Given that we’d planned to head into the Peak District to complete another of our National Parks guides, it seemed like a good time to pick a variety of machines to do the trip. It was back in March, when the Moto Morini was still on our test fleet, but before we got any of this year’s new bikes, so that was an easy option. A big, brutal, naked bike had to be on the cards, a slot filled nicely by Yamaha’s big litre brawler, the MT-10. A classic sports-tourer was next to be chosen, whereby the latest iteration of Suzuki’s long-lived Hayabusa was chosen. The final position went to a bike that is globally known for being the epitome of long-distance touring – no, not a Bavarian adventure bike, but the Honda Gold Wing with its monster 1800cc flat six powerplant.
Four very different machines, but four bikes that are perfectly capable of being loaded up with a couple of changes of clothes and taken for a long weekend away somewhere pretty…
HONDA GOLD WING GL1800 TOUR
Honda’s Gold Wing is an iconic bike. It’s been in production for almost 50 years – and in that time it’s transformed from a chunky tourer beloved by mile-munching couples of a certain vintage into a sharply-styled rocketship that’s far more agile than it deserves to be.
The Japanese factory has been making an effort to dispel its past image and show a new generation of bikers that there’s more to it than meets the eye. I’m not exactly your ‘typical’ Gold Wing rider – but I think it’s brilliant. It might not be particularly cool, and it might not be especially sexy – but it’s really good. Nearly everyone I know that’s ridden one has been surprised by just how capable Honda’s gigantic tourer is on the road. It’s much more nimble than you’d ever expect (once rolling), offers armchair-levels of comfort and has plenty of power to play with, too.
That’s why I couldn’t wait to swipe the keys to the newest Gold Wing Tour (with DCT) and put it through its paces over a few days in the Peak District, alongside an unlikely bunch of machines that do touring and adventure slightly differently.
It’s a big old lump, there’s no getting away from that. But that’s because the Gold Wing is kitted out with pretty much everything you’d need to have to cover big miles in supreme comfort. Heated seats, heated grips, an adjustable electric screen; a pair of 30-litre panniers and a 50-litre top-box. There’s all the electronic bells and whistles, too, including a substantial TFT dash which comes with a built-in satnav, a radio, and offers all the rider information you’d ever want and need. And it’s kitted out with the Apple CarPlay system, too.
The riding position’s lovely; it’s surprisingly neutral, but still spacious enough to mean that I was happy to keep plugging away mile after mile, hour after hour. There’s plenty of protection from the elements, too, with the whopping screen and ample fairing creating a cosy cocoon to keep off the worst of the wind and rain. It’s no surprise that we were all fighting over it when the weather took a turn for the worse…
You’d probably think the Gold Wing would be a bit out of its depth exploring some of the lesser-known roads in the Peak District, particularly when you consider its 1695mm wheelbase and 383kg kerb weight, but despite the somewhat sketchy conditions and a healthy dose of chewed-up
