Honda Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT 2022 — Specifications

Imagine a cruise ship that, instead of rusting, would lose weight and gain agility with each fairing. That is the living paradox that is the 2022 Honda Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT. At nearly €40,000, it’s not a motorcycle; it’s an institution on two wheels, an ecosystem of comfort and technology that defies the laws of physics. With a weight of 390 kg fully fueled, it belongs to the caste of giants, alongside the BMW K 1600 GTL or the Harley-Davidson mastodons. Yet, it claims a certain lightness. Relatively, of course.

The heart of this generation remains its 1833 cm³ six-cylinder boxer engine, a marvel of smoothness that delivers 126 horsepower and, above all, a monstrous torque of 169.7 Nm from low engine speeds. But the real revolution is its 7-speed DCT automated gearbox. Honda has redesigned everything for it, making it the soul of this Gold Wing. Forget the clutch lever. Here, you navigate between a D mode, all purring, perfect for swallowing the highway, and a Sport mode with three levels of excitement, which adds a little spice to the journey. The most impressive feature is its fluidity, almost magical, which transforms starts and maneuvers into a haute couture exercise. The "Pedestrian" function, controlled from the handlebars, moves this colossus at 2 km/h as if by enchantment. It’s less a motorcycle than a luxury lounge with a will of its own.

Who is this for? For the absolute touring rider, one who measures their journeys in time zones and for whom a 745 mm seat height and an electric windscreen are survival elements. The passenger is treated like a monarch, with an adjustable backrest and more generous handles. The interior is full of thoughtful details: optimized speakers, synthetic suede upholstery, a 7-inch TFT screen compatible with Apple CarPlay, and even an airbag, unique on the market. Honda has even gained 11 liters of storage in the top case, bringing the total capacity to 121 liters. It’s far from a catch-all, but it’s calculated for two people going on a cruise, not for a move.

However, not everything is perfect in this kingdom. This weight, even reduced, reminds you in tight corners or on a sloped parking lot. The windscreen protection, although excellent, would no longer be "imperial" as on the previous one, according to purists. And then, there’s the price. €37,349 is the price of a small car. You’re buying an experience, a certainty, a monument. Not just a means of transportation.

Ultimately, this Gold Wing DCT is a masterpiece of engineering that makes extreme complexity terribly simple to use. It will not seduce the track rider seeking thrills, nor the urban rider looking to weave through traffic. It targets the aristocrat of the road, one for whom the journey is as important as the destination, and who considers that each kilometer should be a lesson in serenity. It has little left to prove, if only that the ultimate luxury, in motorcycles as elsewhere, is perhaps just to be able to forget it to better savor the road.