How well does this 2021 model hold up to more than 40 years of Honda Gold Wing testing and scrutiny" I love it all. Except for one thing? (Photos by Drew Ruiz)

EIC Drevenstedt asked me a simple question: ?How many Honda Gold Wings have you ridden"? My answer required lots of mental calculations: maybe 75 or 80 total" ?Okay,? he said. ?Then you go ride the 2021 Gold Wing Tour DCT and tell me how it fits in with all those past Wings.?

Back in the late 1970s, I worked at Cycle magazine, and we rode the living snot out of every test bike, including the big ones. So full disclosure: I?m an outlier regarding performance standards. I?ve always pushed motorcycles far beyond the typical pace, and I prize light and lively handling above all else. Since 2000 I?ve ridden over 40 different fifth-gen Wings (2001-2017 GL1800s), but I had yet to ride the sixth-gen GL1800 that was introduced in 2018 and updated in 2020.
Comfy accommodations fit better than ever, fore and aft.

Ken’s Gear:Katie’s Gear:Helmet: Schuberth R2 CarbonHelmet: HJC IS-Max STJacket/Pants: Aerostich DarienSuit: Aerostich Roadcrafter R-3Boots: Tourmaster Response WPBoots: Tourmaster Trinity

The mechanicals, measurements, electronics, and such of the sixth-gen GL1800 have been thoroughly covered in previous Rider tests (September 2020, November 2019, May 2018, and January 2018). But there are several updates baked into this 2021 iteration:

Katie praised the rear seat armrests a...