Hello from Northamptonshire, UK

Hi, I've been browsing the web for SW info and have just found this site. I've been riding bikes since 1964, starting on a LD150 Lambretta and at present have a BMW1150GS which at 68 is getting a bit too much for the old codger!
I guess it really does not fulfill my present requirements and so I'm looking for a good low-mileage SW as soon as the BM is sold and from what I have read so far it looks as though I have made the right choice of future mount.

Tone,

Welcome to the site and hope you have good luck finding a nice SWing. Just ask away if you have any questions or use the 'search' function for lots of info.

Hello from Salisbury.

Hello and welcome. I was staying in Daventry last week and rode through Northampton on a rental/hire motorcycle. I love my Silver Wing in Atlanta and hope you will enjoy yours. I suggest you find one with ABS - very nice extra safety margin over non-ABS. If you buy an old one please check the tires for cracking. Other than that they work really well and do not seem to mind if they are washed or not. Be careful to close the seat with a click, else the light inside the compartment will drain the battery. I have bought a GIVI topbox and throttle lock. The box is great. The lock is good on long Interstate rides but probably not of use in your area or on UK Motorways.

All the Best
Suzi

Hi

I'm very new to the Swing myself but have just cruised home at 80 mph on the motorway, out accelerated cars from the lights and all in complete comfort.

I'm starting to bond with this scoot!

Good hunting

Oscar

Hello & Welcome

Good luck selling your BMW fast and finding that perfect Silverwing quickly.

Thanks,Guys - I'll keep you posted on how things go....little matter of a new fuel pump to go on the BM first!!

Welcome.!!! This is a great site. Lots of info... Just sold my 2 "motorcycles" :-) and will stick with the SWing for a while as I fits all my needs.

Hi Tone, I lived in Wellingborough for quite a while from the age of 8 till I went to study I Birmingham. My first bike was an LD150 too that I bought in 1972 and I still have it! I have been riding A Honda Blackbird as a tourer and a GSXR1000 for fun the past few years, Ive had several modern scooters recently and I bought a Silverwing for town and short distance commuting last year. I think its a brilliant bit of kit but just a little thirsty given that it isn't particularly swift, however the job I bought it for it does well. The weather protection is good but I am planning on getting one of the Tourano Urbano aprons during the winter.

Welcome to the site Tone. I bought my 08 SWing in April of this year and like it a lot. It does our highway speeds without breaking a sweat and gets about 50 miles per gallon.

I am chiming in a bit late, but reading this post brought very fond memories of Northampton. I lived there from 1973-1976 while I trained as a Nurse at the ( then) St Andrews Hospital on Billing Road.
I am 62 and, Hey Tone, we might even have crossed paths unknowingly.
Welcome to the forum; you will meet lots of interesting people from everywhere who are passionate about their rides.

As I have posted in another topic, I have now p/x-ed the GS for a 2011, black Silverwing with just under 8000 miles on the clock and a load of good add-ons - such as a Givi air-flow windscreen and E55 topcase, as well as mirror and legshield extenders. The dealer I am buying from (Hughenden M40) is fitting Oxford heated grips and I have a topcase backrest and fender-extenda on order from e-bay.
Picking the bike up on Monday and looking forward to the 50 mile ride home!!

Sounds like you'll have a great set-up on your new scooter.  Congratulations, and have a terrific inaugural ride home!

Ride safe!

I find my Silverwing lively in the wind but it never frightens me because I know it will keep me safe if I let it.

Welcome Tone, you will soon find the Silverwing just as nimble and steady as any bike, first thing to watch is pulling the left lever for the clutch (which is now the brake), you soon get the hang of it. Best advice you will ever get is to remove the underseat light bulb, it is not needed and can drain the battery overnight if seat not fully closed. Hope it stays fine on Monday that storm is still around.

Thanks, chaps - will let you know how I get on!

When one of my friends transitions to a SW from a motorcycle I always nag them to emulate a boxer and "lead with your left" when using the brakes. It does take some getting used to going easy on that 'clutch' lever.

Blustery day but fairly clear. Left the dealers and filled the tank at Oxford Services and headed North to Banbury. Very impressed with the smooth take up and the protection from the windshield and fairing.
Really had to concentrate to keep the speed down to the limit! Met a few side winds and passed many lorries without being blown across the road - very reassuring.
Thanks for the advice on the rear brake lever, I did forget once at a roundabout - fortunately there was noone behind me!
Left Banbury on the A361 to Daventry and then up the A5 to home - nice twisty road through pictureque villages with a 50mph limit and then a straight run up the A5. A little spot of rain as I left the motorway but otherwise a dry ride. The bike was a joy to ride. I made the right decision!!

Tone,
Interesting comments for me to ponder over, I ended up buying a Deauville 3 years ago instead of going the FJS600 route. But the FJS600 could still be on the cards as a replacement one day.
Spanners (on X9 Site).

Glad you're enjoying it Tone - they do crack on a bit eh?

Nighthawk - I moved from a Deauville to a Silverwing. I loved the Deauville and it did everything I wanted but I did find it a bit cumbersome sometimes. I went on a camping trip to Mid Wales and got a bit fed up with spending nearly all the time changing between second and third gears on many of the small roads in the hills.
I did exactly the same trip on the same roads a couple of years later on the Silverwing. It handled the motorway run to get there every bit as well and took my tent and luggage comfortably. In the hills it was a revelation and was much more pleasant. The CVT transmission meant that I could sit back and enjoy the ride and the scenery more than I had done previously. I haven't regretted the change. The only downside being a slightly more bumpy ride on rough roads due to the smaller wheels.
The Silverwing used a little bit less fuel too and was much easier to hop on and off of with my tent and stuff strapped onto the pillion seat.

'ello, 'ello!

Is that really you, Dave?

Mike, covers blown, it really is me, I've been very busy lately, the bank of dad has financed a few jobs at my daughters new flat, which I organised for her.
I have an interest in Silverwing's as there are no members of the local Honda Owner's Club I attend with one, most members are 60+ and it would be a better bike for most of them if only they would take the plunge. They know that even my Beverly 350 can easy keep up on ride outs, if a good example became available I could p/ex Beverly for one.