2025 Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition Review – First Ride

Former Motorcycle.com staffer and now Contributing Editor Tom Roderick embarked on a journey to explore the evolution of Honda's Gold Wing over its 50-year history recently. His adventure began at Barber Motorsports Park, outside Leeds, Alabama, where he got some seat time with the Gold Wing that started it all for Honda: an original 1975 GL1000. It was a rare opportunity in more ways than one because Tom and other North American journalists could do back-to-back testing with the original Gold Wing, then jump over to a modern 2025 Honda Gold Wing Tour 50th Anniversary Edition. The performance differences were as stark as you can imagine, especially when reaching for the brakes! The Gold Wing is about touring, first and foremost. So, to celebrate this milestone and become familiar with the newest Wing, journalists embarked from Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama to Daytona Beach, Florida, for Bike Week, assessing its real-world capabilities and reflecting on the advancements made over the decades. The 2025 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition brings a few minor changes for the current model year. Still, we'll review the main details: the 2025 Gold Wing features a liquid-cooled 1833cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine paired with either a six-speed manual transmission (including reverse) or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The Wing's twin-spar aluminum frame supports a single-sided swingarm with shaft drive, while the front suspension utilizes a double-wishbone design with a Showa shock, providing 4.3 inches of travel. At the rear, the Pro-Link system with a Showa shock offers 4.1 inches of travel. Braking is managed by dual six-piston Nissin calipers with 320mm rotors at the front and a single 316mm rotor with a three-piston caliper at the rear, all governed by an electronically controlled combined ABS. Technological amenities include a full-color TFT display, integrated navigation, and compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Exclusive badging and color options, such as Matte Black Metallic, Bordeaux Red Metallic, and Eternal Gold, distinguish the 50th Anniversary Edition. The 2025 Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition price starts at $25,200 for the standard model with a manual transmission and $26,200 for the DCT version. The Gold Wing Tour 50th Anniversary Edition begins at $29,200 with a manual transmission, $30,200 for the DCT variant, and $33,500 for the Tour Airbag DCT model. Join Tom at Daytona Bike Week as he walks viewers through the complete history of Honda's famed Gold Wing range, taking us from the original 1975 model to today's modern machine. Have any questions? Leave them in comments!