The Touring Bike That Turns 1,000-Mile Weekends Into Easy Math
Touring bikes are absolute mile munchers, meant to cover miles and miles without causing any distress to the rider. So it’s totally fair to expect them to do 1000-mile trips over a weekend with ease. Not all touring bikes do this well, though. Some are simply meant for shorter distances, and the prerequisites for a 1000-mile weekend-worthy tourer change things. One such touring motorcycle promises to check all the key boxes by offering a brilliant blend of versatility, a butter-smooth powertrain, and, most importantly, utmost comfort.
The Prerequisites For A Touring Bike That Can Do 1000-Mile Weekends
Every touring motorcycle is built with comfort and endurance in mind, so you ride for as long as you need with as little fatigue as possible. But for a long haul, the motorcycle needs to have the perfect ergonomics, loads of room to move around, good wind protection, and enough storage space to bring all the essentials along. That’s not all. The engine should be refined and able to withstand high pressure as the rider tries to maintain a high cruising speed. Not to mention, it should have enough power to counter the weight of a loaded tourer.
But Some Tourers Take The Formula Even Further
While a few motorcycle makers prefer taking the old-school approach to maintain the tactility and character of their motorcycle, brands like BMW and Honda have chosen to create the perfect blend of traditional basics with modern technology. This creates a recipe for an exquisite riding experience. Features like reverse assist, hill hold assist, crawl function, and many others add to the convenience of the rider. Here’s the one bike leading the way in this regard.
The Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Is The Ultimate Mile Muncher
Starting Price: $30,500
For years, the Honda Gold Wing has been a popular choice for those who want to tour in absolute comfort and luxury. And even today, it remains one of the top choices. TheGold Wing Touris the top dog in the lineup, and its DCT version adds even more value, comfort, and ease of riding. For a 1000-mile ride on the weekends, the Gold Wing Tour, especially with the DCT, could prove to be the perfect motorcycle. It is a package one shouldn’t overlook.
The Only Touring Motorcycle With A Boxer Six Engine
While twin-cylinder boxer engines are a common sight in BMW motorcycles, the Honda Gold Wing Tour is the only motorcycle on sale with a six-cylinder boxer engine. Ever since Honda launched the Gold Wing in 1974, the bike has come equipped with a boxer-style engine. This configuration of engines offers a low center of gravity for better stability and balance, and the opposing piston movement ensures smoother and better NVH levels.
The 2026 model is powered by a 1,833cc boxer-six engine producing 124.7 horsepower and 125.3 pound-feet of torque. From the get-go, the engine delivers a surge of torque. As you go up the rev range, the power delivery is promised to be linear and predictable, allowing for a smooth riding experience. Moreover, being a Honda, the engine is proven to run upwards of 150,000 miles with ease.
The DCT Gearbox Is A Blessing Like No Other
One of the few aspects that could cause rider fatigue on a very long ride is the constant clutch operation to be in the right gear. However, the Gold Wing Tour with its 7-speed DCT eliminates that as well. Bear in mind that this is the only production motorcycle to come equipped with a 7-speed automatic DCT. Over the years, Honda has refined this DCT, and it now works quite seamlessly according to the riding style. The rider can also choose to shift gears manually using the shift pedals on the handlebar for a more engaging and inclusive riding experience.
A Unique Chassis And Suspension Sweeten The Deal
Weighing about 847 pounds, this may seem like a hefty motorcycle on paper, right? Well, in real-world riding, the Gold Wing Tour will surprise you. Thanks to a unique die-cast aluminum frame along with its massive boxer-six engine as a stress member, Honda has managed to make this motorcycle nimble and flickable. It gets a double-wishbone suspension setup up front with 4.3 inches of travel and a Pro-Link monoshock setup with 4.1 inches of travel.
This allows the bike to have reduced dive under hard braking and better stability, unlike a regular fork setup. So you get high-speed stability and agility at the same time. Additionally, to bring this massive beast to a stop, Honda offers a twin 320 mm disc setup at the front and a single 316 mm disc at the rear, combined with a 130-section front tire upfront and a 200-section rear tire.
Loaded With Comfort And Convenience Features For The Long Haul
Like everywhere else, the Gold Wing is loaded with comfort and convenience features like heated grips, keyless entry, cruise control, a tire pressure monitoring system, Hill Start Assist, Honda Selectable Torque Control, and much more. You access these via a massive 7-inch touchscreen along with two analog dials for a retro touch. Moreover, you get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a gyrocompass, HomeLink, and much more. A set of 55W speakers plays music on the fly, integrated in the front fairing. There aren’t any rear speakers like a Harley full-dresser, though.
Even Has The World’s Only Motorcycle Airbag (As An Option)
For those who prioritize safety, the Gold Wing Tour is the only motorcycle in the world to offer an airbag as an option. While Honda offers many safety features like a six-axis IMU-enabled ABS, traction control, riding modes, and much more, an airbag is a unique feature that is available in the Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT variant priced at $33,800. This is quite a leap in safety tech from Honda, considering it is nothing like an airbag found in a car. This airbag is in the shape of a “V” and is tethered to the chassis of the motorcycle.
At $30,500, The Gold Wing Offers Better Value Than Its American Rivals
With a price tag of $30,500, the Gold Wing Tour DCT is in a league of its own. It already is one of the best touring motorcycles in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, and performance. But it is also an impressive value-for-money proposition, considering its closest rival, the BMW K 1600 Grand America, does not even offer an automatic option and is priced at $34,070. The Gold Wing Tour also takes on other rivals like the Indian Roadmaster and the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited, both of which are again pricier. That’s despite them having four cylinders less!
Source: Honda Motorcycles
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