Silverwing Vs Burgman on the Bumps thoughts ?

Don`t worry I could never sell my Black Silverwing and my son would`nt let me as he loves it too.

But I am wondering if I should try to buy a 2nd scoot for the really bad back road rides where the Silverwing does suffer a bit.

Has anyone here ridden both in that sort of really bumpy/holey type location.

After a 2/3 hour ride I get a bit of serious neck for a few days on the Silverwing and can feel that starting on the odd bad bump transmitting through. I do have some neck disc issues.

The 2nd scoot would also be handy for my son for work so is a good option.

T max`s do handle the bumps better but the seat height and shape and my short inside leg really hurts my old biker hips.

I can do 6 /7 hours almost non stop on the Silverwing with no issues on the hip front which is amazing really. ( seat Hump off ).

Anyway thought this would be a good place to ask for comparisons on this front.

Thanks.

Where exactly are these notoriously bad North Yorkshire back roads that you've mentioned and complained about so long on here and 'the other forum'? I've been curious about their location for a long time now, and if I knew I'd go out and ride them on my bog standard suspension and ContiMove tyre shod Silver Wing, just to give you my thoughts.

I've ridden on potholed, rutted, and frost damaged road sectiions on both my Silver Wing and a 650 Burgman, solo and with a passenger. The only differences are the extra weight of the lardass Burgman is always there, and with the 'Power' switch on you get a lot more engine braking.

Happy positive chit chat and sharing on all things helps us all and keeps interest etc going.

Please don`t feel you need to comment on my posts and I won`t on yours in future.

Best wishes and all that but probably better for both of us I`m pretty sure.

I ride my Silver wing in Lancashire and Yorkshire. You must go "off road" if you have problems ,Yorkshire has some of the greatest roads to ride in the UK. I ride most days and usually cross the border into Yorkshire. I recently bought a CruiSym 300, mainly because the Silver wings weight was getting to be a pain. I have been riding the cruisym instead of the wing, and have 3500 km (somewhere around 1800mls) on it . If you are looking for an alternative, look at one. The screen is a good height the feet forward position and handling just like he wing. I average 90 mpg, and it will happily cruise at 50/60 and will top 80 mph. I had a Burgman 400 but could not staighten my legs. I have 29" inside leg, the xmax was too high for me, the Sym is ideal.

Your Sym does sound good.

I know they make a cracking scooter, reliable too.

Some of the best and small roads are like going off road though.

They have actually really gone to town this year with lots of quick fix tarmac and filled in many of the holes. Hope they last as were done a little short term wise.

It tends to be small little connectey roads that really get neglected but have some of the nicest interesting views etc.

A really nice one is a small road from little Fryup Dale to the Blakeyridge Rosedale Road.

Even after this years fixes its still a real Shaker. Though 10 times better than it was pothole wise.

There was one from Ingleby Greenhow to Clay Bank coming up to Bilsdale was absolutely terrible but they just hot rolled it all and its absolute wonderful now. Worth finding it just to drive along it, windey, and so smooth and lovely.

Sadly they will Tar and Chipping it at some point, as they seem set on that, shame as the hotroll is a 20 year smooth lovely surface.

I love these little out of the way roads but sadly I hurt my neck very badly a few years ago so these sort of roads take their toll now.

I do keep wondering about a Burgman 650 because of that, nearly went for one last year, but the weight stopped me.

Must check out a recentish Sym soon too though.

I've no problems with you or anyone else commenting, disagreeing, or even slagging off my posts.

As for sharing, you've ignored all previous requests to make an intro post, you won't give out your location except the UK, and now it seems to much of an effort for to 'share' where your local bumpy roads are.

The problem here will be identical to asking members to compare Hyperpro springs to OEM, everybody's expectations for any given product are subjective. TBH your best bet is to find a machine in the age group & price range of your preference & take it for an extended test ride, by extended I mean over several days (not hours), also bare in mind (if buying preowned) that the suspension may well have been modified to suit a previous owner, maybe in a similar manner to the machine you have now.

For neck problems which I've also had, try to find a very light open crash helmet, It solved mine, you have a better field to vision so less movement need at junctions and less strain on the neck from the lighter weight.
I find the Silverwing good on poor surfaces and the local councils are working hard repairing the roads in Kent.

Neckpain---holding too tight on bars, too heavy a helmet, Old injury, funny angle you hold head looking over/under/thru windshield-----my case besides being 79---1990 deer strike in Switzerland....neck has never been ok since then----light weight 3/4 helmet/exact windshield height seem to work for me---at least still 30,000 miles a year----

Adding....I have had 2 new SilverWings and 2 new Burgman 400's. Being scooters/feet forward, no ability to stand on pegs on ruff roads, secret is just slow down when pavement is bad.


SilverWing engine bolted solid---less unsprung weight. Burgman engine goes up and down with swing arm---more unsprung weight. Didn't seem to matter to me---I actually liked Burgman 400 better on long trips----suspended a little softer, lots of readouts on dash, like MPG/out side temp, etc.
Rode Burgman as far as Alaska....and back. Burgman as much as 10 MPG better than SilverWing.

SilverWing long out of production.....Burgman still available in US as current model year---Price is what will kill it.

SILVERWINGDAYS wrote:

Don`t worry I could never sell my Black Silverwing and my son would`nt let me as he loves it too.

But I am wondering if I should try to buy a 2nd scoot for the really bad back road rides where the Silverwing does suffer a bit.

Has anyone here ridden both in that sort of really bumpy/holey type location.

After a 2/3 hour ride I get a bit of serious neck for a few days on the Silverwing and can feel that starting on the odd bad bump transmitting through. I do have some neck disc issues.

The 2nd scoot would also be handy for my son for work so is a good option.

T max`s do handle the bumps better but the seat height and shape and my short inside leg really hurts my old biker hips.

I can do 6 /7 hours almost non stop on the Silverwing with no issues on the hip front which is amazing really. ( seat Hump off ).

Anyway thought this would be a good place to ask for comparisons on this front.

Thanks.

I have ridden 20K on 400's, 40K on the 650, and now just 2200 on my Silverwing. I cannot really find must difference in the three as far as rough roads. They each suffer from inferior suspensions....

Sirkitrider

Thanks for the advice and thoughts, I suppose a scooter is a scooter at the end of the day, maybe with the T max creeping out from under that.

Just a shame you can`t get any really good shock absorbers for the Silverwing might help a bit more.

I tried some YSS top line ones but found them far too stiff even on the least setting (spring and damping ), they had adjustment from 1-60 on rebound that you could tell worked well but you really could`nt go near it, as even on 1 the spring although progressive sort of went down so far and then locked. Well it felt like it if you will.

Lovely quality mind.

Thing is I absolutely love the Silverwing but its really starting to hurt my back now too.

Shame you can`t order a new body. I can sort of feel the shocks landing where things are worst on bad days bod wise, my son who is 25 does`nt as much. I suppose his own shock absorbtion area`s are still working themselves.

I suppose you could look at it that people with usual bikes with far far better suspension than the Silverwing or other scooters get them upgraded for better comfort etc too !!!

I think I am going to sadly have to adjust where I ride and toodle slowly along to get on better roads before zipping along.Though the silverwing handling sweet spot seems to be somewhere in the middle speed wise.

I`ve never felt quite so addicted to any other bike than I am the Silverwing oddly enough even though I loved my T max MK1.

Best Mark.

As you say a scooter is what it is. For serious bump absorption you need to go back to motorbikes, preferably one with long travel suspension.
I've upgraded the shocks on my sw to stop it bottoming out on the bumps while riding two up, but it doesn't provide a magic carpet ride and wouldn't be an improvement for you. Works for me though.

Are those Hagons then, Steve ?, I think I did read somewhere they are a little firm.

Be interesting to hear if anyone has tried Fournales.

You know if I thought they would do the business I would try them, and survive on bread and cheese for a year ( and I don`t like cheese !!! ).

If only a manufacturer would sit down and sort out a proper type scooter with a swinging arm,Monoshock, but still belt and cvt driven mid range scooter specifically designed to tackle the bumps and be much more comfortable it would be a heck of a seller I`m sure.

I suppose the SYM TL500 is getting there to a degree though quite high and chain driven .

An obvious question but have you tried the standard suspension at both extremes?
Sometimes what is perceived as to hard is in fact too soft causing the shocks to bottom out. The converse can also be true, it happens with older sports rider who wind everything up to full and then realise the handling is even worse.

Hi Yes I have experimented this way and that with the rear shocks.

2 really struggles in all ways, and affects the handling badly.

3 is OK more or less handling wise, but oddly seems to let more bumps through than 4 and 5 somehow.

I generally ride around on 4 or 5 on the rear. Best handling and less bottoming out.

I must admit it makes me sort of realise there is only so much you can do.

Even fitting £500+ rear air shocks is`nt going to alter the basics of just how the scooter is.

But on an open half decent road it really is the most fantastic ride.

I daftly could`nt let it go so maybe I should look at going for a cheap Virago or similar, can you get any really low bikes with a full fairling etc.

I don`t want to go back in the wind really.

Shame the Integra is so high and harder to get on.