Hello from South Florida

Subject: Hello from South Florida Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:22 am

Greetings:

I'm Mike ... joined a few weeks ago after buying my third Silver Wing. The first two were 2003's. I liked the candy apple red color so much that I bought two -- traded the first one for a Burgman 650 and bought another one four months later as a second "fun" bike, then sold both in favor of my current 2012 Wing.

The 2012 had 1,580 miles on it when I rolled out of the seller's driveway up in Orlando. It came with a hard copy of the Service Manual, which is incredibly enjoyable ... so nice to have a hard copy to thumb through vs. the usual pdf. I'm updating gear oil, engine oil and filter, brake fluid and coolant this week, and expect my new GIVI windscreen today. I ordered a Corbin seat and that's 3 or 4 weeks away; it has dark red leather seating area with black trim, also an oval passenger backrest, which makes a perfect handle for lifting and closing the seat constantly.

I'm pretty delighted to be back in Silver Wing world. My flirtation with the Burgman 650 (I had it for four months) was enjoyable and interesting. At 50 mph and 3,000 rpm's, it is the most sure-footed, stately, luxurious scooter ride on earth -- bar none. Mine was pearl white with a red leather Corbin seat, 45-liter Suzuki topcase and Kaoko throttle control. It was a gorgeous bike -- presidential motorcade stuff. It looked like a cop bike. But as I'm sure a lot of you know, the 650 is cumbersome (Old Lardy) and has the cursed CVT-belt time bomb always ticking.

Part of the pleasure in shedding myself of the Burgman was realizing no dealer tech guy could ever say to me, "Um, sorry, dude, we think the belt broke. It's going to cost $1,500 to get in there and look at it, and another $1,800 to put a new belt in -- assuming that's all that's wrong." Nope, I removed that possibility from my life with the Wing and I am happy about that.

More importantly, the Wing fits my riding style. I love getting from 20 to 50 mph FAST. I love the little rush of speed and it separates me from all the cages on the road. I prefer open space when I ride. The Wing is perfect for that.

About me: 64-year old, vegetarian, advertising creative guy and father of four. I've been riding since my dad gave me a Suzuki as a college graduation present. I loved riding then and love it more now. I'm pretty sure it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.