2018–2026 · Tourer · A variant of the GL 1800 Goldwing
Differences between the standard GL 1800 Goldwing and the DCT
The Flat-Six Comfort Machine
The SC79 DCT is Honda's answer to a simple question: how little should a rider have to think about on a 3,000-mile trip? At its heart sits a liquid-cooled 1833 cc flat-six making 126 hp and 125 lb-ft. The torque peaks at 4,500 rpm, so the engine rarely has to work hard. This trim builds on the standard Gold Wing with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and electronic suspension, and it keeps the double-wishbone front end and shaft drive. ABS, traction control, ride modes, cruise control, navigation, Apple CarPlay, heated grips and an electric screen are all part of the package. In the tourer class, this is the benchmark the others get measured against.
On the road it carries its 804 lb (365 kg) so calmly that after the first mile you stop thinking about the number. Reliability is where it really earns its keep, and the luggage room and weather protection are built for weeks away from home, not weekends. This is a bike for riders who cover serious distance, often two-up and fully loaded. Now the honest caveats. The DCT can clunk as you roll to a full stop, the paint and dash plastics mark easily, and two safety recalls (primary drive gear bolt, fuel pump impeller) mean any used example needs proof the work was done.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 126 hp (93 kW) @ 5,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 125 lb-ft (170 Nm) @ 4,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1833 cc |
| Engine | Flat-six (boxer) |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 7-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Fork | Duolever |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 130/70-18 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-16 |
| Wheelbase | 66.7 in (1695 mm) |
| Seat height | 29.3 in (745 mm) |
| Wet weight | 804 lb (365 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.5 gal (21 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Suspension
Swing a leg over and the first surprise is how low you sit. At 29.3 in (745 mm), both feet find the ground, which matters when 804 lb is leaning on you at a gas pump. There is no clutch lever to manage and no shifter under your left boot, so your hands stay loose on the grips and your left foot just rests. Once rolling, the flat-six settles into an even, unhurried rhythm, and the cockpit feels more like a well-built room than a motorcycle. Raise the electric screen, switch on the heated grips, pull up navigation on the TFT, and the noise and fuss of the road fall away. At a steady highway pace the bike feels planted and patient, and the miles stack up without much conscious effort.
The GL 1800 Goldwing DCT (SC 79-DCT) builds on the standard GL 1800 Goldwing: the upgraded hardware, the key spec changes and where its character shifts. The full ride, specs, scoring and verdict are all right here on this page.
Equipment the DCT adds vs the standard GL 1800 Goldwing
| Spec | Standard GL 1800 Goldwing | DCT | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet weight | 787 lb | 804 lb | +17 lb |
Owners tell me the truth about a bike once they've lived with it. I hear it over coffee at fuel stops, at owner meetups and track days, and in the long emails riders send after a season of touring. With the Gold Wing, the praise is mostly about the miles: how little they take out of you, and how little the bike asks for in return. The complaints are about the parts you sit on, pack and tap your way through.
Ask an owner what this bike does best and the answer usually comes back as a length of day. Riders consistently say they can stay aboard from morning to night and climb off without the fatigue they expected. They credit the whole package: plush suspension, a relaxed riding position, very little vibration, and a calm, quiet cockpit behind the electric screen and wide fairing. Riders who start early in cool weather also bring up the heated grips and seats. Owners are just as consistent about the long run. They describe the flat-six as an engine built for hundreds of thousands of miles, and plenty report six-figure mileage with nothing beyond routine maintenance. In these accounts, trouble-free ownership is the norm, not the exception.
Nothing on the bike splits opinion like the cockpit tech. Riders like the 7-inch TFT, the ride modes and the car-like feel, and some regard the package as the one to beat in this class. The built-in navigation gets a much colder reception. The recurring gripes are sluggish response, slow route calculation and menus that don't work the way riders expect. A few add that the display picks up scratches quickly. Owners' usual answer is to ignore the factory system and run their smartphone instead.
For a bike praised this highly for comfort, the stock seat is the sore spot owners bring up most. They say discomfort sets in after a few hours, and passengers have it worse on bikes without a backrest. A smaller group takes issue with the smoothness too. Most riders describe very low vibration, but a few feel a buzz through the bars and pegs when cruising between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm. Two-up tourers talk about luggage. The base model has only a small compartment where a top trunk would normally sit, and on bikes with a trunk, Honda enlarged it for 2021, though owners still call it compact next to some rivals. The rest comes up less often. Some owners want more stopping power from the brakes in an emergency, the paint and dash plastics mark easily, and a tip-over at a standstill can damage the engine cases and side panels.
Primary drive gear bolt failure (recall)
A manufacturing defect can cause the primary drive gear bolt to break, leading to engine stall and rear wheel lock‑up. Honda issued a recall for all 2018‑2021 Gold Wings.
Fuel pump impeller deformation (recall)
Improperly moulded fuel pump impellers may deform, causing fuel pump failure and engine stalling. The recall affects 2018‑2024 GL1800 models.
Soft paint and easily scratched plastics
The factory paint on body panels is exceptionally soft and prone to swirl marks. The dash and infotainment screen plastics scratch even with careful cleaning, quickly looking worn.
Clutch switch failure causing HSA warning and rear brake drag
A faulty clutch switch on manual-transmission models can cause the Hill Start Assist (HSA) indicator to flash and, in some cases, produce intermittent rear brake drag from the combined ABS unit. The remedy is replacement of the clutch switch.
DCT deceleration clunkiness
The DCT transmission can be abrupt and slightly clunky when decelerating to a complete stop, requiring a delicate throttle hand for smooth stops in traffic.
Weather-related switch gear malfunctions
Riding in wet conditions can cause dirt and moisture to enter handlebar switch housings, leading to intermittent failures of the cruise control, starter, or mode switches. The electric windshield may also operate erratically when its tracks become fouled.
Where this Honda GL 1800 Goldwing pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the GL 1800 Goldwing is actually built for.
This is your bike. Serious weather protection, real luggage room and a dependable flat-six make Beartooth-to-coast trips with a passenger feel easy, not heroic.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
It turns a 300-mile scenic day into an easy ride and stays composed on fast sweepers, but at 804 lb it is a tourer first. Ride it on your favorite twisty road before you sign.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
It will get you to Sturgis in more comfort than almost anything, but it's a smooth flat-six, not a thumping V-twin statement. Buy it for the miles, not the sound.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
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