New to Me '09 Silverwing

After riding my '86 Honda Elite 250 for 4 years, and putting on over 12K trouble free miles, I felt it was time for an upgrade. I rode my SilverWing to work this morning at 6am; temps in the mid 30s(f). Wow, what an upgrade. I liked the low beam on my Elite more, as the light projects further, but the power, suspension, and storage more than make up for it. The tall Givi windshield and top box with integral brake lights complete the package. I will be looking at adding more lights, heated grips, and a GPS/cell phone mount. My wife would rather be a passenger, so I am selling my Elite. It's listed on the NH C/L. I'm keeping my BMW's and Versys X-300 for now. Regards, Bob in NH.

I took the long way home after work. A 70+ mile mix rural roads, ranging from 60MPH to frost heaves and potholes. Temps were in the low 40's(f). Sand and runoff from melting snow was everywhere, tempering my usually spirited pace. My SW handled all of it with relative ease, and never lost its composure. The two biggest changes from my Elite are the sitting position, and the hand operated rear brake. I find myself moving my feet backwards for more aggressive riding. Muscle memory has me instinctively using my right foot to brake. To retrain myself, I "cover" the rear brake lever, and practice braking with both hands. I haven't decided if I like the linked brakes. Bob

Welcome Aboard. I've got an '09 as well, nice bike. Very easy to ride. Riding in these temps takes some prep with good clothing, but once you get suited up, its not bad.

Welcome! Glad you are enjoying your Silver Wing in spite of the weather. I have used mine down to 30 degrees before. Does fine but is certainly brisk!!! As to the brakes, you will adjust fast, I too was used to foot brakes but now even switching around I adjust immediately. Personally I have never had a problem with the linked brakes but some on here complain about them.

Welcome Bob to the best SWing site on the net.
I have an 08 SWing that I had triked out last year and have no regrets doing it. It was a bit of a learning curve but it went will. Heck, sometimes I'll ride with friends 150 or so miles one way to get Ice Cream or a cup of coffee. Anything for a ride right?

Not sure what your age is but when I was younger 30's and 40's wasn't too cold. But now I want it a bit warmer as old age creeps in. I don't volunteer for rain anymore either. If I get caught in it that's one thing but if it's raining "we" don't go for a ride. By "we" I mean me and my SWing. I don't want to put it through that. I give it baths enough...

Welcome from o-HI-o Bob, the brakes and the " coast " will be gotten used to rather quickly as I found out.

Dale, I'll be 64 in May. As long as the roads are clear, low temps don't bother me. Riding in below freezing temps requires a bit more preparation. It was 14(f) when I left for work this morning at 6am. I typically wear a two piece Olympia riding suit without the liners in, over jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I add a sweatshirt or the jacket liner below 50(f). This morning, I added a down vest. I wear regular hiking boots and medium thickness socks. On my hands, I wear Klim Split Finger mittens. My right hand felt the cold after 30 minutes, but not critically.
Riding just before dawn, I am keenly aware of how sharp the low beam cutoff is, and I don't like it at all. Maybe I can raise to low beam a bit. In any case, I'll be adding spot lights to fix that, once I figure out a mounting point. Bob

Hi Bob. I'm not really sure if it's old age or just laziness on my part. All that dressing up is just too much work for me. I just want to throw my leather jacket and helmet on and go down the road. I do have a good excuse tho. My street is snow packed and bumpy as heck and my trike has summer tires on it. We use a lot of salt and other chemicals on the roads over here so that's another reason I want it warm and sunny...

This web site is proving to be a very valuable resource. My thanks to all who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences, good or bad. I adjusted my headlight up a bit last night, and the improvement is very good. I can now see a lot further down the road without blinding oncoming traffic. After removing the panel over the headlight without breaking the tabs, and not finding the vertical adjustment, I found it under the fairing to the left of center. No worries. Bob