Okay been ogaling both the forza and silverwing

Been doing some searching even though my purchase is a few months away I am getting ideas. Some here sugested the forza and I figured go ahead and look into it.
What I am not sure of is this the first year of the Forza? because I haven't seen any other year models. But I do like what I have read on performance and the seat height is about an inch shorter so that's cool!
I am still taken in by the silverwing but want to carefully investigate in person both scoots. Of course I still have to take the rider safety and get my License.
But I do wonder how can I taKe the safety course without the bike? do they have them on location?


On a side note I did see a 2012 silverwing with 3500 miles on it for sale at a dealership in Florida for right under 6,000. I am thinking that is a good deal...
also found a 2011 silverwing in Florida, can't remember the millage but it was 4,999.
If anyone is interested both are on cycle trader.

In June after getting a chance to get settled in Memphis and get used to being an hour behind over there I am going to go looking and seeing the two in person at some dealerships.
that way I can get a better idea of what I really want.

I am thinking immediate use will be mostly around town but eventually i'd like to do road trips once I get accustomed to the bike real well.

thanks again for everyone's input!

mawmaw,

If you are taking the riders course than you should get your license by passing the course and then taking the written course at the DMV (if that is what you call it in Tenn).  That is the main reason I took the riders course here in California.  You might want to look into the type of course you are taking.

If you go to this link you will read that this will give you your license if you pass.  And don't worry, just pay attention to what they say and show you. I took this in California.

http://www.cyclesafety.net/about/program

If they are like California you may want to sign up for a class now. If you wait until summer they will probably be full. Good luck.

Hi Maw, starting with a smaller scooter and working up is probably the safest path. It will be an expensive  path though as you will lose a some bucks in the trade.

Thanks Again and I clicked that link that place is a mile from where I will be living so really great!


Everyone has been so helpful and I appreciate all the honest feed back I am taking all points into consideration! Thanks!

You should really think about doing this instead of trying to pass the test at the DMV. It really relieves alot of stress and you also learn things. But again, you should look into reserving a spot soon if it is just as busy where you are as it is here. I think I had to wait 3 months but I was able to get a permit. You may be able to get a permit to ride until you take the course. I got one but just wasn't allowed to ride on the interstate.

Oh Yeah definitely getting that scheduled asap!

In Tennessee if you take the safety course it costs around $200 and they give you a certificate. You can then walk into the DMV and pay (I think it's $26) and walk out with an M on your license.

If you want to take the test at the DMV it is computerized, and half the questions are about alcohol. I think you can miss four questions but if you miss 5 you fail. Once you pass the written you move on to the "riding" portion of the test. I was required to start the bike, test the hand brake, test the foot brake (the tester was confused by no foot brake) and ride to a nearby parking lot, turn around and ride back. Same $26 and you get your M immediately.

If you decide take the test at the DMV you want to call ahead to make sure they do motorcycle tests (not all locations do because they only have a few testers and they don't work every day) and probably make an appointment to take the test.

Scheduling now for the BRC is great advice.  

Just so there are no surprises, you will be learning on fully manual motorcycles (clutch work and shifting gears).  Most programs do not offer automatic scooters to learn on, but some will allow you to use your own scooter.  

Good luck with the move and the safety course!

When I took the safety course they offered the Honda 250 Rebel or a 150 scooter.
They had different days for the scooter or a bike.

I'm from New Brunswick, Canada. We have a scooter license that is graded 2 ways: under 550 cc, and over 600. The restrict you to only scooters: no motorcycle riding unless you take a regular bike license. In my view you are better off taking the regular motorcycle course and ride your choice of scooter or motorcycle. And go for the 600 cc license and you are all set. No more testing.
The Honda Silverwing 600 is not a good choice for a new rider. It is a powerful machine and challenges riders with experience. A smaller capacity scooter is a better choice: it will teach you all the basics and give you confidence in handling, road sense, and the rest of it. You can move up to the 600 when you feel confident.
This is just my opinion. I am a relatively new rider, and there are plenty of more seasoned riders here who can give you their viewpoint.

You're on the right track with the class. I always tell people to take the class before buying anything so that if they find out they are really bad at this, they aren't out much money. You get to learn on someone else's bike. If you drop it learning, you're not replacing plastic panels for a lot of money on your bike, which is a really great thing. For me, I take an MSF class every few years because I'm willing to try things on a bike that I don't have to fix if I break. It's also a safe environment where it is hard to get seriously hurt.

I highly recommend learning on a smaller, lighter vehicle, like the Forza (which is frankly too big for some people as a first bike still). Sure, plenty of people go straight to a Silverwing or other heavier bike, but I think you and every other new rider will have a better experience starting small.

If you don't plan on touring or doing high speed runs through the canyons, the Forza will do everything the Silverwing will do. And it still can give a good run through the canyon if you build your skills. It can even tour across the country, albeit not quite as comfortably as a bike that can do 110MPH+ (the Silverwing can do that).

Get your gear as well - I recommend for a new rider a full face helmet, motorcycle gloves, motorcycle boots, motorcycle pants, and motorcycle jacket. It is what I wear on every ride - even at 15 MPH it will make the difference between having to be in the hospital getting gravel picked out of your leg versus standing the bike back up, yelling at yourself for whatever foolishness got you onto the ground, and riding home. It's possible you'll never fall, but it's good to be prepared.

Getting training if you don't have any two wheeled motoring experience is the first thing to do no doubt. But I'd argue that the Silverwing would be the better scooter. It's a bit heavier but it's also has a two cylinder engine which is going to be smoother. The Silverwing has a record and it's very good. It's a nearly bulletproof machine, many of them out there nearly trouble free. As you get experience on a scooter the Silverwing is definitely going to be the superior machine when it comes to highway riding. It's somewhat greater weight should yield a smoother, steadier ride. It will be more powerful if you end up riding on a freeway which you most likely will with experience. You can also get a good used Silverwing for 3500-4000 dollars even with ABS. I've purchased two in the past few years, one had 14,000 miles on it the other around 8000 miles. No problems with either one and I bought both for well less than $4000. It would cost less out of pocket if you bought a used Silverwing and then decided you wanted a smaller scooter later than buying a new Forza and found you really needed a more powerful scooter. There's much less depreciation on a used scooter than on a new one. I like my BMW C650GT scooter but I still believe the most bang for the buck goes to the Silverwing.

We currently have my 05 Silverwing and my wife rides an 05 Reflex 250cc. Four years ago, she registered for the motorcycle safety course at the local Harley dealership. There was a 6 week wait time for the class. Once she registered for the class, she asked me if I could find her a cheap scooter to learn on. She had never driven any kind of motorized two wheeler and she thought that she would probably drop it while learning.

I found an 84 Honda Elite 125 on Craigslist that I thought would work well for her to learn on. She got her temporary license and spent the first week driving the Elite around in the yard. She familiarized herself with the throttle, brakes, turn signals, emergency brake, starting and stopping.

The next few weeks I followed her around as she rode in a nearby neighborhood with 25 mph speed limits and lots of stop signs. The weird thing about the Elite was that the rear brake was a pedal on the floorboard. That required that you always put your left foot down with the right foot on the brake pedal. She got proficient with stops and starts although she said that making a right turn from a stop when the scooter was leaning to the left and her left foot was down frazzled her. After a few weeks we moved out onto back roads around our home. By the time the six weeks was up she was pretty comfortable on any type of roads. There is a lot more that only experience will teach you. Wind, sand, wet roads especially the slippery white painted lines at some stop signs, gravel roads etc. are all things that you will encounter at some point.

Six weeks elapsed and she started the safety course. She said the classroom part of the classes were great and she learned a lot. The dealership sells Buell and used 500 cc Buell motorcycles for their road course. This bike was a little big for her and after a full day of riding around the course, she came home frustrated. She said that her left hand was cramping from holding in the clutch for most of the day and she never knew what gear she was in. On the last day, they gave the students a test on their road course and if you pass, the instructor will sign off on a document that you successfully completed the course. You can take that document to the BMV and they will give you your license. She passed the test.

Once she got her license we sold the Elite and bought the 05 Reflex 250. It will go about 80 mph and is considerably lighter and more agile than the Silverwing. The right size scooter will depend on what your primary use will be. If you plan on regular freeway driving, the Silverwing or at least a 400 cc Burgman or Majesty is probably the right choice. If you will only ride freeway's sparingly or not at all, then a scooter like a 250cc Reflex might suit your needs. Go to a dealer and sit on some scooters and see which ones fits your height the best.

I ride the Reflex as much as the Silverwing. It is more than a 100 lbs lighter and more maneuverable than the Silverwing so for around town errands it is more than adequate.

You could search the motorcycle category on Craigslist to find a used Reflex, Burgman, Majesty or Silverwing in your area.

Good luck with you hunt.

Hi mawmaw,

I live just South of you in Mississippi (I work in Memphis). Getting the endorsement in TN is nice, as has been mentioned, because you can take the course and get your endorsement as a result. In MS, it's not that simple, you can take a course, but then you still have to take the skills test to get the endorsement. I started with a Honda SH150i, which is a smaller and more nimble scooter, and worked much better for the skills test I had to take than a larger scooter like the Silverwing would have. I just purchased a new (old stock) 2012 Silverwing this past Saturday at Desoto Honda and pick it up the Saturday after next. I had never ridden a scooter or a motorcycle before I got the SH150i and at the time it felt big (now it feels light and nimble compared to the Kymco Downtown 300i, which is smaller than a Silverwing and lighter at 350lbs versus 550lbs for the Silverwing; The SH150i is about 300lbs).

There is something to be said for having a lighter scooter for running errands around town or going the back 2-lanes (I even ride it to work the back way, staying off the Interstates). The maxi-scooters, like the Silverwing, are nice for highway and touring and riding 2-up, but the smaller scooters are definitely handier and easier to handle and just feel quicker when you want to dash to the store for a few groceries or to the bank ATM. My biggest hassle lately has been picking up nails from the road and getting flat rear tires (both scooters). Not sure why there have been so many nails all over the roads in this area lately, but it has been a problem for me.

(And I agree, having moved here myself, getting used to being on the East side of the time zone in CDT/CST instead of the West side of a time zone in EDT/EST, takes some getting used to).

Hi Mawmaw,
I'll share my story too.  Had an eye on a Downtown 300 ... that was to be the bike for me ... took the scooter course ($485) and earned a motorcycle license.  Could have taken the course on a motorcycle but my interest was for a scooter with CVT. Saw a 2005 Silverwing on Kijiji and with one of the course instructors (who owns a S'Wing) giving it the thumbs up, I bought it. I had looked at a Forza (which came out in 2013 I believe) but for the $$$ for a new Forza at 1/2 the displacement of a  Silverwing which was in great shape for a used bike ...it was the way to go.  Yup it is heavy but if you are strong enough to handle the weight ... going with a used S'Wing will be a good way to start.  At least I don't regret it and before the course I had never been on a powered 2 wheeler.  But whatever else ... take the course and get the proper riding gear.  Good luck !