The Silver Wing is TOO good

It's been a couple years since I've bought a new bike and have a hankering for something different.  Put together a list of desired attributes for my new bike:

-Can be used on the highway
-Decent to use around town
-ABS
-Water-cooled
-Some weather protection
-Storage for commuting
-Seat height no more than 32" +-
-Reliable brand
-Reasonably comfortable
-Preferably $10,000 or less
-Cool-looking
-Mild off-road (fire roads, low-speed) capability

Darn it!  My current Silver Wing meets all those criteria except maybe the last two.  And, looking around, nothing available seems to meet all the criteria, and many meet fewer than the SW.

How am I supposed to justify a new bike?

Lol, I couldn't agree more.What you need of course is a second bike, something different enough to make the "which one shall I use" choice worthwhile.
Sounds like you want something dirty for bike 2!
Enjoy the bike hunt

Hmmmmm.........This takes care of the second to last

http://powersports.honda.com/touring/2018/nm4.aspx

Bash On! wrote:

It's been a couple years since I've bought a new bike and have a hankering for something different.  Put together a list of desired attributes for my new bike:

-Can be used on the highway
-Decent to use around town
-ABS
-Water-cooled
-Some weather protection
-Storage for commuting
-Seat height no more than 32" +-
-Reliable brand
-Reasonably comfortable
-Preferably $10,000 or less
-Cool-looking
-Mild off-road (fire roads, low-speed) capability


How am I supposed to justify a new bike?

Suzuki V-Strom 650. Well respected by ADV riders & change left instead of buying the litre bike.

Never justify a new bike it's just evolution

Sidewinder Pilot wrote:

Hmmmmm.........This takes care of the second to last

http://powersports.honda.com/touring/2018/nm4.aspx

Wow! That's pretty spacey. Would be a novelty to have, for sure!

Bash On! wrote:

It's been a couple years since I've bought a new bike and have a hankering for something different.  Put together a list of desired attributes for my new bike:

-Can be used on the highway
-Decent to use around town
-ABS
-Water-cooled
-Some weather protection
-Storage for commuting
-Seat height no more than 32" +-
-Reliable brand
-Reasonably comfortable
-Preferably $10,000 or less
-Cool-looking
-Mild off-road (fire roads, low-speed) capability

Darn it!  My current Silver Wing meets all those criteria except maybe the last two.

Actually, I think they are pretty good looking for a design made when? Prior to 2000 sometime. Of course, not everyone agrees, especially those more attuned to the looks of an exposed chrome engine.

Hi Bash. I gave some thought to this and ...... the SWing is cool looking. So that is only one reason to buy a new bike.


-Cool-looking
-Mild off-road (fire roads, low-speed) capability

Darn it!  My current Silver Wing meets all those criteria except maybe the last two. [/quote]

Actually, I think they are pretty good looking for a design made when? Prior to 2000 sometime. Of course, not everyone agrees, especially those more attuned to the looks of an exposed  chrome engine.[/quote]

Uh oh.  Local dealer has a sale:
NOS 2016 CTX Deluxe (with ABS): MSRP $18,329; Sale price: $8999

Needs a taller windshield but it's fairly cool looking.

While it is subjective, my opinion is the SilverWing is better.
I have the CTX1300, and while I do enjoy it, the Silverwing is my preferred bike overall.

I sold my previous SWing two years ago. I then bought a Suzuki C50 cruiser. I discovered that the C50 really was work to ride and the SWing had pretty much checked all the boxes I needed for two wheels. So I found another SWing and bought it...happy I did.

Bottom line is you don't need to justify buying another machine if you just want it, but don't be surprised if you find that the SWing really is a good machine which fits a niche that really no other bike, even another scooter, can...

I agree with this thread totally! I shall ride my Swing to death (extreme high mileage) in the next 2 years and am casting around to replace it when that happens. I've looked at the Honda NC and the Honda X-ADV (not to mention the BMW C650 GT) but none of them tick the same boxes as the Swing does. The main stumbling block is the 2nd hand price of these gems!
So after an exhaustive search I decided to replace old Swing with another old Swing - if I can still find a low mileage one! Failing that....it's rebuild engine for me!

Mighty Mouse wrote:

I agree with this thread totally! I shall ride my Swing to death (extreme high mileage) in the next 2 years and am casting around to replace it when that happens. I've looked at the Honda NC and the Honda X-ADV (not to mention the BMW C650 GT) but none of them tick the same boxes as the Swing does. The main stumbling block is the 2nd hand price of these gems!
So after an exhaustive search I decided to replace old Swing with another old Swing - if I can still find a low mileage one! Failing that....it's rebuild engine for me!

I see them on Craigslist. Many are low miles. I would think they should be around for awhile yet.

Resisted the CTX1300.  Realized it's over 724 pounds.  Yikes!

Besides, I don't ride enough to justify a new bike.  My SW just hit 1500 miles and it's almost 2 years old.  Should outlast me at this rate.

my 2 cents worth, I have rode motorcycles on the road every since my 14th b day and I have owned a lot of different bikes my last big bike was a Yamaha road star 1600cc , all I can say is every time I ride my swing I love it. I have always loved riding bikes and always will , for some reason this swing makes me fill like a kid agene. my first legal road bike was a Honda express when I was 14 years old and the freedom I felt was something else.

I went just the opposite direction you did I bought a 2016 vultus nm4 and found it to be very enjoyable particularly the DCT, double clutch transmission, that you can use as automatic, manual drive or sport . But I thought I needed something for shorter rides so I shopped around and found a dealer who presented me with the idea of 2013 new in the crate Silver Wing. I took some time to think about it and then ordered it shipped from Florida to California. Now I find I've got two bikes that are excellent to ride enjoyable, look great and when I go to the garage I almost can't decide which one to ride the nm4 required a few changes to the factory standard bike. It did not have a center stand. I installed the center stand then, moved the foot operated rear brake up to the unused left handlebar. Those two changes made the nm4 a joy to ride and now, I'm stuck with two beautiful bikes in the garage and don't know which one to ride when I go out and look at them it's a dilemma. Good Luck. The Silver Wing is a lot more versital bike than I ever expected.
Blain

Hey Bash, I reconsidered... try this......
https://www.google.com/search?q=ducati+paul+smart&tbm=isch&imgil=Rri5H9mVJ08AfM%253A%253BC73nvX6y78N8cM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.totalmotorcycle.com%25252Fphotos%25252F2006models%25252F2006models-Ducati-PaulSmart1000LimitedEdition&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Rri5H9mVJ08AfM%253A%252CC73nvX6y78N8cM%252C_&usg=__pnt_vu_6-gnwBC2wGvVnv53T1cs%3D&biw=1280&bih=623&ved=0ahUKEwi4tuKd0MbVAhVqlFQKHdD7AtkQyjcIMw&ei=wyaJWfjIDuqo0gLQ94vIDQ#imgrc=Rri5H9mVJ08AfM:

Probably it does nothing in your list and cost like heck but......... it is COOL LOOKING!!!!!!

Oooooohh! Work of art, Greysilver. Owning a Duck is on my bucket list, and that model is especially nice.

I too have had street bikes, off road, Trials bikes, on and off road bikes. Once you get used to the ease of a Swing you cannot go back. If you needed a swing to do unapproved roads just put on/off road tires. Put rear shocks on stiff and heavier front fork oil.

Bash On! wrote:

Uh oh.  Local dealer has a sale:
NOS 2016 CTX Deluxe (with ABS): MSRP $18,329; Sale price: $8999

Needs a taller windshield but it's fairly cool looking.

I have a friend that traded his Silver Wing for one of these. He got the DCT (automatic) model and added a Cee Bailey windscreen. He really loves the bike except for ONE thing. The CTX uses a chain drive and he hates that... Can't say I blame him; I hate messing with them also.

Oops--I didn't type the size. That listing was for the CTX1300, which has a shaft drive.

Really good deal for $8999, but still too darn heavy for my purposes!

I think the SW looks good from the front and rear, and OK from the side.

One thing that we take for granted with maxi-scooters after we've had them for awhile is the ability to move around on them. Feet forward and out, feet forward and down, or even down almost below our butts. On longer rides, when my back gets sore, I like to put my feet down almost right below me, straighten my back and assume a slight forward lean.

On a motorcycle, you can have that last position all the time, but the rest require highway pegs that put our feet out in the wind.

Well-integrated, locking storage is also hard to find on a motorcycle costing under $10k. Honda ST1300 did it well, but that is a heavy (720 lbs.?) and top-heavy ride, compared to a Silverwing.

SW's are not great on fire roads. If you want to ride them, why not add a lightly used 250-class dual sport and just keep the 'wing for longer highway rides and local urban/suburban riding?

Smaug wrote:

[Lots of good points about the SW and scooters in general]

SW's are not great on fire roads. If you want to ride them, why not add a lightly used 250-class dual sport and just keep the 'wing for longer highway rides and local urban/suburban riding?

Another good point. The current mini-ADV bikes (including the Honda CRF250L Rally and Kawasaki Versys-X 300) are very tempting. The SW checks most of the boxes other than fire roads, and there aren't too many of those around here in Dallas.

Can you get dual sport tires for the BMW? That might just do it...