Will I grow to love my SWing?

I hope this is the right place to post this.
I haven't introduced myself. My name is Ashley. I am new to the whole scootering-thing, so bear with me. I have wanted a scoot for years and years and got myself an adorable 125 Yamaha Riva. I love, love, love this scooter. It does everything that I want it to do... as long as I don't want to do anything 55mph or faster. But it's ok for my 45 minute commute on the back roads. I have the option of taking the interstate and having a 30 minute commute. So I thought, "Oh, I want a big scoot to take on the interstate".
So we sold a car so I could upgrade my scooter. I was looking for a nice 250cc and found a sweet deal on a 2004 Silver Wing with a lot of miles on it. That didn't scare me off, so we drove 2 hours, test drove it around this guy's neighborhood and fell in love. So my husband, being used to a larger bike, drove the 2-hour trip home. All of this happened on Saturday.
Sunday, I got to earn my "wings" by trying her out. My oh my how comfy! Being used to a lighter bike, I slowed on curves a lot. But it just didn't "zip". I'm not sure I like it. I tried it on the interstate and it did a great job. But I'm not sure I like it. I should like it. Every cell in my body tingles when I look at it, but when I drive it; I'm just "meh".
My son loves doubling on it. My husband and I double very comfortably on it.
One of my problems is that it's just so heavy. When I park it, we nearly all go down. Luckily, I'm a big girl and with some gritting of teeth and a lot of "no no no no no no no", I've gotten control back every time. After a few more weeks, I'll be trained up for an arm wrestling competition!
I'm not "scared" to ride it but I'm scared to ride it. I know. That makes a lot of sense. I'm scared I'm going to scratch it or do something dumb. I've taken to scooter-riding like a duck to water, and apparently, I'm pretty fear-less, so it's not "oh, it's too big, I'm just a whittle bitty woman, I can't control that" scared.

The reason for this ramble is this: Am I going to love it?! I know some of it is that it's big and I need to get used to that. I'm willing to give that a try. Once I get used to going around curves faster than 40mph and parking without wrestling, am I going to love riding?!
I have the opportunity to trade for a 400cc scooter (did I mention nerve damage in left leg? No motorcycle for me); a Yamaha Majesty. I haven't had the chance to test drive it (probably meet this weekend). Am I going to feel the same way about a 400?

Sorry for the rambling. I feel just awful that I don't love it the same way I love my 125. What do you think? Am I just unsatisifable?

Hi Ashley and welcome to this forum!

Much like you, my wife and her friend have both gotten S-Wings recently after having ridden 250s. They both still feel exactly like you do. They loved the size of their 250s and have found the weight of the 600 difficult. My wife in particular, can appreciate the power and speed for highway use and just loves being able to pass semi trucks in seconds.

Personally having owned ~ 40 motorbikes I've learned that if you just feel "meh" when you're on a bike, then it's not for you at this time. You should feel excited like you are with your 125. Try the 400 Majesty and see if you get the 'WOWs' or not. It's really all you need without all of the extra weight of a 600.

As an aside, if you can afford to keep both the 125 and a bigger scoot, you may have the best of both worlds...city and highway.

Good luck,
YammaPapa and SilverFox

i have both a reflex and a silverwing. 48k on the reflex and 70k on the swing. it has taken me several years to learn to keep the swing upright when stopping. stoopid i guess but i used to let it lean when stopping and it was always a fight to stay up. practice, practice, and think, think, think. i think i have finally learned....
p.s. i still prefer the reflex for around town. i'm 68 and starting to lose leg strength and it is easier to handle but i also really like the speed of the swing. haven't lost to a harley off the line yet.
regards.

It's a trade off for me. Several years ago, I upgraded from a 250cc Helix. That thing was so comfy and laid back. The center of gravity was low and it was unusual looking - like a space aged toy.
Sure it lacked power for interstate rides, less visible due to its sleek and low profile and was buffeted by the winds due to the lightness of the bike, but it was unique and comfortable.
But to get on the hwy, you need something that can play w/ the big boys and you learn to appreciate the power and weight that you need to travel at high speeds. Longer and more comfortable trips is what you get in return rather than a white knuckle ride wondering when the next pass Semi is going to blow you into the other lane.
Now if they could've stuffed the performance into the 250 body, and let the maxi scooter evolve into a comfortable, easy to handle, maxi storage commuter - then you would have the best of both worlds.

Having no experience on scooters/motorcycles other than a 50cc moped back in the 70's, I thought that my 150cc (which I bought one year ago this week) scoot felt big, but manageable. Later that summer, I had the opportunity to test ride four other scooters, and they all felt really big and tippy to me (Burgman 400 and 650, Kymco 250 Xciting and Yamaha Majesty). The three smaller bikes all top 400 pounds dry, and the big Burger is over 525 pounds dry - compared to about 225 pounds for the 150cc.

I happened to find a good deal on a low mileage Silverwing and bought it last fall. I figured that it was only about 75 pounds heavier than the smaller 400's, but had a lot better performance. It took a while to get used to the bigness of the Honda, but now it doesn't really bother me anymore.

I started riding the 150 recently (thinking I would get it ready to sell). After riding the 150 a few times over a week, the Honda initially felt big again. That goes away within a few miles. My suggestion is that you ride only the Honda for a while, and leave the little scoot at home until you are really comfortable on the Honda.

I now feel better on the Honda than the little scooter, because it has a steadier ride and handles wind gusts and road irregularities much better. Other drivers give you more respect and don't try to crowd you over to the white line.

I hope that you stick with the Silverwing for a while and give it a real chance.

Ashley,

I had the Reflex, Majesty, and now the Silver Wing. The Majesty will take you anywhere you want to go in comfort but not quite as comfortable as the SWing. I had the Majesty for 2 years and rode 2 up with my wife and it did great. But since you have the SWing I would do what "Phillip" above mentioned.. to just ride the Honda for awhile. When you stop or park the SWing I would suggest that you make sure that you always have the bike perfectly straight up and not leaning at all.

The SWing is heavy but if you keep it straight up you shouldn't have an problem with it. But if you lean it much you will feel the weight. If you ride the SWing for a few months and still don't feel comfortable than maybe it isn't for you. If you can test ride the Majesty then I would do that. If you really like the Majesty, and really feel much more comfortable and confident on it, then maybe go for it. My Majesty took me up in the mountains and I rode all time out here in the bay area so it will do what you want. I also would get on the interstate and cruise at 75 mph (gps) all day long and it did great. The Majesty is a very stable and smooth bike. There was a big difference in power and stability between the Reflex and Majesty. The Majesty can take you anywhere you want.

Ahhh.. thank you all so much. At least I'm not alone here! I won't lie, we've got The Beast up on Craigslist for sale, but so far, we only had that one offer to trade for the Majesty. I'll take 'er out this weekend and put some more mileage on her and see if I change my mind.

Ashley,

I went from a Honda Helix to the Silverwing which was an increase of over 150 LBS and an extra 30 horses. It did take a good bit of getting used to and I still will ride my Helix a little differently due to its lightness and "flickability". You can whip that lighter bike everywhich way plus being closer to the ground gives you a supreme feeling of control over the bike. While I can't quite flick the Swing around like the Helix, I have grown very comfortable and confident with it. You do have to be a little more careful with the bigger bike in low speed situations such as parking and making tight turns (counter balancing is key). At the end of the day it is important for you to be comforatble on your bike. Like the others say, you might try the majesty. It is lighter but still pretty high up. the Suzuki Burgman 400 is another great choice. It gets much better mileage than the Swing, a little better mileage than a majesty and sits a little lower than both the Swing and has a bigger compartment under the seat for storage. Before I got my swing, I was actually looking for a Burgman 400 when the opportunity for the Silverwing came up. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I progressed from X9 250 to X9 500.
The bikes are virtually identical apart from speed (obviously) and weight.
Six months passed before I felt really comfortable and in control of the 500 and I'm still getting to grips with my Silverwing.
That said, I've loved all my bikes and have no doubt that you will not regret buying your Silverwing, Ashley - give it time!

Incidentally, I agree particularly with what Jeff said about not leaning the bike; I always put down both feet at traffic-lights, etc. and I'm 6' tall and weigh 200lbs.

I never rode a scooter until I got my Silverwing and I really like it. Maybe love will come later on. I rode big bikes, little bikes, and everything in between, but I am really happy with my scooter. From your posts, it seems to me that you may have gone too quickly from getting familiar with the scooter. Sometimes we need to slow down, and just go out and putt around and not try to keep up with what others are doing. Or, maybe not. You are the only one to judge how you feel.

I'll reply more later, just wanted to say this, even tho it's in the wrong forum. My husband drove it to work yesterday. He had a hard time getting it started and it just refused to start for him when he was leaving. He kept cranking and the stars aligned just right and it started. Got him home without any issues and he put her in the garage and we tried a gazillion times to start her again. She sat on the charger all night. This is NOT endearing her to me!

I struggled with the Wing for the first few months, the higher ride height and the feeling of unease when riding in the wet.

However, eight months on and I wouldn't swap the wing for the world. A superb ride that simply needs you to adapt to its parameters.

Give it time but as some-one has already wrote, if you still don't get along after a few months then perhaps look at something else. But do give it time.

Ok, driving my lil yamaha in this morning, I think I figured out the "leaning" problem (or a part of it).
The front brake is on the right handlebar and the rear brake is on the floor panel (right side). I cruise to a stop with my foot on the brake. My left leg is the gimpy one, so I tend to favor the right side. So my MO is to use the rear brake to slow and then the front brake to stop. My right leg goes down and I do tilt to the right a bit.
As you know, the honda has the brakes on the handle bars, so I squeeze evenly and wait as long as possible to put my legs down. I guess I need to start putting my feet to the street a bit earlier!!

The starting problem is completely separate from your other concerns.
Common reasons for it to not start are:

Brake not pulled in far enough while you are starting.

or

Center Kickstand is down.

Also make sure you close the seat completely, if it is not locked down, the light inside will be on, and you won't know it, and that will drain the battery.

Dan

dspevack wrote:

Also make sure you close the seat completely, if it is not locked down, the light inside will be on, and you won't know it, and that will drain the battery.

Do the logical thing and just take the bulb out. The amount and coverage of the light is pathetic anyways. Then you'll never have to worry about battery rundown if you leave the seat open or it wasn't closed tightly enough.

Grrr.. I know, wrong forum, but I must vent and ask advice.
It's not the battery. We charged it over night and it still wouldn't start. The funny (haha, not funny) thing is that it turns over when it wants to! You can push the button 56 times and on the 56th time, she purrs like a kitten. I don't get it. Do nothing different the other 55 times, but she doesn't want to start. And she runs great when she decides to start up.
We had the battery tested, changed the gas with fresh, put in sea foam... I think that's all we can do at this point. He's going to get another battery, just in case that's it. It's a $100 gamble I don't want to take, but I don't know what else to do.
I'm just so terribly frustrated now. I JUST GOT IT ON SATURDAY!!! I'm wondering if maybe it sat in storage too long? Is there something else we can do?
Thanks!

Been mentioned already but you have to pull in the left brake lever until you hear both micro switches make/engage. It does take a fair bit of effort, in my short experience with the wing it has always been lever trouble.

If the battery has been checked - why change it.

Also, if the battery turns the motor 55 times and starts on the 56th then I would say the battery is plenty strong enough.

Waspie wrote:

Been mentioned already but you have to pull in the left brake lever until you hear both micro switches make/engage. It does take a fair bit of effort, in my short experience with the wing it has always been lever trouble.

If the battery has been checked - why change it.

Also, if the battery turns the motor 55 times and starts on the 56th then I would say the battery is plenty strong enough.

Thanks. Luckily, the first time I tried to start The Beast, I didn't have the lever in enough. So I learned that lesson early. So when my husband brought it home last night, I harped about that. I wasn't listening for anything, but he had a nice squeeze on it.
The lady at the Cycle Shop recommended that the battery might still be bad, but I tend to agree with you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is a spark plug like a light bulb? If it's dead, it's dead? Not "oh, you'll get lucky and it'll spark"? It seems to me that because it WILL start eventually, that I can rule out a few things?

With little experience with starting problems I would not change the battery, reasons as already stated.

A old and bold electrician once told me always look at the cheapest part and it will most likely be the problem.

A couple of things come to mind with your starting problem. Damp in the system. WD 40 or the like may help. Then spark plug and wiring connections. Maybe a bad earth, clean up electrical connections.

Ah I recall a few folks have had trouble with the micro switch that detects the side stand is deployed. The side stand must be up to start the Bike. Toy with the micro switch (you may have to stand on your head to get to it).

ashleyroland wrote:

It's not the battery. We charged it over night and it still wouldn't start. The funny (haha, not funny) thing is that it turns over when it wants to! You can push the button 56 times and on the 56th time, she purrs like a kitten. I don't get it. Do nothing different the other 55 times, but she doesn't want to start. And she runs great when she decides to start up. SATURDAY!!! I'm wondering if maybe it sat in storage too long? Is there something else we can do?
Thanks!

I'm confused. Does the starter engage and turn the motor over for those 56 times? Or does it do nothing when you push the starter button?

Dale, I keep forgetting about that one. Here is a link to the parts diagram (best I can do at the moment). A few taps on the side stand with a hammer may help to free the switch (it may help with the frustration also)

MaxB wrote:

I'm confused. Does the starter engage and turn the motor over for those 56 times? Or does it do nothing when you push the starter button?

Sorry, I didn't literally mean 56 times. You push the button and it goes rrrwrrrwrrrwrrwrr until you release the button. If you do it "a lot", it eventually goes rrrwrrwrrwrrvroooomvroom. And it's the bestest scooter in the world Until you have to stop.

Here is something to try. One thing I have to do with my scooter seems a little different than most and maybe there is a chance this could work for you. Most people hit the button and their bike fires right up. I find that on my particular bike, I usually have to hold mine for a second or so and maybe give the throttle a quick blip while I'm holding the button to get it to fire up.

ronjr009 wrote:

Here is something to try. One thing I have to do with my scooter seems a little different than most and maybe there is a chance this could work for you. Most people hit the button and their bike fires right up. I find that on my particular bike, I usually have to hold mine for a second or so and maybe give the throttle a quick blip while I'm holding the button to get it to fire up.

this is a good tip to try.
Mine does it sometimes when it has run for awhile. Like ride for bit and then go in a store for few minutes. I wouldn't get TOO worried until you have run several tanks of fuel with Seafoam in it. I think it is just a little dirty in the injectors or the fuel rail relief valve. Try that for a while then if you still have problems we can give more advice.
MaxB

I was just thinking about it. Change your spark plugs. Silverwings are very sensitive to old/dirty plugs. I bet this will cure your problem. They should be changed every 16k miles anyway. i use stock plugs. There are a lot of fancy new fangled ones out there , but I am old school. When I raced I changed after each heat. You can get them at most auto supply stores. Just take one in and they can match it. (cheaper than at the Honda shop)
MaxB (just thinkin to help)

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm not very experienced with mechanics, or scooters in general. Why do I love scooters? Twist and gooooooo! I don't want to have to do anything other than put gas in and enjoy my ride!

My dear sweet husband went to change the plugs and lost his socket in there. So all operation has come to a halt and will resume this afternoon after work.
That having been said, I don't know how old the plugs are, but the scoot has over 35K miles. Probably due anyway. We ended up getting them at the dealership ($10 each?!!!) but I got a nice Frogg Togg suit on clearance ($25) so I can't complain too much!

And I also decided that once we get it running again, I'm going to try to ride it for a while and see if it grows on me (see how I get back on topic?!) I'd forgotten how much I've grown in the past few weeks, riding my 125.

And pretty soon you will be wanting "MORE POWER" ARG ARG ARG. (In Tim the tool man voice)

MaxB

MaxB wrote:

And pretty soon you will be wanting "MORE POWER" ARG ARG ARG. (In Tim the tool man voice)

MaxB

Ha ha, at this point, I'll take "some" power!

Taking it to the shop today or tomorrow. I'll be sure and let everyone know what's wrong!

There's a simple check you can do to see if the problem is with the ignition. Remove one of the spark plugs hook the wire back on it and lay the plug on the engine to ground it. Then have someone hit the starter and see if there's any spark at the plug. If there is, the problem is most likely in the fuel injection system. If there's no visible spark then the ignition system is indeed the culprit. I doubt new plugs will do much for curing this one. If the plugs are bad enough that the engine is difficult to start then the engine certainly won't run well at higher speeds. Old, worn sparkplugs usually cause problems when the engine is running at high speed. Under that condition the cylinder pressures are high and there is very little time for the ignition coil to saturate both of which tend to prevent a plug from firing well. If the battery will crank the engine for 10-15 seconds continuously there's nothing wrong with it and a new battery will not help though it will lighten your piggy bank and make it easier to lift.

I think the starting-problem was the spark plugs. When we finally got them replaced, it starting firing on the first or second try. But it is a terrible beast to ride now. It snaps, crackles and pops. It shimmies at 23 mph. It's way beyond my expertise (which consists of knowing where gas goes in) and I think this scooter is worth investing a trip to the cycle store. My little $900 Yamaha, on the other hand, needs the brakes looked at. Not sure I want to even bother with her. I love her dearly, but I don't want to put any money into her. After "talking" with you all and putting some blood, sweat and tears into getting The Beast running again, I really want to make her my primary vehicle when it comes back. I rode my Yamaha all day yesterday, and for the first time, I felt kind of "meh" about it. I'm ready to upgrade to a big-girl scooter. I'm ready for my Beast to come back!

Young Un they do tend to grow on you.It takes some getting use too, at first I couldn't get it on the center stand for love nor money now I wonder what my problem was. I've put over 6000 miles on her since getting her last August, if not for health issues it would be double that. I've only run three or four tanks of gas through my truck since getting the Swing. Give it time get used too it and have a blast.
Craig

Ashley,
Have you been able to sleep yet?
I took note of the times on your last 2 posts.

Wes :lol!:

wes_ingram wrote:

Ashley,
Have you been able to sleep yet?
I took note of the times on your last 2 posts.

Wes :lol!:

Grrrr... LOL, I'm afraid I don't sleep much. I wake up waaaay too early!