New SW/former Reflex owner in Northern Virginia

Over the weekend I solved my Honda Magna carburetor problem by buying a stock 2002 Silver Wing off craigslist. I won't take possession until later this week, but I'll be good to join the ranks of the scootering public again. As I mentioned in the subject line, I used to own a Honda Reflex. I'm hoping the Silver Wing will be the best of both worlds of the Reflex (twist and go, plenty of storage, low maintenance, etc.) and the Magna (plenty of highway power).

The odometer of my new red SW has less than 4000 miles on it and it looks pristine. I'll be interested in advice about what to check first and what to replace immediately (any concerns about 15 year old belts, etc. even with low mileage?). I expect plenty of these answers are elsewhere in these forums, so I'll look around before asking any specific questions.

I'd post a picture, but it looks exactly like ->

Kirke

Welcome from o-HI-o enjoy.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new scooter.

The riding position will be exactly the same as your Reflex with the exception of one thing. Keep both of your hands on the bars and hold on a little tighter.

The 600cc Maxi Scooter is not twice as powerful as your 250cc was. It is 4 time more powerful.

It is a good thing that Mother Honda governed down that power for the first 15 miles per hour or we would have watched the Silverwing cycle through owners at an even faster rate that normal.

I am sure that you will enjoy the power of the Magna with the ease of twist and go.

Be sure to post your thoughts once you get it home and get some miles and smiles on it.

Hello Kirke

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your new scoot.

At 15 years old with such low mileage rubber things are going to have dry rot. I would start by replacing the tires and valve stems. You certainly dont want a tire valve stem to pop off when you're out enjoying your new found horsepower. Also replace the belt; having sat for so long w/o being run there is bound to be a hard spot on the otherwise dry rotted belt which is sure to lead to the belt shredding. Next you should plan on replacing the various hoses and flushing the cooling system.

Check eBay for a FSM (Factory Service Manual) --any year will apply to your scoot. Use Honda coolant; Partzilla is your friend for, um...parts.

Tim

Welcome aboard the board Kirke!

So, good news/bad news. I just learned that the odo was replaced, so I have no idea what the actual mileage is. So I almost certainly paid too much for my swing, but at least it probably wasn't just sitting around for 15 years. If I take it to the local Honda dealership, they'll be able to tell whether the belt and hoses need replacing? I replaced the belt on my Reflex, so I know I could do it myself, but I'd rather not do so unnecessarily.

I'd plan on replacing the belt.  Inspection is the only way to know what condition it's in and if you're going in to inspect, may as well swap it out.  If you're planning on keeping the scoot for a while you will have peace of mind for the next 16k miles.  My 2003 wing other than coolant flush/belts/brake pads/oil has only needed wheel bearings and a stator.  It's a honda after all.  Plan on oil change/coolant/belt service now, also inspect date code on the tires and replace if over 5 years old.

I usually do all the maintenance to any vehicle I get as soon as I bring it home so I know where things stand. May be a few more $ but hopefully it saves breakdowns or unhappiness in the long run.

Kirke wrote:

... So ... I just learned that the odo was replaced, so I have no idea what the actual mileage is.  

Bummer. Did the previous owner fail to mention this to you? Did you run a CarFax and did it show mileage counts? You might want to pop off the cover and visually inspect and measure the CVT belt. I'd replace all of the fluids as a matter of course (and piece of mind). It sounds like you're handy ... best way to get to know your new ride is to work on it.

sonuvabug wrote:

Kirke wrote:

... So ... I just learned that the odo was replaced, so I have no idea what the actual mileage is.  

Bummer.  Did the previous owner fail to mention this to you?  Did you run a CarFax and did it show mileage counts?  You might want to pop off the cover and visually inspect and measure the CVT belt.  I'd replace all of the fluids as a matter of course (and piece of mind).  It sounds like you're handy ... best way to get to know your new ride is to work on it.

The current owner bought it recently for his wife (who didn't want it). He seemed to honestly believe that the mileage was correct. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. It not like there are lots of Silver Wings on the market to choose from, and it has the appearances of being very well cared for. Carfax has "0 records" for it, so I didn't pay for (presumably) nothing. So I guess I'll never know the mileage. So I'll assume it's due for a new everything and start from there.

I've ordered a service manual off eBay (for a ridiculously low price for a real dead-tree version) and I'll check the age of the tires when I take possession.

Well I certainly wish you good luck and hope there are no major issues. These are pretty bullet proof.

Since there is a genuine record of a Silverwing with over 150,000 miles on it you haven't much need to worry - I'd do the maintenance that's suggested by Silverwing600 experts, though.

I hope you have many happy miles on the bike.

Interesting data point: the code on the rear tire is 4002. So the tire (which has plenty of tread left on it) is 15 years old and presumably the original tire. (I couldn't find the code on the front, but it looks old.) I'll add new tires to the list. If these are the original tires, I have to believe it's the original belt too.

Can't have that many miles if it still has original tires.  At a certain point age and actual condition start to matter more than miles, anyway.

Kirke wrote:

Interesting data point: the code on the rear tire is 4002.  So the tire (which has plenty of tread left on it) is 15 years old and presumably the original tire.  (I couldn't find the code on the front, but it looks old.)  I'll add new tires to the list.  If these are the original tires, I have to believe it's the original belt too.

Maybe it is the original miles too. Tires don't last more than ten thousand miles. What mileage is on the odometer?

3100 mileage on the odo, but the title says "not actual" so who knows. Unless they replaced the tires with old stock tires the actual mileage is probably less than 6K.

Welcome!

Maybe the DMV put not actual because they weren't sure of the mileage.