Honda GL1800 Gold Wing DCT 2021 — Specifications

Who would have bet, fifteen years ago, that the mastodon from Hamamatsu would eventually take inspiration from lightness? The Honda GL1800 Gold Wing, 2021 vintage, in its bagger configuration, extends the transformation begun with the spectacular 2018 overhaul. Gone is the monumental rear trunk, now reserved for the Tour version. This Gold Wing, pure and simple, plays the card of lightened travel without disowning its ocean-liner status. For 2021, Honda settles for a discreet touch-up, namely a reworked sound system with new speakers. The big news is the arrival of the DCT gearbox since 2020, smoothed-out fuel injection at low revs, dual USB ports and a navigation system boosted to 99 recordable points of interest.

Beneath the redesigned fairing, the indestructible flat-six still displaces 1833 cc, but breathes better thanks to its four valves per cylinder. Honda claims 126 horsepower at 5500 rpm and a massive torque of 169.7 Nm from 4500 revs, all within an engine block shortened by three centimeters and lightened by 6.2 kg. Nothing aggressive here, and the winged firm has never sought to challenge the BMW K 1600 GT's inline-six on the terrain of pure horsepower. The Honda plays on smoothness, a trickle of oil, a hushed stretch. Four riding modes (Tour, Sport, Econ, Rain) modulate engine response, combined braking and electronic damping, which unfortunately remains merely adaptive and not semi-active as on its Bavarian rival.

The real mechanical gem remains this seven-speed DCT gearbox, whose first two ratios have been shortened to eliminate jerkiness during maneuvers while the upper stages are lengthened to drop the revs on the highway. The dual clutch swallows gear changes with a smoothness that few humans will achieve with manual control, and the electric reverse turns parallel parking into a formality, which is not a luxury on 367 kilos fully fueled. On that subject, the scale shows 17 kg less than the late F6B and its 384 kg, the equivalent of a cinder block under your arm. When pushing in a sloped parking lot, the difference is felt right down to your lower back.

On the front end, Honda has finally turned the page on the traditional telescopic fork in favor of a quadrilateral system with double longitudinal arms, a distant cousin of BMW's Duolever and the original Fior process. The result is felt in corners, with lighter steering, a front end that filters without diving under braking (two 320 mm discs pinched by six-piston radial calipers, no less). The seat height of only 745 mm remains a major asset for smaller riders, and the 21-liter tank, reduced by four liters compared to the previous generation, is justified by lower fuel consumption. Top speed tops out at 180 km/h, but who would seek anything other than brisk cruising on such a mount?

At 27,899 euros, this Gold Wing bagger is aimed at the hedonistic tourer who wants the velvety feel of the six-cylinder and the elegance of a streamlined silhouette, without the volumetric constraint of a top-case. The flip side lies in the 30 liters per pannier, compared to 51 on the former F6B, which forces you to pack for a weekend rather than a move. The equipment, however, makes no apologies, with a 7-inch TFT screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Smart Key, full LED, advanced cruise control and hill-start assist. For those seeking a grand tourer capable of devouring a Corniche in a three-piece suit, the bill remains coherent against the 27,000 euros and more of the German K 1600 B.