2012 Honda Gold Wing Luxury Touring Class

The Honda Gold Wing has stood alone at the forefront of the luxury touring class. One of the big reasons it stays there is because we're constantly updating and innovating, without ever losing sight of the Gold Wing's core greatness. The improvements and features we're offering on our 2012 models are a perfect example of that: The new (sleek new bodywork, our new trip planner, an even nicer seat) combine with the proven (a famously smooth six-cylinder engine and a twin-spar chassis influenced by our years of Grand Prix racing) to give you the best Gold Wing ever. Revolutionary. Extraordinary. Standard-setting. It's what you've come to expect of the Gold Wing. And that's especially true with our latest model.

The Gold Wing's fuel-injected, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine is exceptionally smooth and incredibly powerful. This time-tested powerplant delivers plenty of useable power, using regular unleaded fuel. And to eliminate crankshaft-induced torque reaction at the chassis, the gearbox spins opposite the crank's rotation an elegant solution, and a typical Gold Wing engineering touch.

2012 Honda Gold Wing

2012 Honda Gold Wing

 The Honda Gold Wing has always offered power, performance, handling, and touring comfort. And that's why it's always led the touring-bike class. For 2012, we've added and upgraded some of our four options packages. 1832cc liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine; Heated grips, seat, & foot warmer; Premium Surround Sound; Cruise Control; Electric Reverse.

The 2012 Gold Wing's new layered-surface bodywork does more than just look great. We took the opportunity to fine-tune the rider and passenger environment. There's appreciably more wind and weather protection around your lower legs, so you'll experience less buffeting and warmer legs on those cool days.

Each package is designed to optimize your riding experience with such exclusive features as XM Radio with NavTraffic/NavWeather and our new Trip Planner software. Our upgraded premium audio package gives you Surround Sound a new feature for 2012. Cold-weather comfort features like heated grips, a heated seat and passenger backrest, foot-level warm-air ducts and better lower-leg wind protection make a great ride even better. Combined anti-lock brakes (C-ABS) help you stop with more confidence, and Honda's revolutionary airbag system is the first of its kind on a production motorcycle.

2012 Honda Gold Wing

2012 Honda Gold Wing

Riding the 2012 Honda Gold Wing back to back with the ’10 version, the difference is not astounding, though certainly more significant than subtle. The tires mean the new Gold Wing has easier turn-in, and the tauter suspension eliminates wallowing in the corners. Riders on the 2012 will experience far fewer touchdowns in corners than their friends on older versions. Comfort remains outstanding--the suspension is still plush, absorbing pavement irregularities as if they didn’t exist. Straight-line performance is still effortless--the turning enhancement did nothing to compromise stability. This is an upgrade, pure and simple. An astounding performer, the Gold Wing is upping its game another notch (no surprise, given the direct attack coming from the all-new BMW R 1600 GTL).

Honda Gold Wing also changed the seat and seat cover materials. Again, this is not a huge change, and many people will want a custom seat in any case, as personalization is an important part of a machine like this. The stock seat is fine and will satisfy even finicky rumps. From a practical standpoint, Honda has upgraded the Gold Wing’s navigation system with the Next-Generation Honda Satellite Linked Navigation System (only available on some flavors of the Wing). As soon as it’s on, you’ll notice an improved color display that’s brighter (though still not bright enough when the sun hits it) and easier to read.

2012 Honda Gold Wing

2012 Honda Gold Wing Speedometer-Control Panel

The 2012 Honda Gold Wing also gets a new Next-Generation Premium Audio System on every version. I was rockin’ out to the Garage channel on XM Radio, and both the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Social Distortion sounded quite good, although wearing a full-face helmet is always going to be a limiting factor.

The system has upgraded MP3/iPod connectivity via handlebar-mounted controls. You can plug something as sophisticated as an iPod into the system and have full control, or something as simple as a USB thumb drive and still have decent control (as long as you sort your MP3s into folders). SRS CS Auto technology brings surround-sound to the Gold Wing, though I didn’t really notice. Number counters will want to know that there’s an 80-watt-per-channel amplifier, six-element speaker system (two rear speakers, a pair of front speakers and two tweeters), plus auto bass control combined with auto volume control.

2012 Honda Gold Wing Starting Prices $23,199