HONDA GL1000 (1975-1976) Specs, Performance & Photos

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.