Honda Gold Wing – The misunderstood

Let’s jump back 50 years: the first oil crisis, which was to massively shake the Western world’s belief in progress and its economy in autumn 1973, was not yet foreseeable. Honda had kick-started the global motorbike boom with models such as the CB 77 ‘Hawk’, the CB 450 ‘Black Bomber’ and, above all, the CB 750 Four. And now the upcoming Honda Gold Wing was to demonstrate the brand’s supremacy in the construction of big bikes once again.

Sensational technology, solid workmanship and trouble-free operation won over motorbike fans worldwide in favour of Honda. The other Japanese brands also followed in their wake, attempting to attack the industry giant with their powerful machines, while the Europeans were left behind with high-quality chassis but simple engine technology.

Soichiro Irimarij was behind Honda’s sensational developments and was pondering a new flagship in 1972. What he presented in the autumn of 1972 took even his employees’ breath away. In just a few months, Irimarij had composed a sensational luxury tourer using parts from the Group’s modular system and some BMW components such as the rear swing arm including axle drive, the silencers and the seat, which achieved a smooth 80 hp with a six-cylinder boxer engine from 1,470 cm³.

This would have immediately put Honda at the top of the range. Under the prototype abbreviation AOK, this feasibility study was passed around and discussed by Honda management and the Honda R&D ‘Research and Development Centre’. With a dry weight of 220 kilos, the machine was not even too heavy. However, technologists and controllers feared the effort involved in developing such a machine into a reliable and affordable large motorbike.

Irimarij had to shift down a gear. As a result, the successor to the AOK ‘only’ had four cylinders, which significantly reduced the effort, costs and weight. The new motorbike was designed for a discerning clientele and was initially to be presented in spring 1974. However, the oil crisis, which was remembered for a long time in this country with the Sunday driving bans and the sharp rise in fuel and heating oil prices, also threw a spanner in the works for Honda. Customers in the most important market for luxury motorbikes, the USA, were also suddenly hesitant.

The delayed start of the Honda Gold Wing

And so the new motorbike made its debut in September 1974 in Cologne at the ‘International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition’ with the promising name Honda Gold Wing. The golden wing stood there as a motorbike that was bigger, longer, stronger and heavier than anything previously available from Japan. And as the first high-performance superbike from Japan, it not only had a four-cylinder boxer engine with 999.5 cc, but also the cardan drive that touring riders had been longing for.

While the chassis of the GL 1000 ‘Gold Wing’, which weighed 295 kg with a full tank, offered little that was surprising apart from the double disc brake in the front wheel, the engine proved to be a sensational offering. Three goals were achieved with its technical solutions: High running smoothness, high performance, long service life.

As with Moto Guzzi and BMW, the crankshaft was positioned lengthways to the direction of travel, which was obvious due to the shaft drive to the rear wheel. The crankshaft rotated in three plain bearings and a rear guide bearing with balls in the vertically split engine housing. The cylinders and heads were completely water-cooled and the air flowed through them from top to bottom. A camshaft rotated in each of the cylinder heads, transmitting its operating commands to the intake and exhaust valves via rocker arms. These camshafts were driven by toothed belts – a first for an OHC engine in motorbike construction.

The output from the crankshaft was located at its rear end in the form of a toothed chain drive. From there, the power was transmitted downwards to the five-speed gearbox, which was located in the ‘lower ground floor’ of the engine housing. This meant that the entire engine was relatively short. In addition, the multi-disc wet clutch rotated in the opposite direction to the crankshaft in order to eliminate the reverse torque of the crankshaft, which was irritating for many drivers. The power was then passed from the clutch to the drive shaft via a secondary shaft at the rear right of the engine. The alternator was also located at the rear end of the crankshaft in the oil bath.

The frame of the machine was a conventional tubular structure made of welded steel tubes and gusset plates. The swing arm mounting was wide on the outside. Despite its solidity, the crotch arch area and the lower leg end were pleasantly narrow. The supposed fuel tank between the rider’s knees was not one. The machine’s fuel tank had a capacity of 19.3 litres and was conveniently located in the so-called frame triangle below the tank and seat. A mechanical fuel pump delivered the fuel to the four individual carburettors above the cylinders, as the usual gravity feed would not have worked with this configuration. The dummy tank therefore provided an excellent space for a voluminous tool storage compartment, the air filter, the expansion tank for the liquid cooling system and the attachable kick starter. And the machine’s central electrical system was neatly organised under the left-hand cover. Honda had spared neither production costs nor thought to make the Gold Wing something special.

Instrumentation and lighting corresponded to the high standard that customers could expect from Honda. The large indicators were very fashionable at the time. The petrol gauge and the water temperature display were more than the usual. In the mid-1970s, the water cooling system still had a reputation for exclusivity. It was absolutely essential here, as the rear cylinders would otherwise have been in the cooling shadow. At the same time, it had the side effect of shielding mechanical engine noise.

In short, the Honda Gold Wing GL 1000 K 0 set new standards in terms of drive comfort and engine performance. The impressive appearance was garnished with a lot of chrome especially for the US customer and the paintwork with double lines was intended to radiate solidity.

The new Honda Gold Wing polarises

As soon as the motorbike appeared at the trade fair, it polarised the community. Veteran riders, the typical windy faces who met at the Elephant Meeting every January and loved simple technology, shook their heads; racers and off-road fans did too. In view of the techno overkill, technology enthusiasts, quartet players and fans of exclusive appearances were delighted. The testers’ judgement was similarly ambivalent. The trade magazine ‘PS’, headed by conservative editor-in-chief Ernst Leverkus, called the Honda ‘an elaborate, even too elaborate motorbike’. And criticised the poorly tuned and overly soft suspension elements of the machine. ‘The sensitivity of the chassis for the touring concept of these machines is honoured, but the proclaimed safety hardly applies with the 82 horses let loose.’ Even the market leader: ‘Das Motorrad’ did not hold back with criticism of the 200 km/h machine: ‘On long motorway bends with sufficient courage on the part of the rider and 210 units on the speedometer, situations can arise that give the word “safety” the lie. An initial slight nodding of the rear end suddenly transfers the unrest to the entire chassis. Like a force of nature, the six hundredweights try to push outwards according to the centrifugal force. If you only need one motorway lane to catch the machine again, you have saved space and been lucky.’ The driving behaviour was therefore judged critically.

On winding roads, the low ground clearance together with the chassis elements touching down relatively early could lead to the vehicle shifting. On mountain passes, the relatively toothless brake system with non-heat-resistant brake pads became apparent.

Nevertheless, there were fans of the superb running culture and the superior power delivery of the 1000cc engine, as well as the refined and convenient attention to detail. Paul G., who acquired his K 0 from a friend’s estate at the end of 1975, commented. ‘As a young NATO officer, I commuted 50,000 kilometres a year between Bonn, Trier and Corsica. After my BMW R 60/6, the Honda Gold Wing was a sovereign revelation. It was perfect for relaxed travelling on the Route National and the Autoroute de Soleil, which were fast routes at the time. It levelled out every incline without any noise or shifting and was easy on the body and nerves. For more comfort, I added a ‘Travelmaster’ seat and a windscreen. I got the bumpy chassis under control with Koni suspension struts, a fork stabiliser, properly lubricated swingarm bearings and European tyres. I bought the bike with 28,000 kilometres and sold it again with ten times the mileage. I never had a breakdown, but I was very meticulous about maintenance. At 6 to 8 litres, consumption was acceptable. The tank could have been even bigger, as you could ride hour after hour without stopping.’

The reputation of the Gold Wing at an angle

But at some point, the Honda Gold Wing, which sold well, got some really bad press. In 1977 and 1978, there were serious accidents in which one rider died, one lost an arm and a Berlin resident had to spend a long time in hospital. What had happened? These drivers had suddenly crashed on an empty motorway in good weather. The Berlin Gold Wing rider Stanko sued Honda and Honda Germany after his crash. Honda initially tried to smooth things over with the helpless explanation that the Gold Wing was a touring bike and attempted to make payments to the victims.

However, the courts finally commissioned experts who found that, given the unstable road holding of the Honda Gold Wing 1000, the handlebar-mounted cockpit fairing supplied by Krauser and approved by the TÜV could destabilise the machine – presumably through buoyancy – to such an extent that ‘uncontrollable riding conditions’ could occur. However, the experts also assessed the design of the Gold Wing itself, so that ‘neither the driving nor laboratory tests carried out gave any indication that there were any fundamental design faults in the chassis’. Honda was acquitted in the first instance. And in future, motorbike manufacturers and accessory suppliers were under greater obligation to prove the safe function of accessories.

After the barely modified K 1 and K 2 models and the massively modified K 3, Honda presented the GL 1100 at the 1979 Paris Motor Show. The 1100 with a displacement of 1,085 cm³ was much safer to ride at the cost of a massive increase in weight. The wheelbase had grown to a massive 1,605 millimetres. A flatter steering head angle and more caster stabilised the geometry. In addition, there were thicker stanchions for the telescopic fork and other stabilising measures on the chassis. The testers were pleasantly surprised and summarised that although the new Gold Wing was still very much like its predecessor, it no longer swayed in long bends. The seating position with the stepped seat and the very high touring handlebars characterised this Gold Wing variant more than ever as a quiet touring motorbike. From 1981, a large, frame-mounted fairing was also available ex works, which further emphasised the comfort character and also visually changed the Gold Wing. Every model change in the future pushed the motorbike more in the direction of a luxury tourer and so Honda’s Gold Wing attracted a certain community of mostly enthusiastic long-distance riders who appreciated the unique comfort of this machine.

And so today the Honda Gold Wing still fills a small but permanent place in the Honda model programme and continues to delight fans with its technology, comfort and baroque opulence.

Text and Photos Andy Schwietzer

Author: PS.SPEICHER

PS.SPEICHER is Europe's largest classic car museum. 2,500 historic vehicles at five locations in Einbeck are waiting to be discovered. From the interactive and playfully staged journey through time through mobility to special exhibitions for motorbikes, cars and commercial vehicles. View all posts by PS.SPEICHER →