I am 74 years old live in Spain had the dct from 2019 I have done 50.000 km it is the best ride ever when I ride I feel so young so I will keep going as long as I can the best
I am 70 and bought my 2nd hand wing last July it’s a 21plate full tour. I’ve had bikes my whole life, my last one was a VN900 classic which i owned for 14 years, i had major heart surgery in 22. The wing was my prize to me for surviving 2022. I love it to bits i wish i was ten years younger as im sure this machine will out live me. 😅
@@birchwoodbiker ye mine was my 1st, but it was a bad one and required triple by pass. With the support of the family we dipped into the savings to get the bike. The wife was you have sacrificed so much to keep this family save and secure so bugger it go and get your dream.
A fun description mate. Cheers from America! My wife is from Uddingston. So it was easy to follow you. I got my ‘dream wing’ in 2022, have 23,000 miles so far. The more you know the bigger the smiles! Last bike I will ever buy, at 69 years young! Be careful of ‘sport mode’ brother!
I bought one with a borrowed pocket back in March and rode it from Germany thru Spain to Ireland. I hadn’t ridden for five years and jumped on with pillion. So we dropped it when parking on Day 1 in Chamonix, and then did 2000+ Km in rain and shine on backroads and some m’way. It’s not all luxury after coming from ST1300s, and it’s just a bike. And I agree with you, what a bike!! 8,000Km later and it’s still a privilege to own and to ride; yes, a true bucket list win. Get one. It has warts and it’s EASY to service and gives me a smile everywhere we go!! Thanks for sharing the joy 😊
I am on my third Goldwing a 2012 manual transmission and I love it. I have toured 43 of the 50 states in the US and I live in the state of Tennessee and many mountains and I ride aggressively. I would not have the DCT, takes away from being in touch with the bike and the sporting nature of the bike you have not even touched. I am glad you like it but there is a personality there you have not idea. Thanks for the review.
Well Jammy is the English way of saying how lucky you are to have the roads you have, and your right I haven't rode the manual, But if my pockets were deap enough a Goldwing would be in my garage, and I would want to ride the world on it. BUT don't nock the DCT I've had manual bikes all my life, and the DCT gives you just as much engagement, Just like my NC750, I'm allways upshifting and down even in Automode, Be great if you could send a photo, have a great 2025👍👍👍
Great bikes. Without doubt the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. I loved my little go on one. But I was devastated when I gave the keys back because I can’t afford one.
Nice to see you coming through Culcheth again birchy. I was out on the heritage softail today & it was anything but cool. The heat off the engine was unbelievable.
Hi mate, great video, ultimate comfort bike.. Would I ride one? Hell yeah.. Would I own one? Nope. I dont do enough miles for the GW to be beneficial, I couldn't afford one , nor the upkeep...
@birchwoodbiker when you went from Culcheth, Risley, then to Birchwood roundabout (industrial estates, co-op), I thought I was on my way to work for a brief moment 😆 🤣 .. If I had the money and toured a lot, defo have one..
I have just got one been my dream to have one since a kid now 65 just lost my dad and. Thought what the hell mine is a 2020 tour dct with 5000 miles just booked her in for a tire change my insurance is £300 a year I have been riding bikes since 16 years old you are right it is a dream just getting used to the weight on the move no problem moving in garage yes heavy but what a bike ❤❤
Evening Birchy, it's the anti-grom! More like the Enterprise.. Great bikes for mega mile munching. I remember back in the 90's, as a 17-ish year old lad at Bransons and we watched as a guy pulled in on a Goldwing in a T-shirt, sandals and listening to Orchard FM on the radio. £32k is a spicy price 😮😁 but a lot of tech and bike and what an engine. In another life I'd have one for sure.
People criticise Honda for being "boring", but this is the giant company that makes the Grom, Dax, CRF300, CB650 e-clutch, NX500, NC750, AT, NT and this GW monster. The last 3 have DCT as well. They are IMO pretty innovative.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne i could see that. i own the kawasaki concours14 and rode out to Tennessee on it and found out, in the bends and twisties, that bike sucked. i wish i rode out on the concours and had the W800 for day trips. which is why i want 5 motorcycles in the stable. but the goldwing is not in it. my concours is my goldwing. lol
what a machine they are, i talked to a guy with one in a dealer forecourt at the start of the year who was bringing it in for a service and he loved it, it looks like a mini space shuttle to me, but i just wouldn't dare have one or ride it myself, and for the type of riding i do in the lanes and single tracks probably wouldnt be a good idea anyway, but thanks for the review.
@@birchwoodbiker I look forward to the next vid. I had a purpose built bike shed built around christmas, on my drive, as the garage has been tanked out and converted into my den/office lol, so to get my bike in i have to push/reverse it in up a similar slope and turn the wheel just like you do when reversing a car into a parking spot. it can be a bit of a struggle as my bike weighs 200kg, and i made a moveable trolley that's sank into the shed floor to make lining it up easier, but it's a price i have to pay to ride and keep my steed secure, so i live with it. As the goldwing has reverse, it would possibly be no prob to get it in, but, although i really appreciate your reply, im just not feeling the love to get my own, sorry !!
In 2018 I bought myself a Honda GL1800 Gold-Wing. I lasted one year with it before getting rid. My overriding memories of it are: OMG it was expensive Unbeatable on a long-distance motorway trip Utterly useless on the twisty narrow roads in Scotland/Wales/Kernow Damned hard work around town Way too heavy with a passenger, even worse two-up and loaded with gear 100% useless for filtering If I lived in America and wanted to go from CA to FL then it would be my bike of choice. But here in the UK with its traffic-filled roads, congestion at all-time highs, traffic lights every few hundred yards in towns, and motorways where the need to filter is a daily necessity, the Honda NC750X is a way more sensible choice.
No problem filtering in the right places. It’s wide and can feel heavy and with confidence it’s fine in traffic. You need to watch them riding dispatch around Paris to really understand what they can do - far more than I can or will ever - and that’s one busy city! Not disagreeing with you and only recounting a different experience. And I agree the my old Deauville and ST1300s may be more sensible. Who wants sensible at my age? 🤣 Ride safe
Weird, I really enjoy mine in the Picos and Pyrenees. Havent found a road it won't eat. Maybe an S1000XR is quicker, but I rode at the back, in the middle and at the front of a pack of 15. Never felt out of place ... and in sport mode, my it sounds good. I did grind down the footpads a fair bit, mind you
Like your good self I've now overcome my stent procedure and got used to taking the numerous drugs and for the first time since last September i got my bike out for a bimble. Its the exact opposite to that Gold wing it's a GoldStar but how did I just love getting back in the saddle.
Thanks for your vid and sharing the joy of that first and slightly confusing ride 😂 I can only disagree on servicing. It’s not difficult and saves a fortune. Chris from Cruiseman’s Garage sells a video pack which is more than enough to do routine stuff. Intervals are wide, too. Some procedures are more involved and still well within my skill set, and I’m an idiot.
@@birchwoodbiker yeah, but the unpopping the plastic for the first time is stressy for sure, and much more complex than the ST1300 I’m more familiar with. I’ve not done the pads yet and that needs you to remove the rear wheel and a piece of exhaust shield…definitely more involved! Suddenly I’m more daunted than I was in n first comment :D
People can pay more for a car and smile less. I chose to smile. I’m lucky to be old enough to empty my pockets before I can’t ride at all and only after 5-years waiting to afford one. Meanwhile, it’s just a motorcycle. Any bike can be our dream.
Filtering? It's 1.8" wider than your NC750X, thats all, and 2" narrower than a 1250GS (without panniers. If the bars fit through, the rest of the bike will follow. More of an issue perhaps is the kinetic energy, which does require a bit of concentration
@@birchwoodbiker Oh, quite so. I dint do it on day. To be fair I probably didn't do it on day 10 either! However, the bike is rather like a Pyrenean Mountain dog - intimidating at firs meeting, but you soon realise its a big softy, that will look after you
Not quite my experience in a hot climate! It’s just a bike. Stop still in the Sun in temperate gear and it’s hot. The pop-up spoiler on the dash doesn’t do much IMO. Oh, and in storm force rain, it directs a deluge to yer bits!!
Fantastic bike in every respect….many say it’s the worlds best tourer; if that’s true why are there so many touring on BMW’s and even Harley’s? When I’m out and about on UK roads I hardly ever see a Goldwing. Surely if you can afford a big BMW you can afford a Goldwing?
I’ve a 1800C version which is more basic, great smooth engine, very stable, brilliant for A roads, but tight lanes need concentration and every-time I stop I think; “what’s going on here?” Ie what’s the camber, slope, gravel situation etc. yes the weight is low down, but the C is still 340 Kg and on one leg it can be daunting. I’ve not taken a pillion yet, but can only imagine that is even more tricky.
@@birchwoodbiker Thanks, I’m surprised it doesn’t have Stop/Start…are you sure? (I have an automatic Volvo and find that function brilliant in stop start traffic…fuel saving obviously)
But it’s too big like the six cylinder bmw great if you like big lumpy bikes but sorry after sixty years biking not for me, but if that rings your bell that’s ok by me
@birchwoodbiker Yes I rode one down in Exeter 2 years ago and it was amazingly nimble and soooo comfortable and I'd seriously consider even giving up my car if I had one. Unfortunately I live in the Black Mountains in South Wales and most of places I ride locally are snotty single track potholed affairs so I could only have a goldwing if I won the lottery to afford one and had a big garage!
I am 74 years old live in Spain had the dct from 2019 I have done 50.000 km it is the best ride ever when I ride I feel so young so I will keep going as long as I can the best
I am 70 and bought my 2nd hand wing last July it’s a 21plate full tour. I’ve had bikes my whole life, my last one was a VN900 classic which i owned for 14 years, i had major heart surgery in 22. The wing was my prize to me for surviving 2022.
I love it to bits i wish i was ten years younger as im sure this machine will out live me. 😅
@@birchwoodbiker ye mine was my 1st, but it was a bad one and required triple by pass.
With the support of the family we dipped into the savings to get the bike. The wife was you have sacrificed so much to keep this family save and secure so bugger it go and get your dream.
A fun description mate. Cheers from America! My wife is from Uddingston. So it was easy to follow you. I got my ‘dream wing’ in 2022, have 23,000 miles so far. The more you know the bigger the smiles! Last bike I will ever buy, at 69 years young! Be careful of ‘sport mode’ brother!
I bought one with a borrowed pocket back in March and rode it from Germany thru Spain to Ireland. I hadn’t ridden for five years and jumped on with pillion. So we dropped it when parking on Day 1 in Chamonix, and then did 2000+ Km in rain and shine on backroads and some m’way. It’s not all luxury after coming from ST1300s, and it’s just a bike. And I agree with you, what a bike!! 8,000Km later and it’s still a privilege to own and to ride; yes, a true bucket list win. Get one. It has warts and it’s EASY to service and gives me a smile everywhere we go!! Thanks for sharing the joy 😊
I am on my third Goldwing a 2012 manual transmission and I love it. I have toured 43 of the 50 states in the US and I live in the state of Tennessee and many mountains and I ride aggressively. I would not have the DCT, takes away from being in touch with the bike and the sporting nature of the bike you have not even touched. I am glad you like it but there is a personality there you have not idea. Thanks for the review.
Well Jammy is the English way of saying how lucky you are to have the roads you have, and your right I haven't rode the manual, But if my pockets were deap enough a Goldwing would be in my garage, and I would want to ride the world on it. BUT don't nock the DCT I've had manual bikes all my life, and the DCT gives you just as much engagement, Just like my NC750, I'm allways upshifting and down even in Automode, Be great if you could send a photo, have a great 2025👍👍👍
Great bikes. Without doubt the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. I loved my little go on one. But I was devastated when I gave the keys back because I can’t afford one.
Nice one Paul, an honest first hand review from someone who rides a lot. Cheers bud.😊
Nice to see you coming through Culcheth again birchy. I was out on the heritage softail today & it was anything but cool. The heat off the engine was unbelievable.
No it's a pearl white one. I always look out for you when I'm walking the dog. I get dropped off at the fire station and walk back.
Hi mate, great video, ultimate comfort bike..
Would I ride one? Hell yeah..
Would I own one? Nope.
I dont do enough miles for the GW to be beneficial, I couldn't afford one , nor the upkeep...
@birchwoodbiker when you went from Culcheth, Risley, then to Birchwood roundabout (industrial estates, co-op), I thought I was on my way to work for a brief moment 😆 🤣 ..
If I had the money and toured a lot, defo have one..
Hope your going to give me a go when yours is delivered. Love the sound and can't wait for when you take it off road,
I have just got one been my dream to have one since a kid now 65 just lost my dad and. Thought what the hell mine is a 2020 tour dct with 5000 miles just booked her in for a tire change my insurance is £300 a year I have been riding bikes since 16 years old you are right it is a dream just getting used to the weight on the move no problem moving in garage yes heavy but what a bike ❤❤
@@birchwoodbiker thank you fantastic review by the way 👍
Evening Birchy, it's the anti-grom! More like the Enterprise.. Great bikes for mega mile munching. I remember back in the 90's, as a 17-ish year old lad at Bransons and we watched as a guy pulled in on a Goldwing in a T-shirt, sandals and listening to Orchard FM on the radio. £32k is a spicy price 😮😁 but a lot of tech and bike and what an engine. In another life I'd have one for sure.
People criticise Honda for being "boring", but this is the giant company that makes the Grom, Dax, CRF300, CB650 e-clutch, NX500, NC750, AT, NT and this GW monster. The last 3 have DCT as well. They are IMO pretty innovative.
that is a US dream machine! highways for miles.
"that is a US dream machine!"
But a UK nightmare.
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne i could see that. i own the kawasaki concours14 and rode out to Tennessee on it and found out, in the bends and twisties, that bike sucked. i wish i rode out on the concours and had the W800 for day trips. which is why i want 5 motorcycles in the stable. but the goldwing is not in it. my concours is my goldwing. lol
what a machine they are, i talked to a guy with one in a dealer forecourt at the start of the year who was bringing it in for a service and he loved it, it looks like a mini space shuttle to me, but i just wouldn't dare have one or ride it myself, and for the type of riding i do in the lanes and single tracks probably wouldnt be a good idea anyway, but thanks for the review.
@@birchwoodbiker I look forward to the next vid. I had a purpose built bike shed built around christmas, on my drive, as the garage has been tanked out and converted into my den/office lol, so to get my bike in i have to push/reverse it in up a similar slope and turn the wheel just like you do when reversing a car into a parking spot. it can be a bit of a struggle as my bike weighs 200kg, and i made a moveable trolley that's sank into the shed floor to make lining it up easier, but it's a price i have to pay to ride and keep my steed secure, so i live with it. As the goldwing has reverse, it would possibly be no prob to get it in, but, although i really appreciate your reply, im just not feeling the love to get my own, sorry !!
In 2018 I bought myself a Honda GL1800 Gold-Wing. I lasted one year with it before getting rid. My overriding memories of it are:
OMG it was expensive
Unbeatable on a long-distance motorway trip
Utterly useless on the twisty narrow roads in Scotland/Wales/Kernow
Damned hard work around town
Way too heavy with a passenger, even worse two-up and loaded with gear
100% useless for filtering
If I lived in America and wanted to go from CA to FL then it would be my bike of choice. But here in the UK with its traffic-filled roads, congestion at all-time highs, traffic lights every few hundred yards in towns, and motorways where the need to filter is a daily necessity, the Honda NC750X is a way more sensible choice.
No problem filtering in the right places. It’s wide and can feel heavy and with confidence it’s fine in traffic. You need to watch them riding dispatch around Paris to really understand what they can do - far more than I can or will ever - and that’s one busy city! Not disagreeing with you and only recounting a different experience. And I agree the my old Deauville and ST1300s may be more sensible. Who wants sensible at my age? 🤣 Ride safe
French dispatch riders run Goldwings? Still totally unsuitable in London.
Weird, I really enjoy mine in the Picos and Pyrenees. Havent found a road it won't eat. Maybe an S1000XR is quicker, but I rode at the back, in the middle and at the front of a pack of 15. Never felt out of place ... and in sport mode, my it sounds good. I did grind down the footpads a fair bit, mind you
Like your good self I've now overcome my stent procedure and got used to taking the numerous drugs and for the first time since last September i got my bike out for a bimble. Its the exact opposite to that Gold wing it's a GoldStar but how did I just love getting back in the saddle.
Thanks for your vid and sharing the joy of that first and slightly confusing ride 😂 I can only disagree on servicing. It’s not difficult and saves a fortune. Chris from Cruiseman’s Garage sells a video pack which is more than enough to do routine stuff. Intervals are wide, too. Some procedures are more involved and still well within my skill set, and I’m an idiot.
@@birchwoodbiker yeah, but the unpopping the plastic for the first time is stressy for sure, and much more complex than the ST1300 I’m more familiar with. I’ve not done the pads yet and that needs you to remove the rear wheel and a piece of exhaust shield…definitely more involved! Suddenly I’m more daunted than I was in n first comment :D
Going on the title, 'unless you want to move it around your driveway/garage ect 😂
Love these bikes, although never riden one.
@@birchwoodbiker all good this end thanks 😎👍🏻
People can pay more for a car and smile less. I chose to smile. I’m lucky to be old enough to empty my pockets before I can’t ride at all and only after 5-years waiting to afford one. Meanwhile, it’s just a motorcycle. Any bike can be our dream.
Filtering? It's 1.8" wider than your NC750X, thats all, and 2" narrower than a 1250GS (without panniers. If the bars fit through, the rest of the bike will follow. More of an issue perhaps is the kinetic energy, which does require a bit of concentration
@@birchwoodbiker Oh, quite so. I dint do it on day. To be fair I probably didn't do it on day 10 either!
However, the bike is rather like a Pyrenean Mountain dog - intimidating at firs meeting, but you soon realise its a big softy, that will look after you
Reference engine heat , I believe it’s the only bike with air conditioning, there’s vents in the fairing, my dream bike of all time 😊👍
Not quite my experience in a hot climate! It’s just a bike. Stop still in the Sun in temperate gear and it’s hot. The pop-up spoiler on the dash doesn’t do much IMO. Oh, and in storm force rain, it directs a deluge to yer bits!!
Brilliant pal,thats it though now you've spoilt yourself..😂
Fantastic bike in every respect….many say it’s the worlds best tourer; if that’s true why are there so many touring on BMW’s and even Harley’s? When I’m out and about on UK roads I hardly ever see a Goldwing. Surely if you can afford a big BMW you can afford a Goldwing?
wow, I haven't seen a texaco in forever
Yes and there not badly priced compared to Shell👍👍👍
I’ve a 1800C version which is more basic, great smooth engine, very stable, brilliant for A roads, but tight lanes need concentration and every-time I stop I think; “what’s going on here?” Ie what’s the camber, slope, gravel situation etc. yes the weight is low down, but the C is still 340 Kg and on one leg it can be daunting. I’ve not taken a pillion yet, but can only imagine that is even more tricky.
Does it have Stop/Start function?
@@birchwoodbiker Thanks, I’m surprised it doesn’t have Stop/Start…are you sure? (I have an automatic Volvo and find that function brilliant in stop start traffic…fuel saving obviously)
Flat six actually!!
I used to live in "Flat 6"
But it’s too big like the six cylinder bmw great if you like big lumpy bikes but sorry after sixty years biking not for me, but if that rings your bell that’s ok by me
I love the Goldwing but unfortunately it's the right bike in the wrong country.
@birchwoodbiker Yes I rode one down in Exeter 2 years ago and it was amazingly nimble and soooo comfortable and I'd seriously consider even giving up my car if I had one. Unfortunately I live in the Black Mountains in South Wales and most of places I ride locally are snotty single track potholed affairs so I could only have a goldwing if I won the lottery to afford one and had a big garage!
Flat six (Boxer) not straight six and sounds like a Porsche 911 as engine layout the same, not a Mustang which is a V8...
Unfortunately I judge my bikes by the size of my wallet an £32 big ones for a bike I wouldn’t be able to justify
Flat six.
…its weight…
It’s mighty heavy at times and the walk forward and back modes compensate. Speed keeps it light ;)