Looking to buy a 2012 Silver Wing

Hi folks,

I’m looking to buy a 2012 silver wing with about 6500 miles from a local dealer for $4800 out of door price. Is it a good buy? The bike shows normal wear and tear but I don’t notice anything major.

I’ll be using the bike for my 100 miles round trip commute. So that means about 25,000 miles per year. I want wind protection, easy and cheap to maintain and reliability.

Except for the silver wing, I’m also looking into a used BMW C600 Sport with 4K miles for $6000, a brand new 2016 burgman 400 for $6800 and a brand new 2016 CTX700 DCT for $7800. Which would you think is the best bet? They are roughly at the same price range.

Thanks!

SilverWing----belt change at 15,000 miles, using OEM belt, I used Walmart house brand oil, 10-40 with 2 new SilverWings I traded at 50,000 miles each----no major troubles. Best wind protection, Givi adjustable windshield, cheap box can be bolted directly to rear wing. Had best luck with Michelin Power Pure SC on rear---front, what got at best price, do own tire work, "Ride On" as balancing medium.


Had over 75new bikes since 1955, so have some experience----Silverwing works out as one of the best. My annual mileage,25-50,000 miles, so have always liked hassle free rides!

This is so assuring. I notice silver wing has only one front disc while BMW and burgman both have dual discs in the front. So is the braking performance weaker on silver wing compares to the other two?

Price is not that high--out the door. Reliable SW is very good and with a few tools easy to work on maintain. Belt change interval 16k some push it farther. $120 for a belt.

10w30-40 car oil and filters work fine. 48-55 MPG depends on traffic, riding style.

Givi adjustable windshield is a must for wind and quite ride. $225

MY opinion. Stay away from BMW.

I tried the BMW today, really like the performance and the tire monitoring feature. But I found oil leaks out from the muffler and dealer didn’t allow for a test ride, which scared me a bit. I do own a BMW car and through the three years of ownership I have got any issue, yet. One thing I’m sure is taking the bike in for repairing is the last thing I want to do after a long day.

Slk wrote:

This is so assuring. I notice silver wing has only one front disc while BMW and burgman both have dual discs in the front. So is the braking performance weaker on silver wing compares to the other two?

Grab both brakes and squeeze, hang on brother these puppies will STOP.

I'm confused? Tried and liked performance but no test ride? Many dealers won't allow test rides if you're not licensed or for other reasons.

My bad. I was typing on my phone and got it short. I did test ride on a used BMW C650GT today which price is out of my budget. But the one that I was trying to buy was a used BMW C600 Sport that the dealer said it's a consignment bike that they're selling for a customer and said the owner specifically requested the bike not to be test ridden, which makes me think there might be a catch, especially the dealer said whatever the bike has it's all to the owner not the dealer.

Mech 1 twa wrote:

I'm confused?  Tried and liked performance but no test ride?  Many dealers won't allow test rides if you're not licensed or for other reasons.

If you can get the Silver Wing for 4K grab it. Mine has been great in 6 years. Comfortable and easy to maintain.

It's hard to negotiate. The price tag that dealer put on is $4899. I spent quite some time to negotiated it to be $4800 out of door. Any thing below that they just don't entertain. But I think I'm good now, getting my wife to drive me to the dealer.

BTW, do you guys install tire pressure monitor on the SW? I'm a nervous guy and want to have one installed to make sure I'm on top of the tire pressure. Any suggestion?

I never installed a tire pressure monitoring system on mine. But then I think they are a waste. Just my opinion, but I check all my vehicle tires religiously so don't want to put up with the TPMS crap...

So I just bought the bike and rode it home. The stock windshield is ok when I was riding local at 50 mph, but when I got on freeway it didn't do much. I felt wobbly and shaky at 75 mph. I'm not comfortable at such speed but the southern California traffic forces me to run at that speed otherwise I would be run over by speeding cars driven by people texting. Since I'm considering to use it as my primary commute transportation, I will invest in a Givi windshield and see how it works. That said, after riding 25 miles home, I feel tired and a bit exhausted. But well, I hadn't ridden a bike for 5 years, so maybe it'll need some break in time for my body.

The dealer offered 2 year unlimited miles warranty with no deductible for $693. I cheaped out and declined. Should I have bough it?

Good you stayed away from BMW---I speak as BMW owner since 1958, both cars and bikes---they have made some real junk and are expensive to fix----scooters Kymco powered.

Better to take chance on nothing breaking---so saving on expensive warranty good idea in my book.

Glad you were able to snag it! As to the warranty, chances are good that you won't ever need it. I bought a 5 year one on mine new in 2012. Never needed it. Replacing the windshield is a good idea. I installed a Cee Bailey with 5 inches more height than OEM and that really helped. Sadly CB no longer makes motorcycle windshields... Really the scoot shouldn't feel wobbly at 75 unless the road is dicey. Check your tires and pressure. Happy riding!

The dealer offered 2 year unlimited miles warranty with no deductible for $693. I cheaped out and declined. Should I have bough it? <<>> set the money aside and use it for maintenance and tires.

oldwingguy wrote:

Set the money aside and use it for maintenance and tires.

Yeah, what OWG said. And pick up a Factory Service Manual too --if you are a hands-on kind of guy. Maintenance is pretty simple and easy on a bullet proof Silverwing.

BTW Those "extended warranties" don't cover normal maintenance. So if the service interval calls for the belt change, or the brake fluid change, or valve settings checked & adjusted (which a Silverwing never needs), you're gonna get banged for the full shop charges.

The large print giveth, but the small print taketh away.

Tim

I bought a tire pressure monitor like this:

https://www.amazon.com/B-Qtech-Wireless-Universal-Pressure-Monitoring/dp/B075T7C78V/ref=asc_df_B075T7C78V/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242002940295&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12243382113982339745&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9006635&hvtargid=pla-464537060833&psc=1

Good price. It's meant for a car, but works fine. You can use the left side number pressure read-outs for your SWing and the right numbers for your "other bike."

Thanks everyone for the valuable information and assurance of the bike. I took a from home to work this late morning and cruised through the 50 miles in 50 minutes, compares to 2:15 through public transportation or 2-3 hours by car. It saves me a lot of time.

But I didn't enjoy the ride too much. Nothing wrong with the wing, but the traffic here that every car runs at 80 mph and I don't feel safe to stay at that speed because of excessive wind and bad road condition. I had ridden scooter and motorcycles for about 23 years (yes I started at 15 years old riding unlicensed), but 99% were on the city street. So freeway is not a comfortable environment for me, yet. Hope things will change to the better side. Cheers!

As for a tire pressure monitor, I really like my FOBO BIKE TPMS system. I am able to check it ant time on my cellphone via Bluetooth. The app allows me to set the high and low allowable pressures for the front and rear tire. The range is about 50 feet, so I can check it from my living room. No need to get on your hands and knees every day before starting a ride. It also displays the current battery charge. I have noticed that around every month and a half that I need to add air to my tires. Have used this for about six years without a single problem.

Tire pressure sensor=waste of money in my book. Check tires at least weekly, also....two wheel rider should develop "feel" when things are not right when riding. Also tire pressure sensor=just another thing to go wrong

john grinsel wrote:

Tire pressure sensor=waste of money in my book.  Check tires at least weekly, also....two wheel rider should develop "feel" when things are not right when riding.    Also tire pressure sensor=just another thing to go wrong

Never failed me in the six years I have used it. Always within a half pound when compared to my pen like gauge.

Slk wrote:

Thanks everyone for the valuable information and assurance of the bike. I took a from home to work this late morning and cruised through the 50 miles in 50 minutes, compares to 2:15 through public transportation or 2-3 hours by car. It saves me a lot of time.

But I didn't enjoy the ride too much. Nothing wrong with the wing, but the traffic here that every car runs at 80 mph and I don't feel safe to stay at that speed because of excessive wind and bad road condition. I had ridden scooter and motorcycles for about 23 years (yes I started at 15 years old riding unlicensed), but 99% were on the city street. So freeway is not a comfortable environment for me, yet. Hope things will change to the better side. Cheers!

Did you save the time because of lane splitting?

Yes. In a route GPS says 1:48, I spent 52 minutes. Didn’t ride fast. When traffic was smooth, I rode at the slowest lane at no faster than 65 mph. When it was slow traffic, I went into carpool and split lane at about 40-50 mph. Trying to stay alive