The Honda Goldwing has always been a big machine designed for long distances and wide, straight highways. The original GL1000 of the mid-70s had a flat four engine, but this had grown to a 1,832 cc flat six by 2001.
Despite the size and heft of this motorcycle, and the shaft drive setup, there are a surprising number of Goldwing cafe racer builds. The earlier four cylinder models are the most popular, being cheaper to buy used, easier to work on, and less intimidating in size.
These long, low machines are at the unconventional end of the cafe racer conversion scale, but are intriguing to look at. They might not corner with the aplomb of a small-capacity CB custom, but little can beat them for kerbside presence.
Some bikes just build easier than others. Honda CBs, Yamaha XS650s and Harley Sportsters are a few that come to mind, and you’ll find tons of parts and inspiration for these platforms. But there are many reasons it can pay to start with a less known quantity, and give a little love to the weird…
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The wildest custom Goldwing you’ve ever seen, an incredibly rare Egli-framed Suzuki GT750, a BMW with Nissan Leaf power, and a seriously weird official body kit for the Honda Monkey.
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Craig Rodsmith is one of the elite few that truly deserves to have an ego…but doesn’t. According to photographer Grant Schwingle, the Australian metal-shaping guru has a tendency to sell himself short, and had to be pried for details on this stunning Honda Gold Wing. Based in Illinois, USA, Craig calls this the ‘X-Wing,’ and…
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Vintage Gold Wings are pretty hard to find in Europe these days—and in Slovenia, rarer than a Mormon bartender. So when news of a GL1000 ‘Wing for sale reached Rok and Luka of Ljubljana-based Krakenhead, they jumped at it. Quite rightly, they figured it would be a great base for a ‘big Kraken.’ The plan…
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Adventure bikes are getting bigger by the day. And although we question the wisdom of taking a machine weighing more than 500…
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In a world where we throw around words like ‘svelte,’ the chunky Honda GL1000 hardly seems like a suitable prospect. Honda’s designers…
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When I hear that a shop has torn into a Honda Gold Wing, my curiosity is immediately piqued. As clichéd as it…
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At face value, there’s nothing unusual about Paul Dutra’s taste in motorcycling. He owns a heavyweight tourer—a Goldwing, natch—and he likes to…
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I’m fascinated by custom Gold Wings: it’s strangely appealing to see these heavyweight tourers stripped of all excess, and they invariably have…
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The custom motorcycle scene is driven by fashion as much as any other. Over the past couple of decades we’ve seen the…
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One of the last bikes you’d expect to get the café racer treatment is the Honda Gold Wing. It’s hardly a nimble…
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You might think that the average Honda Gold Wing is a ponderous tourer designed for cruising from one end of the USA…
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