Originally published in Vicarious Magazine- Fall 2024 (Subscribe now and never miss an issue!)
Imagine the warmth of the sun on your shoulders. Imagine no longer needing a calendar for work appointments. Now imagine you’re piloting a two-seat, open-air, pleasure machine pointed at the open horizon, with your favourite travel companion along for the ride. The Honda Goldwing and Mazda MX-5 Miata are just the sort of machines that can whip up an imagination cocktail with a double shot of dopamine and serotonin.
That many (most?) of the buyers of these machines tend to be of the grey-haired (or no-haired) demographic is inconsequential. They’re each brilliant enough that anyone who experiences them should appreciate these two for what they are: feats of tremendous engineering. And, yes, we know comparing a car and a motorcycle is a little odd, and that someone about to spring for a Goldwing is unlikely to be talked into an MX-5 instead (and vice-versa). But that’s okay since the craziness of this comparison comes from a place of admiration, and the amusement that these two fundamentally-opposed machines have more in common than one might think.
To start, they’re both long-running nameplates built in Japan and renowned for their longevity and durability. The MX-5 Miata has been around for four generations and 35 years. The Goldwing is in its sixth generation, but had a 14-year head start, now on the cusp of its half-century celebration. Both are constructed on bespoke platforms exclusive to their respective model, which means they’re crafted without the compromises faced by most machines that share structures or powertrains with other models.
The pricing reflects this exclusivity with the big Honda starting at $28,699 CAD and rising to more than $38,000 CAD for our tester, replete with a dual-clutch transmission and even an airbag. Meanwhile, the Mazda, at its most affordable, is a $37,000 CAD spend. Our mid-trim GS-P climbs to $45,595 CAD after a must-have $4,400 Sport Package featuring lightweight BBS wheels, Recaro seats and Brembo brakes is added, plus freight and PDI charges. Considering the Miata has a convenient convertible roof and an additional pair of wheels and tires versus the Goldwing, we suppose the cost difference is justified.
Recognizing the Goldwing is the two-wheeled champion of long-distance touring, we were still surprised by the dramatically divergent personalities these two exhibit when unleashed on the open road. Despite the nimbleness normally provided by two narrow tires and a wheelbase that’s 600 mm tidier than the Mazda’s, it’s the Honda that emerges as the sedate long-distance cruiser of the two, rather than the outright sporting machine.
The Goldwing is long and heavy by motorcycle standards, and inputs through the wide handlebars don’t take much effort, but are met with a brief hesitation before leaning into a curve. For those used to riding smaller, lighter machines, this takes a bit of time to get used to. On the other hand, the big Wing is remarkable in its ability to carve corners with poise and precision, threading a series of curves together seamlessly while offering confidence-inspiring stability even over less-than-ideal pavement. Lesser bikes would skitter around in those situations, but the Goldwing can hustle harder than such a sizable luxo-ride has any right doing.
The MX-5, on the other hand, comes across as over-caffeinated, seemingly reacting to a driver’s thoughts before the muscles turn the wheel. Mazda’s engineers have tweaked the MX-5’s suspension set-up and mechanical limited-slip differential to be slightly less eager to wag its tail when driven briskly. But make no mistake, it can still be happily provoked, it’s just more deliberate and less of a surprise now. The Mazda is fun to grab by the scruff of the neck and rough-house around the corners; the Honda is a much more serious instrument.
The Goldwing’s engine is a marvel within the motorcycling world, too. Where far too many riders seek out obnoxiously loud bikes with a lumpy idle, the Honda’s heart beats with uncanny smoothness, it’s six horizontally-opposed cylinders puttering away without a fuss. The Honda’s 1,832 cc engine is nearly as large as the Mazda’s 2-litre, 4-banger, but its 125 peak horsepower are well short of the Mazda’s 181 hp. The Wing’s torque, though, at 125 pound-feet, is not only much closer to the MX-5’s 151 lb-ft, but it’s among the burliest of all motorcycles. It also means that while the Mazda is now properly quick, it’s not even close to keeping up with the Honda piloted by a determined rider. Considering the bike weighs in at a third what the feathery, 1,089 kg (2,400 lb) Miata does, it shouldn’t be a surprise.
A traditional, sequential 6-speed manual transmission is available for the Goldwing, but ours had a dual-clutch setup that’s yet another way Honda’s engineers have flexed their genius. It’s smooth and well-matched for the boxer engine’s lazy-revving nature and helps the big tourer whoosh away from most traffic with ease. As effective as it is, the DCT detracts from the overall engagement of riding, made all the more evident when experienced back-to-back with the MX-5’s magnificent six-speed. The Mazda’s gearbox offers short throws, well-defined gates, and the clutch is light, yet offers enough feel to make a driver feel like an ace at the controls. A six-speed automatic is also offered, and probably saves some fuel, but it would surely steal a large chunk of the satisfaction one enjoys in a manual MX-5.
At highway speeds, with the Goldwing’s electrically-operated windshield in its most upright position, the rider and passenger are well protected from wind blast – perhaps as well as in a top-down MX-5, in fact. Even still, that’s not saying much since sustained elevated speeds in either the Mazda, or on the Honda, is accompanied by buffeting and plenty of noise. At least on the Honda the rider has a helmet to filter some of the blast.
There’s more, though. The Goldwing offers dual heated seats, with the passenger perch more closely resembling a big, comfy, armchair than the pillion seat normally found on a bike. In fact, it’s probably the more comfortable (and certainly more intimate) passenger seat of these two considering the weirdly-shaped and confining passenger footwell in the MX-5. Curiously, both machines have the seats trimmed in a faux-suede material. The Mazda’s Bose sound system features speakers in the headrest, but the Goldwing can connect to both the rider and passenger through helmet intercoms, and even offers Apple CarPlay!
While the MX-5’s trunk, at 130 L may just barely top the Goldwing’s total cargo space of 121 L, it should be noted that the bike actually has more cubbies and places to put things around the cockpit than the Mazda does. The top trunk on the Wing will easily accommodate two helmets and can be locked or unlocked via the keyless fob.
Ultimately Honda’s Goldwing represents more a grand touring roadster feel (think classic Mercedes SL), compared to the hyper-active roadster that is the MX-5. While it was presumed enjoying these two together would confirm that the motorcycle is always a more visceral, exciting choice, that simply wasn’t the case. Instead, for a long-distance, fair-weather highway tour, it’s the two-wheeled choice that represents the more sedate offering. Of course, you can’t fall off the MX-5.
As objects meant to fulfill dreams and fuel the imagination, both the Goldwing and the MX-5 deliver in abundance. It’s not about picking one that’s better than the other, but rather which of these brilliant Japanese two-seaters is the better one for you. They’re really not so different.