Low speed manuvering

I bought the bike a month ago but it has taken me three weeks of waiting on parts and working as I had time to change the fluids, tires, drive belt and switch to 28 g sliders.

Now that I have had a week of nice weather to ride the scooter on both superslab, secondary roads and city traffic, I am pretty well pleased. It will take me a little time to get used to the additional weight and handling characteristics of this scooter.

I have a couple of questions regarding low speed handling.

When I slow to a stop, I feel the engine braking with throttle off. Our Reflex and Majesty did not have much in the way of engine braking. The engine braking holds the scooter back until about 10 mph and then the engine suddenly uncouples and the scooter just freewheels. That uncoupling has surprised me a couple of times in slow speed parking lot kinds of turns and caused a few wobbly maneuvers. Is this normal or is it due to the sliders?

Our Reflex and Majesty clutch seemed to couple up at lower rpm and move immediately when the throttle was twisted. I was used to picking my foot up as I twisted the throttle. The Silverwing is different. Starting from a stop, there is a slight delay before the clutch engages as the engine has to spool up a bit to get things underway. You can't just pick your foot up on application of throttle. I have found myself paddling a step or two with my feet from a stop. Is this normal or is it due to the sliders?

Once underway, it is one fine scooter. I don't have a lot of time on it yet and I will learn it's traits as I get more time on it. I am a little sorry now that I didn't hold off on installing the sliders until I learned how the stock Silverwing behaved. Once I had the covers and the drive belt off, I decided to swap the rollers out at the same time.

Ride safe!

Sounds normal to me.

The SW drops in to freewheel anytime the RPMs get below ~2000.

If the Reflex & Majesty variator/clutch engages at a lower RPM than the SW they would also disengage at a lower RPM than the SW. And therefore give the impression that the SW freewheels more abruptly.

Sounds normal to me also.Try and hold the left brake lever at a stop and increase the rpm about 100/200 rpm when you are ready to move. This usually locks up the clutch (stock springs @ weights) and then you can increase the rpm's slightly when you are ready launch from a stop. With a little practice this will give a smooth start. You will also notice that dragging the brakes slightly (left brake lever)at slow speed will make the S/W more stable at very slow speed.Hope this helps.
Howard

Speaking of Low Speed Manuvering, I would love to hear how people describe how they make a tight U-turn at slow speed, ie. in a parking lot. Thanks Dan

My favourite bit of YouTube!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NegpNBY7DIc

Now, get those cones in a car lot/park!!!! (US/UK)

This works for me - I learned in an MSF course a few years ago that in order to perfom low speed maneuvers and u-turns you should turn your head completely in the direction you want to turn, and your eyes should be positioned like you are viewing the horizon. If you look down at the road when performing a tight low-speed turn you somehow lose your balance and want to put your feet down.

Jesse in Atlanta

Having owned several rubber band drive scooters and runing up over 250,000 miles. I have the following tips/. suggestions:

1. Return clutch/weights to stock

2. Take MSF ERC course

SilverWing is no better or worse in the clutch/drive line take up area than other I have purchased new(TMAX,Burgman 400 (2), Helix (4), Reflex.

Practice slow speed stuff--feet up U turns doable---even though brakes are linked, left lever can be used as balancing aid as rear does come on first