This Honda Gold Wing GL 1800 Becomes A Custom Roadster

From the lap of luxury to setting lap times.

By: Dustin Wheelen

Mar 1, 2021 at 3:04pm ET

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Honda’s Gold Wing is the pinnacle of touring comfort. Frequently regarded as a La-Z-Boy on two wheels, the latest generation Wing flaunts seat heaters, Apple CarPlay integration, 55-watt speakers, an electronic windshield, and all the luggage space you could ever need. Hamburg-based Louis Moto saw more than just a fully-automated, luxury touring bike under the bodywork of a 2018 GL 1800, however. Thus, the Six Pack was born.

Led by Kay Blanke, the build team started with the teardown. The Gold Wing’s liquid-cooled, horizontally-opposed, six-cylinder engine interested the builders most. They carefully extracted the wundermill, electronics, transmission, and shaft drive as the basis for the custom dragster. Affectionately named the “Six Pack”, the project leveraged Louis Moto’s numerous connections to turn this portly tourer into a fit and trim streetfighter.

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UNO’s Sam Wasserman designed the new trellis frame with burly steel tubes to support the massive 1,833cc lump. Michael Nauman fabricated a retro-styled (and comically long) faux gas tank that actually hides the motorcycle’s wiring. Blanke and team then replaced the wishbone front suspension with a USD fork and mounted a Wilbers monoshock at the rear. Tubeless, wire-spoked Kineo wheels step in for the Gold Wing’s cast wheels and a new Brembo setup adds some extra bite.

Gallery: Six Pack: 2018 Honda Gold Wing GL 1800

The prized six-cylinder engine also received a few upgrades with a K&N filter and the 6-in-6 Shark exhaust system opening the GL 1800’s airways. Schrammwerk’s Danny Schramm brought the project home with a distressed metal paint job that adds some instant patina to the Six Pack. Retro-styled graphics added the finishing touch to the hot-rodded Gold Wing. After Louis Moto’s treatment, the GL 1800 may not be the lap of luxury anymore, but it sure looks ready to shred some tires.