Honda Gold Wing Tour Airbag Automatic DCT 2023 — Specifications

Is it still legitimate to speak of a "motorcycle" when mentioning the Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Airbag? At 386 kilograms fully fueled and nearly 38,000 euros, we are more in the realm of luxury yachts than that of simple displacement. Yet, it is on two wheels that this monument of 1833 cm³ asserts its authority, an authority written in letters of absolute comfort and omnipresent technology. It is no longer a machine, it is a rolling ecosystem, designed for those for whom travel is not a trial, but a ritual.

The heart of this generation remains its six-cylinder boxer engine, a masterpiece of musicality and progressiveness. With 126 horsepower and, above all, 167 Nm of torque available from 4000 rpm, it is not a matter of explosive performance, but of an inexhaustible and velvety reserve of power. The real revolution is the successful integration of the 7-speed DCT gearbox. Lighter than the previous mechanics, it manages the gears with disconcerting prescience. Between mode D, a pure caress, and mode S with multiple degrees of responsiveness, it transforms the driving of this colossus into an exercise of disconcerting ease. The assisted "reverse" function is replaced here by a brilliant "Pedestrian" mode, which maneuvers the beast with a touch and a glance. Faced with a BMW K 1600 GTL or an Indian Roadmaster, the Gold Wing relies entirely on automated serenity.

And then there's the airbag. Honda remains the only manufacturer to dare to use this technology on a motorcycle, a massive safety argument for a clientele often senior, seeking peace of mind as much as road safety. The equipment is an inventory à la Prévert of modern comfort: electronic suspensions, cruise control, giant TFT dashboard with Apple CarPlay, high-end sound system, everything is there. The passenger is king, with an adjustable backrest and improved grab handles. We will quibble about wind protection, slightly behind the previous generation, and about the volume of the trunks, reduced to 121 liters to gain agility. A deliberate compromise.

Ultimately, this Gold Wing Tour DCT Airbag is a fascinating object. It has no real competitor in its quest for total tranquility. It is aimed at the demanding globetrotter, who places the journey above driving, and who can afford the ultimate peace of mind. It is not light, not cheap, and certainly not fun in the sporting sense of the term. But it may be the most accomplished machine in the world for swallowing asphalt without ever feeling it, transforming every journey, even mundane, into a majestic experience. Once in the saddle, you don't want to get off, for fear that reality seems too dull in comparison.