| 1984 Honda GL1200 Gold Wing Standard |
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| Performance |   |
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| The motor was never intended for racing, but it is still a potent motor with mountains of torque everywhere, delivered with smoothness and refinement. Without the added weight and drag of touring bodywork, the throttle on a 1200 Standard can still be a source of delight, even today. |
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| Handling | |
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| A naked Wing still handles like what it is—a long, heavy touring bike. Steering is slow and it takes a significant amount of handlebar effort to initiate and hold a turn. The flip side is a rock-steady, comfortable ride at any speed, on any pavement. With a low CG, anti-dive forks and air shocks out back, the standard GL provides a ride that will never startle you. |
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| Looks |  |
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| The naked 1200 not only looks better than the earlier 1000 and 1100 standards, but better than any full-dress Gold Wing before or since. |
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| Reliability | |
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Two words: Gold Wing. No, wait, three words: Simple Gold Wing.
Easily worthy of a perfect five points back in '84, the point deduction is for what age and high mileage have probably inflicted on any you'll find today. |
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| Practicality | |
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| I came this close to buying one of these in '84. The reason I didn't is that ultimately, with over 63 inches of wheelbase and 650 lbs. of heft, it's too big for comfortable around-town work, too clumsy for the twisties. While this bike really shines on long freeway hauls, full dressers offer more comfort and convenience there. There's a reason the stripped GL1200 was only offered for one year. |
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| Desirability | |
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| The last naked Gold Wing is rare, stylish, accessible, and only Gold Wing I've ever really wanted. |
