Mayby a Silverwing.

Hello,Eddy from Flanders - Europe here.Age 58 and planning to get a used scooter.Silverwing 600, Burg 400 or 650.I am afraid for the reputation the SW is a huge gas swallower.-Can you people tell me the real MPG please?I am 6 ' tall.-Will the SW have room and comfort for me?
-Issues with 2000...2003 models?
-Are all models fuel-injection?Thank You.

eddy wrote:

Hello,Eddy from Flanders - Europe here.Age 58 and planning to get a used scooter.Silverwing 600, Burg 400 or 650.I am afraid for the reputation the SW is a huge gas swallower.-Can you people tell me the real MPG please?I am 6 ' tall.-Will the SW have room and comfort for me?
-Issues with 2000...2003 models?
-Are all models fuel-injection?Thank You.

welcome to the forums. I'm not sure what you mean by a gas swallower...compared to what? I average about 50 to 52 mpg on my S'Wing and the majority of miles are at more than 60 mph..in fact 70 mph would be more accurate. A lot depends on how hard you twist the throttle . I don't do a lot of full throttle off the line which does eat up fuel if done habitually.

eddy,

All models are fuel injected.

I am 6' tall and at present unfortunately I weigh a bit over 230 pounds. The two SilverWings that I ride are capable of moving me along in good comfort. I have enough leg room and variable leg positions for 400+ mile days. I do have a custom saddle as for me long distance touring was a must and that meant the custom sadle was a must. I have no performance or drivetrain modifications.

As for mileage - I have a pretty extensive log tracking the mileage on our bikes for the past 3.5 years. At 80+ mph in extremely cold weather I got some atrocious mileage, less than 33 mpg. My overall mileage is 48.6 mpg as a mix of interstate, in town, and simple cruising. My best is 62.3 mpg on a slow stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Any help? Obviously I'm partial to the SilverWing. I don't think you can go wrong with one of these fine machines.

Then there is the fact that a US Gallon is 3.785 Litres, while an imperial Gallon is 4.546 Litres.

So you may be reading different MPG results from people in different countries.

Dan

Eddy,

I think you should test drive a Honda Silverwing and the other scooters and get back with us. Good Luck.

Have it read a few times on Dutch forums.(the low mpg)Speaking of near 7 liters / 100 km = 35 Mpg.
50 mpg is nice.Can live with that.
Here in my area a few used bikes for sale.2 SW , 1 BM650 , 3 BM400.For me the SW looks the best.But the BM650 has a few nice properties.Powermode - shifting - elec. screen.
It's now midnight here.

eddy wrote:

Age 58 and planning to get a used scooter.Silverwing 600, Burg 400 or 650.

Good choices.

eddy wrote:

I am afraid for the reputation the SW is a huge gas
swallower.

From what I have read from the Burgmanusa.com forum. The Burgman 400 gets the hightest mileage ... then the SWing ... then the Burgman 650.

eddy wrote:

Can you people tell me the real MPG please

With the Power Commander I was consistenly get 56 US MPG the entire summer ... up to 60 US MPG (Driving Big Bend National Park area).

The Power Commander has helped increase the MPG. I am going through my first cold fall/winter with the Power Commander, but my MPG would have dropped due to cold weather and winter gas ... with the Power Commander it has not dropped significantly yet.

eddy wrote:

I am 6 '
tall.-Will the SW have room and comfort for me?

No problem.

From the factory the buttrest is in middle position ... remove the buttrest and make sure it positioned all the way back.

If you want or need greater leg room you can remove the buttrest which then provides a lot of leg room.

eddy wrote:

-Issues with 2000...2003 models?

You can check the recalls (not sure if pertain to UK) -- change the year:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/motorcycle_recalls/07/2007/honda/index.html

eddy wrote:

-Are all models fuel-injection?

Yes.

Eddy,

Hoe gaat het en welcom to dit forum !!!

The SWing isn't as bad as some say but if you want to really go wide open throttle all the time then it will eat the gas, but I think all bikes do that. I can understand why you are concerned since the gas over there is very expensive. When we go to Holland I'm still amazed at the price of petro over there, even though most is in taxes.

But if you ride it normally then you should get in the high 40's low 50's for U.S. measurements. I'm not really sure how you convert that to your rates. If you are buying new you may want to check into the new Silver Wing GT that is supposed to get about 8% better mileage. Keep us informed on what you get but the bikes you mentioned are all great bikes.

I'm 6' tall and I don't even have the seat all the way back and I seem to have plenty of room for what I like.

Hello Eddy.
I'm in West Vlaanderen, near Brugge.
Bought my Silverwing in September and love it!
I'm 6' tall and have plenty of room.

All thanks for the answers...friendly people.

And hello MikeO...i 'm from the neighborhood Mechelen.
Middle of Brussels and Antwerp.

Yes JeffR , gas is expensive here.

One liter is 1.4 Euro.....One Euro is 1.5 dollar.....One gallon is 4 liter.

1.4 x 1.5 x 4 = 8.4 dollar for 1 gallon.

What do you pay in the US ?

And i agree, it's about time to contact the sellers and test ride those bikes.
Than it's all about the feeling, the looks, age/mileage ,state of maintenance, and off course the money.

When i try thinking in a rational way...

Only for touring ..avoiding highway's...and only me.
Cheaper to buy , gas consumption , maintenance ....
I am not a speeder.

A 400 is the one to go.

But the SW and the BM650 are appealing.

Trying not to buy to soon.
There is no hurry.
Time till spring.

There's a saying in Drag Racing circles - "There is no substitute for cubes".

I bought the 600 because much of my riding is on motorways and main roads and with the wind here, the more powerful engine makes life much easier.
I don't ride over the speed-limit as a rule but the extra 'go' makes overtaking a breeze and battling head- and cross-winds less hassle.

I agree with MikeO. I'm 6ft. and find enough room for myself. I generally will get 58 MPG (imperial) or 4.8L./100 KM. Mix of city and highway. Got lots of power for the windy conditions here.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three. One thing I like about the SW and B400 is the simpler transmission set up. It's not difficult to change a belt once in a while and without all the electrical stuff the transmission is a lot less complicated which might result in more reliability. I rode a B650 and really wasn't impressed with the 'power' and 'economy' settings. I didn't see all that much more oomph in 'power'. Not to say the 650 Burgy isn't a great bike and it does have some nice bells and whistles too. My choices would be the SW, the Burgman 650 then the Burgman 400. I do definitely prefer two cylinders over one, the one lunger is never going to be as smooth and will have more vibration.

eddy wrote:

the BM650 has a few nice properties.Powermode - shifting - elec. screen..

Hi. Can't tell you from my own experience, but I have a couple of friends with Burgmanns. They say that they don't use the powermode and shifting, it doesn't really make a difference in the ride. I agree with DennisB, though. Try each model and figure out which is the most comfortable for you.

M-

A Silverwing 600 it is.2001, bordeaux-red, 17000 miles.One month now, but because the snow and cold ,i did only 100 miles.Have to learn again driving on 2 wheels.OK...spring and summer ahead.First observations:She is heavy.She is fast.

Congratulations! Of course I think it is a great choice. The MPG (or KPL) is very much in your control, it's all in the right wrist.

Enjoy the ride.

Eddy:
Congratulations! I hope you are as pleased with your SW as I am with mine. I took a hard look at the Burgman 650 and decided that the SW was a better for fit me and my needs.

eddy wrote:

A Silverwing 600 it is.2001, bordeaux-red, 17000 miles.One month now, but because the snow and cold ,i did only 100 miles.Have to learn again driving on 2 wheels.OK...spring and summer ahead.First observations:She is heavy.She is fast.

Eddy,

Congratulations on the new ride!

If it is anything like the 2003 I bought last September, it should be a very nice, low maintenance ride. I have only put 3000 miles on it (bought it with 3800 miles on it), but it has been flawless.

If you want to irritate your friends with B650s, put a J Costa variator on your Swing. I put on on in Jan. and my 650 riding partner can't keep up with me. I can just barely edge him out in a race to 60 mph. Could be the weight difference - he outweighs me by about 70lbs/32kilos.

Enjoy.

Thanks folks.

After reading all of the responses to the question, I feel fortunate. My Swing gets 53-60, depending on the ride, stops, and speed. But, I have never gotten below 49mpg, even riding with my lady friend.
I've ridden the Burgman 400, and it is way too under-powered, for mountain riding, or for anyone over 97 pounds, in my opinion.
The bigger Burgman seems to be a strong equal to the Swing, however.
I'd think that between the two bigger machines it would boil down to personal preference. And, personally, I trust Honda, period!
Best wishes, and rsd,
Ozarkred

I just drived 175 km with 10 liters gas.Means 5.7 liter per 100 km =  41 Mpg.Max 45 Mph.On backroads with a lot of turns and stops, meaning a lot of brake and go.Temp 50 F or less.I hope in better temp and with normal trajects i can get 50 MPG or more.

That is pretty dreadful mileage.

I have been keeping records since I bought my 2003 last September. I have filled up 20 times. Initially, I was getting 51mpg. Starting November 21, the mileage dropped to 49, and has since dropped as low as 44.3 in late January. It has since increased to 46.7 mpg, even after adding the J Costa variator (if you don't know what it is, it adds performance by allowing the motor to rev higher). Most of my riding is around town and country roads, with a little Interstate thrown in. However, most of my take-offs are at full throttle, especially with the new variator. Speeds are around 60-75 mph when on the open road.

I believe the poorest mileage coincides with the drop in temperature. The tankful that achieved 44 mpg had one or two instances where I started it and let it idle for ten minutes to fully warm up, without taking it for a ride. Very wasteful, I know. I also have 7000 miles on the bike, and have not checked the air filter. I have heard that a dirty air filter can cause poor mileage.

Hopefully your mileage will pick up. Or, if you feel as I do, who cares about mileage! I did not expect to save money riding the Swing, I bought it to have fun!

Cold temps + winter gas mixture + ethynol = poor SilverWing MPG.

Add a strong twisting action on the right grip and it just goes south from there.

Absolutely the air filter has a strong effect and any where near 8,000 miles the plugs should be checked / cleaned / replaced.

eddy, I believe as yo get used to the bike and the temps warm up things will improve MPG/KPL-wise. Remember mileage is a variable dependant on other variables - not exactly as hard as nailing gelatin to the wall, but not easy to correlate one to one either.

Congrats on the Silverwing! To be honest I never bought mine "to save money on gas". I still do manage to stay over 50 mpg average as mine has stayed at 52 mpg average. But then I would be lying if I said I really cared about that either. I have ridden about every Maxi out there and the Silverwing was the best fit for me. The ease of working on it paired with the ease of operation is what sold me. I just look at it as whatever MPG I get is a bonus.

I know you will get many years of enjoyment out of it as I have!

Congratulations, Eddy!

Perhaps we should meet for a coffee and ride now the weather's getting better.

Same here, in the summer when I bought mine was getting between 50 and 54 mpg solo or 2 up, but on good days this winter, maybe 46, but longer warm up times, quicker cool down times and ethanol seem to be a big factor. But like most I dont really care, it still beats the 16 mpg of my 88 astro van, lol. And i would rather be riding the SW.

Same here - I just put petrol in it and hope I get to the next petrol station before it runs out.

MikeO wrote:

Congratulations, Eddy!

Perhaps we should meet for a coffee and ride now the weather's getting better.

Yes Mike, i like that.

But first i have to learn again decent driving, after 35 years.

And building up trust in my bike.

It wil take time...a summer?

Nah! It won't take any time at all, Eddy!

Just be a bit careful when it's wet; be gently with the throttle when pulling away from a standstill or very slow pace - I can easily spin the back wheel and had a very nasty moment on the Brugge Ring Road soon after I got my Silverwing.
Let me know if/when you fancy a quiet ride in company.