2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Review

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Honda has improved passenger comfort on the 2021 Honda Gold Wing. (drew ruiz/)

“You still awake back there?”

I never thought I’d pose that question to my wife Kirsten as we rode south on the 101, returning from an overnighter to San Luis Obisbo in California’s central coast. You see, Kirsten is terrified of riding on the back of a motorcycle. More specifically, she’s terrified of riding with me. Maybe it’s because I crashed a ZX-10R into a tree the morning after our second date. Maybe she’s seen one too many wheelie photos of me. Or hundreds too many. Whatever the reason, in our 17 years together she has dared to ride on the pillion only three times. This particular journey is number three.

This time she sat serenely behind me and watched the waves roll into the beach just above Ventura. So serenely I thought she had dozed off.

More storage, improved speakers, and enhanced passenger comfort add value to the 2021 Honda Gold Wing Touring DCT. (drew ruiz/)

“Almost,” Kirsten said, drowsily. The cure for her motorcycle passenger intrepidation came in the form of a Candy Ardent Red 2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT, a $29,300 therapist, if you will.

Changes to the Gold Wing for 2021

For 2021 Honda turned its attention to increasing passenger comfort, providing more storage capacity, the addition of Android Auto, and refining the sound quality of the 45-watt four-speaker stereo. Ten months ago, Cycle World Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer tested the 2020 Tour DCT model (read it here) and covered all the greatness that is a Gold Wing from the rider’s viewpoint, reviewing the updated suspension and seven-speed automatic DCT transmission sans passenger.

A more relaxed passenger space is one of the most important changes to the 2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT. (drew ruiz/)

Passenger comfort is not a trivial consideration when shopping a touring motorcycle. So Honda invited a group of journos to ride the updated 2021 Gold Wing up the coast to the influencer’s dreamland that is the Madonna Inn. Passengers were required. If not for the carrot that was the Madonna Inn, Kirsten’s ride count would have remained at two.

Passenger Comfort

Honda’s Gold Wing has always long been, yes, the gold standard when it comes to touring comfort especially in the Tour trim. For 2021 the Wing gets a more laid-back passenger backrest, with the previous 17-degree angle increased to 24.5 degrees. This more relaxed position is said to help reduce pressure on the passengers hips. The backrest is also 30mm higher and its foam is now 5mm thicker.

Honda has increased the angle of the passenger backrest for a more relaxed seating position. (drew ruiz/)

Kirsten isn’t accustomed to sitting on a bike for hours on end, and our day was a solid six hours on the bike thanks to multiple photo stops. But when we rolled into SLO on the first day she had no complaints other than the height of the passenger grab rails, which are too low for her to easily reach with both hands at the same time. These handles aren’t necessary for stability or security, but were reassuring given her nervousness at being on the road with me in charge.

More Storage

Overnighting at the Madonna Inn required that we bring our swimsuits, miscellaneous toiletries, and a change of clothes for dinner. While the side bags of the Gold Wing have not grown, the addition of 11 liters (for a new total of 61 liters) to the top case was welcome. Honda has added 48mm to the width, 46mm to the height, and 34mm to the depth of the top trunk, which it claims is is big enough to fit two XXL full-face helmets with headsets; we gladly used the case to store our less-than-XXL helmets overnight. This also left us some room in the trunk for a few souvenirs that Kirsten insists were a must-have.

Two full-face helmets will now fit easily in the trunk of the 2021 Gold Wing. (Morgan Gales/)

Sizing of the top trunk is now spot-on, but I still feel the side bags are somewhat of a limitation despite their 30-liter capacity per side. This is in part due to the side-opening configuration, which makes it difficult to stuff the bags to capacity, as at least 20 percent of those 30 liters is found in the door that flops down when opening. You’re always wrestling with a pant leg, shoe, or some tchotchke you’ve found on your journey while attempting to close the bags. The only solution is to spring for the $119 accessory saddlebag liners; yes, you need bags for your bags.

Pumping the latest Post Malone demonstrates the increased power and midrange clarity of the new 45-watt speakers. The previous 25-watt units weren’t bad, but these are undeniably better. Even so, I prefer to pipe the tunes to a headset; it’s the only way I can truly enjoy the music or understand what is being said in a podcast while traveling at speed.

Gold Wing and Android Auto

Which brings us to the integration of Android Auto, available as an update to the 2020 models and now standard. It works every bit as well as it does in my 2020 Ford Transit moto van, though a touchscreen would make the usage even easier. One issue we ran into: When my headset ran out of battery, it shut down Android Auto. This was a bit of a nuisance, as we had the route to the hotel running on Google Maps. We had to stop, look up the address, and enter it into the Honda navigation system; after using Google Maps for half the day, the Gold Wing’s navi felt dated, with sluggish inputs.

Losing Google Maps when Android Auto is nonfunctional due to a dead headset requires using the less-polished Gold Wing navigation. (Justin Dawes/)

Not that we had any complaints about the seat on the 2020 Gold Wing, but for 2021 the Wing gets a faux-suede cover Honda claims will enhance feel and appearance. Yep, it looks good. Neither of our posteriors had any complaints after using it for 15 hours over two days.

As we passed through Laguna Beach toward the end of our ride home, the verdict on Gold Wing passenger comfort was delivered from the back seat.

“We should do this again.”

There is no higher compliment from Kirsten than that.

“We should do this again.” Yes, we should. (Justin Dawes/)

2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Specifications

MSRP:	$29,300
Engine:	SOHC, liquid-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder; 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	1,833cc
Bore x Stroke:	73.0 x 73.0mm
Compression Ratio:	10.5:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	7-speed automatic DCT/shaft
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	90. hp @ 5,420 rpm (2020 model)
Cycle World Measured Torque:	102.5 lb.-ft. @ 1,370 rpm (2020 model)
Fuel System:	Fuel injection
Clutch:	Automatic Dual Clutch
Engine Management/Ignition:	Full transistorized
Frame:	Aluminum twin-spar
Front Suspension:	Double wishbone type; 4.3 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Pro Arm single-sided swingarm w/ Pro Link single shock, preload electronically adjustable; 4.1 in. travel
Front Brake:	Hydraulic; dual 320mm discs
Rear Brake:	Hydraulic; 316mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast aluminum
Tires, Front/Rear:	130/70-18 / 200/55-16
Rake/Trail:	30.5º/4.3 in.
Wheelbase:	66.7 in.
Ground Clearance:	5.1 in.
Cycle World Measured Seat Height:	29.4 in.
Fuel Capacity:	5.6 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight:	838 lb.
Availability:	Now
Contact:	powersports.honda.com

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