2005 Honda Gold Wing Photo Gallery

The Wing is pretty big, in case you didn't know.

From Duke's Notepad: "Wide seats makes it difficult to throw a leg over."

With the Wing you can put a lot of mile behind you.

From Duke's Notepad: "Stereo without optional rear speakers sounds a bit tinny."

From Duke's Notepad: "Low first gear, with a large gap to second."

From Duke's Notepad: "Vent in windshield is a godsend on hot days, but more ventilation would be an improvement."

From Duke's Notepad: "Bag latches are not very beefy."

From Duke's Notepad: "Lots of steering lock for tight maneuvers."

From Duke's Notepad: "Wide, flat rubber-covered pegs are comfy."

Whenever you need to make the brake lights flash really red, you can rest assured that the Goldwing's ABS binders will slow you down in a well-ordered manner, as our tester found out on a wet Nevada freeway.

The Goldwing's upright riding position was both comfortable and effective for low- and high-speed maneuvering.

An adjustable windshield provides ample protection from the wind and elements. In fact, the Wing's massive shield worked so well that Korf had to pry open vents near the rider's shins to generate air flow and combat the oppressive Nevada desert heat.

From Duke's Notepad: "Suspension is not super plush, but it does an admirable job of controlling 900 lbs of vehicle/rider."

The '05 Wing offers ample protection with a massive front windscreen and fairing.

The Wing's comfy passenger seat.

2005 Golwing's saddlebags.

The Wing has a sound system that would make some cars jealous.

If you are unable to stuff all the gear you need for a week-long trip into the Goldwing's ginormous luggage, chances are pretty good you need someone to sign you up for one of those cable TV shows were they take all the junk out of your house and make you sell it.

Floor boards are a must for the long haul.

Reverse! What kind of bike is this?

An LCD display lets you know what station you're on.

The wing's control panel.

The amount of buttons and gadgets on the Goldwing can be overwhelming at first, but with a little patience Korf was able to activate the left turn signal without cranking up the volume to 11 on his treasured Best of Broadway Showtunes CD.

The Wing's luggage should be able to accommodate almost anyone's needs.

The Wing's exhaust system keeps the noise down.

The 1832cc engine contributed to the comfort factor by the absence of obnoxious noise.

See the Golwing is comfy.

From Duke's Notepad: "Astonishing how composed a bike this big is over bumps and undulations on secondary roads."

From Duke's Notepad: "Steers quicker than you might imagine, and does so with surprising precision and no wallowing."

Duke throws the Wing around the bend.

Given its beefy looks, the Wing is quite adroit at cornering in the twisties. It does even better sans luggage and passenger.

The Goldwings massive luggage dominate the look of the machine.

Visual proof of what bling and the right kind of light can do.

Duke felt that wind back-blast pushes a rider forward at speed.

Duke delivered Korf a 2005 30th-anniversary-edition Honda Goldwing for Il Korfagio's 1406-mile expedition out to Salt Lake City and back.

The '05 Wing was capable of a number of feats, with Duke here demonstrating its ability to drag sparks. Perhaps most amazing was Korf's Vegas feat of two passengers: his girlfriend and Homer Simpson.

While a logging 1400 miles on any motorcycle with his girlfriend in tow is something he swore he will not repeat, Korf can't deny there were enough blissful moments to generate an itch he might have to scratch with another 1000-mile jaunt one day.

The Goldwing strikes a pose.Duke had a couple gripes with the Goldwing, the most notable of which were the wide seat and lack of ventilation, but found the Wing to be a nimble performer given its size and weight.

The Goldwing strikes a pose.

No there aren't any oceanside views between Salt Lake City and L.A., but the Goldwing can transport you comfortably anywhere there is pavement.

Bumps out on the road, expected or unexpected, are soaked up by the 45mm front fork and its 4.1 inches of travel.

A test just isn't the same without Duke burying the tach and speedo. The regal Wing held its own in the performance numbers and on the road Korf had no problem doling out the power when he needed it.

At the controls of the Goldwing, Korf (the dude in the orange shirt battling BC in a Vegas arcade) waxed philosophic on the transcendant radiance that can occur on the right stretch of road.

Vegas. What a stinking, filth-ridden cesspool... Unless you win a giant Homer Simpson doll