Kevin

New 2021 Gold Wings Officially Announced

The New Goldwing vs. Older Owners
QUALIFICATION: I own a 2018 DCT wing and to date... have ridden it 33,000 miles. In 2019... I spent 5 weeks and 11,751 miles in the saddle touring the country. Rode all lower 48 states on my Harley and now doing it again on my wing. Only 8 states left. COMMENT: If I put myself in Honda's shoes and look at the demographics of Goldwing owners it would scare me. The aging of wing riders does not bode well for the long term health of the brand or bike. Harley Davidson is facing the same scare which is why they push their trikes more and more every year. Honda had to change the wing and what they did was smart and timely. Did they alienate some of the older crowd? Yes... and some feel that that the company let them down. On the other hand how many more bikes are older riders going to buy? Let's face it... if you're a baby boomer (like me) or older... your two wheel riding days are fewer and less likely to buy multiple new bikes. Honda is focusing on younger riders who don't like riding a couch and want something more sporty. In addition... they are also focusing on converting riders from other brands into the fold. In 2018 they believed that 27% of the buyers would be Harley owners... and I'm part of that percentage. The new wing has slimmed down, lost weight and carries a host of other improvements. IMHO... these changes have greatly improved the functioning, reliability and styling of the bike. Did Honda nail it 100%? No! However, with any new model re-vamp there are tradeoffs. Would agree that some of the tradeoffs were short sighted and perhaps dumb (i.e. rear trunk size). It's great to see that Honda is actually listening to the owners and fixing some of those short sighted items (i.e. increased trunk size for the 2021 model). Some of the bitching about the new wing model maybe warranted but other gripes seem to be short sighted or biased. Right here on this blog someone said they didn't like the seat... I love the seat. They don't like windshield. Done a lot of miles through all kinds of weather (including snow) and it's works like a champ for me. The front wish bone suspension is awesome and it increased the handling of the bike by lowering the engine and moving it forward. Don't get me started on the DCT... my list of positives is very... very long. What you get in the new wing... for the price... makes it an absolute bargain. This is a great touring motorcycle whose innovations are now shaping how other manufacturers make their bikes (i.e. riding modes). A bike is not going to fit everyone's taste and needs at the time of purchase. For those who want to give their bike more soul and reflect their own needs or desires there's a growing list of after market parts suppliers. Did you know that Corbin has been selling a larger trunk lid and saddle bags for the new wing for over a year now? I didn't like the suspension so replaced it with a suspension system from Traxxion Dynamics. The amp and speakers suck on the wing so I upgraded to the Honda amp. It sucks too! I just bought a J&M Rokker 800 watt amp and J&M speakers (right here on Wingstuff) so it will now be in the range of my taste. Most other wing owners will say it's stupid and too loud. I disagree. The comment from No Alias that he has a friend who didn't like the bike does not say anything about the bike as a whole. I checked eBay nationwide... and 16% of the Honda touring motorcycles listed are 2018 or newer. That says a lot more than one person. Do I like the 2021? Absolutely! If I didn't already own a 2018 I would definitely get a 2021. It's a better bike than the 2018. Honda appears to be listening and will only make a great bike better! DISCLAIMER: I'm a rider who owns both a Harley and a Honda and respects and likes a very wide variety of brands, makes and models. My philosophy has always been... get a bike that's right for you and don't talk bad of someone who didn't make the same choice as you. :-)