HONDA GL Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

This is the ultimate Gold Wing Honda can offer in this model year line-up: the best-equipped big-bore tourer, sporting even a rider airbag. The AD is equipped with the industry's first airbag to be loaded on a motorcycle, a feature which more motorcycle manufacturers have recently started to test are are looking forward to embed in their machines.

The bike is also equipped with a top-notch audio system, XM radio, navigation, C-ABS, heated grips and seats and many more.

It's hard to speak about touring motorcycles and avoid having the picture of the Honda Gold Wing appearing before your eyes. The 2013 generation retains all the acclaimed features which have made the imagination of so many riders go wild, and is offered in multiple trims, providing different levels of customization and of course, different pricing.

It's impossible to be looking for a touring bike option and not finding it in one of the 2013 Gold Wing trims, so it's up to you to discover which of these machines is the right one to make both you and your wallet happy.

The 2013 GL 1800 Gold Wing carries on the acclaimed heritage of Honda's asphalt touring machines, setting benchmark standards in just about all the categories which matter: comfort, reliability, performance and handling, gadgetry and passenger accommodation. With multiple performance packages waiting for them, riders can enjoy the peace of mind and top-drawer comfort offered by heated seats and grips, XM Radio with navigation, traffic and weather alerts, surround audio, trip planner, tire pressure monitoring systems, combined ABS and even rider airbag.

With plenty of onboard storage, the 2012 Honda GL 1800 Gold Wing is almost in the "everything but the kitchen sink" territory, a most worthy machine for long cross-continent hauls.

One of the iconic touring motorcycles of the two-wheeled world, the 2011 Honda GL 1800 Gold Wing comes loaded with a heap of features to make the trip easier and more rewarding. From the powerful engine to comfort-minded design solutions, this bike can offer a very rewarding traveling experience. An onboard navi system, XM Radio, Traffic info, surround audio, ABS heated seats and grips, you can ask Honda pretty much anything: they most likely have the right performance package for you and your budget.

And for those who value safety more than anything, Honda is also offering an optional rider airbag system. Safe, powerful and looking like a million bucks, the 2011 Gold Wing is the first step for the roadtrip of a lifetime, solo or with a passenger who will feel just as comfortable as you.

Style, power and comfort, all three of them upped to the max: the 2009 Honda Gold Wing GL1800AL. A treat for the Canadian markets, the GL1800AL brings in the amazing features which made so many people dream about such a touring machine: plush seating for both rider and passenger, a host of other touring-oriented accessories which are offered as standard equipment, alongside other engineering solutions derived from the racing world.

The Pro Arm rear suspension is computer controlled, while the flat opposed 6-cylinder engine sports a plethora of electronic gimmicks to make the ride as pleasurable and economical as possible.

Honda Gold Wing has stood as a landmark in the large touring motorcycle segment, and the 2008 model year makes no exception. Even the base model is loaded with plenty of features to make your longest journeys even more memorable. From a powerful 6-cylinder engine and heavy-duty gearbox with shaft final drive to exquisite features, such as XM satellite radio, weather channels and a high-quality stereo system, the Gold Wing can receive a ton of upgrades.

Available with multiple equipment packages, including the industry's first motorcycle airbags. Add in the massive storage capacity and the comfy seats, the exceptional weather protection and prepare to plan the route of your next vacation.

No less than 4 Gold Wing trim versions are available in 2007 as 2008 models, each boasting the acclaimed comfort and touring worthy dependable technology which have transformed this bike in one of the elite cruisers machines of the industry.

Honda offers the following packages: Premium Audio, Audio/ Comfort/ Navi, Audio/ Comfort/ Navi/ ABS and Airbag. Each of these benefits from the might of the 1832cc 6-cylinder engine with shaft drive and ergonomic design for both rider and passenger, while features and high-tech gadgets add to the base model going up the ladder.

The Goldwing is the kind of touring bike which blurs the boundaries between luxury and practicality, while offering a massive head-turning factor and providing the rider with an excellent reason to cross the next state line, too.

Integrated multimedia and satellite navigation, premium comfort for both rider and passenger, huge storage, optional ABS, seat and grip heating, and even an airbag (in the top trim) are all making the 2006 GoldWing stand form the crowd. And adding in massive power and torque figures only makes things better.

2005 brings the industry's first motorcycle airbag in the fully-loaded trim of the Gold Wing, and this also means that the bike is a ABS-equipped version. Adding ABS to the existing Linked Braking System takes safety to a new level, shortening the stopping distance and offering better stability when braking hard on difficult, slippery surfaces.

Of course, the 2005 Gold Wing with ABS is available in multiple other trims, and if it's only the anti-locking brakes you want, you surely have a lot of choices. Tech specs and comfort are both premium, living up to the highest expectations any demanding rider could have.

2005 brings a lot of enhancements in the electronics department for the GL1800 Gold Wing, with Linked Navigation, new maps, voice prompting and multiple other functions. However, the biggest upgrade is the integrated airbag system, an industry first. The airbag is only available in the full-featured trim of the bike.

Other new features as the clear lenses for the turn and running lights, revised lights design, fluid-damped ACG with increased power and many more.

Honda offers the 2004 Gold Wing in a more safety-focused trim called GL1800A, with the A suffix being an indication for the presence of anti-locking brakes. As the Gold Wing is anything but a lightweight machine, it needs a lot of stopping power to stay on the safe side of things, and this is where the ABS comes into the game.

Riders can now enjoy a shorter stopping distance when braking hard on dry roads, and much better stability when using the brakes on difficult, slippery surfaces.

The Gold Wing manufactured in 2004 is the anniversary 2005 model year, celebrating 30 years of road-touring excellence for this amazing bike. A benchmark in premium touring comfort, the 2004 Gold Wing retains all the nifty features which made so many riders choose it over the years and carries on the acclaimed heritage of the Japanese brand.

With anniversary color-matched parts and special edition accents and even a "special ceremony"on the LCD screen.

One can't be too careful when riding a motorcycle, and Honda knows this for a fact. That's why the Japanese manufacturer has upgraded their 2003 Gold Wing with extra braking versatility by adding ABS to the existing linked braking system. While the stock trim of the bike sees the braking power intelligently distributed between the wheels, the GL1800A adds shorter stopping distance on the roads and increased stability when braking hard on difficult, slippery surfaces.

With its opposed 6-cylinder engine and incredible rider and passenger comfort, Honda Gold Wing set a new standard for road-touring motorcycles, and the 2003 edition carries on this heritage. The potent, shaft-drive engine is capable to provide immense amounts of power and torque to make riding with a passenger and fully-loaded with luggage easy and effortless.

Boasting low-end torque for difficult roads and plenty of might for high-speed highway hauls, the 2003 GL1800 Gold Wing is also equipped with tons of features which make life aboard the bike more comfortable. And with even more optional accessories and technologies available separately, this bike can become a true asphalt vessel for unforgettable vacations.

Evolved from the old 1500cc Gold Wing, the GL1500C Valkyrie is a power cruiser with tons of attitude. Muscular, reassuring and with exceptional streetability, the 2002 Valkyrie brings immense torque to the road game, providing seemingly infinite passing power, even at high speeds.

With the impressive sight of the opposed 6 cylinders and the sound of the monstrous engine, the 2002 GL1500C Valkyrie will turn heads and put a wig smile on the rider's face,a s it packs both solid road worthiness and comfort to match it.

The 2001 GL1800A Gold Wing is a premium class road-touring bike, Honda's flagship machine destined to provide its customer with the maximum riding pleasure, mile after mile. Or should we say thousand of miles after thousand of miles? With power and torque on tap and a most modern opposed 6-cyclinder engine, the GL1800A Gold Wing is loaded with features to make like aboard this vessel easy and as pleasurable as it gets.

Premium seating, electronics and communication, integrated waterproof storage, maintenance-free shaft drive and a heap of features most likely to be found in a car make the 2001 GL1800A Gold Wing the perfect bike to cross entire continents.

A most acclaimed power cruiser, the GL1500C Valkyrie is based on the proven GL1500 Gold Wing platform, but this one is a different breed of breed. With a mean stance and aggressive ergonomic, the 2001 Valkyrie is all about torque and thrust, and provides immense passing power in any gear, at any speed.

With a 6-opposed cylinder engine and traditional Honda reliability and craftsmanship, the GL1500C Valkyrie is THE Honda powercruiser you want to be on if massive fun is on your list.

It's hard to Speak about the GL1800A Gold Wing and not praise it. This bike has redefined the world of big-bore asphalt touring machines, and established a class of its own. A trend-setting Honda creation, Gold Wing's 2001 iteration does not stray from the path of success.

Providing unparalleled comfort for both rider and passenger, and plenty of storage for long trips, the 2001 GL1800A Gold Wing comes loaded with premium features from stock trim, with numerous equipment options available. ABS brakes are standard.

The 2000 Honda GL1500CD Valkyrie Deluxe is a base Valkyrie in a more luxurious trim, with the hollow-cast highly polished wheels being one of the the most impetuous additions to this already smoking hot cruiser.

This model year came in Pearl Dark Blue/Pearl White stripe and Black/Metallic Silver stripe color schemes, both matching the carefully designed chrome accents. With a revised camshaft timing and open-flow exhausts, the 2000 Valkyrie Deluxe is not only turning heads, but also has nerve to match its glorious looks. Audio, chrome and studded leathers options available.

Honda's GL1500CF Valkyrie Interstate takes on the tourer market with nerve and a strong attitude. Based on the Gold Wing-derived Valkyrie, this bike was loaded with touring-focused accessories, to provide riders and passengers with premium comfort and generous storage.

The 2000 GL1500CF Valkyrie Interstate received a custom seat, plenty of chromed details, hard case saddlebags and a top case, with a passenger backrest pad, an optional luggage rack and many more to add both styling points and touring convenience.

Based on the older 1500cc-class Gold Wing engine, the 2000 GL1500C Valkyrie is a kind-size cruiser with classic styling and boasting Honda's legendary reliability. The engine was revised, ad got a new camshaft timing and a free-flow exhausts for increased power.

A comfy, sculpted seat is neatly complemented by the pull-back bars, and numerous optional accessories are available to enhance both aesthetics and functionality, including saddlebags, passenger backrests and more.

The 2000 Gold Wing takes big-bore touring to the next level with the new 1832cc six-cylinder engine, now delivering more power and torque for even more fun, even when fully-loaded and riding two-up. The bike got a new graphic design and carefully-trimmed accents and plenty of revised technologies, including cruise control, ABS, hydraulic rear suspension control and many more.

A host of optional accessories is also available, both in the technology and the aesthetics "isles".

If you like the mean road stance and sizzling performance of the GL1500C Valkyrie but feel like you'd also take it for a longer spin across the state line, then it's the Tourer you must try. Based on the proven GL1500 platform, the Valkyrie Tourer brings in all the convenience and comfort of long-range traveling accessories.

Protection from the wind is enhanced with a generous Lexan windshield, held in place by chromed brackets. And on the luggage side, the 1999 Honda GL1500CT Valkyrie Tourer brings two weatherproof had sidecases painted in matching color, each offering 35 liters of storage for your clothes and gear.

The 1999 GL1500C Valkyrie is a mean cruiser with a superb road attitude, created for those in search of a muscular 6-cylinder boxer machine with seemingly infinite passing power and style to match it.

1999 brings a new seat which is now lower and more comfy, boosting low-speed maneuvers and offering a solid foothold when stopped, even for smaller riders and less powerful ones, such as ladies. The model year also brings Black/Red and Black/Yellow two-tone paint schemes.

The 1999 GL1500CF Valkyrie Interstate builds on the awesome 6-cylinder boxer engine of the GL series, and takes asphalt touring to the next level. With great weather protection and compliant suspensions, riding this bike to the far end of the continent is really a pleasure.

With generous luggage storage and comfort-focused engineering, the GL1500CF Valkyrie Interstate is one of the best bikes for long hauls and vacations.

The Aspencade is one more 25th anniversary GL1500A Gold Wing. Not as fully-loaded bike as the Special Edition version, the Aspencade does come with chromed engine covers, high-contrast black instrument faces which are easy to read and the distinctive anniversary badges on the trunk.

The 1999 GL1500A Gold Wing Aspencade carries on Honda's touring bikes heritage and delivers road worthiness blended with exceptional levels of rider and passenger comfort.

The GL1500 Gold Wing SE manufactured in 1999 marks the 25th anniversary of the bike which redefined asphalt touring, and this special edition brings in quite a long list of changes and upgrades. Aside from the distinctive 25th Anniversary badges on the tank, the bike comes with plenty of chromed details, high-contrast dash colors, chromed engine covers,, a new two-tone paint and two-way adjustable passenger pegs.

Adjustable wind protection and rider leg warmers are also in standard trim, as well as illuminated bar and radio switches, a cassette player, 40-chann CB radio and 4 speakers.

The GL 1500 Gold Wing SE, first produced in 1993 and manufactured till 2000, had 100 horsepower at 5250rpm and a torque of 159Nm at 4000rpm.

Kept in production for approximately one year, the GL 1200 Gold Wing Aspencade touring bike belonging to Honda was able to develop 94 horsepower at 7000 rpm. The added power and engine torque of 1182 cc made GL his king class in 1984. The name Aspencade comes from her largest gathering of US touring pilots. The Aspencade comes equipped with panniers and a gigantic top box, in which you can store the luggage of three people.

The GL 650 Silver Wing Interstate is a Honda touring motorcycle manufactured for only one year, between 1983 and 1984.

Manufactured for only two years, between 1982 and 1984, the Honda GL 1100 Aspencade motorcycle develops 81 horsepower at 7000 rpm.

The Honda GL 1100 Interstate is a motorcycle first manufactured by the Japanese company in 1980. The bike was kept in production for only three years, until 1983.

Honda's GL 400 is a touring motorcycle which was equipped with a water cooled, V twin, four stroke, 2 valves per cylinder engine with a displacement of 396cc.

The GL 500 Silver Wing touring motorcycle belonging to Honda was kept in production for only five years, between 1977 and 1982.

The Honda Gold Wing was a series of touring motorcycles powered by a flat engine and equipped with a shaft drive. The first machine was introduced at the 1974 Cologne Motorcycle Show.

Over its production years, the Honda Gold Wing received many performance and design modifications, such as a 999cc flat-four engine in 1975. By 2001, the engine displacement reached 1,832cc with a flat-six engine.

As for appearance and technical modifications, the 2012 featured ABS, cruise control, an electrically assisted reverse gear, an optional airbag, a heating fairing, an adjustable windscreen, panniers, a trunk, a passenger backrest, and a six-speaker audio system with MP3 and iPod connectivity.

The second generation of the Gold Wing was launched in 1980 and continued until 1983. until May 1980, the Gold Wing model was manufactured in Japan and then moved to the Marysville Motorcycle Plant in Ohio.

The 1977 Honda GL1000 was powered by a 999cc opposed boxer four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine fitted with four Keihin carburetors, boasting 78 hp at 7,000 rpm and 83 Nm (61 lb-ft) at 5,500 rpm.

A telescopic fork was handling the bike's front suspension, and twin shock absorbers were handling the rear suspension, offering optimum suspension performance and excellent handling capabilities.

The wire-spoke wheels were fitted with dual-piston calipers, two 232 mm discs on the front, and a single-piston caliper with a 250 mm disc on the rear, providing strong braking performance.

The Honda Gold Wing was a series of touring motorcycles introduced by Honda at the 1974 Cologne Motor Show. The bike was powered by a flat engine and delivered the power to the rear wheel through a shaft drive.

Before sales started in the American and European markets in 1975, the Honda GL1000 was presented to dealers in 1974 at the American Honda's annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas and then introduced to the public at the International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition (IFMA).

At the US dealer show in Las Vegas, Honda presented the bike with small fairings that were supposed to be manufactured by the Vetter Fairing Company and sold as Hondaline accessories. The fairings never went into production after the molds were accidentally destroyed.

The Gold Wing was born as a naked touring machine without saddlebags and windscreen. This was an opportunity for accessory manufacturers that quickly offered a range of fairings and accessories.

The bike's suspension was handled by a telescopic fork with 148 mm wheel travel on the front end. In comparison, the rear end was operated by dual shock absorbers with 84 mm wheel travel, offering optimum suspension performance and handling.

Dual-piston calipers with two 232 mm discs took care of the bike's front stopping power, while a single-piston caliper with a 250 mm disc handled the rear braking performance.

As for power, the 1976 Honda GL1000, with a 999cc opposed boxer four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, boasted 78 hp at 7,000 rpm and 83 Nm (61 lb-ft) torque at 5,500 rpm.