problems to look for

I just bought a used 9K miles 2003 Silver wing and wondering what might be the first problem I may encounter?

Hello Bud and welcome!

First problem? - making yourself get off it after you've been for a ride.

That is the Truth, lol

Hi Bud,

Welcome to the forum.

The biggest problem your going to find is ..... Getting the SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!!!

Stop by your local dealer and ask for his assistance in making sure that all campaigns for the 2003 model year were taken care of on the bike.

Search this site for places you can get a service manual inexpensively.
This way you can note what maintenance is necessary and when.
People on this site better than I am at it, can tell you what to look for
to see if the previous owner did proper maintenance.

Be careful to close the seat properly every time.
If you don't the interior light will stay on and drain the battery.
There is a drop in replacement fixture you can change it to which
has its own built in switch, so as to avoid the possibility of disaster.
Its about $25 to do.
I'm sure someone will come along and link to it if you say you are interested.

Plenty of upgrades are available for the bike.
Search the site for most anything you are looking for, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

Dan

Bud Roden wrote:

I just bought a used 9K miles 2003 Silver wing and wondering what might be the first problem I may encounter?

You'll probably have to put gas in it, they all seem to run out eventually. I know, you'd think they'd have found a fix for that by now, but, alas, no such luck

Seriously, beyond those aforementioned recalls, there shouldn't be much to go wrong. Just keep up on the maintenance and ride it!

Oh, and welcome!

Bud,

What kind of shape are the tires in? OEM tires only last 8 to 10k miles. If they are original, they are probably pretty worn, and tires that old might be showing age cracks and be unsafe even if decent tread is left. My SWing is realtively new, so I don't have any experience in how well the belt ages, even though it is still well inside it's expected life in miles. I'll let others commewnt on that.

Welcome to the Forum! This is the place for friendly banter and answers to your questions!

Depending on how you ride and how long that bike's been sitting, you might wanna check the belt. I have NO idea how to tell a good one from a bad one. I picked up an 04 and my belt snapped and almost completely obliterated itself at 11.3k miles.

Bud Roden wrote:

I just bought a used 9K miles 2003 Silver wing and wondering what might be the first problem I may encounter?

Bud Roden,

Welcome to the forum - Enjoy the ride.

As to your question... I can't locate my Magic 8-Ball right now so I guess I'll just reject the question.

There were three recalls on the 2003 Silverwing. Call American Honda a 800-999-1009 and give them the VIN. They will tell you if the recalls have been done.

I have an '03 I got last Sept. I used the original tires until the rear wore out (7500 miles on and IRC). Pirelli Diablo is an excellent replacement.

I replaced my variator in January (for performance reasons). At that time (6500 miles) the belt still looked good. Haven't looked at it since.

I'm still on the original brake fluid and radiator fluid. Brakes and cooling system both work well, but I will be getting both fluids replaced this winter.

Have fun riding and welcome to the board.