Honda GL Gold Wing (classic)
Real ownership data from 3,214 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | major | 13.9% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 10.8% |
| Tyres | fail | 10.7% |
| Brake discs and pads | prs | 7.6% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 7.1% |
| Steering and head bearings | prs | 5.8% |
| Corrosion | major | 5% |
| Wheels | major | 4.7% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is controls and cables.
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 | 11 | 43,372 mi | 2,292 | 82.95% |
| 2001 | 50 | 40,647 mi | 1,263 | 87.48% |
| 2000 | 213 | 36,268 mi | 1,205 | 89.67% |
| 1999 | 199 | 39,530 mi | 1,244 | 88.08% |
| 1998 | 206 | 45,016 mi | 1,255 | 89.14% |
| 1997 | 171 | 41,718 mi | 1,113 | 88.18% |
| 1996 | 90 | 41,177 mi | 990 | 87.86% |
| 1995 | 95 | 50,073 mi | 880 | 87.02% |
| 1994 | 81 | 57,958 mi | 1,170 | 88.2% |
| 1993 | 82 | 55,396 mi | 986 | 86.52% |
| 1992 | 141 | 58,021 mi | 1,097 | 87.5% |
| 1991 | 253 | 59,734 mi | 1,004 | 87.37% |
| 1990 | 218 | 60,584 mi | 762 | 86.27% |
| 1989 | 281 | 58,026 mi | 779 | 84.54% |
| 1988 | 180 | 60,552 mi | 840 | 83.69% |
| 1987 | 110 | 60,409 mi | 440 | 81.05% |
| 1986 | 190 | 55,570 mi | 598 | 81.39% |
| 1985 | 227 | 58,412 mi | 612 | 81.5% |
GL Gold Wing (classic) questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Honda GL Gold Wing (classic)?
Across 3,214 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are electrical (13.9% of all recorded faults), controls and cables (10.8% of all recorded faults), tyres (10.7% 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 35,918 and 70,995 miles.
Is the Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) reliable?
86.24% of Honda GL Gold Wing (classic) MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.02 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 3,214 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.