Honda GL Gold Wing (classic)
Real ownership data from 3,212 UK GL Gold Wing (classic) motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common GL Gold Wing (classic) problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | dangerous | 11.9% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 8.6% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 5.6% |
| Other | dangerous | 4% |
| Suspension | major | 3.9% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 3.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1% |
| Electrical | fail | 0.6% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is suspension.
GL Gold Wing (classic) mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7 | 29,028 mi | 1,242 | 83.08% |
| 2003 | 12 | 29,916 mi | 1,073 | 94.29% |
| 2002 | 12 | 42,034 mi | 2,292 | 83.92% |
| 2001 | 50 | 40,647 mi | 1,263 | 87.46% |
| 2000 | 213 | 36,268 mi | 1,205 | 89.65% |
| 1999 | 199 | 39,530 mi | 1,244 | 88.06% |
| 1998 | 205 | 45,078 mi | 1,255 | 89.1% |
| 1997 | 171 | 41,718 mi | 1,113 | 88.2% |
| 1996 | 90 | 41,177 mi | 990 | 87.85% |
| 1995 | 95 | 50,073 mi | 880 | 87.01% |
| 1994 | 81 | 57,958 mi | 1,170 | 88.19% |
| 1993 | 82 | 55,396 mi | 988 | 86.5% |
| 1992 | 141 | 58,021 mi | 974 | 87.42% |
| 1991 | 253 | 59,560 mi | 1,016 | 87.34% |
| 1990 | 218 | 60,584 mi | 762 | 86.39% |
| 1989 | 281 | 58,026 mi | 779 | 84.56% |
| 1988 | 179 | 60,901 mi | 840 | 83.58% |
| 1987 | 110 | 60,409 mi | 440 | 80.98% |
| 1986 | 190 | 55,570 mi | 598 | 81.35% |
| 1985 | 226 | 58,406 mi | 622 | 81.38% |
GL Gold Wing (classic) questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda GL Gold Wing (classic)?
Across 3,212 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are brakes (11.9% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (8.6% of all recorded faults), tyres (5.6% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Honda GL Gold Wing (classic)?
The median Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) in the UK has covered 53,266 miles, and typically rides about 918 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 35,921 and 71,049 miles.
Is the Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) reliable?
86.23% of Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.65 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,212 Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.