UK Newby SW owner

Hi from the UK,just bought a 2002 Silverwing.Been a lifetime motorcyclist since 1969 currently riding a Harley Soft tail,a Piaggio Hexagon scooter and a 1977 Hondamatic Hawk.My days riding "proper" bikes over due to arthritus in hips/knees/feet so feet forward and twist and go perfect solution.I ride most days but not too far but will change with the Silverwing my wife sometimes rides on the Harley but my little Piaggio with the 250 Honda engine is not big enough for two.Thanks for letting me join forum looking forward to learning more about the SW from you all

Hi mate, Welcome to the fold. You know I've been amused for years now reading posts on various maxi forums from bikers who've only turned to maxi scooters when they're suffering from shagged out knees, hips, etc. Before the aches set in maxi scooters wouldn't have been considered a "proper bike" at all by them, and maxi riders derided as a lesser breed of rider, being a little bit girlie, incapable of manually changing gears on a "mans bike", and all the usual biker bollocks.

Then as the scales are miraculously lifted from their eyes, they find out that maxi scooters are fun to ride, more practical in terms of weather protection and storage, some even man up and confess they'd wished they'd made the change years before.

So enjoy.  

True,wish I'd bought one years ago lol. although I've always looked upon any 2 wheeler as a "proper" bike I started riding on a Lambretta.Was riding a Fireblade and a VFR up to 2013 plus some classics but all gone now,but the HD and SW will fullfill all my needs now

Hello Dave, Welcome to the forum. Best wishes with your 2002 S'Wing.

Tim

Hi Dave and welcome to the best SWing site on the net.

I ride an 08 SWing and really like it. I didn't get it because of age or any other reason except that my sister in Pensacola, FL had it for sale so I bought it from her. It was also a great reason for a vacation! I paid a total of $1,773 for it. $1,273 to pay off her loan and $500 for the heck of it to help her with whatever she needed. I had to trailer it home because it sat under a tarp for 2 years due to her tipping it over in her driveway a couple of times. She got worried a bit about what if that happened on the road at a stop sign or traffic light. So she parked it. Now it runs great again and I ride it whenever the weather is decent.

I also have a 1974 Honda CB750 which still runs decent that I've had for over 20 years. I'm the third owner of it and it's the first bike my wife and I rode to Pensacola, FL the first time and what a great ride that was. A serviceman bought it in Japan and shipped it home. The person I bought it from had it sitting in his shed for over three years and it needed a bit of TLC to get it running again. It now has over 84,000 kilometers on it. I think that comes to somewhere around 50,000 miles or so.

My wife passed away 2 1/2 years ago but sometimes I can still "feel" her on the back with me. I ask her if she's enjoying the ride and I've never gotten "smited" so I think she still likes riding with me.

Welcome from the Land of Lincoln (Naperville, Illinois). Glad you've joined the forum. Look forward to seeing your posts. I have the same model of SWing and enjoy it immensely. I'm sure you'll like yours a bunch!

Thanks for the welcome,have the Silverwing back at home.Being 14 years old it has the expected scratches/rust etc. so bit of polishing done already,the mileage of 12,700 seems genuine looking at the old mot's and it had a 4 year spell of not being ridden.Just hasn't been covered and looked after.Givi screen a must I reckon but which one?I live within a mile of the Givi UK headquarters,wonder if I could buy direct from them.Bought the SW with intention of taking my wife pillion but she suffers arthritus like me lol and she can get on with centre stand down but getting off a problem,going to try dropping side stand/apply brake/me get off and me assist her to slide to front and get off,wish us luck lol

Hi Dave nice to see another Silver wing around. What area of Northamptonshire are you in? I grew up in Wellingborough and like you started on a Lambretta(LD150) which I used to ride between Northampton, Kettering, Corby and home.
I decided because I use mine to travel around Birmingham between different schools and didn't want the hassle of stripping wet things off when it rained to go for the Givi adjustable screen a Tuccano Urbano apron and neoprene bar end muffs.
Ive also added extra lights heated grips top box and sat nav. I regularly go down to London up to Liverpool and across to Aberystwyth two up and the fitted weather gear makes a massive difference.

It sounds as if you may be doing some Cirque du Soleil moves to dismount Mrs Firestorm from your S'Wing. But you'll both enjoy the ride.

Yes, the OEM windscreen is more form than function. As has been noted, a huge improvement will be Givi's AF214 Air Flow adjustable windscreen.

Tim

Wife managed to get off with sidestand down planning a ride out on SW Sunday when weather supposed to be better.Yes the screen is crap,I've seen an MRA Double bubble screen,has anyone experience using one of these?
I'm in Daventry,recently moved from  Leamington Spa.Been using a Tucano on my Piaggio yes they're good although look strange lol.Planning a trip to Cornwall with my mate on his Burgman 400 but that's only longish trip I'll do,usual trip not far just 20-30 miles

Done 128 miles on fast 60/75 mph A roads returned 51 mpg,I'm happy with that although my mate on his Suzy Burgman 400 returned 74mpg.The vibration at 75mph is the front wheel out of balance me thinks,the screen vibrates but at 80 mph I held the screen to steady it and front end still vibrates.Tyre is newish Avon Cobra Stryke rear is a Bridgestone of unknown age so need to sort a bew one.Shopping list now new screen,rear tyre,wheel balance and one fork seal is weeping oil so new one of them

Hello Mate, Welcome.
What does your mate with the Burgman 400 think of your Swing? I myself am riding a Burgman 400 and considering the differences between the two of them. I go on weekly group rides with several Swings, B650's and other B400's. They all seem to do fairly well. No doubt the bigger bikes are a little faster than mine, but I can still go plenty fast enough. I compare the Headlights, Storage, Brakes, Carrying capacity, and other such things. I do quite a bit of 2 up riding, am quite heavy myself, as is my pillon, and carry a good bit of weight over the limit. I am considering getting a Swing, but having a hard time trying to justify a good reason to get rid of the 400, as it does quite well. So hopefully you will let us know how your rides with your B400 mate go, and let us know what both your impression are. G'Day!

Rode together with my mate with the 400 Burgman,I haven't ridden it yet.First impressions with his Burgman an '08 model that looks like new with 15,500 miles on clock ( my SW only done 12,700!!)very nice looking and lower than the SW,his screen works has a few gadgets ie temp guage,tells you how many mpg it's doing.Will swap bikes and compare.I find the SW very comfy and handles like a "bike" not a scooter

I've had my Silver Wing for five and a half years now and I'd say it handles just like what it is, a maxi scooter. So did the lardass 650 Burgman and 400 Burgman I've owned previously, They were heavier but really no different from my Yamaha Majesty 250. That handled pretty much the same as the very first maxi I bought, a Honda CN250 Helix way back before they dreamed up the name 'maxi scooter'.

There is nothing wrong with a Burgman 400. I know of several B400 owners who've accumulated lots of, enjoyable, high mileage tours.

However if your riding is mainly two-up then maybe a S'Wing is better suited to you needs.

Horses for courses

Tim

The SW I've just bought is a "taster" to see if I like a big scoot,loved riding my 250 Honda (Helix?)engined Piaggio last 12,months 4,000 miles.May buy a new SW or maybe a 400 Suzy or Kymco.Had wheel balanced which has got rid of vibration,ordered a new Avon rear as the present Bridgestone is 10 years old,and having new fork seals as left one shot,previous owner had it done but twat that did it didn't wet and dry the slider Then it will be ready to ride and enjoy

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

There is nothing wrong with a Burgman 400. I know of several B400 owners who've accumulated lots of, enjoyable, high mileage tours.

However if your riding is mainly two-up then maybe a S'Wing is better suited to you needs.

Horses for courses

Tim

Knowing a couple of blokes who are Burgman 400 owners doesn't really count. First hand experience through ownership is everything, a brief "test ride" on a dealers demonstrator then posting about it on a forum doesn't count either.

I had a 400 K6 from 2005-2008, nice solo tourer but sluggish with a passenger, used quite a bit of oil on motorway/autobahn journeys and needed regular top ups. It had pathetic twin 35w headlights that I couldn't be bothered to change. Not as good as the Silver Wing riding in the Harz Mountains in Germany. It doesn't make me an expert on them but I can relate to reading another 400 K6 owners experiences more than if I hadn't owned one.