Honda GL 1100 Gold Wing

Thousands of enthusiasts enjoy touring on their motorcycles every day, and the motorcycle of choice is Honda's Gold Wing. From scenic Highway 101 along California's Pacific Coast to Colorado's Garden of the Gods, from cruising Daytona Bike Week in March to watching New England leaves turn color in October, Gold Wings open a window on practically every corner of this country.

With the introduction of the all-new Gold Wing in 2001, Honda's GL line enters into its 26th consecutive year of production. There have been many significant models over the years, and certainly one of the most significant was introduced in 1980—the GL1100 Interstate. Accompanied by a standard version that same year, the Interstate was Honda's and Japan's first turnkey touring motorcycle, and the first Gold Wing to be equipped with a full fairing, saddlebags, trunk and optional stereo—all for a suggested retail price of $4898.

The Interstate immediately won accolades from the enthusiast press, praise that translated into healthy sales figures. Cycle World magazine named the GL1100 Interstate its Best Touring Bike for 1980, an honor the motorcycle (and its subsequent variants) retained for 11 consecutive years.

The GL series, first introduced in 1975 as the GL1000 Gold Wing, already had earned a growing reputation for reliability and comfort, virtues that encouraged riders to travel long distances rarely attempted before. But Honda didn't stop there. With its full-coverage fairing and bags, the Interstate offered a whole new level of long-distance capability.

Among its many improvements, the Interstate also benefited from increased performance, thanks mainly to the engine's larger 1085cc displacement. Revised valve timing, 1mm smaller-bore carburetors (30mm) and an electronic ignition all contributed to these goals, as well as a beefed-up drivetrain to cope with the added output. The liquid-cooled opposed-four pumped out substantially more low-end torque, dramatically increasing top-gear roll-on acceleration. Cycle magazine's test of the standard GL1100 that year proved it to be the quickest of the GL family, burning through a quarter-mile dragstrip run in 12.47 seconds at 107.39 mph just a tick off the fastest open-classers of the day.

The Interstate's chassis was all-new. A longer wheelbase—growing to 63.2 inches from 60.9 inches—gave both rider and passenger added room and comfort. Half of that increase was traceable to a longer swingarm, while the new frame accounted for the other half. In addition to the longer wheelbase, Honda gave the frame more rake and trail to impart even greater stability. Air-assisted suspension front and rear helped accommodate varying loads, and helped lower seat height 0.6 inches compared to the 1979 GL1000. In addition, the fork bushings utilized a slick material called DU to render more compliant action.

In the years that followed, Honda continued to refine the Gold Wing, and the machine would undergo several significant model changes, including the 1200 series machines, the landmark GL1500 series and now the amazing GL1800 series that offers a level of unmatched high-performance luxury. The GL1800 like all the full-dress Gold Wings that followed the 1980 model owes a debt to the GL1100 Interstate, the motorcycle that showed the world what Honda's idea of long-distance motorcycling was all about.