Best Touring Bike: Honda GL1800 Gold Wing

Forgive us if you think we’re repeating ourselves, but we can’t help it: The 1800 Gold Wing has won the Best Touring award five years in a row and eight times in the bike’s 10-year existence. Not only that, in the 34-year history of Ten Best, Gold Wings of all sizes have topped this category 20 times. Yes, these bikes are that good.

The 1800’s ethereally smooth flat-Six delivers a bottomless well of stump-pulling torque that would do a Peterbilt proud, and the chassis offers a ride as plush as that provided by some cars. Toss in a great sound system, cruise control, heated grips and seat, adjustable windscreen, cockpit-adjustable headlights and rear-suspension preload—plus more than 75 accessories that include a navigation system, anti-lock brakes and even an airbag—and you get an over-the-road experience that nothing else on two wheels can match.