Looking to buy 2012 swing

William McDonald,Springtown Tx.I am a new member and looking forward to chat with everyone.I am looking at 2012 Swing with 2400 miles.Is there many risks buying this bike.Getting it from a Honda dealer in Grapevine Tx.

There shouldn't be William, it's effectively a brand new bike.
In addition to all fluids I would replace tyres and drive belt due to age, but none of that is difficult if you do it yourself.
The search button leads you to a wealth of knowledge.

Welcome to the forum William!
I agree with steve_h80 as a precautionary measure, then you can look forward to years of trouble free riding with the correct servicing.
I think personally the world woke up a little late to the virtues of Maxi scooters in general, although us oldies have been enjoying them for a few years now. And Honda shot themselves in the foot replacing the Swing with the ADV and Forza's complete lack of storage!
Just my pennies worth.

Be safe, be seen and heard!

99 Burgman AN400(with a few mods)
09 Silverwing FJS600ABS(with a lot more mods)

William McDonald wrote:

William McDonald,Springtown Tx.I am a new member and looking forward to chat with everyone.I am looking at 2012 Swing with 2400 miles.Is there many risks buying this bike.Getting it from a Honda dealer in Grapevine Tx.

Hi, And welcome to the forum,It’s a beautiful bike I believe that dealer has two of them both black beauties the other has 14,000 miles and he has the same price on both $5995, I’m just naming other low mile bikes as a reference but did you notice the 2012 in Missouri with 4900 miles for $4400 ,or the 2013 in Cali with 300 miles, yes 300 miles on it for $5400 or best offer ,it’s a buyers market and he’s been sitting on them for a while at least Oct of 2022 is when I first started looking for one,the Cali bike is a fairly new listing,,if you walk in the dealership with cash in hand I think you’ll get it for much less I’d pull out $4500 and see how he reacts,,that bike in Grapevine is absolutely gorgeous in the pics and if you get it I wish you the best of luck with it

Ride Safely

Thank you for the info,I bought a 2022 PCX in October to ride out here in the country.They said it would run a lot faster than it will.I do not feel safe on it,these 2 lane roads out here like 199 & 51 you have to really get some speed up to keep them off your tail.So I am trading it in and the manager took 1k off the wing to make it easier
for me.I don’t have the cash to buy it outright but I will pay it off early in a year or 2.The wing is really clean and seems like it would be good for me.I have had several bikes & scoots over the years but a Swing is what I always wanted.He also is putting new tires on it tomorrow when I am back up there and take a last look and bring it home.I am just a little concerned of the age of it and hope that it still last me,please reply

Hi William.

If it makes you feel easier I bought my 09 Swing with 19k mls on the clock from an Ebay auction, didn't hesitate to bid, after all it's a "Honda".
That said I guess you havn't tried the ride yet, you'll know if its for you once you try it!
With regular TLC it will last you years.

Hope this helps.

Be safe, be seen and heard!

I have never rode one,really excited to get it and take a 50 mile ride back home.I have always heard about the performance & comfort.Does it live up to it?

Well IMO, is "not" a brand new bike, I'm more leary of a bike/scooter 10yrs old with low mileage, it means it sat a lot unused tires and cvt belt are aged out, ditto for all the fluids, hopefully neither the brake calipers and fuel tank/fuel pump, etc. are full of rust. I don't trust any dealer used bike, they do the absolute minimum to maximize profit. BTW, Silverwing's have a steel fuel tank, looking/inspecting inside for rust is a must do

I got my 2012 with 10K miles from a dealer, in good cosmetic and working condition (not my 1st choice, but SW600 were hard to find) with brand new tires 2.5 years ago for $5k OTD($1k less than asking), tax/tags/title fees included, no BS dealer prep fess, just a bill of sale and a certificate that all safety features were working. I've spent quite a bit time/$$$ replaced all fluids, rebuilt front caliper with new pistons/brake pads, fixing gearbox oil leak and full cvt service, etc., etc., on a scooter claimed to be in perfect condition and "Needs Nothing".

I was not mad or disappointed, I've have also worked at dealerships and fully realize that a used vehicle is a "Box of Chocolates", now I know 1st hand the condition my scooter is in, not relying on a "Used Bike Salesman" word.

William McDonald wrote:

I have never rode one,really excited to get it and take a 50 mile ride back home.I have always heard about the performance & comfort.Does it live up to it?

Maybe you should find someone that's ridden one to test drive it or at least a good mechanical knowledge, SW600 are fairly bulletproof/simple design, major issues are rare, but an experienced person will know better, buying a vehicle with zero experience on type, never a good idea, don't get caught up in, "The Shinny New Toy Syndrome"

William McDonald wrote:

Thank you for the info,I bought a 2022 PCX in October to ride out here in the country.They said it would run a lot faster than it will.I do not feel safe on it,these 2 lane roads out here like 199 & 51 you have to really get some speed up to keep them off your tail.So I am trading it in and the manager took 1k off the wing to make it easier
for me.I don’t have the cash to buy it outright but I will pay it off early in a year or 2.The wing is really clean and seems like it would be good for me.I have had several bikes & scoots over the years but a Swing is what I always wanted.He also is putting new tires on it tomorrow when I am back up there and take a last look and bring it home.I am just a little concerned of the age of it and hope that it still last me,please reply

I know exactly what you mean about getting blown around on the highway with a light bike,if a tractor trailer fly bye’s you you get sucked towards him on a 150cc, the Silverwing feels like a motorcycle when you sit on it and it being an automatic you have to learn a few things about it ,if you let off the gas for a turn in the city the bike will free wheel but I like keeping a little throttle making the turn it just feels wrong freewheeling,any bike with gears that doesn’t exist..That bikes is gorgeous all black your going to love it

I was in them same shoes a couple weeks ago when I bought mine,I was looking for a few months and found one three blocks from my house he was the original owner and was asking $5000 and I first offered him $2000 and we met in the middle at $3500 for a 2004 with 17,000 miles on it. I’m not really concerned about the age of the bike because he used it every year and it wasn’t sitting,there’s people here that have 90,000 miles on their bike your going to have it a long time,next year I’m getting “Historic” plates for it,lol

You say free wheelin in corners.Do you mean with no throttle at all in slow turns it feels like you will drop it.I have heard several people comment on that.They say it’s like a delay when you turn and let off the throttle so keep it open when turning slow.I am 60 and 135lbs.I do have concern hearing that

Keeping a little bit of throttle on and gentle 'left-hand lever' braking helps to balance things up. I used to do this on manual bikes too, rather than feed the clutch in and out.

William McDonald wrote:

You say free wheelin in corners.Do you mean with no throttle at all in slow turns it feels like you will drop it.I have heard several people comment on that.They say it’s like a delay when you turn and let off the throttle so keep it open when turning slow.I am 60 and 135lbs.I do have concern hearing that

Exactly you just keep the throttle open slightly and it’ll feel like your still in gear but if you let off the throttle all together you’ll be freewheeling which to me is unnatural on a bike,naa it doesn’t feel like your gonna drop it’s it feels like your coasting which you are,

Imagine your in third gear approaching a corner then BAM your in neutral in the turn,it happens when you approach a red light on a straight away too ,it’s just something to get use to no biggie though ,I’m 58 and newly retired so I splurged a little ,I bought a few things for the tranny and front springs which I’m going to attempt next week,I’ve been asking questions for a couple weeks and the forum has been great with explaining things mechanical…

Just take it easy on your ride home and wear your boots ,gloves ,eye protection and a bright shirt and you’ll be fine.

Ride Safely

Yes, it “shifts” into neutral when the RPMs drop down to ~2000 rpm. Best technique IMO is to keep the revs slightly above that mark, to keep the clutch engaged, and drag the rear (left) brake slightly.

I hope with no one to go with me tomorrow I don’t overlook any issues.I do feel like I am taking a risk but having only 2400 on it I sure want it

William McDonald wrote:

I hope with no one to go with me tomorrow I don’t overlook any issues.I do feel like I am taking a risk but having only 2400 on it I sure want it

Well it’s at least 45 miles and if you don’t feel safe you can get a Uhaul with a couple of straps or just ask whoever is taking you to pick it up to follow you in the right lane ,iyour going to be surprised how well that windshield works..

I have not rode it,heard it run.Any last minute things I really need to check before I sign

"I do feel like I am taking a risk but having only 2400 on it I sure want it"

Only risk I see is if you hate it and want to resell, you'll take a financial beating because you are paying the dealer a premium price. One of the most important questions I ask when buying a bike is, "If I pay X-amount for it today, can I sell it for more tomorrow?" If the answer is yes, I know I'm getting a good deal. I couldn't say "yes" for your OTD price as it stands. Might want to go for a lower price.

On the other hand, some good news: 2012 is the second last year Silver Wings were made, so you are buying one of the "newer" ones. Having just 2400 miles makes it a very attractive machine, whether you resell or keep it. Lots and lots of miles left in that bike's life. Silver Wings are super reliable, easy to work on, and a ton of fun to ride with plenty of power and pick up.

As for riding technique, it's basically a big bicycle you never have to pedal. Turn the throttle when you want to go. Your hands are resting on the brakes, so you have great reaction time for stopping. Worth noting: the left brake grip is linked -- front AND rear brakes at the same time. This is a rare and excellent feature of the Silver Wing. You can use the left grip for most of your braking and add the right (front) when you need more or faster stopping power. Ride around the dealer's neighborhood for half an hour and you'll feel totally comfortable.

I've owned six Silver Wings and bought two locally. The others were hundreds of miles away, so I got a car ride, bought the bikes and rode them home. In one case, I was on the other coast of Florida just starting for home when I got caught in a serious thunderstorm. In South Florida, we have professional thunderstorms, Noah's Ark thunderstorms. I had no choice but to seek cover under a (closed) bank drive-through roof and wait it out.

A few hours later, way behind my planned schedule, I ended up riding through the Everglades late at night. I passed signs like "Panther Crossing" and "Bear Crossing." I saw the reflection of alligator's eyes under guard rails. It was kind of terrifying. I'd be in deep trouble if I broke down, and I'm on a new-to-me bike. The Silver Wing never blinked. Honda engineers did their work well on this one.

Oh, one personal lesson learned. Bring a tire gauge and check the air, ideally 29 front/33 rear. I bought a Burgman 650 a few years ago a couple hundred miles from my house. Before I left for home, I asked the seller, "How is the air in the tires?" He said, "perfect, they're fine." When I got home, I checked them and had 8 psi in both tires. Not kidding. 8 freaking psi as I rode 70 mph on I-75. Probably lucky I'm alive. The guy was a police officer, so I trusted him. My bad. Should have checked the tires myself.

Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks!

Can I keep my Swing in a wooden shed during the hot Texas summers.I have no garage

William McDonald wrote:

Can I keep my Swing in a wooden shed during the hot Texas summers.I have no garage

Why not? As long as it’s protected from the rain. Also, as long as vermin can’t get in the shed to set up shop on the bike and eat the wiring, I think it would be fine. Probably no different than having it in a storage unit.

Might want to think about oil that's good in hot temperatures. I'm in South Florida and use MOTUL 7100 or 5100 in all my bikes.

MOTUL 7100 is red. With my Burgman 650 there was a porthole where you checked the oil level visually. Shining a flashlight at that porthole and seeing the red "eye" staring back at you felt like something out of "The Terminator."

William McDonald wrote:

Can I keep my Swing in a wooden shed during the hot Texas summers.I have no garage

As a snowbird I leave my Silver Wing in a hot garage in the summer in Arizona. In the winter my Forza is in a wooden shed in the (very) cold. On a battery maintainer under a tarp. So far this system is working fine for me.

Good luck.

With 2400 miles on it should I worry about the v belt

Whatever you decide, I wish you a long and happy association with your new bike.

What I would say about the belt as a 2012, it’s only now 11 years old (roughly) and has low miles on it. I changed out the belt on mine (really not a tough job at all with the proper tools/ torque wrench) because when I purchased mine, it was a 2003 (bought it nearly a year ago at 19 years of age), read about the potential of a belt break (wouldn’t be the end of the world but would strand you). All that said, the belts are pretty beefy, so once you take ownership, it’s very easy to take off the belt cover(s) (plastic and aluminum) and inspect the belt. Ride it for a while, then at your leisure, source a new belt (some will say Honda OEM, I used a GBoost belt…just don’t get a crappy eBay belt) change it and ride with peace of mind.

Oh, and I failed to mention that my belt at roughly 5000 miles looked as new…I keep it for an emergency backup in the event of a belt break (which is highly unlikely unless you exceed 20K miles on one despite the recommendation for a 16K mile belt swap)

I will be picking my 2012 Swing up tomorrow at DFW Honda in Grapevine.They are replacing the tires at my cost but it will need the belt changed after I pick it up.I never have worked on a bike so I am asking if there is anyone in DFW area that would be willing to lend me a hand.I can come to them.

"it will need the belt changed after I pick it up"

FWIW, if I bought a 2012 Wing with 2,400 miles, I'd ride that belt until 16,000 miles and change it then. 100% chance it's an OEM Honda belt. Just open the CVT case to make sure the belt looks good. Takes ten minutes.

There are several good YouTube vids about changing a Silver Wing belt. Not complicated if you have the right tools. Also plenty of info on this forum found in the search bar.

Congratuations.

William McDonald wrote:

I will be picking my 2012 Swing up tomorrow at DFW Honda in Grapevine.They are replacing the tires at my cost but it will need the belt changed after I pick it up.I never have worked on a bike so I am asking if there is anyone in DFW area that would be willing to lend me a hand.I can come to them.

Hi William,
I was waiting for your post yesterday you had me worried a bit about how the ride home went,so I’m guessing you went to the dealership to finalize the deal yesterday and are you feeling a little better about bringing it hoe tomorrow,do you plan on riding your 150 in tomorrow to pick up your new Swing ? Bummer you have to pay for the tires , simply because he’s selling you the bike which should be safe to drive home ,typical dealer bumping up the price move to make a buck…

Drive Safely

They should get the tires in the morning,my salesman Payton is coming to my house to pick me & the 150 up.Which is really appreciated due to it being a 50 mile ride On the 150 I will not have to make.

William McDonald wrote:

They should get the tires in the morning,my salesman Payton is coming to my house to pick me & the 150 up.Which is really appreciated due to it being a 50 mile ride On the 150 I will not have to make.

That worked out nicely for you ,I hope you have a nice ride back home tomorrow,I can’t wait to hear your first impressions ….

Ride Safely

Johnbil09 wrote:

William McDonald wrote:

They should get the tires in the morning,my salesman Payton is coming to my house to pick me & the 150 up.Which is really appreciated due to it being a 50 mile ride On the 150 I will not have to make.

That worked out nicely for you ,I hope you have a nice ride back home tomorrow,I can’t wait to hear your first impressions ….

And remember, that cat-that-ate-the-canary smile on your face is gonna collect a lot of bugs on your ride home.

I hear everyone say that the Swing has plenty of power.I have never been on one so tomorrow when I pick it up I hope to report back that I was amazed with the performance.Can hardly wait.

Just remember, when you ride it for the first time (and if you’re tall), the buttrest is adjustable to a point, so if you feel like you’re pushed too far forward on the seat, there are workarounds for that (an issue I had to deal with but now mine is set up perfectly for me).

And then you will likely ‘farkel’ (as I have done on all of my bikes, including the SWing)!

Good luck, but if you've only a smaller maxi y'all you need to be aware that a Silver Wing is a lot heavier at 550 lbs. In the past there's been posts from new owners needing advice on how to lift a Silver Wing onto and off it's center stand ( see how I've gone all American ). Others needing advice about starting procedure.

Which phone mount will work on my 2012 Swing

If you type 'phone mount' into the search box above you'll find lots of info on phone and satnav mounts.

Got my 2012 Swing today and had a 50 mile ride home and was I impressed.It is a beast and runs so smooth and effortlessly on the hwy.It is everything & more.I am so happy to join everybody as a owner!

William McDonald wrote:

Which phone mount will work on my 2012 Swing

I didn’t buy a phone mount yet but Amazon has a bunch buy you have to read the reviews so your picking a winner.

How did your ride home go and what are your first impressions of it ?

Blew me away,50 mile drive home and it was a lot of fun.I felt pretty much in control the whole time but I will be doing some low speed practice out here.I am 60 and not very heavy at all but have owned several bikes.But the Swing gave me a feeling that was just different than the others.I could really feel the weight coming to stops & turning but I believe with practice it will feel alot more easier and not even have to think about it.

William McDonald wrote:

Blew me away,50 mile drive home and it was a lot of fun.I felt pretty much in control the whole time but I will be doing some low speed practice out here.I am 60 and not very heavy at all but have owned several bikes.But the Swing gave me a feeling that was just different than the others.I could really feel the weight coming to stops & turning but I believe with practice it will feel alot more easier and not even have to think about it.

I know what you mean about the weight being different than on a motorcycle I think it’s because the weights all down low and how your seated on the bike,at speed the bike drives it’s self but at slow speed you notice the weight,anyways good luck with the bike William and post a couple pics when you get a chance I’d love to see them.

Ride Safely

Hi William and Gratz on getting your Swing!
Just to let you know, it will seem a "heavy beast" to start with. Took me about 3 months at my age to gain the body strength needed to put it on the centre stand, my Suzi Burgman is 50Kgs less. As they say "practise makes perfect!"
Yes the ride is different to a normal bike but there easier to control and a lot more fun to ride !

Hope this helps

Be safe, be seen and heard!

My ST1100s are pigs (~ 700 lbs) compared with the SWing, so I can get (the SWing) on the center stand easily- on the ST’s I’ve recently been having an issue (or maybe not so recently) such that I’m trying (and struggling) to get it on the center stand on a rolling dolly so I can maneuver it better in the garage. My most recent venture is to use a small platform to roll the back wheel onto, so it’s a hair elevated at the back wheel, to given more leverage to the center stand. We’ll see how that goes since I haven’t tried it yet

Where would be the cheapest place to order the aluminum heat shield for the exhaust.Dealer wants $150

I just looked…all years fit all FSC600s…the cheapest I saw was $96 at ronayers.com but that’s before shipping and tax. It’s part #8 PROTECTOR, MUFFLER 18318-MCT-020 when you drill down under the muffler section. I bought one myself in the past because mine was a little damaged when I bought the SWing. I think I paid more at the time.

You can buy them from AliExpress but they ship from China and take about a month to arrive... that's if you trust them. Around 28 bucks. Dunno how much the shipping will cost.

Will my Swing be ok stored in a wood shed when it’s really hot in Tx

William McDonald wrote:

Where would be the cheapest place to order the aluminum heat shield for the exhaust.Dealer wants $150

The Muffler heat shield is "chrome plated plastic"

Ron Ayers is the cheapest in my experience, been buying from them well over 20 years, excellent service, etc., as long as your total parts order with them (in the US) is over $129, is free shipping and there's no sales tax, unless you reside in North Carolina, add a new air and/or oil filters in addition to muffler heat shield and you'll pass that minimum easily , just look scooter over may be something else you want/need.

Depending on amount of damage to heat shield and your skill set, some guys had repaired them and covered with plastic film wrap, you can find small rolls at auto parts stores, chrome, carbon fiber, etc.

https://www.ronayers.com/oemparts/a/hon/506c7935f870023420a3c0d2/muffler

Is it ok to keep my Swing in my wood shed during tx summer

William McDonald wrote:

Is it ok to keep my Swing in my wood shed during tx summer

I would say it’s fine as long as protected from mice and rats that may want to eat your wiring. I’ve read in the past people putting sprays around the base of the shed with peppermint oil or even the toilet ’pucks’ as they deter mice and rats.