Should I, shouldn't I?

I currently own a 400 Burgman and a 1200 Trophy (and also a VN1500).
Both are great bikes, but getting a little tired. The Burgman is fine below 60mph and great around town but it has to work hard on faster roads, the Trophy is great on the motorway but a handful around town. I'm thinking a Silver Wing could replace both, but then so could a VFR or a Deauville to stick with Honda.
As the bikes are used for work (Domicillary Care), I need a 2 wheeled small car. Comfortable, economic, spacious storage, good weather protection, reliable and low maintenance.
Does any one use a Silver Wing and a mid sized commuter/tourer motorcycle to give a comparison and point out some pros and cons that I may not have considered?
Any of your thoughts appreciated.

How about doing an intro post to the forum as a courtesy before jumping in for info, it's appreciated by the forum members.

What I will say is I disagree that the 400 Burgman is fine below 60mph and has to work hard on faster roads. I regularly took my 05 400 Burgman to the Harz in Germany and used to cruise mine at 80-85mph on a particularly monotonous 80 mile autobahn section just to get that bit done. I only sold it as I found it lacking in performance for two-up touring.

Thanks for the reply Meldrew, I consider myself reprimanded, but I thought that was a sufficient intro; what I have and why I'm considering a Silver Wing. I appreciate it would be polite to expand a little rather than get straight to the point.

I'm a 45 year old care and support worker, living and working in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. I've managed to bumble through life from teenage rebellion to midlife crisis without conceding to taking a car driving test, preferring to justify how anything can be done on a bike. I tend to find my own path and say things as they are. I feel that I am about to buy a Silver Wing and would appreciate any comments regarding this choice, rather than just try one and find out for myself.

Welcome Gary

I would say yes to everything on your list, the Silverwing is "comfortable, economic, spacious storage, good weather protection, reliable and low maintenance".  It certainly will be faster than the burgman 400 as its more powerful and it would keep up with a Deauville but the vfr would pull away but the speed limit is 70mph :-)

I think a scooter is far more practical than a motorbike for commuting and carrying stuff.

What kind of roads do you mostly ride?

Gary,

I have had many m/c's and also the Reflex, Majesty(400cc), and have the SilverWing and I find the Silverwing to do anything I want.  The Majesty was good but the Silverwing is better IMO.  The engine is mounted to the frame, it has more hp, and I think it is just a wee bit more comfortable.  It is very easy to work on and just keeps running.  Very few have really had bad luck with a SWing either.  It does happen but hardly ever.

I get about 50mpg and I don't ride quite as hard as I used to but still will get 50 on the interstate and low 50's doing the slower 45 mph roads, which is fine with me.  The main mods I would do if you choose to get one is to get a new windshield, which it seems all scooters need, and the hyperpro front springs.  They cost about $155 and give it more of a m/c feel in the front end. Hope this helps and welcome to the site.

Meldrew, from my experience with my 02 Burgman, everything is good up to around 60mph. At this point the Givi screen starts to vibrate, the bike starts to flex and weave (albeit controllably) and although it will accelerate to an indicated 80mph, there is insufficient power to overtake quickly. I think it's a great machine and fit for purpose, but I suspect my purpose is beyond the limitations of the machine. I believe a larger capacity scooter will serve me well, as opposed to a smaller capacity touring/commuting motorcycle which I know will do the job. I don't have to change, but I quite like the idea! I also like using a scooter for work. I have enjoyed justifying bikes to car drivers for years and also enjoy justifying scooters to bikers. The Italians make very stylish machines but I'm not convinced on reliability. The Burgman 650 seems to hold a very high second hand price (and probably for good reason) and the Silver Wing appears affordable yet reliable and suited to my needs. As a Silver Wing guru I would appreciate your views. If I am not following correct etiquette I can only apologise.

Thank you JeffR and RArch for your replies and welcome. You are confirming my thoughts regarding the Silver Wing. For work I predominantly use busy urban roads with occasional A and B roads to travel to villages. Average speed is generally more important than top speed which is where the Burgman excels. The Triumph is great if I am working out of town and luggage capacity is similar for both machines. I can claim £0.35/mile travel allowance. Current (very) approximate costs Fuel: Burgman £0.10 Triumph £0.20, Tyres: Burgman £0.25 Triumph £0.15. I believe the Silver Wing will fall in the middle. I also believe that scooters, or maxi scooters as they are referred to, make very good work tools.
JeffR - I hadn't considered the engine mounting but this is a very good point, thank you.
RArch - Thank you for mentioning the top speed of the VFR. In reality I doubt I would often use it and I'm guessing the Silver Wing would be as quick, if not quicker, when filtering.

Gary welcome to the forum.  I have also had an 05 Burgman 400/s and now have a 08 Silverwing. The first time I sat on a Silverwing I knew if I could ever find one I could afford I would buy it. In Feb. of 2010 I found one with a little over 2000 miles on it that the dealer wanted $5,700 if I remember right. I offered them $5,000 out the door. The salesman went to ask the manager and I went to the parts department to get some parts for my Burgman. The salesman came back and said to come fill out the paperwork for the title and tag. I now have over 47,000 miles on my Silverwing and my Burgman is long gone. If something ever goes wrong with my Silverwing I will buy another one if I can't repair this one. The Silverwing sits a little higher but the way the floorboards are cutout my feet are in closer so it don't seem any taller to me. Like Jeff said the windshield needs changed (Givi airflow for me). Also put a big top box on it and you will never need a car. Good luck with whatever you decide, I vote for the Silverwing.

Hello mate, don't be fooled by the Silver Wing Guru label under my forum name, I'm no Guru or Expert on them and the title is not of my choosing. There's no need for apologies either, the fact is there's a constant stream of one or two post new members who come on here just to milk the forum for Silver Wing info, and given help they then disappear.

You say you're also considering the 650 Burgman, for info on all things Burgman the best place to find info is www.burgmanusa.com.  There's no getting away from the fact that it is one big heavy lard a** and riding it on untreated country A and B roads in the winter when there's a bit of snow and ice about won't be much fun. It's also a crud magnet and very difficult to clean after a ride on mucky salted roads especially the dirt trap back end. The rear wheel doesn't turn by hand easily for cleaning either, and if you don't wear gloves it's very easily to cut your hands on the ABS ring turning the front wheel. Another annoying feature are the mirrors, being lower set you can be dazzled by the headlights behind you and it's very distracting on a narrow rural A or B roads at night time. One advantage the Burgman has over the Silver Wing is it's under seat storage is better laid out.

Hi! No expert here, but have had several scooters (Honda Elite 250, Yamaha Majesty, and now the SilverWing). I also owned a Suzuki VStrom (the 650) in between the 250 and the Majesty. Each has their advantages, but I like the SilverWing best hands down. For me, I doubted I needed the greater displacement of the SWing over the Majesty - my main priority when I got the SWing was the legendary Honda reliability (my Majesty had its oil pump go bad, and the engine blew up on me). I liked riding the Majesty - I picked it over the Burgman 400, I thought it was way more comfortable, and I loved the Yamaha styling.

Things is, the SilverWing doesn't just have a larger engine - IMHO going from a single cylinder to 2 cylinders is a huge improvement for highway riding - both accelerating, and just cruising for any period of time. I saw this difference when I picked the VStrom 650 over a Kawasaki KLR650 years before (the KLR is a single, the VStrom a twin), but it applied to scooters, too. The first time I went up a ramp on the SWing and merged into the flow of traffic, I was completely over the Majesty - but then having it blow up on me in the middle of nowhere didn't help, either! The SWing is amazing on long highway days - which I never expected! I've done over 700 mile days, and then got on and rode another 500 or so the next day - something I never thought my cranky knees would take. I also commute around town, though, and the SWing, while not as nimble as my 250 or the Majesty, is still far better than my conventional motorcycle - and definitely not so top heavy. For me, the only disadvantage to the SWing is the cruising range on a tank of gas - the Strom held almost 6 gallons, with slightly better gas mileage than the SWing gets (especially in the upper gears, on the highway). That was handy. Other than that, eveything about the SWing has been better for me.

I have loved the underseat storage of the SWing - it's comparable to the Majesty, just a different shape. I also use a cargo net and a backseat bag for long trips (I got a Kuryakin Tombstone bag, which is also a backrest when I want it). I have also used a kayak dry bag when I really want to haul a LOT of stuff. The top box is great too, but the one I had on my VStrom made the back seat a very tight fit for a passenger - so I would think twice about that if you want to do two-up riding, or at least spend the extra for a removable box. Another thing I have to increase the "stuff" I can haul is my riding suit - tons of pockets, all shapes and sizes. Also, do check out the locking glove box on the SWing - it still amazes me how much I can fit in there, even after I added a power plug in there for my GPS (it could also be used for heated gear, etc).

Good luck! I applaud you for being a two wheeler - it makes you a different person over time, doesn't it?!?

Hi gary , your just up the road from me [oxford] welcome a great sight for all things scooter.

Gary Hodge wrote:

RArch - Thank you for mentioning the top speed of the VFR. In reality I doubt I would often use it and I'm guessing the Silver Wing would be as quick, if not quicker, when filtering.

Now filtering I know about I think the VFR would be better as it can fold those mirrors in but it could just be me. I swear those 125's are the fastest thing through London especially those with that red L plate  

I keep looking at those Yamaha mirrors which can be pulled back, they would be handy when filtering but also look wider when in their normal position.

Thank you for all the replies and useful opinions. I think I was just about decided before I posted and I'm relieved no one has suggested that I should avoid scooters and go for a bike. I'll keep watching the posts and looking for a Silver Wing. I will update when I have found one with a picture if I can work out how to. ( I probably wouldn't have bothered if you hadn't mentioned it Meldrew)

Gary Hodge, if you go to the "Tips on using this site" section, you can find tips on posting pictures. I hope your search for a new ride go well.

Yes! Get the Silverwing. I traded my Burgman 400 for a Silverwing for exactly that reason. Didn't want the weight of the Burgman 650, but wanted more top end speed and a lower engine speed at 70mph. (Not only is the Burgman 650 heavy, the transmission makes if hard to push around!) The Burgman 400 was a really nice scooter, but the Silverwing is the best all around motorcycle I have ever owned. You will be very happy.

Gary Hodge wrote:

I'll keep watching the posts and looking for a Silver Wing. I will update when I have found one with a picture if I can work out how to. ( I probably wouldn't have bothered if you hadn't mentioned it Meldrew)

Err..I haven't mentioned anything about uploading photos mate, and we all know what a Silver Wing looks like so why bother.  

Are you aware that although they all look the same, the later year models are more fuel efficient than the earlier ones?