2 up - 3000 kms - 8 days and still married

Upon turning 60, I decided it was time for an adventure - something different but not out of this world crazy.
I had just sold my big a** Yamaha Silverado 1700 a few months ago, and needed something to ride and the Swing appeared out of nowhere. Rode it for a month and decided it was up to task.
This will be a ride report on how the Swing did 2 up - and some of the roads and sights on our trip.

Rider - I'm 60 and I've ridden and raced motorcycles since I was 17. Previous to the Swing, my bikes were VMax, Ducati SR2, Kawasaki ZRX, GSXR 600 and the Roadstar 1700. I still race mtn bikes, so my fitness level and reflexes are decent.
Passenger - Wife who has been a passenger on many short trips but never one over 100 miles. 300 mile days for 8 days would be a new challenge.

We were not going to do any camping and decided we needed to pack everything into the storage areas and a very small rack bag. Its amazing how much room the bike has! and how easy it is to access stuff.

Day one - Short ride from Nanaimo to Victoria (70 miles) and a ferry ride over to Port Angeles, Washington. Ride is always a rock and roll affair and this ride had the bonus of seeing a pod of killer whales.
The ride from Port Angeles to Astoria is beautiful with lots of time along the seashore, some nice tight turns to keep things interesting and a big bridge to cross over into Oregon.
Dinner was in Seaside, which is a great little town. A special treat was the main street car show. For those who have never been to Seaside, it has one of the best beach for skim boarding.
Hotels along the coast are expensive so we opted to stay in Tillamook that night.
Stay tuned for day 2...

Looking forward to it.

The Oregon Coast in the summer time is a hit or miss affair with the weather. We hit the jackpot!
Clear blue sky with temps in the low 90's - but dont be surprised to see heavy fog and very cool temps until the sun breaks through.
The ride started inland a few miles and ran through a valley, farmland and over a short pass before ending up back on the coast. This stretch of the Oregon coast all the way to the California border is perfect on the Swing. Mainly a 60mph road with some slow to 30 turns and a few stretches of divided 4 lane freeway stuff. On one section I was chased by a rider on a Ducati Monster for 20 minutes before I pulled over at a vista point. He did a double take as he rode by with a wave. haha
The Swing - so far its done everything I could ask and expect of a motorcycle. Fuel injection makes for easy morning getaways. Auto trans is fine - though I miss being able to knock it down a few gears for a quick pass. Gas mileage is close to 60mpg - but a I'm gassing up at under 150 miles when I dont know when the next stop is. No lack of power even with 2 up and no instability at any speed. The one exception being a fast 75mph downhill sweeper with a dip in the middle of the corner. Noticeable but not unsettling.
With all the bikes I've owned - the Swing handles like a quick middle weight sport bike. Steering is quick but not twitchy - and you dont need a lot of effort to turn the bike. Absolutely the best bike when Im in town or traffic.
Next stop - California! The Redwoods, Highway 1 and San Fransico

Great!
Thanks - more, please.

The ride from Crescent City to the Golden Gate Bridge is one of those 'must rides'.
The Redwoods is a winding stretch of road where you weaving around trees the width of a car.
You are constantly dodging in and out of the sunlight, and combined with a bit of morning mist... its like you are in a make believe world.
Just when you and your bike get into a groove, you are out of the trees and speeding along the coast again - You start to enjoy the smell of the ocean, when you go right back to another set of monster trees. This stretch of road goes through the Avenue of the Giants.
The Silverwing - two up fully loaded - the Swing allows both rider and passenger to enjoy the scenery. I wore a half helmet and sunglasses and found the windscreen perfect. I could see over it and the wind blast was minimal. The scooter handles well and the only time it was at its 'limit', was on a fast downhill sweeper where I encountered a bump in the road while doing 70 mph. There was a bit of a 'Slinky' feeling but nothing scary.

You turn off to Highway 1 at Leggett - and will find the next stretch of 20 miles is tight and full of 15 mph hairpin turns. Though the Swing turns quickly like a sport bike - I found the combination of long wheelbase, passenger and limited ground clearance of the sidestand - limited my enjoyment and how quickly i could ride this section.
When you end up back at the ocean, you can enjoy the coastline if the morning fog is gone or dart back to highway 101 where its always sunny and hot.
I have been on this stretch of road in a variety of cars and motorcycles and this time on the Swing ranks in the top 3.
Next stop - Santa Rosa
The Swing - I average 55+ mpg whenever I keep speeds under 65 mph. 1000 miles into the trip and no oil has been used that I can see. Everything on the scooter works like it should - the sidestand leans the bike more than Im used to. Always made sure the sidestand side of the bike was never lower than the centre.