Classic Market BUYING AND SELLING
A good Gold Wing to get and Godin goes gooey over a Trophy
Honda’s Gold Wing caused more than a few jaws to drop when it was launched in 1975. Quite simply, it was the biggest, most sophisticated, most complicated – and probably the heaviest – motorcycle Honda had ever built at that time. A liquid-cooled flat four with shaft drive and a dummy tank (the real fuel tank is mounted low down in the frame to keep the centre of gravity down), which conceals the majority of the electrical components, it was designed from the ground up to be the ultimate luxury tourer.
It was a role at which the GL1000 excelled – especially in the vast, open spaces and on the endless freeways of America. Over the years, the Gold Wing has grown in capacity and size (physical and capacity-wise) as well as sophistication. The first step was a hike to 1100cc in 1980, then to 1200cc for 1984 and fuel injection in 1985, before a new six-cylinder model was debuted in 1987 for the 1988 sales year. In 2001, the capacity got another hike to 1800cc and, in 2018, there was a new four-valves-percylinder engine which, give or take a few Valkyrie and ‘Bagger’ variants, is where the Gold Wing remains today.
Along the way there were a slew of higher-specification models with varying equipment levels, including fairings, luggage and sound systems.
Looking back now, the first-year K0 model looks almost lightweight. It also seems more of a sports tourer than the bloated GL1800S of today. Capable of 130mph back in 1975, it was certainly no slouch – and with its low centre of gravity, the handling was actually pretty decent, too. Some brave souls even raced those first Gold Wings and a nice one would make an excellent machine for your own grand tour by classic.
Something like this one, in fact. This is a simply superb example of the first Gold Wing model. Manufactured in May 1975 (as detailed on the VIN plate, it was first registered in the US state of Pennsylvania in January 1976) and registered in the UK in May this year, the bike is ready to ride, with just under 12,500 miles on the odometer.
It’s had just three owners from new, remains largely unmolested and bristles with original parts – including an original exhaust in solid and cosmetically good condition. Complete with its three original (matching) keys and genuine toolkit, it’s a real time capsule motorcycle that’s ready for long, leisurely rides.
It’s for sale at Motorcycles Unlimited in Perivale, West London, priced at £9989 – that’s around £10 per cubic centimetre. It comes with various receipts for work carried out, including new cambelts, brake caliper rebuilds, a new brake master cylinder and upgraded electronic ignition.
• motorcyclesunlimited.co.uk