Goodbye, Gold Wing: Honda officially ends U.S. motorcycle production
2010 Honda Gold Wing - Click above for high-res image gallery
We knew the day would come when the final Gold Wing motorcycle would be built in America after Honda announced last year that it would eventually close its motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio. Apparently, that time is now, as Honda has confirmed that the Gold Wing assembly line has halted. Moving forward, all Gold Wings – along with just about every other two-wheeler from Honda – will be imported from Japan.
Finished in 1979, the 330,000 square-foot Marysville Motorcycle Plant that has assembled the Gold Wing since 1981 was the first Honda manufacturing facility in America. Since then, over a million Honda Gold Wing motorcycles have made their way down the assembly line and four additional assembly plants have been erected in Ohio producing cars, SUVs, engines and transmissions.
While we're sure it makes sound financial sense to close the Marysville Motorcycle Plant, it strikes us as odd timing to shutter its first U.S. manufacturing site given that Honda is right in the midst of celebrating its first 50 years in America. Conversely, Honda plans to further expand its automotive manufacturing footprint in the U.S. Currently, about 76 percent of all Honda vehicles sold in the United States are produced in North America. Unfortunately, we can now strike the Gold Wing off that list.
Gallery: 2010 Honda Goldwing
[Source: Auto Observer]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aznauto 6:01PM (7/30/2009)
Good move, it beats me why they opened plants here in first place when they built cheaper and at better quality in Japan.
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TigerMil 6:10PM (7/30/2009)
In five years it will be built in China for the same reasons.
Chopper 8:02PM (7/30/2009)
How do you figure better quality numbnuts?
NA2R 9:47PM (7/30/2009)
How do you figure worse quality numbnuts?
RMN 1:08AM (7/31/2009)
Honda builds 76 percent of US vehicles in the US. According to you, Honda's build quality is bad in the US. Honda wants to make a higher percentage of cars in the US in the future. They must be a very stupid company then!
Eric Liberatore 6:28PM (7/30/2009)
Your title makes it sound like they've discontinued the Gold Wing.
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Tourian 6:35PM (7/30/2009)
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Tourian 6:35PM (7/30/2009)
So will I see something on the nightly news about Japanese companies closing plants and laying off American workers?
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Dustin 9:04PM (7/30/2009)
Tourian, the workers are not getting laid off but rather distributed to other Honda manufacturing jobs, as originally announced last year.
boz2730 6:39PM (7/30/2009)
Good riddance.
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RLQ 7:35PM (7/30/2009)
Uh, Why?
Chopper 8:06PM (7/30/2009)
Seriously.... why do people bother to comment with crap like that. Good riddance? Yea, F the thousands of employees about to lose their jobs and the cities and families this will effect. Who cares.... moron.
texmln 8:15PM (7/30/2009)
Well, looking at his icon he's probably UAW and those guys just hate it when there are productive non-union workers nearby... makes the lazy UAW goldbricker's look terrible. So, of course he wants the Honda employees unemployed - so there's nobody around to demonstrate how worthless the UAW workforce is.
Farmboy 11:12PM (7/30/2009)
I'm a little surprised. Some of Honda's motorcycles were actually nice. My friend who has like 20 motorcycles has a RUNE and a Gold Wing. He loves them both. Well, the Gold Wing is so his fiance will actually get on one. :)
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carl 4:00PM (8/04/2009)
go away honda...........die............fold up...........my wish for you and japan.........
Rev Junkie 7:22PM (7/30/2009)
That's too bad. The Marysville-built Accord my father owns seems much better built than my Japanese-built Civic. It could be because of the difference in price, but you shouldn't have to pay for build quality.
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cloudstrifemfx 7:46PM (7/30/2009)
I don't disagree. But not all things are made equal. Especially when it comes to cars. Some have a better fit and finish thanks to the market segment they're built for.
tankd0g 11:11PM (7/30/2009)
Or the decade's difference in years perhaps?
Hakim 9:30AM (7/31/2009)
Man! How old is your Civic???
KIB2 9:21PM (7/30/2009)
Maybe they can sale the factory to Buell.
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