The flagship tourer now features a new powertrain, bodywork and frame, which has led to a total weight loss of around 40kg. the claimed kerb weight is 365kg for the base model, 379kg for the Tour and 383kg for the Tour with DCT. The current-gen Gold Wing weighs a claimed 421kg.
Even though its engine has become smaller in size, it makes more power than the Gold Wing it replaces, at a claimed 126hp compared to 118hp, while torque is also up, from 166.7Nm to 169.4Nm. The bike comes with either a new six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). There’s loads of tech - it has four riding modes (Tour, Sport, Econ, and Rain), Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), hill start assist, and a cruise control system. It is even fitted with a 7-inch full colour LCD with Apple CarPlay, which connects the motorcycle to the user’s iPhone to show maps, contacts and music.
There are air-guiding ducts and a new electric windscreen as well. The 2018 Gold Wing will be available in international markets from February 2018 and you can expect the new one to arrive here sometime next year, most likely as a CBU import. It will probably come with a price rise over the current bike’s ₹32.16 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).