Chatting with the Powerhouse manager and no more Silverwing

x

Honda released the SW-T 600 at the recent EICMA Milan show. As I understand it, this is a model that has been available in Japan for a year or two and is now being made available in Europe and other parts of the world. I think we are going to get it in Australia next year.

Just as well; I'm not sure what I would replace my 'Swing with. The Yamaha Tmax and Suzuki Burgman are VERY expensive down here. I would probably go for an Aprilia Scarabeo 500, Yamaha Majesty 400 or even back to a Vespa GTS300ie (I love these little things ). If none of these then back to a "real" motorbike !

Regards,
Peter

I just checked gas prices. It looked about right in the USA but in Canada it's a low of 91 in Alberta and a high of 118 in the Northwest Territories. Surely that can't be Canadian dollars. I know they aren't the same as USD, but there's not that much difference. 118 Canadian is like 117 USD. 117 USD for gas is ludicrous.

Anyhoo, let the gas prices get enough out of hand, say in the 150 range and they'll come out with something. Maybe not a S'wing, but something similar. I've heard we aren't far from 5 and 6 USD a gallon here in the states.

My guess is that the 91 and 118 are "per liter".

I suspect SilverWing, too, is in last years of production. Maybe something will replace it, hopefully in smaller cost and displacement class. As is now fine, expensive, way over weight, plastic could be easier to remove, some mechical things should be easier to work on.....

Remember it is supposed to be scooter, scooter should be cheap and fun, not sub for motorcycle.

This winter is time for me to think of new bike......right now my SilverWing is very good for scooter...I have had new TMAX, Burgman 400, Daelim(in Korea) and Vespas in past. Had to spend lots of money for old designs. Rubber band drive remains weakest point in all. Age and the hate of garage wrestling heavy pigs will keep me on scooters for the future. Today I test a new Porsche as I am working on paid escape plan from TN----that is returning to work in Europe. I hope.

Looking back on new scooters I have bought and used since 1990----9 of them I think, Helix remains easiest to work on----mufflers fell apart at 30,000 miles or so and intake manifolds cracked.....and maybe best scooter with its built in trunk---Reflex handled well, but things like adj valves became more complicated---TDC marks hard to find on side opposite Helix....but still no shims! Daelim was tuffest.

What I will buy? People will continue with SilverWing for at least 10 years.


John Grinsel

thomphoto wrote:

My guess is that the 91 and 118 are "per liter".

You are correct that's $ .91 per litre and there are approximately 3.785411784 litres per US gallon. ~ sonuvabug ~

John... will you be going to Europe as a good will ambassador for the state of Tennessee? Just kidding...

No Gary.

He will be leaving the Silverwing forum(s) to the deserving people and becoming a PIA to the Porsche forums.

:flower:

Quote John Grinzel: Today I test a new Porsche as I am working on paid escape plan from TN----that is returning to work in Europe. I hope.

Good choice John, I've got over 2 Million miles driving experience on mine, and it's great if you realize it's limitations. It's great for tooling into Starbucks, and the GAP, and the young chicks seem to be impressed. Just as long as you realize that it's not a "real" car. Way overpriced and hard to work on. Very few dealers around. Anyway, it'll get you the hell out of Tennessee. Happy motoring.

Thom:
Now you have me laughing out loud...

Porsche lost its way back in the 80’s with 924 and 928. Colossal mistakes that cost company dearly. Doubt the guys who designed those even drive a car. Should be mandatory that they spend hours on the side of the autobahn replacing the piston rings and seating new valves in the middle of a snow storm before they are allowed to build a car.

Remember it supposed to be a sports car, sport car should be overpriced and barely practical.

I drove mid engine Porsche for over 200,000 miles and it was easy to change oil. Now have SUV and 4 door Carrera – not Ferdinand’s original intent. Fool if you get one. Big thing overlooked in design is distance of door sill to seat adjuster…..Too close.

Use only Wulfsburg authorized parts except for anything you want to change on your own. I tried quite a few different seat covers before I decided they would never get it right. Citroen I had was dream to drive, handled very well.

Best Wishes John. Did you get a job in customer service?

Now Dale, be nice.

Let's see, leave TN for Europe? Well, that's going to be expensive!

For those critics----I lived in Europe 20 years over the years, so know what I am in for-----and of course have to paid a lot to be there, but it would get me out of TN which I still find sucks-----why is everybody so defensive of a place with lots of dirty bathrooms....and now Gov from, Pilot Gas station family....more dirty bathrooms. How about the idiot drivers here, rude, stupid on phone? Ski TN? one place.

I look at Porsche as they can be bought cheaper here than there---buy, kind of stupid when for the same outlay as basic boxster, the cheapest Corvette is available here and can show tail-lites to a lot of German Cars and still work and be treated like Chev, except for tires. To me as motorcyclist, any car with heater/radio and now AC is fine. For impractical cars, I have had new MG midget, 2 Toyota 800s, Fairlady Roadster, recent Honda Beat, 2 Miata----these all worked fine for when I wanted to drive cars. All were new except 1 miata and the $200 Fairlady. Earlier years, two Messerschmitts (Kabin scooter) great fun and even ski and luggage rack, radio if you could afford it, heater of sorts, too.

My SilverWing will go with unless I sell it.


Sorry to upset people, but I call them as I see them.

John Grinsel
By the way I wouldn't even think of Starbucks, etc as long as old fart coffee is available at McDonalds.

Bikes/scooters are much more fun to ride there than here-----think of the Elephant Rally in winter, Stella Alpina in summer. Here we have what are turning into Trailer Biker Conventions(Daytona/Sturgis...last scooter Rally I went to in AR)

Exactly my point - I think, or maybe not, well possibly - no wait, what was the question?

John,

I really do love you. And, I hope that no matter where you end up or what you drive / ride you will continue to bless us with your stream of consciousness revelations.

You don't upset me - confuse me a bit, but not upset. Question for you though: Ever notice how everybody else is a complete moron and total screwup, but you are not?

But, anyway - back on the original topic...

I don't get to the dealership often (stupid job). I can imagine that there is quite a surplus of 2009/2010 bikes sitting around in dealer inventories. Sales of "hobby craft" is way down.

Dale, There MAY be a surplus of bikes in a lot of dealers. I was at my Honda dealer (also Yamaha, Suzuki, etc.) Wed. and they had 2 Silverwings; a 2009 Gray/Silver and a 2010 Burgundy. This dealer NEVER has a price tag on ANY bike in their showroom...guess you have to ask a salesman. I have never seen more than one Silverwing in this showroom at any one time in the past.

Lucky for John they don't have cell phones in Europe. Surely there will be no bad drivers there since they don't have them.

And somehow those of us that live in TN and love it can overlook the dirty restrooms. Actually I have yet to see one. I used one this morning on the way to work and it was fine. It was even a Pilot station. I guess the new Governor (former mayor of Chattanooga) hadn't dirtied that one up yet.

Yes the drivers in TN are horrible. But DRIVERS EVERYWHERE ARE HORRIBLE. THEY HAVE CELL PHONES EVERYWHERE NOW JOHN, AND PEOPLE DRIVE WHILE TALKING ON THEM EVERYWHERE!

I'm calling it as I see it too John. There's something wrong with you, and it's your attitude. You will find fault with wherever you end up in Europe too I'm sure. Especially after your bathroom inspections and motorcycle trailer searches.

x

Quoteth John again "For those critics----I lived in Europe 20 years over the years, so know what I am in for-----and of course have to paid a lot to be there, but it would get me out of TN which I still find sucks-----why is everybody so defensive of a place with lots of dirty bathrooms....and now Gov from, Pilot Gas station family....more dirty bathrooms. How about the idiot drivers here, rude, stupid on phone? Ski TN? one place."

John seems to be familiar with a LOT of Tennessee public restrooms.

thomphoto wrote:

John seems to be familiar with a LOT of Tennessee public restrooms.

thomphoto wrote:

John seems to be familiar with a LOT of Tennessee public restrooms.

Only the dirty ones

You guys are killing me!

Let me add... no bathroom in Tennessee passes the 5 second rule. If food stays on the toilet lid for less than 5 seconds, I still won't be eating it. Here in my home, 5 seconds up to 5 minutes, gulp... that baby is not gonna get thrown out. You would have to know my wife to know how safe that standard is.

hi all ,i had to laugh at the price of your petrol (gas) i guess you think its expensive.in the uk i pay £1.20 a litre which works out at $1.94,just to do an oil change £35/$56 thats just the price of the oil .theres alot on here about mpgs if you guys are running silverwings at us prices im running a silverwing with a hummer engine.

x

Sorry to hear that your friend has lost his employ. The car biz is brutal and I'd guess the motorcycle biz is the same. Best wishes to your friend.

Motorcycle and scooter dealers around here are disappearing. The Honda dealer seems to be hanging on but just barely. The Suzuki dealer just closed as did the Yamaha dealer. Winter being in the wings isn't helping things much for them either but there sure are a lot of bikes in the area on Craigslist. Lots of HDs being dumped or people trying to sell them. Quite a few scooters on the list too. For some reason, probably the 'macho' thing, maxi-scooters are pretty rare around here. There are a bunch of 50cc Chinese scoots that show up in nice weather but times are tough for motorcycle and scooter manufacturers and dealers in the US right now.

Yes, this economy has been really hard on small businesses. The Honda dealership where I bought my Swing closed a couple of months ago.

Hmm, as for Porches, sorry Porsche cars - they are what they are! Having lived all my life in Europe (with and without dirty bathrooms???), it seems most people never ever realise what they are all about. In Germany when you buy a car - it comes with nothing, apart from the relevant necessary bits, like a steering wheel, engine, seats etc. All those items some folks deem important i.e. air con, carpets, music players, etc. are deemed superficial to the driving experience and you pay (oh do you pay) extra for them.

Years ago, my ex-wifes father owned a business, and rather than buy all the partners brand new bog standard, run of the mill rep mobiles each - they decided between them to purchase one brand new Porsche............... It looked great in the company carpark, but none of them wanted to drive it, as I quote it was 'uncomfotable as crap, and barely practibable for everyday use'..... Hence the only person who put miles on it was me, and even I didn't bother the next time I came home on leave prefering my old, faithful and far more comforable Capri 2.8i!!!

Getting back to the original point about the annoucement that Honda has dropped production of the Silverwing, that seems to be at odds with an article published in last weeks MCN in which they showed a photo of the new 2011 Honda 600cc scooter. Considering the success Honda has had with the SWing over the last 10 years I really do doubt they will not bother to have a presence in this sector of the market.

Who it comes to though is an entirely differant matter...... Big scoots are in a quiet minority here in the UK, the scooter concept and the associated predjucies run deep! Over in Europe where folks a far more open minded they have taken off big style.

Even I, having been smitten by my 'new Swing', did for a while wonder if I should've got a DN-01 instead as it 'looks' more like a bike! However, with a little bit of real world though I have decided to count my blessings; I can still ride, I have a choice of machines in my garage to take out and I can still afford to put fuel in them!

x

bigbird wrote:

Skippy wrote:

Getting back to the original point about the annoucement that Honda has dropped production of the Silverwing, that seems to be at odds with an article published in last weeks MCN in which they showed a photo of the new 2011 Honda 600cc scooter.

You'd better re-read my original post.
Honda has dropped the Silverwing..... in Canada.

BB,

I don't doubt the SWing in its current format has been dropped in Canada (as it has in the rest of the world), in favour of a new machine. But as I also said, who they choose to export it to is still to be decided. - If you want the replacement machine then get onto Honda Canada and tell them so! It does work. Originally the CB1300 wasn't going to be brought to the UK as Honda didn't think it would sell that well. An online petition changed all that and the machine was launched here at the same as in Europe. A great success for a limited number of riders

I have no idea how well the FJS has sold in Canada, compared to the rest of North America & Europe, but if its significant numbers then it would make sense for Honda to offer a replacement.

x

Here in the States the SWing is the only 600, Honda has for 2011.
http://powersports.honda.com/2011/silver-wing.aspx
Have a great day!

According the Motorcycle News (MCN - aka More Cr#p than News) their executive editor(???) Phil West managed to produce a less than 1/4 page article, which included 2 photo's, of the machine that Honda are said to be contemplating as the replacement for the Silverwing.

Called the 'New Mid Concept' it was unveiled at the Milan show last week. Apparently is supposed to be 'a four stroke single connected to Honda's novel DCT push button semi-automatic gear change pioneered on the VFR1200F' (their words not mine ).

Along with motorcycle size wheels and tyres, its also chain drive (yuk).

Quote Honda Europe President Shjikura Takagi said 'we're challenging the way we travel. This is what customers have been asking for'

Didn't somebody claim the same thing when they launched the 'DN-01' - known to Honda Dealers everywhere as 'Do Not Order 1'????

Brave move Honda, lets just hope its not some stupid price like the Dino was when it was lauched - as shade off £11K, reduced to £8K the following year and now hanging around in dealers collecting dust, not that I can afford one anyway LOL.

If I find any piccys worth posting I'll get them up soonest.

Found the Minger!!!!! Talk about a parts bin special.... I can see elements of all sorts of machines in there, right down to the cast wheels from an late 90's blade