Potential Newbie

Hello, Swingers,

I am currently in the market for a Silver Wing, thanks to the great encouragement from all of you forum members.  Have looked at an 08 with 13000+ miles.  Still considering an 03 and a 12 ABS.  

Currently I ride a BMW F800ST.  Great bike,but leg position is starting to give this senior citizen a cramp in the shifting leg.  Looking for a little more comfort in the S wing.  

Will the S Wing be that much better than the BMW?  Any previous owners of bikes you loved, but love the S Wing better?

Thanks.

I think you'll find the Silver Wing more comfortable. I had a couple of BMW K1100LTs and while I really liked those bikes my knees couldn't stand more than an hour's ride before I knew they were very unhappy. The big difference with the scooters is that you can sit upright with your legs back or extend your feet forward in a cruiser like position. One isn't limited to one leg position as is necessary on most motorcycle. Once in a while I miss my Goldwing but these Maxi-scooters really are good. Not bad for touring either. On day at Crater Lake I ran into guys from CA who had a pair of Silver Wiings. They were in their 60s and on their way home after a trip to Vancouver B.C. They both said they had a great time and no problems touring on their bikes. They did each have a good sized top box but all of their gear was in the bike or top box, nothing tied on.

Going from a 1500 Goldwing to my 05 Silverwing at first was trying but a week latter things all fell into place and now it's a full on go, love it.

I have both an 1800 Goldwing and a Silverwing. If I had to let one bike go, it would be the Goldwing. At 64 years old, I can still handle the Goldwing, but I can see a day coming that the Silverwing will be the only motorcycle in my garage.

I have an 08 SWing that I've had for 4 years now and love it.

My two cents: If the price is right go with the 12 with ABS. My 08 doesn't have ABS so I don't know how good it is but others have said it's great. But which ever one you go with depends on the condition of the bike and the price.

One last thing. My 08 SWing has almost 29,000 on it and still runs great.

I bought a used 2008 SWing at a great price but unfortunately it doesn't have ABS. I wish I had paid more for one with ABS. What's $1000 or $2000 when it could save your life.

To me ABS is worth having, I'd willingly pay $2k more for it. I've had four five bikes with ABS, two GL1800s, two BMW K1100LTs, and my current BMW C650GT. I would have kept my last Silver Wing if it had ABS. I've had a couple of incidents on gravel roads that prove the value of ABS. Once when a deer ran in front of my Goldwing and once going down a steep grade on loose gravel in a K1100LT. Both times it took most of the sweat out of the situation. While it's true an expert rider could do as well or perhaps better, the ABS is superior to the best rider in a sudden unexpected incident. Going down a gravel grade can be done easily by an experienced rider though it makes it a lot easier to have ABS, but sudden things like a deer jumping in front of a bike makes ABS worth the price.

Thanks for all the info and encouragement.

Check out Shroaders Honda in Hendersonville, NC web site, they have two Swings on their floor and ship anywhere in the U.S.. They are very reputable, tell them Ron sent you.

Thanks, Pastor, those two SWings look nice. I did get a better deal near to my home--about 45 miles away. I traded in my 2009 F800ST on a 2012 SWing ABS with 600+ miles. Took it for a ride today and bought it. Picking it up tomorrow. The SWing is more twisty(maybe flickable) than the BMW--smaller wheels, and maybe shorter wheelbase or something that makes it seem more inclined to turn sharply more quickly. I WILL MISS the BMW, but need to move to a more comfortable non-shifting ride. And the ABS helps me to justify staying on two wheels before this old fart expires. Broke the news to my wife this evening. She seemed neutral. Better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. HA!

Happy to join the Wing crowd.

Nice!

I'm sure, like everyone else, you will enjoy the Silverwing.

Welcome to the Forum.

bikehiker wrote:

Thanks, Pastor, those two SWings look nice.  I did get a better deal near to my home--about 45 miles away.  I traded in my 2009 F800ST on a 2012 SWing ABS with 600+ miles.  Took it for a  ride today and bought it.  Picking it up tomorrow.  The SWing is more twisty(maybe flickable) than the BMW--smaller wheels, and maybe shorter wheelbase or something that makes it seem more inclined to turn sharply more quickly.  I WILL MISS the BMW, but need to move to a more comfortable non-shifting ride.  And the ABS helps me to justify staying on two wheels before this old fart expires.  Broke the news to my wife this evening.  She seemed neutral.  Better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.  HA!

Happy to join the Wing crowd.  

Wow! Sorry, I was wrong about the wheelbase difference between my former BMW F800 ST and the swing. I thought the swing had a shorter wheelbase because it seemed more twitchy or quicker to turn. Turns out the swing is LONGER--63 inches compered to the BMW's 57.7 inches. Hmm...somehow that length makes it seem quicker to turn. Anyway, I'm getting used to the difference.

go right from a GL 1500 wing to a Silverwing, like you adjustment came quickly.

The real surprise to me was how close the wheelbase of the SW was to the Goldwing. These maxi scooters aren't all that small. I think the smooth, lower, design makes them look smaller than a typical motorcycle.
Check out this page to counter the 'small wheels' thing. There's a picture of a Hayabusa next to a Silverwing. Look at the front tires and tell me the SW has wheels too small for highway cruising.
If it weren't for the Harley 'mystique' that Harley has managed to create and a lot of people who only think about small scooters like Vespa and the Chinese imports there'd be a lot larger market here in the US.
I will bet that most who ride a maxi scooter came from motorcycles.

exavid wrote:

I will bet that most who ride a maxi scooter came from motorcycles.

Yes you're right but it's usually not from choice, it's loss of physical strength or old age. More commonly it's arthritic back, knees, or wrist problems that force them into that decision, as there's no clutch lever, gear changes, or throttle jockey riding position.

Until then, they'd have looked at maxi scooters as being a bit girlie, and been happy enough in their biking days taking the piss out of maxi scooters with their riding mates/buddies.

I choose the Swing for the massive under seat storage and the GIVI top boxit came with. I serviced computers for a chain store. I needed to be able to transport monitors, processors, keyboards, etc. Before my Swing, I had not ridden for forty years. I just wanted a bike that I could use for my job. I like being dry in heavy rain. As long as I can travel at 55 or more I stay dry. Getting stuck in traffic is the pits!
Anyway that was my 2¢ worth.