This week we had an opportunity to rent a Honda Goldwing. Truth be told, it wasn’t by choice but it happened when our Vision lost a clutch fluid cylinder far from home on a road trip. We were lucky that the Honda was available from Mountain Motorsports in Kodak, TN and we were able to continue on our trip for a couple more days. We put a total of 335 miles on it including the Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway.
The Wing is a great machine. It has lots of torque and horsepower with a wide power band. The engine and transmission are very smooth. It handles very well for a big touring bike, at low and high speeds. The creature comforts are excellent and most of the controls are easy to use with gloved hands. Build quality, operation and fitment of parts was very good. Although there is a lot of plastic, it seems to be nicely made. Luggage and storage space is good, but it wasn’t as roomy or convenient as I thought it would be.
As great as the motor is, we found it to be “busy” and buzzy when you wind it up, especially if you like to keep the RPMs high in low speed riding. The seat is comfortable but not as plush as the Vision. Wind and weather protection are good and would probably be improved with add-on deflectors. I really missed the power windshield we have on the Vision.
For me, the biggest knock is the lack of leg room and ground clearance. At my height and inseam, the Wing was fairly uncomfortable after a long day. I ended up with leg cramps and a sore neck. My big clodhoppers actually touched down twice while riding the Dragon. This is just my personal observation and your results may vary. It’s easy to understand why the Goldwing is such a popular and successful nameplate.
We're keeping the Visions.
