbag in April of 2009. It had 2,900 miles on it at that time. I have taken several short rides both solo and two up. (500 miles or less) and one longer 1,600 miles 3 day ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon through the Colorado mountains. We rode 10+ hours every day on the long ride and never became fatiqued or sore. The cruise control worked flawlessly and my 51 year old hands appreciated how well it worked. The power of the 6 cylinder engine made the mountain passes a piece of cake. I wish the bike had factory installed highway pegs and something to make the passenger from getting blown away at highway speeds. It would also be nice to have a sixth gear since the motor is turning 3,200 RPMS at 75 MPH. This bike is so smooth and powerful, not to mention the reliability of Honda. I get between 40 to 50 MPG depending how much power I apply to the rear wheel. On the 1,600 miles Grand Canyon ride, I got 50 MPG overall. Show less

Just bought a Goldwing Lehman trike. Between war wounds, old age and my wife's equilibrium problems we thought our riding days may be coming to an end. I stop in at the dealership at least once a month and saw where they had become a Lehman trike dealer. So we sold a Yamaha Venture and got the trike and it solves a lot of problems. My wife says she feels safer than ever before, no more grinding off kickstands and other parts. The bike is great, I put over 1000 miles on the first weekend I got it. Show less

This gl1800 is the greatest bike I have ever rode. I have not had a chance to take it on a road trip but have been riding to work and around town for the past 10 days with limited highway riding. All I can say is each time I ride it, the more I like it. I am the second owner and the bike has just over 23K miles and is in perfect condition. I have ridden road kings & road glides, I had 2 aprilia scarabeo 150 & 500, I loved the 500 but crashed it at around 60mph in Nov 08 and broke my hand, that is a whole nother story about how it happened. I had been looking at gl1800 before the accident but had not found what I was looking for at the price I wanted to pay. I bought a 2006 suzuki M109R and started riding it in May 09, it is super fast but has real loud cobra pipes so was not what I wanted to ride everyday. The M109 to me is like a corvette, great fun to drive, just would not want to ride it everyday. I bought a 2003 Honda silverwing for to and from work and it is great for in town or the highway, it is so easy to ride and you can be a 70-80 mph before you know it. I thought I was happy with the 2 bikes one for my daily rider and one for crusing and then my son bought the 2005 gl1800, I rode it home the day he brought it in and have been riding it everyday since. It is a dream to ride. The radio is great, you can hear it going 70-80 mph through the speakers with my helmet on. The cruise is also great. I can not wait for my first road trip. At this point I would like to keep the other 2 bikes and the gl1800 but am not sure I need 3 bikes, but for sure I a keeping the gl1800. As I have read before if you ride motorcycles, do not ride the gl1800 unless you are willing to buy it. I was asked by a friend today if I ever wanted to buy a harley someday and I said no, I want to ride for the ride and you just can not beat the gl1800, it is top of the class. Show less

After having the great experience of the 06 Kawasaki Concourse I upgraded to Gold Wing! The Connie took some time to get use to her top heavy feel, but once use to that she was a fun bike to drive. The next frontier: Gold Wing is front heavy relatively speaking and a little longer base than Concours. This too will take time to get use to. That is the only challenge though with this - the nicest bike I've ever owned. She is quiet, smooth, powerful, comfortable, great highway control, human engineered, safety concience and wow what a fantastic bang for the buck. Notice I haven't even mentioned the garnish yet. The GPS, stereo, the heated seat and grips, cruise control, anti-lock breaks two auto preloadands on and on. What a fantastic ride, what a fantastic bike! I'll miss the sport aspects of Connie, but not the wrist fatigue from the handle bar buzz, the lack of conveniences for long hauls. I can assure you the passenger, (wife) noticed a big difference too! Show less

I had never driven a Goldwing before and was concerned about the weight and balance of this near 1,000 lb. machine. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The low center of gravity made the balance superb. I'm able to make turns in a smaller radius than on my previous bike, which was considerably smaller. I'm also very pleased with the powerful engine that is so smooth that sounds like it is powered by electricity, not gasoline. It is that smooth! What a beautiful machine! Show less

Simply put there is no comparable Touring Motorcycle on the road. All the comforts of home as one would say. Simply a dream to ride and can't imagine having any other bike.. Show less

What a machine! My wife and I were originally going to purchase the titanium Gold Wing. Then the white caught our eye. We decided to go with pearl white. My wife loved the comfort of the passenger seat (she had never been on a motorcycle before). I rode the bike in the parking lot and it handled like a dream. This machine likes the highway. The cruise control is superb and responsive. Navigation system was easy to use and see even in bright light. This is a gem. Show less

I must say I was uneasy about buying one but I have to say it was the best decision I made. Handles great, no hand cramps from pulling in a clutch bar in city traffic. Tons of storage space, can go food shopping and put all items in the under seat storage and in the GiVi top box. I get 58 mpg!! Traveling at 60mph. Lots of takeoff speed and top speed 120. I call it my wolf in sheeps clothing or my Super Scooter. Will buy one again when and if I can wear this one out. Jeff ,Caro MI. Show less

I have owned Hondas all my life. I have been coast to coast on a Honda, never have been let down. This is my first Wing, a 2008 Premium Audio. I have added the fog lights and XM radio. If you are going to ride in the North Georgia Mountains with your wife, this is the machine to do it on. This is not a machine to take lightly. When you sit on it and start the engine, you know this isn't the 750 you had in high school. In closing, if you are looking for a superior touring machine, don't waste your time, just try one. Show less

I have over 50K of great miles on the bike. In 2005 it was triked and even more fun. I have over one million miles on Goldwings and the 1800 is by far the best yet. When better bikes are made, they will say Honda on them. The addition of a voltmeter is a worthwhile upgrade. Show less