Press Release | March 9, 2019
Steady Garage’s “Cool Wing” blends modernity and heritage
This is a press release from Honda…
Daytona Beach, FL (March 9, 2019) – Today at Daytona International Speedway, American Honda unveiled a custom-built Gold Wing as a part of its Daytona Bike Week activities. Called “Cool Wing,”the special motorcycle was created by Kevin Dunn, Duy Nguyen, Jimmy Chen and Ray Tong, of Southern California’s Steady Garage.
The production 2019 Gold Wing touring machine is a contemporary version of the legendary “King of Motorcycles,”and the Steady Garage build team wanted to transform it into a bike that would represent their love for modern styling while paying homage to Honda’s robust Gold Wing heritage. The design challenge was to create something that was stylish but without straying too far from functionality. Following an extensive draft process, designer Francis Clemente came up with a design that could stimulate both customizers and purists. Air suspension and batique-style mufflers were examples of elements that were key to creating the build’s silhouette, but a handcrafted leather saddle, bare metal details and scallops in the paint brought the Cool Wing to life.
With one and a half months to bring the project from concept to reality, Steady Garage worked with partners to machine and fabricate special needed parts. Mooneyes built a mold specifically for the project in order to make the disc covers for the Gold Wing front rim, while Platinum Air Suspension provided air shocks to help achieve the slammed stance without sacrificing the ride height. The onboard air is stored on two Dirty Work stainless-steel air tanks, with air supplied by a single Viair 380c air compressor. Maxima Imagen painted over 33 individual parts, and Electrical Connection provided dress-up components. Cub Group supplied the industry’s first motorcycle blind-spot monitoring system (BSM), and Rogelio’s Auto Upholstery did a fantastic job with the seat.
“Our team was ecstatic to be the chosen company to build a custom Gold Wing for Honda,”said Steady Garage Co-founder Kevin Dunn. “The project was very challenging due to the Gold Wing’s new design, as there was no guidance from any existing builds or projects that fit our style. Our hope was to build a custom Gold Wing that would be appreciated by riders of all ages, interests and backgrounds. We had to make it look cool without stepping away from functionality. The bike has a lot of attitude, mixed with retro salt-flat inspired discs, scallop graphics and a low seat, and in our opinion the custom colors make it look very cool!”
“The Gold Wing is one of our halo products,”added Honda Motorcycle Shows and Public Relations Manager Chris Cox, “and we wanted to highlight the fact that while it’s rightly known for its amazing touring capabilities, it’s also a very high-performance machine that can be appreciated by a broad range of enthusiasts. Steady Garage embraced that theme for this project, and we’re very pleased with the result. Cool Wing has a youthful, creative, exciting spirit, while still respecting the Gold Wing brand and what it stands for.”
The Cool Wing will be on display at multiple events this year including the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and the Americade Motorcycle Touring Rally. Be sure to come check it out.