Gold Wing Road Riders To Close Its Doors

[advrider]

If you are a Honda Gold Wing rider, you are probably familiar with the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA). At one time, it was the largest association of Gold Wing riders in the world.

The organization was founded in 1977 by Paul Hildebrand and Shirley Stevens-Garcia. During its heyday, the group grew to about 80,000 members in 53 countries. In addition, approximately 4,000 volunteer leaders managed over 800 active chapters.

With a headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, the GWRRA billed itself as “the world’s largest single-marque social organization for owners of Honda Gold Wing/Valkyrie motorcycles.” Boasting its fraternity, the GWRRA adopted the motto, “Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge.”

The association also publishes its own print magazine called Wing World. Unfortunately, the September 2022 issue will be the association’s last.

GWRRA members are/were constantly working to improve the image of motorcycling, and they took pride in being a not-for-profit, non-religious, non-political organization whose members covered a broad spectrum of backgrounds but were unified by a love for owning and riding Honda’s comfortable and luxurious Gold Wing motorcycle.

GWRRA comments

Abel Gallardo, the COO of the GWRRA, had this to say about the group’s closing:

“We would like to thank our members, vendors, and advertisers for 45 years of unwavering support.  We truly could not have made it this far without all of you.

To our rider-education program, we cannot begin to place a number on the lives touched by your efforts. To our leadership-training and motorist-awareness programs, thank you for educating our members, officers, and public to keep our riders safe and enjoying the ride.”

Bill Savino, Honda’s Senior Manager of Customer Engagement, also commented about the closure of the GWRRA:

“For nearly five decades, the GWRRA has set the powersports standard for a grassroots organization based on a single model, and Honda will be forever grateful for the enthusiasm the club’s members demonstrated and generated for the Gold Wing.  While the GWRRA’s closure is undeniably the end of an era, we want to make sure their members and all Gold Wing enthusiasts know that Honda remains committed to the Gold Wing model and these customers for years to come.”

The GWRRA will officially close on July 31, 2022.  However, the association will offer prorated refunds for those who paid for a 2022 prepaid membership.  If you want to know more about the reasons for the GWRRA’s closing, check out their video.

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