After 13 years, the Honda 2001 GL1800 Gold Wing was the first model that packed a massive 1,832cc flat-six engine with a Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) system and a power output increase from 100 to 117 hp.
Also, the GL1800 was built around an extruded aluminum frame composed of 31 elements, less than half of the GL1500 model, resulting in a weight decrease. It was fitted as optional with an Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) system.
The 2006 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing was fitted with more technical features, including an airbag, an integrated GPS called Internavi with the information provided through the speaker's or headset cables, and a comfort package that included heated grips, saddlebags heating, and adjustable air vents located in front of the rider's footpegs, offering warm engine air in cold weather conditions.
The 2010 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing was the last machine manufactured in the United States due to the repositioning of the manufacturing plant at the Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. In 2011, Honda didn't deliver any Gold Wing model, while production resumed in 2012.
After the Honda manufacturing plant was repositioned in Japan, the GL1800 model was split into two categories: the first-generation US-made machine from 2001 to 2010 and the second-generation Japanese-made model from 2012 to 2017.
The second generation of the Japanese-made Gold Wing model featured minor updates, including a restyled bodywork with fewer bulbous fairing and saddlebags and a revised fairing with better protection for the rider's legs by redirecting warm air from the engine to the rider's feet.
In addition, the trunk, saddlebags, and fairing pockets offered a total capacity of 150 liters, the instrument panel featured a brighter screen, the navigation system was updated, and the six-speaker audio system was revised.
The 2013 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing F6B was a powerful and comfortable touring machine that packed a 1,832cc liquid-cooled flat-six engine with 117 hp on tap at 5,500 rpm and 167 Nm (121 lb-ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm.