1990 Honda Gl1500 Gold Wing Se on 2040-motos

Honda Other description

1990 Honda GL1500 Gold Wing SE, Water cooled, 1520cc, Boxer-6 - The Honda GL1500 Goldwing was announced for the 1988 model year. It's arrival came at a time when Kawasaki's Voyager, Suzuki's Cavalcade and the Yamaha Venture Royale had started to challenge the GL1200 Goldwing. Unfortunately, these challengers, while being great machines in their own way, concentrated on adding more in the way of luxuries to their machines and had they attended to the real needs of a touring bike, such as reducing weight and improving handling, there is no doubt that they would have been a real threat to the Honda flagship. Nonetheless, by 1987 the touring market was decidedly crowded and Honda had been working on the next Goldwing for a few years. The result of their efforts was an astounding machine that looked, handled and felt light years ahead of any touring motorcycle to date, period. Younger riders looking at the GL1500 years after production ceased cannot really appreciate it's impact when it arrived. This monster had a silky smooth six-cylinder engine that pulled like a train, a reverse gear and it's appearance was years ahead of it's time with a design that in spite of being the heaviest Wing to date, actually felt lighter and did the job a lot better than before. Such was the impact that the GL1500 had on the opposition that it ruled almost unopposed for more or less it's whole thirteen year production life, in spite of receiving few real improvements over the years. The late 90's seen the only real threat to the Goldwing in the shape of BMW's KLT1200 and in true Honda fashion, the 1800 Goldwing made it's appearance in time to set the standard for touring motorcycles once again. By Steve Saunders