This month, we’re shining a spotlight on a touring legend that changed the game for comfort, power, and engineering brilliance: the 2001 Honda Goldwing GL1800.

This was the year Honda took everything they’d learned from decades of long-haul luxury and said, “Let’s make it faster, lighter, and smoother.” The result? A 900-pound touring bike that somehow handles like a sport-tourer.

If you’re shopping used (and you will be, unless you’ve got a time machine), here’s what you’re getting…

In 2001, Honda swapped the GL1500’s engine for a new liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 1832cc flat-six. This motor is buttery smooth, low-vibration, and almost indestructible. It puts out around 118 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque, which is more than enough to make passing semis feel like a breeze.

The horizontally opposed layout keeps the weight low and centered, giving the Goldwing a planted, almost uncanny sense of balance. For a motorcycle this big, it’s shockingly agile once you’re moving.

This was the first Goldwing to get an aluminum twin-spar frame, a massive leap forward from the steel frames of earlier models. That upgrade shaved off weight and stiffened the whole bike, giving it precise steering.

The front end used 45mm cartridge forks, and out back was Honda’s Pro Arm single-sided swingarm — the same basic design philosophy seen on their sportbikes. Together, this setup gave the GL1800 a handling character that felt far more “sport-touring” than “rolling recliner.”

The only weird part is rolling that big boy on its side to change the rear tire. (I am not kidding here) 

Comfort wasn’t an afterthought — it was the thought. The 2001 model came standard with cruise control, a premium audio system, and more storage than my first apartment. It even offered an electric reverse gear, which sounds silly until you try backing up 900 pounds of bike on a hill.

Add in a massive fairing, plush seat, and wind protection that could double as a windshield for a Miata, and you’ve got a touring setup that’s as close to cheating as motorcycling gets.

The 2001 Goldwing wasn’t just an update — it was a complete redefinition of what a touring motorcycle could be. It proved that “big” doesn’t have to mean “clumsy,” and that long-distance comfort doesn’t have to come at the cost of character or capability.

Even today, a clean GL1800 from this era can hold its own against modern tourers.

Source: I own one and often ride it like I stole it.