2019 Honda Gold Wing

Few motorcycles are as iconic as the Honda Gold Wing. For nearly 45 years, various iterations of this first four- and later six-cylinder full-dress touring model have roamed crowded highways and remote byways, hauling riders, passengers, and their gear to the farthest reaches of the planet. For 2018, amid much fanfare, the Gold Wing was redesigned from stem to stern with a Honda-patented double-wishbone front end and an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. While the new model is smaller and lighter with a wonderfully neutral riding position—upright, feet slightly behind your knees, and a comfortable reach forward to the handlebar—Honda sacrificed some of the previous 150-liter luggage capacity. With two 30-liter bags and the 50-liter top case the current Wing sports 110 total liters of luggage.

Five versions of the Gold Wing are available: Gold Wing, Gold Wing DCT, Gold Wing Tour, Gold Wing Tour DCT, and Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT. All come with two smart keys and updated navigation software. (Those same updates, Honda says, are also available for 2018 models.) Prices range from $23,800 for the standard, non-top-trunk model to $31,800 for the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink edition.

Likes: An agile land yacht that eats up corners

Dislikes: One less gallon of gas under the seat and a 40-liter reduction in luggage space

Verdict: You can't go wrong with the latest Gold Wing

The redesigned Honda Gold Wing has performed exceptionally well in comparison testing, but it isn’t everyone’s ultimate full-dress touring bike. “One thing was extremely clear,” Zack Courts concluded in a recent comparison with the BMW K1600B, “Six-cylinder touring bikes are more than just four-cylinders ahead of the competition.”

2018 Honda Gold Wing Tour vs. BMW K1600B Grand America

2018 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special vs. Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

2019 Harley-Davidson CVO And Special Models First Ride

The Gold Wing’s clearest competition hails from Germany, the six-cylinder BMW K1600GTL and K1600 Grand America. An American V-twin from Harley-Davidson or Indian, or even a Japanese touring cruiser like Yamaha’s Star Venture, might do the trick, but none of those machines are truly a match on paper or pavement for the Gold Wing.

2018 BMW K 1600 GTL

2018 BMW K 1600 B

2019 Harley-Davidson CVO Limited

2019 Harley-Davidson Touring Electra Glide Ultra Classic

2018 Indian Roadmaster

For 2019, the Gold Wing is available in a range of colors: Gold Wing Tour/Tour DCT (Candy Ardent Red, Darkness Black Metallic, or Pearl Hawkseye Blue); Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT (Candy Ardent Red/Black); Gold Wing (Darkness Black Metallic), and Gold Wing DCT (Candy Ardent Red, Matte Majestic Silver, or Darkness Black Metallic).