Everybody relax. The Honda Gold Wing isn’t on the chopping block, at least not yet. Unless you live in Japan, you’ll be able to swing a leg over a shiny 2023 Honda Gold Wing and ride off into the sunset.
Editor’s note: We’ve test ridden both Gold Wing versions during the 2020 Honda Gold Wing DCT MC Commute Review and 2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT MC Commute Review articles and videos.
On the heels of the abovementioned Japanese discontinuation, Honda has unveiled the 2023 Gold Wing for the US and European market. This “unveiling” serves more as reassurance, as rumors of the Gold Wing’s demise swirled on forums earlier this summer.
Those rumors were likely given momentum by news that the GWRRA (Gold Wing Road Riders Association) was closing its doors, and further fanned by folks who failed to read or realize that the Wing’s discontinuation only applied in the Japanese market.
The end effect of all this gives the virtually unchanged 2023 Honda Gold Wing a public relations win akin to the “new Coke” fiasco of the ‘80s. Of course, in this case nothing’s changed, and thank goodness. We’re all good here, at least until Euro 6 and 7 regulations come into play.
Four distinct models are again/still available: the Gold Wing Automatic DCT, Gold Wing Tour, Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT, and the Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT. As the nomenclature suggests, three of the four come with Honda’s exceptional seven-speed Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission.
The only thing actually gone is Ultra Blue Metallic, which is replaced by a Candy Ardent Red option. Those opting for the Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT or the Gold Wing Automatic DCT are stuck with the aforementioned red and Matte Gray (instead of Matte Nightshade Blue) color, respectively.
Otherwise, buyers still get the honey-smooth 1,833cc horizontally opposed liquid-cooled six-cylinder four-stroke mill, featuring a 5.5-gallon tank and good old-fashioned internal combustion. And they still get all the connectivity with Android Auto and optional Apple CarPlay, plus 121 liters of storage space with any of the Tour editions.
Respective MSRP’s increased a modest amount. The base Gold Wing Automatic DCT goes up by $300, now $25,600. The Gold Wing Tour jumped a mere $100, now at $28,600, as did the Gold Wing Tour Automatic DCT and Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT, now priced at $29,600 and $32,900, respectively.
How will Honda’s plans to sell 15 percent EV by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2040 impact the Gold Wing’s future? Fair question; we’ll see.
For now, enjoy the non-discontinued 2023 Honda Gold Wing. Available for purchase in November.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com