Travel on a SilverWing vs Motorcycle

Hi guys,
  I just got back from doing a one way 1200 mile run to my dad's house on I-40. Did 440 miles day one after a late start (10am-6pm) and 760(6am-7pm) on day two.  After arriving I loaded the scooter up on a trailer and drove a truck home.

I cross country on a regular basis (every other year or so) usually for 15-25 days and I've done so on European/Japanese/American Adv bikes, cruisers, sport tours, and standards.  My average day while touring is 400-500 miles.  Never owned a scooter before so I thought I'd put it to the test.

Overall,It wasn't bad.  

Seating position was fair.  It would have been better with a little more room. Wish I knew about removing the backrest before I did the trip. Definitely perched ON the seat rather than straddle the seat like a bike.  Not like my feet forward/arms forward Harley either which is as close as I've had in the past. Different.

Wind protection was good.  I have the stock windshield and it provides plenty of protection, IMO.  I believe moving forward or backward on the seat or being shorter or taller could be an issue for some, but I was in a sweet spot and was happy with the protection.  

Engine Heat was non-existent.  On every motorcycle I've owned, engine heat on 90+ days is an issue.  Even an old school BMW boxer will warm up your boots from engine heat on a hot day. It was amazing to have NO heat issues at all. Even in Nashville noon traffic grid lock.  AMAZING.

Speaking of grid-lock.... What a great bike to scoot through traffic. I felt perfectly comfortable. I've gone through downtown Nashville several times on a motorcycle and remember being much more nervous. Downtown Atlanta traffic on a Silverwing might make me uncomfortable, but on a bike it will scare the crap out of you.

Wet Weather.  I had two hours of heavy rain on the trip and I wasn't real happy on wet roads.  Hydro-planning in a down pour is a real possibility on any motorcycle and the SilverWing suspension wouldn't communicate what it was doing.  I think I'd just as soon find an overpass until the rain stopped as to ride in it. It did ok but I did not enjoy the same level of confidence riding in the rain as I usually do. Small tires, long wheelbase, odd suspension... I don't know.  Something was throwing me off my game.

Suspension... meh.  It's soft.  There is no such thing as setting your SAG. No such thing as setting up for touring or for corners or for commuting.  It is what it is.  It's not terrible, just not very good. Disagree? Run over half a dozen pot holes at speed and then get back to me.

Handling.  Mixed bag.  The small wheels give very little gyroscopic stability /moment of inertia /counter steer type feeling of a motorcycle.  It's quick to transition and responds well in a corner.  It does seem like it wants to do it's own thing occasionally.  After being a long time owner of an '89 BMW GS (likes to stand up in corners) I ride my motorcycles using counter-steering.  You sit on a SilverWing and straddle a motorcycle. It affects the handling. In my opinion..... I feel like I'm slower than I actually am but at the same time that the limits are much lower than a motorcycle due to heavy rear weight bias. Confusing.  Again, IMO... Not pushing it is the best answer so "Performance" will require a different machine.

Fuel Consumption.  I got 40mpg US at 75 mph average.  Not impressive and certainly not anywhere near 50mpg others are getting. On a loaded up to the gills adv bike with big boxes hanging off the back I get 45-48 at 75mph.  

Power.  Plenty.  Did what ever I asked of it that was reasonable.  I wouldn't want more power without a more competent suspension as it would lead to control issues.

Load.  55 liters under the seat is not really accessible storage compared to a top box and side cases.  It's also a little odd shaped for some gear. On my Vstrom I have 50l top case, 45l/30l side cases.  For this trip I stuck a big waterproof duffle with dri-bags in it on the pillion (passenger seat) and it rode well but it restricted access to the underseat storage.  I could do a week pretty easy if I added a top box and kept the seat free.  The fairing pockets are nice. No place to stick a water bottle or hang a gps with a special mount.  Speaking of... why don't I have a power port in my left side pocket? It has a hole, no power.

Bottom line:
I'm moving my Octogenarian Dad from Oklahoma to here in NC.  I have to make another trip in July.  Even though it's hot, I'll be taking the Vstrom.  stopping for gas every 100-120 miles was a pain.  I think I can cut six hours off on the Vstrom without pushing too hard. But the SilverWing was no problem at all.

As veteran of over 1.5 million two wheel miles----scooter= slow down and enjoy the ride, not having to oil chain, or load bike with no centerstand

SilverWing set up and used right is fine in my book----done 80,000 miles on 2 new SilverWings, small wheels don't bother me----better windshield makes difference, I at 78 do 400 mile days with no trouble----rain ok....if you have right gear, including rubber boots.

I find underseat storage fine, use Givi E46 box for stuff I need to get at, the 2 rubber bags my junk goes in are easy to get off and on.

Negative as you get older SilverWing can feel a little top heavy. Had over 75 new bikes/scooters so have some experience. Like scooters and the dry feet thing.

As long time, long distance rider, I prefer to stop every 1 hr or 50 miles, walk around. Body, ears, like that. End up getting there just as quick in better shape.

Kbetts, I understand you impression on the Swing. Being a BMW RT rider (best bike for a trip) the change can be intimidating. Forget what you learned in BMW riding school about weight shifting. In the rain, remember you don't transfer weight to the shoulders. The Swing is truly, slow down and shift weight with your hips and butt. The rake of the front end in not as pronounced. Riding for 50 years. As an overall in town and country rides, I love the swing. Interstate she is a little light. Fuel economy should definitely be over 50 mpg. or 150 miles per fill up.

I've been riding since 1957 on a lot of different bikes. While I like maxi scooters and think they can do most anything a motorcycle can do I gotta say I still think the best long distance touring bike is the Goldwing. The BMW 1600 would probably be it's equal but the Big Wing has held "King of the Road" badges for a lot of years. There just isn't anything like that big flat six, like a big electric motor, no muss no fuss just a lot of silent push when you want it.

It works the other way too, I have a lot of happy memories of touring on lightweight bikes like 250cc and 300cc MZ's for a ten year period. The humble East German 2-stroke single was usually dismissed as being nothing but a cheapo utilitarian commuter bike, but it was light, simple to maintain, had basic 6v or 12v electrics, a fully enclosed chain, fork gaiters, simple two setting rear shocks, and either wheel could be removed in a few minutes.

When I toured Northern Spain by MZ, I went over the Pyrenees from into Andorra, then into France on a drum braked MZ 250 Supa 5 no problem, and at night it's headlight was far better than on a few BMW's I've owned. Going to motorcycles rallies on one in the old Iron Curtain era, I was just another MZ rider and was never stopped for 'speeding', the only minor point of riding one in Eastern Europe was packing plenty of quality 2-stroke oil.

The lightweight theme was carried on when I got into maxi scooters with the Honda CN 250 Helix after a number of years on much heavier R Series and K Series BMW's.

Now after over 20 years off bikes, an option I've been thinking about is replacing my Silver Wing with is the new Suzuki V-Strom 250. It was the standout bike for me at last years Motorcycle Live! bike show in Birmingham. It's a twin, I can throw my leg comfortably over it, it has a 300 mile tank range, and it weighs 130lbs less than the Silver Wing. Another plus is the nearest Suzuki dealership is only a few miles from my home

Unfortunately Suzuki are dragging their heels with the "Wee-Strom", and it won't be in the showrooms until August.

Thank you.  I enjoyed your interesting responses.

I find nothing wrong with the Silver Wing.  That is based on almost 40 years of riding many different brands and styles of motorcycles in almost every state and Mexico and Canada and some of it while I was stationed in Italy.

The SilverWing is not a motorcycle.  I'm still discovering what a maxi-scooter is.  It's kind of fun to put the Silver Wing in the same situations I would a motorcycle and see what happens.  A lot of fun, actually.  

Having done a long trip which included heavy traffic, next I will plan a ride with my buddies and take the Silver Wing.  We always do a few hundred miles of two lane back roads, some dirt roads, occasionally a fire road.  As a comparison, my 2012 DL650Adv is the best all around bike I've ever owned.  It's the Mary Poppin's of motorcycles, "nearly perfect in every way."  I hear there are better scooters out there than the Silver Wing, but the it's pretty amazing for what it is.  I could never have imagined it doing a trip to Oklahoma with the ease it did.  I could never have imagined that it does as well in traffic as it does.  I can't wait to see how it does on one of our pleasure rides.

I'll let you know.

We wish we all had more time, longer rides and experienced more motorcycles. When it is all said and done we all just like the wind in our hair and the adventure. My most memorable motorcycle was a HONDA 90 CT Trail and Street, but maybe that was because I was 13 living in Lake Tahoe CA.

After a lot of years and bikes I've come around to thinking a 600-750 is a very good sized engine for just about any kind of bike, good for off road and good for freeways. A bike weight of four hundred to five hundred pounds is a good range for those engines. There are a lot of motorcycles and scooters in this range. These days almost all of the bikes on the market are amazingly reliable and long lived. There were a lot of beautiful bikes back in the 40s and 50s but they sure weren't as good in handling, reliability and performance as almost any bike today.
Any of the maxi scooters today are nearly trouble free, perform better than motorcycles of thirty years ago, and last for a lot of miles with minimal maintenance.

exavid wrote:

After a lot of years and bikes I've come around to thinking a 600-750 is a very good sized engine for just about any kind of bike, good for off road and good for freeways. A bike weight of four hundred to five hundred pounds is a good range for those engines. There are a lot of motorcycles and scooters in this range. These days almost all of the bikes on the market are amazingly reliable and long lived. There were a lot of beautiful bikes back in the 40s and 50s but they sure weren't as good in handling, reliability and performance as almost any bike today.
Any of the maxi scooters today are nearly trouble free, perform better than motorcycles of thirty years ago, and last for a lot of miles with minimal maintenance.

I would agree. IMO, big bikes like the GWing excel as far as long distance traveling. The downside is they are heavy. But for all around riding, bikes like you mention are great. I've come to realize the same.

I have no problem riding my 08 SWing. It's comfortable to ride and easy to handle. And it will keep up to the "real" motorcycles I've ridden with.

I have an 02 Goldwing for the long rides. My silverwing is a grocery getter but it will do long distance as well. Just not as comfortable as the Goldwing.

Why limit oneself?

Our first overnight trip was on a Vespa 150, I'm glad it wasn't more than two nights. Remembering back to a trip to my mom's on a Honda CB-175, 4 hours most of it interstate, trips neither of which was repeated Things got better with travel as my bikes got larger, Gold Wings had it, hands down for long distance travel. I really like my S'Wing for my now days ridding, quick, agile and with the butt to backrest conversion much nicer.

I just returned from a 6663 mile round trip from San Antonio to Belingham, WA on a 2002 Silverwing.  I really enjoyed riding the SW. We encountered every kind of weather and road there is without any major issues.  My thoughts 48 hours later are that I'm going to keep touring with my Silverwing.

Background,
Life long motorcyclist starting at 8 years old, my father had an aftermarket Harley shop in the back yard - still can't stand Harleys.  Last year, I bought a 2014 Burgman 400 with 500 miles on it to use as a commuter bike due to physical issues getting on and off my Wee-Strom.  My 56 mile round-trip commute was 95% freeway at 70 MPH. The Burgman would do it adequately but when I saw a 2002 Silverwing with 14,000 miles and new tires for $1,600, I bought it. Once I started using the Silverwing on the freeway there was no going back to the Burgman for me. So, I offered to give the Burgman to my grown son in Bellingham and we decided to make a road trip out of it. My Silverwing has a Givi extended windshield, Kuryakyn iso grips, throttle lock and the backrest extender.  The new tires were Shinko and I had about 2,000 miles on them prior to the trip. I did oil change and replaced the  drive belt, spark plugs, and air filter with K&N before the trip. The Burgman has Givi Airflow windshield and backrest. I also got airhawk seat cushions for both scooters. My son flew down on Friday, we ate Mexican food and took off the next day.

The trip.
We followed I-10 north from San Antonio through New Mexico to the Gila National Forest then west to Route 191. We went through the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway with its 400 curves then to Monument Valley. At Monument Valley against the advice of the Park Rangers we drove on the dirt road on the floor of the valley to the three sisters. It was fun but I must have broke some internal plastic around the left side of the windshield  it vibrated and made a squeaky noise the rest of the trip. Then we continued North through Utah stopping at Arches National Park, onto Jackson, WY, Grand Tetons NP and Yellowstone. I did not have adequate cold weather gear for Yellowstone but somehow made it through without getting hypothermia.  Then to Missoula and through the Lolo Pass to Spokane and finally through the  mostly just opened North Cascade Pass to Bellingham. In total we did 3500 miles. We encountered severe winds between Flaming Gorge UT and Rock Springs WY and then rain storms south of Jackson Hole. The Shinkos did really well on wet roads and the Silverwing, even with the giant GIVI mainsail windshield, did much better than the Burgman in the winds. I spent a week in Bellingham, changed the oil and came home mostly down route 395 through Oregon and eastern California through Death Valley , Laughlin,NV and Phoenix. On the Last day I made the 720 mile run down I-10 from Lordsburg, NM to SATX in 11 hours 32 minutes - it was time to get home. My Shinko rear tire is absolutely bald, there are no discernible grooves down the center of the tire. That was getting exciting fighting gusty headwinds on the grooved portions of I-10 at 80 MPH.

Conclusions
The Silverwing is just too easy. I've ridden lots of miles on lots different motorcycles (I really don't have much scooter experience) and none of them were as effortless as this 15 year old Silverwing.  There was room enough  for my clothes under the seat. I strapped an Army fanny pack  with a few tools, small Slime air compressor along with my Frogg Toggs onto the passenger seat (don't ask me why the Army has fanny packs,we never actually used then - it might be part of don't ask don't tell?). We stayed in cheap motels , no camping gear. After a few days of seeing the big heavy Harleys and Goldwings, along with all the GS's, I really appreciated the simplicity and economy of my Silverwing. It does not dive into curves and scrape pegs and thank God it does not make a loud roar disturbing every creature within miles, but the curves are still fun and challenging. I don't have $20,000+ machine to worry about - if worse comes to worse - I'll sadly leave my 2002 Silverwing and get on the bus. I already got my money's worth. Lastly, the simplicity and ease of operation allowed me to enjoy the ride more and be part of the environment rather than driving through it. I do have one major complaint - range and gas mileage.  First the gas gauge is just weird. Why wouldn't you just have a equally portioned gauge like every other gas gauge in the world? MPG was all over the place based on speed and conditions. My best mileage was 56 MPG in fairly hilly but 65 MPH or less speed. My worst mileage 33 MPG, was coming South on I-10 at 80+ MPH (speedometer 90). The most gas I ever put in the tank was 3.6 gallons after driving 189 miles through the North Cascades Pass in WA. Since the tank is supposed to hold 4.2 gallons I'm not sure how much gas is actually in the tank.

Recommendations
Airhawk seat cushion was ridiculously expensive but worth every penny. The backrest was not expensive and worth even more than the airhawk. Both are really great comfort items.  The Shinko tires are really cheap and did a good job. but I will replace them with Metzlers as I have heard good things about them on silverwings from this forum and have used Metzlers on most of my motorcycles.  I'm 5'11" by stretching and sitting uncomfortably, I can barely look over the Givi Extended windshield in the rain, I'm looking to replace that windshield with something else. Ride through Lolo Pass, great motorcycle road and incredible scenery. Get a National Park Pass.

whpeel
Nice summing up and sounds a great road trip. Thanks for sharing your views.

Any issues with air filters/belt etc using the "dirt roads"

Great trip report whpeel. Welcome to the forum.

Tim

Great ride report.

Cutting down the windshield is easy to do. A jig saw and a couple of pieces of sand paper on a sanding block will make it look factory fresh and at the height you want it to be.

If you don't want to cut it down, offering to trade for a factory one would be an option. There are plenty of people who would trade.

Nice report. Have you considered installing a Givi adjustable windshield? Keep it high when the seeing is good and when maximum protection is desired and drop it down to see over the top in rain and misty conditions. The OEM windscreen is pretty anemic.

whpeel wrote:

I just returned from a 6663 mile round trip from San Antonio to Belingham, WA on a 2002 Silverwing....

An interesting read. However I cannot recommend the Metzeler Feel Free Wintecs as I found the quality of production was lacking. My tyres were both out of round. Not enough to cause serious problems, but noticeable when spinning the wheel by hand and felt through the steering slightly.

I found an alternative to the expensive Airhawk seat pads. They are called Tourtecs Air Pillows and are around half the price on eBay UK. They work on the same principle of interconnected air filled chambers. Even cheaper (if anyone wants to try an air filled chamber type cushion) is the inflatable cushion pad for a wheelchair user. Mine are a rectangular grey vinyl and with no cover, but were on eBay UK at around £9. I'm sitting on one as I type and it's lasted over a year.

On another point brought up in a post on this thread, use wide masking tape on any windscreen that you may want to cut down. Firstly, it can be marked to give the cutting line, and secondly it will protect the plastic from the jigsaw base and being scratched. Support the curvature of the screen underneath to avoid cracking it.

Scootypuff Snr wrote:

whpeel
Nice summing up and sounds a great road trip. Thanks for sharing your views.

Any issues with air filters/belt etc using the "dirt roads"

We really didn't do many dirt roads. I haven't torn the scooter down yet I'm ordering tires and will do maintenance once they arrive but I haven't noticed any problems other than the rattling widnshield.

Modernman1953 wrote:

Great ride report.  

Cutting down the windshield is easy to do.  A jig saw and a couple of pieces of sand paper on a sanding block will make it look factory fresh and at the height you want it to be.

If you don't want to cut it down, offering to trade for a factory one would be an option.  There are plenty of people who would trade.  

I can do most mechanical maintenance but I really suck at things that require any level of craftsmanship so Ill probably buy a Givi Air Flow or a Clearview. I've had both in the past and liked them both.

exavid wrote:

Nice report. Have you considered installing a Givi adjustable windshield? Keep it high when the seeing is good and when maximum protection is desired and drop it down to see over the top in rain and misty conditions. The OEM windscreen is pretty anemic.

I loved the Givi AF on my Dl650 and the burgman 400, I was considering getting one for the Silverwing. I was also considering a Clearview. What are you using?

Flyingpanman wrote:

whpeel wrote:

I just returned from a 6663 mile round trip from San Antonio to Belingham, WA on a 2002 Silverwing....

An interesting read. However I cannot recommend the Metzeler Feel Free Wintecs as I found the quality of production was lacking. My tyres were both out of round. Not enough to cause serious problems, but noticeable when spinning the wheel by hand and felt through the steering slightly.

I found an alternative to the expensive Airhawk seat pads. They are called Tourtecs Air Pillows and are around half the price on eBay UK. They work on the same principle of interconnected air filled chambers. Even cheaper (if anyone wants to try an air filled chamber type cushion) is the inflatable cushion pad for a wheelchair user. Mine are a rectangular grey vinyl and with no cover, but were on eBay UK at around £9. I'm sitting on one as I type and it's lasted over a year.

On another point brought up in a post on this thread, use wide masking tape on any windscreen that you may want to cut down. Firstly, it can be marked to give the cutting line, and secondly it will protect the plastic from the jigsaw base and being scratched. Support the curvature of the screen underneath to avoid cracking it.

I'm disappointed to hear about the Metzlers. I've had a lot of success with Metzler 880s and Saharas on previous bikes and have always recommended them when asked. I'd like a scooter version of the 880 Marathon which I consider to be the best all round touring tire. What do you recommend?

I put a GIVI AF214 adjustable on one of my past Silverwings and installed a GIVI 214DT fixed on a friend's SW. Both were a great improvement over the OEM screen but I preferred the adjustable because it could be raised in bad weather so it was just at eye level or lowered down in hot weather.

The adjustable is considerably more expensive but after riding behind both I was glad I went with the adjustable.

A good source of windshields and parts is Revzilla. I've had good luck with them including one windshield that arrived broken. The box had been roughed up by UPS and broke a corner of the screen. I called Revzilla and they sent another one plus a shipping label to return the original one back. Very good service on everything I've ordered from them. I have no connection with them other than as a purchaser of Silverwing parts

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/givi-af214-airflow-windscreen-honda-silverwing-600-2001-2013

[quoteA good source of windshields and parts is Revzilla. I've had good luck with them including one windshield that arrived broken. The box had been roughed up by UPS and broke a corner of the screen. I called Revzilla and they sent another one plus a shipping label to return the original one back. Very good service on everything I've ordered from them. I have no connection with them other than as a purchaser of Silverwing parts

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/givi-af214-airflow-windscreen-honda-silverwing-600-2001-2013[/quote]

I too have nothing but good to say about Revzilla. They've been good to me, and fast shipping too boot.

exavid wrote:

Nice report. Have you considered installing a Givi adjustable windshield? Keep it high when the seeing is good and when maximum protection is desired and drop it down to see over the top in rain and misty conditions. The OEM windscreen is pretty anemic.

I have the Adjustable Givi and enjoy it. It does not provide as much protection as the regular givi cut to one's preference. However, the functionality of the adjustable is real good. Some people have had problems with the top blowing off. Me too. Fortunately for me, mine came off at 35 mph and I was able to pick it up before a car ran over it.

Just got back from a short ride with a friend, the first I've done on the Silver Wing with another bike.  He has a Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 twin and I had no conflicts.  Braking, cruising, acceleration into traffic, and back road handling were all very good. My buddy said he was full throttle in touring mode and not gaining on me while leaving the gas station (Tenere was electronically limited to around 60hp by the ECU in Touring Mode)  The only difference was fuel mileage where he got 50 and I got 44 mpg which meant the Silver Wing range was the limiting factor. My fuel gauge was blinking for about 15 miles and I was concerned enough to split off and head for a gas station.  I put in 3.2 gallons so I guess it wasn't as critical as it indicated.

Overall a nice ride even if a touch warm (86* with a realfeel of 96*).

FUN!

PS: It was fun to tell my buddy at the gas station that I enjoyed the ride but it would have been better if I could figure out how to get it out of first gear.( I know, old joke.. but FUN)

just back from a european trip to the Stella Alpina rally in Northern Italy - first long trip with the Swing,I was pleased with it, it carried all the stuff I needed and some that I didn't.
I led the whole trip - friends on a TTR and XT (600s), and they were not slowed down by me - either on the straight or corner.
We managed some gravel trails and I got halfway up the mountain at the stella before the clutch started to burn out, so happy with that achievement.
We all had sheepskins on the seats which helped - but I was jellous of my friends airhawk at times.
No mechanical issues with the swing (the TTR threw its chain off on the motorway).
All in all - a comfortable and competent tourer.

Congratulations! So glad to hear that you made it there and that a Silverwing was represented at the rally.

Um, "...the clutch started to burn out"? Tell us more? Please.

Tim

Clutch burn is most likely caused by going to fast up the hills. Been there and got the smell after an enthusiastic romp up to Hartside :-)

Sorry kbetts but he was just been nice to you. I've got both bikes and even in touring mode the S10 will easily out perform the sw. But the engines twice as big so it should.
The sw is quite happy to go playing with the big boys, even though it's a pleasantly futile occupation if they decide to go for it.

I don't see how centrifugal clutches could burn under power. Normally once the bike is moving the clutch is locked up from low to high operating speeds. There is always that slightly noticeable hot rubber smell that comes from the CVT belt. The centrifugal clutch should be locked up once the bike is moving above walking speed.

It will be the slow hairpin bends where you turn so slow the clutch starts to drop out and then gets subjected to a near standing start.

steve_h80 wrote:

It will be the slow hairpin bends where you turn so slow the clutch starts to drop out and then gets subjected to a near standing start.

yes I think that was it, of course the fact that parts of of the trail had so much dust in the air that you couldn't see might have added to the unhappiness - when I took off the covers the air filter foam was completely clogged.
I have yet to take the belt off and check the clutch out but it still got me all the way back home - it just gives a complaining little screech on take off and when the revs drop enough for the clutch to disengage.

what impressed my friends was the way it went round bends, I found i could ground the sidestand (with rubber foot added) on one side and my homemade replacement exhaust shield on the other - it made a nice Shwinnng noise (like a sword coming out of its scabbard) when it contacted the tarmac

I always kept the shocks set up on their highest position to avoid scraping pavement. I weigh about 200lbs, with a load of stuff in the top box and under seat it lowers the rear end enough to reduce the ground clearance quite a bit. The same thing obtains with my BMW GT. It has a higher payload rating than the SW but will still scrape if the shock isn't set for the highest load. At least on the GT there's a bolt designed to protect the center stand. They are removable bolts so easy to replace. I don't intentionally let the bike scrape the road it just happens once in a while.

steve_h80 wrote:

Sorry kbetts but he was just been nice to you. I've got both bikes and even in touring mode the S10 will easily out perform the sw. But the engines twice as big so it should.
The sw is quite happy to go playing with the big boys, even though it's a pleasantly futile occupation if they decide to go for it.

We were pulling out of a gas station onto a highway. I was full throttle. He most likely was just half throttle. I don't think he was saying that he couldn't out accelerate me, just that he didn't have to back off the throttle. I think the Silver Wing does well in the company of other bikes and that's the main point.