Not many motorcyclists would object if you called their motorcycle “therapist”, or described riding as an act of therapy session. I certainly wouldn’t, despite living with some fairly serious mental health conditions for over 10 years now. Although not something I often discuss on RideApart, for this article it’s essential that it is noted here.
Therapists, psychiatrists and even monks: I’ve visited them all! From Eastern and Western medicine – as well as some unusual forms – to whatever worked for me at that moment in time – my search was for answers – finding what worked in each instance and taking what worked where possible.
At any point in time, one thing has always helped alleviate my issues: taking a ride.
No matter if my ride involves three hours on my Street Triple around my local canyon roads, an afternoon spent lapsing Willow Springs on my BMW S1000RR or hitting up a motocross track – it always feels therapeutic to me after emerging from it – I emerge feeling lighter, brighter and ready to face life’s obstacles more optimistically than before stepping on that bike!
But after riding Honda’s 50th Anniversary Gold Wing from Birmingham to Daytona Florida and covering over 700 miles on it, I experienced something I never had: motorcycle therapy like no other!
Unbeknownst to me, I was an ideal candidate to test this two-wheeled therapy because of personal issues I was struggling with shortly prior to our ride.
Never Ending Roads
My ride began and ended on seemingly never-ending straight roads, yet luckily I got a chance to put both a 2025 Gold Wing and 1975 Gold Wing GL1000 (the inaugural model) through Barber Motorsports Park beforehand, alleviating any curve-induced anxiety.
Long, straight stretches of pavement were traditionally something I thought about only as means to an end – twisty roads being my destination of choice – but on my Gold Wing ride, they showed me something else entirely.
Instead of feeling impatient or annoyed while traveling along these roads, I found an almost spiritual sense of peace when allowing the Gold Wing to do what it does best: glide. Crunching miles upon miles with this vehicle made for enjoyable time as I watched leaves change shape and color while enjoying the strobe light effect the sun produced as it came through trees around me.
It was like uploading art onto an empty hard drive.
But eventually, my brain returned to its usual self and my thoughts started flowing freely again. You see, I rode for three or four hours–about as long as usual for me–before coming back into myself with all of its serotonin benefits from an ordinary ride. Unfortunately, though, this only represented three quarters of a nearly 400-mile trip and what were my next steps going forward?
Well, those personal issues I mentioned earlier came flooding back and now seemed much more manageable.
As I continued riding, so too did my issues; but thanks to hours of serotonin-producing riding, my outlook remained upbeat as I faced them head on with optimism and even managed to come up with solutions for them – making for a successful therapy session; though there were still several hours left until sunset; so back into Zen I slipped.
Once I had covered 300 miles, my brain switched back on, again filled with dopamine and serotonin; coupled with memories of solutions I’d come up with to address my issues, the thought came to me: “Why are you waiting? This is where we’re going for the next few hours.” Using Cardo – my bike’s built-in Android Auto system – and Gold Wing as my life coach I began making phone calls.
“During my two days on the Gold Wing, I made more progress in dealing with issues than in two weeks if left at home alone.
Here, the updated user interface and wireless Android Auto deserve special mention; I don’t like fiddling around with settings while driving unless they are intuitive, and although there may be further ways of improving this system, it was easy for me to pick up quickly and use while riding.
More than just making progress with my problems, I made some key life decisions while traveling on the Gold Wing itself. It empowered me to take those steps.
Riding an Ocean
After returning from my usual ride to unwind my mind, my state of mind usually changes dramatically when riding my Street Triple; that energy fueling its wheels calls for high, positive energy but this time around was completely different after spending hours aboard a Gold Wing.
My Gold Wing had both the peace and power of the ocean on my side.
As though my brain/blood barrier had broken down and I was becoming one with the bike itself–perhaps that happens after spending eleven hours a day riding one!
More than ever, I felt empowered when riding this 1833cc flat-six motor. It produces around 125 hp and an extraordinary 125 lb-ft of torque to propel me forward smoothly rather than forcing my hand forward at high speed. Of course, when you’re riding an 800-lb motorcycle it takes more than bottomless power for one to feel secure.
Honda’s leading link front suspension setup and linked braking system provided me with more stability than I could ever imagine when hitting the brakes or performing low-speed maneuvers. Remaining calm was one of its strong points, helping me do the same.
My expectations included comfort, plenty of power, and an intuitive package; what I wasn’t anticipating was something that’d like corners quite as much.
After spending much of my ride exploring both my open road and mind, I came upon a series of fast-sweeping bends and said to myself: “Oh yeah, corners. These are fun.” Once I entered them on my Gold Wing bike it felt as though its response were similar: it gave an affirming nod of approval and felt just as stable nearing its 40 degree maximum lean angle as upright on 70 mph freeways.
As I experienced both the calm and power of the ocean in every sense, from making U-turns, cruising highways, or pushing my cylinder heads closer and closer toward their casings, 350 mile days were not rushed past but instead experienced fully.
Humble Pie Never Tasted So Good
I admit it; I have made disparaging remarks about Gold Wings and Gold Wing owners in the past, but now understand. This model has outlasted virtually all others on the market and sold over 700,000 units around the globe; creating an international fan base.
“Riding my Gold Wing was like nothing I’ve experienced before. Mentally and physically it pushed me beyond expectations; taking long straight roads I would never have dared dream of taking was exhilarating; now all because of it!”
Gold Wings were once seen as bikes for elderly riders, but I soon learned otherwise. These motorbikes are intended for motorcyclists with both time and money to spare – something many retirees possess in abundance. If I had either one of those components available to me, I’d join their ranks; and Honda ensures that when my time comes they won’t disappoint in terms of sports ability.
Honda’s Gold Wing is indisputable comfortable; to bring this up would require extraordinary effort on their part. But during a presentation prior to riding this latest version around Barber Motorsports Park, engineering staff demonstrated they have been making several iterations of this model sportier in preparation for future riders – energy which I can say was well spent.
If you have the time and budget for an adventure of a lifetime, and can afford the Gold Wing’s starting price of $25,200–but I suggest considering instead its 50th Anniversary Gold Wing Tour DCT which has an MSRP of $29,700–then visit your nearest dealer immediately and test ride one! At minimum it’ll rewrite your definition of riding an elegant motorcycle.
