NEWBIE TO THE FORUM

Hello all

I just thought I would introduce myself; I am 52 years old and have lost count of how many motorcycles I have owned/wished I still owned. I currently ride a Yamaha XJR 1300 for my daily comute (50 mile round trip) in all weathers; oh and I live in Wales-it rains a lot here.

I am considering moving to the dark side and purchasing a SW. As I have got older the obvious practicalities begin to stand out; weather protection, storage, twist and go ETC.

Will the SW cope with the (rugged) roads and wet climate here in Wales/will it handle 12-15 K miles per year and will it last me the next 8 years; I wish to make one last purchase, a new one, one that will last...utopia.

Regards to all
Gary

Hello Gary and welcome!

'Yes' is the answer to the questions in your last paragraph - hills, mountains, deserts, tracks, motorways - you name it the Silverwing will carry you in style.
Have a look at the pictures in the albums and scattered throughout the forum and you'll get the idea.

gary patriot wrote:

I am considering moving to the dark side

gary patriot wrote:

Will the SW cope with the (rugged) roads

A lot of Silverwing riders replace their OEM front springs with Hyperpro Progressive springs to improve rough roads and handling in corners.

gary patriot wrote:

and wet climate here in Wales

I have the Clearview X-Large with Goldwing vent windshield, which provided the widest rain and cold weather protection

I wear Motoport Kevlar Mesh gear so there is no rain protection (unless I wear my liners). I still remain very dry riding in the rain, unless the rain comes down hard. There is no protection when stopped though

I was on a Patriot Guard Mission escorting a bus of soldiers home. During the escort the rain poured down the entire time for 2-3 hours. My liners worked very well ... Thank God. I wore neoprene surgical gloves under motorcycle gloves, but motorcycle gloves were soaked. My cowboy boots were soaked, I have seen purchases a pair of the the Sidi GoreTex boots. The other riders wished they had a fairing like the Silverwing

Your raindrop or raindrop sizes may vary from mine.

gary patriot wrote:

will it handle 12-15 K miles per year and will it last me the next 8 years;

Someone had a Silverwing up to 298,000 miles before someone totaled it. The Silverwing only required basic maintenance a few replacement parts.

gary patriot wrote:

I am considering moving to the dark side and purchasing a SW.

Hello mate, what exactly do you mean by saying you're moving to the dark side?

I think Meldrew is confused because we English think Wales is the Darkside and you are already there!

Cheers,

Hello Gary and welcome to the forum. I live in Colorado at an elevation over 5800 feet above sea level and ride my 2009 Swing to work all year - as long as the roads aren't covered with snow and ice. I average about 8,000 miles per year (40 miles each day, but like I mentioned I miss a few days due to snow) I have ridden in torrential rains and with temperatures as low as 13 degrees F and as high as 105F. Plus I've taken my Swing over numerous high mountain passes (>10,000ft) and on roads as high as 14,130 feet above sea level and it handled it all just fine. There are a few modifications you might consider to your Swing to increase it's capabilities, but even in it's stock configuration the Silverwing is an excellent motorbike for long distance commuting year-round .

Silverwing is high quality.
Heavy to push/pull by hand.
Useless off road.
Not a sport bike...it's a tourer.
About 50 MPG (us) for the newer models.
I am 6 ft...and removed the backrest.
My wind shield is higher than stock... less wind pressure and noise around my head.

Eddy