Introduction, because it's the right thing to do.

Well, here we are, I live in England, on the South Coast on a proper Island called Hayling Island, and commute quite a bit. The island is the next one along from Portsmpouth, where our Navy keeps it's few remaining rowing boats...

So why join a US forum? Well I can probably guarantee that you lot do more than just commuting miles, I reckon on about 160 a day on average. And I'd like to know the range, the comfort factor, how long they go for, that kind of thing.

And why a Silverwing?

I own and ride two VFR 800's, a 2007 Vtec model and a 2015 F series model. But I had a major cancer op last year, and there have been a few side effects, as in my left hand doen't have the grip it once had, so when I'm in London traffic and find myself needing to use the clutch a lot, I soon get into trouble.

So why don't I get myself a Silver wing? OK it's not a "proper" bike in the sense that I probably won't ever get a knee down (unless I fall off) but it IS a Honda.

And the next obvious thing to do, before I go out and purchase one is... Join the forum and see what most people post about them, because we all know that forums hardly ever get messages saying how great the things are, they are usually used to complain about some widget, gizmo, wear point etc. So in that way I can see if they are built to Honda standards before I commit.

See. I'm logical.

So here's hoping there's nothing to worry about, and here's also hoping I will find me a "guddun".
Thanks for inviting me along!

Trevor

Hello & Welcome bud

Comfort level, I rode mine from Telford to Tonbridge several times a year, only ever stopping for fuel, yep it's all day long comfortable

Edit: As to handling ..........

Hello, Lost it. Thank you for your introduction. Welcome to the forum.

Silverwings are pretty much bullet proof. The most frequent mechanical "issue" would be replacing the belt. And that is a DIY 45 minute job --well, maybe 90 min - 2 hrs the first time.

Commuting? That seems to be a UK thing. Over here we're quite happily addicted to cars and cheap fuel. Two wheels are sport/leisure. There have been several occasions when I've done 1,000 mile days or 3,000 mile, one week, tours. Yeah, bullet proof.

Congratulations on your cancer recovery.

Tim

I have enjoyed my 2012 Silverwing so much that when I found myself no longer able to ride with two wheels (due to health), I turned her into a Trike. Although I have had a problem recently with my new chain drive, it turns out, it was my fault all along. So, The Swing (IMO) is the best bike on the road overall.

Hi Trevor,

Test ride the new Honda for a 300 as well.

Hell of a lot lighter and manageable, don’t be put off by the smaller engine, try it.

Sorry should have said NSS 300 Forza!!!!

As your visiting curmudgeon, I've noticed that scooters like the Silver Wing (and the new Forza) are never considered 'proper bikes' by the vast majority of bike riders when they're in the best of health.  Of course that attitude changes when they're having problems with dodgy wrists, knees, backs or whatever and are having trouble playing throttle jockey.

Then all of a sudden the maxi scooters that were once the subject of sneers and sarcasm don't seem like a bad idea at all.

Welcome Trevor
If you do get a Swing, you will not be disappointed mate. Iv'e had big bikes in the past, currently I have a Scomadi TL200 & an old Vespa PX, rode the scomadi to Belgium last year with some mates (2 of which were on their Swing's) they looked so bloody comfy, so I bought one of them off my mate, best decision I made, it's got the poke when you need it & very stable at low speeds. Going again to Ypres, Belgium again this year and yes....I will be the comfy one    . Go on, you know you want one, best of luck.
Kev

Well Mr "Meldrew" I guess there's always one grump. I've truth been using Chinese scooters for years for commuting short distances, usually stinkwheel type so I could play with them. My wife rides a Dylan too. So you got that wrong. I've never considered a maxi scoot because when I bought my first VFR in 1986, no-one made maxi scoots.
So now, when I am considering it because I've had bowel cancer twice and am not as fit as I was, people such as you think it's worth a snide comment?
Maybe this forum isn't quite as friendly as I thought.

But anyway. I bought the first one I rode.

Lost it wrote:

Well Mr "Meldrew" I guess there's always one grump. I've truth been using Chinese scooters for years for commuting short distances, usually stinkwheel type so I could play with them. My wife rides a Dylan too. So you got that wrong. I've never considered a maxi scoot because when I bought my first VFR in 1986, no-one made maxi scoots.
So now, when I am considering it because I've had bowel cancer twice and am not as fit as I was, people such as you think it's worth a snide comment?
Maybe this forum isn't quite as friendly as I thought.

But anyway. I bought the first one I rode.

Please, don't let the comments of a couple on this forum turn you away.....take time to learn of all the other wonderful members we have, they out way the few.

Hi, Trev, Welcome to the site. I take it you are still contemplating whether its going to be a SWing or some other scooter. Keep in mind that the SWing is a 600 pounder, and when she wants to go there's no holding her back; speed-wise and standing still. With a weak left hand, I'd say you have quite a beast on your hands.
We have gotten used to our scoots and find no issues but if you are starting out, then be aware. There are lighter and just as enjoyable and capable lighter rides that would not tax you as much. The 300 cc Honda Forza is one among many. I bet it would make a great commuter.

Jay.

Welcome Trevor. Thank you Pastor Ron. Paul

Today while a couple of you gents were getting your knickers in a twist about yesterday's post, this grump had better things to do than play on here.

I hired a big wheel scooter for the day here in Sorrento and rode along the slow and very dodgy Amalfi Coast road to Amalfi. Parked up, had a paper cone full of anchovies and other small fried fish, a gelato, and rode back again to the much more scenic and upscale resort of Positano. There I met up with Mrs M who was on an Amalfi Coast boat trip, had a long non-alcoholic cocktail and some cake in a very nice hotel up above the town. Then after she got back on the boat, I rode back to Sorrento, handed the scooter back and got the free shuttle bus back up to our hotel, arriving back about a hour later than Mrs M.

Can't say I liked riding in normal jacket and jeans, wearing an open face helmet with no visor like the locals, and not wearing gloves really irked me. But once I got into the swing of it, I enjoyed the day as a one off experience.

Positano is a glorious little place, enjoyed a nice gin and tonic in Sorrento.

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

Hello, Lost it. Thank you for your introduction. Welcome to the forum.

Silverwings are pretty much bullet proof. The most frequent mechanical "issue" would be replacing the belt. And that is a DIY 45 minute job --well, maybe 90 min - 2 hrs the first time.

Commuting? That seems to be a UK thing. Over here we're quite happily addicted to cars and cheap fuel. Two wheels are sport/leisure. There have been several occasions when I've done 1,000 mile days or 3,000 mile, one week, tours. Yeah, bullet proof.

Congratulations on your cancer recovery.

Tim

Well, the commuting thing... Where I live, now on the south coast of England rather than my place of birth up in God's country, Yorkshire, everywhere is "North" so to speak, and we have access here to the A3, a road that takes you to the centre of London (If you like History, the A roads were pretty much installed by Romans, they were effectively "Straight routes" from the capital that became London to all the main Roman settlements) and then he have the gyratory parking bay that is the M25 under certain circumstances.
And we have cycle and Bus lanes in central London that are allowed to be used by bikes. My "Vehicle Logbook" says "Bicycle" so I use the bike lanes too.
And as we are allowed to filter here (I think you call it Spitting in the US) and as most motorists expect you to be filtering, the two wheel device is ideal.

I used to commute over a thousand miles a week, that's how much I enjoyed two wheels, and I have been told twice now by my surgeon and my GP that I will never have the stamina or the core strength to hold a bike up after my bowel cancer operations.

Now I don't really have a bowel, and have been that way for a year more or less, it's just been a matter of training my body to do what I want it to do, not me having to do what it wants to do, if you get my drift.

So I set myself targets, and getting back on the VFR was the last one. But my left hand is suffering, and I don't wish to give up and live off benefits, or even stop working, I'm only 62, lots to do yet. If I can survive 13 years down a coal mine, numerous years building tunnels, riding through the centre of London in rush hour, c is nothing...

I'm not "cured", as the c found it's way into my lymphatic system, I won't ever be clear, but I won't go down wimpering either. It's not the Yorkshire way.

So that's pretty much why I came to this decision, I have ordered parts to make the clutch easier on the VFR, as a last ditch.

And I have bought myself a Silver Wing. I tried one of those 300cc Honda things, and it just felt too light? Does that make sense?
Whereas the Silver Wing feels like it's made of the same stuff as my VFR. Solid, stable, I need to adapt to the bars being so close, and the different seating but that will come.

So: I bought a Y plated (That would be 2001) FJS, three owners from new Silver Wing, non ABS, with a huge pile of receipts for work done, but only 50,000 miles on it. The hand brake doesn't work, I think just about every panel has a mark on it, as it's lived in London for most of it's life it won't be used to high speed commuting, so I'll take it steady.
It's blue and it will no doubt keep me busy for days making it nice again. Very smooth, just had a new drive belt (not sure what make, but I'll get one anyway just to be safe) and the strut to hold the seat up is missing, or the bracket is anyway. That's an easy fix. I've already fixed the loose exhaust and the loose front panel, it needs a front mudguard quite desperately, I may need to order new...
I have a service kit coming too. I'll work through it bit by bit, I used to repair Fibreglass cars for a living so the bodywork is just mess and time, the rest is nuts and bolts. I'll make a variator tool, that's a nothing job.

It only just fit in my van too... Not as heavy as I thought it was as it turns out, I think most of the weight is in that exhaust can... I'll have to "fix" that.

Trevor
Well done mate on getting the Swing, I would have been shocked if there were no marks on it having come from the "Smoke", enjoy the tinkering on the mods you want to do. I'm out on mine every day, riding round the lanes and A & B roads, having just retired it's Bliss. And just keep tell yourself.........
F**K Off "C"

Kev

Hi bud.

Re' front mudguard, get one for your year model as later ones were a slightly different design & have the mounting points in a different place.
Edit : You may like to shoot a PM to member .. Siataukreg .. he's in Yorkshire & quite often breaks SilverWings & may well have one on his racking.

Re, Handbrake, it's an MoT requirement so needs fixing, parts are common on all model years.  Until it's fixed make sure you park on level ground or with the 'nose' pointing uphill, the wieght of the bike facing downhill can roll it of the lean stand.

Wemoto now stock the Mitsuboshi drive belt (Honda OEM) ....
https://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/fjs_600_silverwing_scooter_1/01

Thanks for all that. I use a Brake lever clamp when I park it anyway as a quick anti theft device, on the rear lever as it's linked brakes. Bike cannot be moved with that on.
I'll send a link to laddo. Re the MOT... You don't actually need a front mudguard for a bike mot... Which is strange.

A belated welcome Trevor you have picked a good site and a good bike.

The " C " beat it back twice myself and your line will carry you further than you can imagine, good luck. <<>>
I'm not "cured", as the c found it's way into my lymphatic system, I won't ever be clear, but I won't go down wimpering either. It's not the Yorkshire way.

Despite my attempts to just use it... I've ordered another exhaust, new mirrors, still watching and searching for a front mudguard... And still have the paint to sort. Oh. And another key...

I'm not a long-distance ride but I rode just under 400 miles in one day in Western Europe a few years ago. It's not a distance I'd repeat in a hurry but I was able to get off and walk about at the end of it!

I love my Silverwing - it looks after me when I'm riding.

Welcome, Trevor.

For commuting you might want to consider some mirror extenders.  The standard arrangement provides excellent rear visibility but, sadly, mainly of your own elbows if you're anything like my height (c6ft).  I'd been considering getting some extenders for a long while, but only just got round to doing so.  The view of traffic behind and alongside is vastly improved, and I wish I'd done it long ago.  (If I recall correctly the ones I got lift the mirrors by about 23mm and push them out by about 42mm - the result seems ideal to me.)

The other thing is that the feet forward seating position is very different to most bikes (I forget how much until I come back to after riding other bikes) and may take some settling into.  I also found when I first had the bike that the backrest seemed too far forward, handlebars too something or other, etc., etc. and i was contemplating all sorts of adjustments/options etc., by which time I'd become completely used to the standard arrangement, which now seems very comfy.  I mainly do shorter trips, but have done 600 miles in a day (to/from central France) on several occasions without any problem at all.

As you say, the S'wing is not a 'proper bike', but that's just a cunning ruse to lull others into a false sense of security!  It is surprisingly brisk away from a standing start, can stop impressively quickly if you know how to use your brakes properly, and in slalom exercises (similar to the vid, but a wider, higher speed circuit) my Wing was, to my surprise, consistently the fastest against various sports bikes and BMW GS1200s etc!

Happy riding!

If it has two wheels it's a proper bike...

I started stripping off the plastics Sunday, to find out why the handbrake doesn't work, and to get to the air filter. Could not believe how heavy that exhaust box was, I presume there's a cat in there? Or a 9kn block... so that's going to be changed for something a bit lighter and more "filtering" friendly. I've ordered some more mirrors to see if I can sort out the rear view as well. Somewhere to put the on bike camera will be on the list too.
I put some mirror extenders on my VFR Vtec, unfortunately it took them to exactly the same height at the time as the Ford Transit van. Clunk, clunk, twang, clunk, clunk, horn blowing...

Trevor
I'm seriously considering one of these, but cant make up mind on which one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-FJS600-SILVERWING-2002-14-450mm-OVAL-CARBON-BSAU-SILENCER-EXHAUST-KIT/271637112986

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-FJS600-SILVERWING-2002-14-450mm-OVAL-STAINLESS-BSAU-SILENCER-EXHAUST-KIT/281469164783

The bottom one is the one I went for, being a tight Yorkshire git... Short arms, deep pockets that kind of thing. What I'll do is video the old, compare with the new and Youtube it, put a link on here if it will let me. I'll weigh them too.

That will be good Trevor, I'm also considering the chrome one as I think the black one would show scratches more.

Welcome Trevor from the bit of inhabitable land north of North Yorkshire and south of the Celts.

There's some lovely riding country up there. Never understood why people go abroad for ride outs when we have perfect routes on our doorstep..

And thanks for the welcome

Welcome from the "other" island, New Zealand, sell your other Honda and get used to the Silverwing with it's combined brakes, easy on the hand too !

Nice bike, easy to get on and off from, lots of stowage even without a pannier box, enough grunt for touring and good protection from the elements, also easy to get onto it's centre stand despite its weight.

Enjoy !!

If you need any parts for the handbrake i have them dont worry if pads are thin they are from new

Hi young feller.
I was given your name and told to pm you but I don't think I have been on the site long enough for that yet..
Yes, I need the ratchet assembly for the handbrake, mine is worn almost smooth at the handle end, I also need a front mudguard, and a pair of wheels if at all possible..my front one has a few digs in it and I'll have to take the bike off the road to sort that. I'm ordering a pair of Dunlop Scoot Smart tyres for it, I've been using RoadSmarts for years now, if they are good enough for Ron Haslam's track day training bikes, they are more than good enough for me. £85 a pair for a 120/80/14 front and a 150/70/13 rear... Instead of £240 a pair for the VFR... Why didn't I get one of these things 10 years ago?

Hey fellas,,we're getting off topic. This is/was 'Lost It's' Introduction. Now we've drifted into parts & rides. Nobody's fault, it just happens. I'm going to parse all this and split off posts into another topic.

Tim

Parse.. I had to look that up!
Sorry my fault. I get started on something and forget where I am.
So I'm going to be separated and put into my component parts.

Anything for a giggle.

I've just caught up on this posting. Welcome Lost It. I reckon you'll find the Silverwing a fun bike. Great seating, (especially for the pillion if you have one), ease of use and a new experience in riding.

As for it being a 'proper bike'? I regularly scrape my side stand on the road when cornering left and find that the 'proper bike' behind me is backing off! I haven't scraped anything on the right hand side yet. I like to think that 'I know my bike' and if I do, then I have no complaints. It's in the upper speed range where the Silverwing might be lacking, I sometimes wish it had longer legs but I often do lots of motorway riding with pillion and find it quite adequate.

Maxi scooters are slowly becoming more creditable, particularly with the Forza category coming online in increasing numbers. I think that most 'proper bike' riders look on the maxi scooter with some curiosity rather than despise. I haven't experienced any ill feeling from fellow 'bikers'.

The future will tell but enjoy the Silverwing for what it is, it's great fun.

The one important thing I have picked up on is that riding a mega scoot has little comparison with riding a conventional bike. At the moment its taking more concentration then I expected.
The impulse to "pull the clutch in" when I stop has led to some pretty rapid slow downs because your hand has "muscle memory" of the effort needed to pull in the clutch. Caught me out twice, lucky I managed to get my foot off the boards in time. Something I'll get used to.
A "conventional" bike has a fuel tank in front of you, and common wisdom is that you use the tank as an anchor, grip it with your knees to absorb all the braking effort rather that putting your weight on the bars, which is considered a "bad thing" in biking circles, it's also useful for hanging onto when you are trying to hang off when cornering. Well, that's something else I need to get used to, completely different muscle group needed on a scooter.
A little aside here, my dad only had his right arm, he used to ride a Honda 90, and used to tense his stomach when he braked to prevent pushing the handle bar to the left. He would have loved a Silver Wing.
My problem is I've had quite intensive surgery to my stomach, in the lower abdomen area and have naff all muscle tone at the moment as the bit my stomach wall would have braced against, my bowel, isn't there any more. So that means I am bracing against the bars. Which isn't good, but this will be a good thing long term, if I can build up some muscle tone in my gut, it will help in many ways. Might stop me inadvertently crimping a length off eventually... Lucky I carry spares.
What else? Well, I can't yet "feel" the bike under me. So I corner expecting it to touch down. Hasn't yet... But that will come soon enough.
Still think it was the right choice. And at least my mate with the Honda Blackbird will be able to stay with me on the corners for while anyway.

Lost it wrote:

The impulse to "pull the clutch in" when I stop has led to some pretty rapid slow downs because your hand has "muscle memory" of the effort needed to pull in the clutch.

Keep the lever 'covered' with your index & forefinger bud, they will give you all the braking power needed, while helping you remember it's not a clutch

Welcome Lost It, I'm from a different Navy area Chatham, reading through your posts you are coping with the medical issues well. My father carried on working as a motor mechanic in Westminister for many years having had 3 Bowel cancer ops. so I know how you must carry on as best you can.
The Silverwing has been the best maxi for me, and I recommend it to other Honda Owners club members when we meet. Hopefully we will meet up one day. There are a few 'real bikers' in the SE corner.
Regards
Dave

The same thing happens with cars. Drivers of manual cars jump into into an auto and skid the tyres at every anticipated gear change.

Using the back brake in combination with the throttle, particularly for low speed maneuvering, can help and will remind you that the left lever is brake.

Throttle for go; Levers for stop!

First time I ever drove an auto car it was a Rover 3500 P6... I got to the road end, dipped the "clutch" and stopped pretty much dead because I applied clutch weight "muscle memory" force to the brake pedal. Rear passengers didn't have seat belts back then, one of my passengers took a bite out of the front seat head rest and busted two teeth... It was funny at the time.

Hayling Island is where the Vlogger Spicy110 lives, have you ever appeared on his videos?

I lost all my lower bowels and a fair portion of my upper to Ulcerative Colitis a few years ago and had to sell my Harley as I thought I would never be strong enough to ride again, but, you will recover over time just keep positive.