I love my new Silverwing now!!!

I must admit at the beginning I was worried that this new bike was a little too much for me. Just touching the ground was a challenge. But after lowering the seat, having the shocks put down on the lowest level and getting the biggest boots I could fine I'm doing great. I got my new '09 on March 17th. Hummm maybe I should name it St. Patty? I now have 1500 miles on it.
I just feel so comfortable on the bike now. I took a long run a few days ago and got half way to my destination and realized I still had my tennis shoes on and had forgotten my boots But I didn't have any problems handling the bike even with my tennis shoes. I knew then I was fine handling this bike.
The bike is so smooth, I love the way it gears down at the turns, and I love how well it does in the wind. I feel great about my choice with this bike!

Hi Coralee,

Glad to hear things are going well for you.

DennisB

Great to hear how you enjoy the scoot.

MarkR

Coralee trust me this bike youll allways be in love with. I got my 07 in nov of 06 and still love it like its out of the crate. Good choise of bike and best of luck with it

Coralee,

It is a nice bike isn't it? I still enjoy riding this almost daily. I get to ride to work in nice hilly and scenic routes so it makes my day nicer.

Glad to hear you are getting to like your SWing. I just love my SWing. Although I haven't been on any long road trips yet I do ride it to and from work every day now. It's a great way to wind down after a hard days work.

I'm really looking forward to some trips this summer. My top case is at the shop and I will drop the bike off during our vacation the first two weeks of June and they will do an oil change and put that on for me. Then I will be ready to go when we get back...

I was talking with one of the guys in my group the other day and he asked how I like the Silverwing compared to the Helix
I said,
~does much better in the wind
~love the way it gears down on a curve
~love the power and the way it just cruses down the highway with no effort
~I like the added weight and bigger tires
~love the quick pick up and power

I do wish it had as much storage as my Helix although the trunk is going on next week. And still wish I was flat-footed...but I feel comfortable controlling at this stage.

Coralee,

How much stuff do you carry on a regular basis? I rarely have anything in my underseat area other than a helmet whn I'm not on the bike. We take the top cases off when we're not travelling.

The Silverwing is indeed hard not to like. I'm glad you're getting along with it okay.

I'm glad I bought the ABS. I'm glad I can get my laptop under the seat and still have room for other useful "stuff". I'll be more glad when I get the seat altered some. I could probably stand to lose about an inch of seat height. I'm learning how far I can twist the throttle to keep myself in place on an upwardly slanting road surface (of which we have a great many here).

I have to agree with all you......But im in search of the silverwing mystery now ive ridden many bikes that handle and are truly fast i bought the wing to chill and because of leg probs(too many crashes and soccer accidents)
So heres the mystery it wobbles through fast bends/the belt slaps all over the place/it shakes all the plastics while accelerating/it grounds out on bends so i shouldnt like it, but i cant wait to ride it everyday i love the damn thing
can anyone please clear up the mystery????

Hi John,

Most of us have had or still own other motorcycles or scooters. Each one had or has its own unique characteristics, either good or bad. I think what the Honda SilverWing provides its rider is a truly, almost care free enjoyable riding experience. Free of having to pull in the clutch lever all the time. Just twist the throttle and go. After riding and maintaining older Harley-Davidson’s for a lot of my riding years. The SilverWing is a dream come true for me. What a great ride and is very low maintenance. A true pleasure to own. Better than any motorcycle I have ever had in my life and it always gets me to where I want to go and then back home again.

MY TRUST IN ITS RELIABLETY AND ONE HELL OF A SMOOTH RIDE. It works for me.

DennisB

mr fish wrote:

now ive ridden many bikes that handle and are truly fast i bought the wing to chill

Wow if you call grinding on turns chilling ... I wonder how you were before the Swing.

mr fish wrote:

So heres the mystery it wobbles
through fast bends

Do you still have the OEM front suspension or the Hyperpro springs?? I found the suspension much better in turns with the Hyperpro springs. I also wonder if it would help lessen your grinding ... though I have no proof just a theory.

mr fish wrote:

the belt slaps all over the place

I would suggest the Mitsuboshi Kevlar Belt for the belt slap. You can order from www.scootertrap, if you want to find a UK/Europe distributor you can check http://www.mitsuboshi.co.jp/english/group/usa_euro.html#lbl_mble .

mr fish wrote:

so i shouldnt like
it, but i cant wait to ride it everyday i love the damn thing can anyone please clear up the mystery???

You could either seek out pshycological help or just enjoy it and ride :lol!: .

Dale, I do carry a lot. I'm one of those "just in case" packers. I have my rain gear, a first aid kit, several maps and travel info and a case with just stuff I want and need. I like to carry tennis shoes but haven't been able to fit them in as yet. I like to walk when I get to some destinations. When I get the top case I'm hoping to put my rain gear up there and have room under the seat for things I use all the time.

Quote :

Wow if you call grinding on turns chilling ... I wonder how you were before the Swing.

Not as bad, most bikes gave me more lean angle and they have hero blobs on the end of the pegs to grind down......
As for the springs and belt havent even told the boss ive just ordered a givi screen yet im sure they will come just have to wait a bit, in the mean time have to look out for some lower panels

mr fish wrote:

As for the springs and belt havent even told the boss ive just ordered a givi screen yet im sure they will come just have to wait a bit, in the mean time have to look out for some lower panels

I keep thinking I am done with the upgrades or farkles .

The Mitsibishi belt should get rid of your belt slap and the Hyperpro springs really give the Swing more of a motorcycle feel too. I'm glad I got them. I would say that the windshield is the 1st mod riders should do and the Hperpro springs are the 2nd.

Jeff,

How hard are the Hyperpros to install? Has anyone published a tutorial?

As i said before somewhere ,before i go down the hyperpro route im going to try upgrading the fork oil .
But am definatly interested in the new belt,problem is it had a new belt 1500miles ago and i need a new push bike and am thinking of learning to either windsurf or dingy sail over the summer(looking for new ways to injure myself)
Today i think i will take off the casings and clean before work see if this makes a difference

but once again thanks a million for the advice i would have you guys over for a BBQ if you were near

Mr. Fish/ John... I am curious about the view you are looking at in your avatar... kinda reminds me of my pond after all the rain we are having. You have a wonderful view. Is that near your home? Post some more pics in your gallery. I keep saying I am going to do that too, just been too rainy here to get out and go anywhere.

Gary

Scooterian wrote:

Jeff,

How hard are the Hyperpros to install? Has anyone published a tutorial?

These may help. After reading/viewing them if you have additional questions just ask. Someone on this forum will likely have the answers.

This is the information I used (along with the service manual) to change out my fork springs. An impact wrench is essential. This write-up was written by Dave Jackson on the yahoo Silverwing forum a few years ago. I couldn't find the original post to link to. But I had copied and saved the post for referral when I installed mine. It also contains Dave's first ride report which gives a good description of the handling improvement. I posted this on the 4Shared site so others could access this information

http://www.4shared.com/file/107497106/e5ce5d01/Hyper_Pro_Fork_Springs_Installation_-_Honda_Silverwing.html

These are some pics I took during the process. There is no write-up, but at least it gives you a visual of the parts you are working with.

There is also a photo showing the Hyperpro spring side by side with the stock OEM spring. It's easy to see why the Hyperpor would be so much better.

http://picasaweb.google.com/twistngo/HyperProForkSprings#

This links to Leroy Beal's site which has some useful information and pics. Note: You do NOT have to remove the front fairing as Leroy did. You can R&R the forks without removing the fairing. It is a little tricky being able to torque the clamps, but I was able to do it with my torque wrench

http://www.leroybeal.net/motorcycles/silverwing/suspension/suspension.html

Hope this helps

[quote="mr fish"]
As i said before somewhere ,before i go down the hyperpro route im going to try upgrading the fork oil .

From what I have read previously on the yahoo silverwing forum, changing the fork oil didn't help much. But you might want to consider increasing the size of the spacer. Those who have done it report some improvement. It is virtually free (just the cost of a short piece of appropriate dia. PVC pipe). If you are taking the forks off to change the fork oil, adding the larger spacer could easily be done at the same time.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/hondasilverwings/message/36365

It could be a way to get some performance improvement without going to the expense of the Hyperpros.

Thanks mike someone at work suggested that as well said a freind of his can machine them out of ally for me so looking into that

Opalsboy in answer to your question unfortunatly its about 250 miles away from where i live its down in cornwall uk

mr fish wrote:

Quote :

Wow if you call grinding on turns chilling ... I wonder how you were before the Swing.

Not as bad, most bikes gave me more lean angle and they have hero blobs on the end of the pegs to grind down......
As for the springs and belt havent even told the boss ive just ordered a givi screen yet im sure they will come just have to wait a bit, in the mean time have to look out for some lower panels

I'm wondering if you can get a highering kit? Of all the big maxis, the S'wing is one of the lowest rides, easy to get you feet flat down, so jacking it up an inch or two wouldn't be too much hassle?

I know what you mean about the fun factor though..... You should definitely go for the progressive springs at some point and the sliding weights, especially the lightweight ones woujld make a huge difference at low cost..... Though probably not so good for fuel....

Y'know this might get you hooked back on bikes again aswell..... ?!

jdeereanton wrote:

Coralee,

How much stuff do you carry on a regular basis? I rarely have anything in my underseat area other than a helmet whn I'm not on the bike. .

Under the seat i dont normally carry anything. but i have a trunk and 2 hard side bags. One side bag has my AM/FM/CD player in it. the other side bag has my tools, maps, first aid box, jumper cables, flat fix, etc. my trunk has extra sun glass, sun screen, cap, etc. I like to be ready in case i need any of it.
Paul

Quote :

Y'know this might get you hooked back on bikes again aswell..... ?!

Will always be hooked anything with 2 wheels i love ,not enough money to buy one of every style I.E scoot/super moto/race rep/naked/custom/off road/touring etc i would have one of each given the chance one to suit each mood

mr fish wrote:

Quote :

Y'know this might get you hooked back on bikes again aswell..... ?!

Will always be hooked anything with 2 wheels i love ,not enough money to buy one of every style I.E scoot/super moto/race rep/naked/custom/off road/touring etc i would have one of each given the chance one to suit each mood

Y'know its great finding another biker who will openly attest to the S'wing's versatility and as a viable alternative to a bike. OK so all us patrons here are already converted, but it's still good...

I had a bike from age 16, right up until I got married and had kids......

It wasn't so much that the bike had to go, but I just didn't have the time anymore as initially I looked after the kids and the Mrs worked. Another issue was I was starting to go everywhere too fast, even though my bike at the time was a rather teutonic BMW K100RT with a Koni suspension.... However it went round corners much better than the stock setup.

I part exchanged it for a car, and life with no bike was horrendous. Got myself a BMW 650 single, and although fun I found it underpowered and what with the kids it just sat in the garage. Sold it.. No bike for 10 years. Didn't even look at one. This made the Mrs very happy, she works in a hopsital and often sees the aftermath of bike accidents.

Now with the kids a bit older, I got the S'wing, and within just a few months was completely hooked on two wheels again. Tweaked up my S'wing, much better, but missed the faster acceleration/rush of the bike, though to be fair, IMHO that is the only thing that the S'wing lacks by comparison to a bike. Anyway after a year got an old but reliable all round bike aswell, (Divvy 900).

Since then have test ridden loads of machines, bikes and scoots. Decided that I liked my scoot most of all compared to the scooters, (including the Gilera 800) but continued testing bikes, the torquier the better....... I seem to prefer bigger capacity and more torque over loads of bhp and high rev engines... That said I like the in line fours. But I also like a more upright riding position.

Best bike so far was the BMW R1200GS, what a surprise that beastie was, fast enough and way too good a handling for a big trailie..... But that was till I had a go on the Yamaha Fazor, monster torque again, though not quite as much as the beemer, but oh my what a wonderful rush of power, way more than I need, but it felt just so right....

Am saving up for one.... A fazor I think. I agood second hand one is half the price of the beemer..... will have to go for another test ride on the
beemer to make sure!!

Happy riding

Coralee
Congrats on your new swing your loving
it now and always will. I have had my
04 swing for 3 years now and NO
problems at all. This bike WILL haul
ass if needed to get out of the way.
I get asked all the time about my
swing like how good is the mpg.
i tell them i get any where from
45 on up to 58 and there mouths
drop to the floor. There are so many
other questions that you will get
asked.
Enjoy your new ride Coralee

Ghost rider Greg