Age of leftovers -- US Market

As it appears SilverWing production is over for at least US market, I decided to check age of my leftover 2013 purchased late Jan.2014.

Mine came from big volume Honda Dealer-----mine made 2/13 and I requested fresh out of crate not from show room floor.

I do not think year in crate aged it much. OEM tires/Drive belt have been changed/used up.

As I tend to keep bikes/scooters longer than 50,000 miles, Age/date of manufacture will not be factor for me.

John,

Have you decided what your next scooter will be? I'm surprised Honda isn't bringing over the Integra.

Big Scooter market dead in US----Vespa no dealers, Kymco dealers? Can probably live with Honda or Suzuki-----but Forza made in Thailand, prefer made in Japan. Will not buy nothing with open chain or goofy gear box-----So for my needs probably Burgman 400 works best with lots of underseat storage, adequate performance, good gas mileage, fancy instruments, Givi rack and windshield available. Burgman 400 would be my third new Burgman 400 and is still current























Minus: getting pretty expensive----Givi Adjustable windshield works better on SilverWing than on Burgman, Burgman although lighter than SilverWing is still too heavy.

My problems: I like to get something new/different and #2 miles seem to pile up quickly

No worry on cost, would like to try to live with Burgman 650...but I know very heavy....Another TMAX might be nice as they are really fun to ride


Would not buy another left over SilverWing=too heavy

Go ride a BMW C650GT, not a slouch and so far no serious problems with them. BMW has been very good correcting a couple of minor recalls. Love mine.

I have ridden the BMW----deal offered by BMW dealer=a joke, $9200 difference...on trade.

As BMW owner since 1958=no thanks....their service requirements can be expensive.....and lack of dealers in US turn off. And once they were best in world, ex. my 1954 R51/3, traded at 230,000km, took all kinds of hard use----1961 bought new R-27 worst bike ever for me by 10,000 miles, 4 engine replacements/2 transmission...in Germany and BMW paid. I had R75/5, R60/6 (pinged even on super Shell) , R80RT---kinda junky outer fork leg broke/frame broke/many warranty repairs on electrics---BMW in Stuttgart told me I was riding too much---that is why so much trouble.

BMW scooter I did think wind protection, lack of severe buffeting was fine.

Last new BMW---K75, not bad---complicated. R27 still sits in ex girlfriends basement in Lorrach as far as I know.

I've never had the R series bikes but the two K1100LTs I've owned were trouble free. If it weren't for my arthritic knees I'd still have my last one a '95 that was showroom pristine with 10,000 miles on it when I bought it. I do have the luck to have an excellent BMW dealership here in town. People come from a long way away to have them do service, their shop charges are less than the Honda/Kawasaki shop by far. Not to mention they are a lot more friendly and do great work. The owner of the dealership raced bikes in his youth but now commutes to his shop on a C650GT.

I am sorry Honda quit importing the SW to the US. I don't know what Honda is doing, they haven't done any serious updating on the Goldwings since 2001 and now the Silverwing is being allowed to languish. Both are great bikes but it seems to be that Honda just isn't interested in those ends of the market anymore.

john grinsel wrote:

I have ridden the BMW----deal offered by BMW dealer=a joke, $9200 difference...on trade.

 R27 still sits in ex girlfriends basement in Lorrach as far as I know.

If this R27 has been looked after it will fetch very good money now. An uncle donated his used one to me a few decades ago and I had a couple of years of fun with it. Then I succumbed to peer group pressure and got a Jap Bike. I wish I would still have it for something to occasionally ride on and maintain it.

I think Honda is focussing their attention on the garish end of the market here
they have that 'new' G wing with hardly and windshield and an eyesore 'custom' something or other, plus the valkyrie
they are bringing out some tasty small sporty bikes, but insurance on them is ridiculous
I do like the look of the N700 series of bikes, motos with auto transmissions in various flavors

The 700s are interesting, too bad Honda didn't build one truly set up for touring, bagger, larger windshield, heated grips and cruise control. Kind of a mini Wing.

exavid wrote:

The 700s are interesting, too bad Honda didn't build one truly set up for touring, bagger, larger windshield, heated grips and cruise control. Kind of a mini Wing.

Honda had the 700 Deauvilles for years and you could easily make that into a kind of mini Wing by changing the standard pannier lids for wider ones and adding a few Deaville accessories. It's been discontinued for a few years now, it's a good reliable tourer but the Deauville has never shaken off the "Dullsville" tag given to the earlier and similar 650 model.

Just about any current Honda you buy now you're expected to add the genuine Honda accessories for it to turn it into the spec you want.

Do you really need a cruise control at all, my simple basic Go Cruise has sat in the lid pocket of my Givi E55 for nearly 5 years now and I've never once felt the need to fit it for a full days riding on motorways/autobahns, simply because there's very rarely a time it's needed.

I became jaded with the electronic cruise on my last three GL1800s. I don't see how anyone can cross Nebraska or West Texas without one.

NT700V---Deauville--were great, but very heavy----I bought one new. Real sales flop in US. My Honda dealer still has 2 or 3 on sales floor.

Real plus----works fine right out of box, including windshield!!

My throttle hand goes numb / tingly on long rides, i tried the cramp buster on my Ninja 500 but it wasn't a lot of help
I have to release the throttle, and sometimes let my arm hang by my side, to make it go away
I've ordered a Vista cruise for the SW, and they make them for most any bike, though i learned they don't work so well with some foam grips (the universal grips the actual grip, not the throttle tube
Speaking of which, my throttle sticks a little after riding steady state for a while, I likely need to lube the cables and throttle tube
seems odd to have to do that on a 2012 with 6400 miles on it

John,
Not sure what you intended this post to be. I purchased a new 2013 leftover Swing in December of 2014 and sold my 2002 Swing with 55,000 miles. I wanted the ABS and the O2 sensor for which my 2002 did not have. I did not get any improvement in MPG. The ABS already saved my bacon when someone decided to switch two lanes and cut in front of me in the off ramp, his speed required him to slam on his brakes. I am sure that my 2002 Swing would have rear ended him. The ABS save me.

I agree, ABS is great. I will not own another bike without it.