Honda has launched the 40th anniversary special edition of its popular luxury touring motorcycle, the Gold Wing GL1800 in India, at Rs 28.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). First introduced as the GL1000 in 1975, the Gold Wing has evolved over these years and the current GL1800 iteration is one of the most luxurious two-wheelers in the market.
The 40th anniversary edition of the motorcycle is mechanically identical to the regular GL1800 Gold Wing. It is built around a lightweight and rigid twin-spar aluminium frame and comes with a single-sided Pro-Arm swingarm. It comes with a massive 1,832cc flat-six engine which is good for 116bhp and 167Nm of torque. The liquid-cooled engine is shaft driven and comes mated to a five-speed gearbox.
While the power figures might seem very less considering the displacement and the size of the engine, you have to remember that good performance has never been the Gold Wing’s forte. The Gold Wing GL1800 comes with combined braking system (CBS) and an ABS to provide optimum braking in all conditions.
The Gold Wing GL1800 gets a special ‘40th anniversary’ emblem with a pair of wings on the gigantic fairing, luggage box lid and the key. The logo also comes embossed on the pillion seat. The Gold Wing GL1800 gets a six-speaker 80W SRS surround-sound system with USB connectivity to connect your phones. To keep you cosy on long hauls, the Gold Wing GL1800 also gets five-position heated grips, independently adjustable heated seats and a foot-warming system.
Speaking about the Gold Wing, Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, VP, sales and marketing, HMSI said, “Honda Gold Wing’s introduction to India is further to the overwhelming response it received at the Auto Expo 2014. Deemed as the ultimate pinnacle for tour motorcycling, Gold Wing is a machine with the power, refinement and reliability suited for road tours even at the most far-flung destinations in complete comfort. We believe Gold Wing will further contribute to the remarkably rising touring culture in India. In fact, we have recently made the first delivery of The Gold Wing Airbag at our exclusive Wing World in New Delhi.”
The Gold Wing has earned a good reputation world over as a premium touring motorcycle. The Gold Wing will be available in two-tone candy prominence red/graphite black and a pearl glare white paint schemes. The latter is a Gold Wing Airbag version and is priced at Rs 31.50 lakh. In India, the Gold Wing faces competition from the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and the BMW K1600 GT.
