It has been 50 years since the introduction of the Honda Gold Wing, a motorcycle that significantly contributed to the inception of the touring segment. In commemorating the tourer’s golden jubilee anniversary, the 2025 Honda 50th Anniversary Gold Wing might not see any ground-breaking changes, but is adorned with special logos on both the standard “bagger” (without the rear top case) and Tour models. In addition, with every purchase, you’ll receive an entertaining coffee-table book exploring the history of the Gold Wing and a cool 1:12-scale desktop model featuring both the 1975 and 2025 versions—one side is the 1975 Gold Wing; flip it around, and you get the 2025 version.
Photos by Align Media
Despite the milestone, Honda made no hard changes to the Gold Wing. However, the 2025 model now features wireless compatibility for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Along with new graphics, there are new colors to choose from, including special Eternal Gold that pays homage to the early GL1200 and GL1500 models.
The 2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary model features subtle Gold Wing logos across the saddlebags and side fairings, with a special 50th anniversary badge above the fuel cap lid and on the key fob. Also, when the bike is switched on, the instrumentation displays “Since 1975.” Everything else carries over from before, including the bike’s 1833cc six-cylinder engine, its double-wishbone front suspension and Pro-Link single shock, multiple ride modes, cruise control, hill start assist, reverse, an electrically controlled windscreen, and, well, you name it.
Last month, to celebrate the arrival of the 50th Anniversary Gold Wing, Honda invited a handful of lucky journalists to revisit the Gold Wing experience, which encompassed a two-day, nearly 700-mile casual backcountry ride from Birmingham, Alabama, to Daytona Beach, Florida. Not to mention a few fun laps around Barber Motorsports Park immediately following a few cautious laps on a 50-year-old Gold Wing GL1000. Even though I have accumulated thousands of miles over the years on the Gold Wing, it had been a while since I last spent any significant time on one, not since the ’Wing’s last major revamp in 2018, so I was up for this ride.
It goes without saying what a wonderful motorcycle the Gold Wing is. Over the decades, we’ve all heard nothing but great things about the Gold Wing. And they’re all true. When it comes to burning up the miles, the Gold Wing is truly the zenith of the touring motorcycle. Several brands have tried to compete with the Gold Wing over the last 50 years, but have had little success. As good as those bikes were, most failed, and some of the manufacturers gave up trying, like Yamaha with its Venture Royale, Kawasaki with its Voyager, and Suzuki with its Cavalcade. The Gold Wing’s only close competitors these days are from BMW, Harley-Davidson and Indian.
The Gold Wing’s motor, chassis, suspension, handling and comfort are just too good to beat for two-wheel touring. We rode approximately 350 miles each day, and while I realize that’s a drop in the bucket for many hard-core Gold Wingers, it was quite a bit for me, yet I still had enough energy in my tank to enjoy a nice evening out on the town and dinner. The Gold Wing might be a large motorcycle, but it doesn’t wear you out. By early the next morning, I was fresh and ready to do it all over again.
When it comes to the Gold Wing, the biggest dilemma for most buyers is whether to DCT or not to DCT. According to Honda, a large majority of you chose DCT. DCT stands for Dual Clutch Transmission, aka, automatic transmission. Operating the ’Wing’s six-speed manual transmission is as pain-free as it gets, but Honda’s seven-speed DCT system is just so nice. On this ride, I found myself mostly on the manual version, which I enjoyed, but I would’ve preferred being on the DCT model the entire time, especially when we hit Daytona’s stop-and-go traffic at the end of the day. DCT is the ideal application for the Gold Wing. For me, it’s well worth the extra $1000.
Even though I don’t own a vehicle equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, I found the Wing’s infotainment system works well. It was easy enough to use (though I hardly took advantage of what it all has to offer), and the initial setup was simple, but, of course, not without some of the usual little hiccups when hooking up any electronic device for the first time. Luckily, once you’ve accomplished it, connecting from then on out is easy. Since I have little experience with the Gold Wing’s previous infotainment center, Honda reps assured me the new one is more streamlined than before. Of note, the new system does not incorporate a built-in navigation system; instead, you’ll rely on your smartphone’s GPS app for that now.
It seems a tiny bit strange to me that Honda didn’t make any notable hard changes to the Gold Wing to celebrate its 50th birthday, but as one Honda rep half-heartedly joked, “What else could we do?” I guess he has a point. However, a conversation arose among some journalists during one break that adaptive cruise control would be welcomed. After all, many Gold Wingers ride in groups, like we did, and not having to readjust the Wing’s cruise control button all the time would’ve been nice on those seemingly endless, open Florida roads. Otherwise, the Gold Wing is still the cream of the crop for long-distance touring.
Happy golden jubilee, Gold Wing. Thanks for the first 50. We’re sure you’ll be around for another 50 and still be leading the way.CN
2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Specifications
| MSRP | $29,200 (Base model) |
| Engine Type | Longitudinal opposed flat-six |
| Valvetrain | Unicam SOHC, 24-valve |
| Displacement | 1833cc |
| Transmission | 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) automatic or 6-speed manual |
| Final Drive | Shaft |
| Front Suspension | Double wishbone |
| Rear Suspension | Pro Arm single-sided swingarm w/Pro-Link single shock |
| Wheelbase | 66.9 in. |
| Seat Height | 29.3 in. |
| Fuel Capacity | 5.5 gal. |
| Weight (wet, claimed) | 845 lbs. |
| Colors | Eternal Gold, Bordeaux Red Metallic |
Join us in the video below as we ride the new Honda Gold Wing from Birmingham, Alabama, all the way to Daytona Beach, Florida. Throughout this three-day road trip we traveled more than 600 miles and ended at the iconic the 2025 Daytona Bike Week. Watch ’til the end to see Jett Lawrence, the Honda Supercross pits, and more!
VIDEO | 700 Mile Road Trip To Bike Week! NEW Honda Gold Wing
Click here to read the 2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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