first 1000 Miles

On Sept 30, I opened a topic 'First impressions'. It was the day I took my 2003 Silverwing out for the first time. When I bought it, there were 19288 kms on the clock.

Today, October 31, the odometer passed the 20900 km. I.e. the Wing has covered over 1600kms or 1000 Miles in just one month.

Meanwhile, I am gradually getting used to the SW. I like it a lot, enjoy the smooth turbine-like acceleration, love the comfy glide, admire the brakes and praise the storage compartment.

It took some time to get used to the 'gap' between twisting the throttle and the clutch being engaged. The ultra-low-speed handling is better than expected: I manage to do the 180° turn in my underground garage with nearly full steering lock, without getting my feet off the floorboard. The 'trick' is to not shut the throttle, but to maintain some drive.

What I don't like that much is the side-wind sensibility, and the roaring of the wind over the screen. I will be replacing the stock screen in the near future, a pity Honda didn't take tall riders into account. (I'm 6ft5 - 1m95)

'painting' the Silverwing in Ostend

Couldn't agree more. Still, having a top box helps when commuting especially if you carry stuff with you to/from like I do. My under-seat box has 2-3 laptops and a tablet among a few other things in a backpack and bag while my top box carries a spare blanket and rain gear for when I need them.

When we have a clear day, I often take groceries on the way home. If I really need the extra space, I'll wear the backpack with the laptops and put more under me. Now that I have a DennisB hitch, I can pull some behind me if needed.

Wouldn't it be simpler to use a tunnel bag, a pair of throw over saddlebags/panniers or strap a waterproof bag on the pillion seat. That set up works for long distance touring and you say you're only commuting.

Meldrew wrote:

Wouldn't it be simpler to use a tunnel bag, a pair of throw over saddlebags/panniers or strap a waterproof bag on the pillion seat. That set up works for long distance touring and you say you're only commuting.

Oh! I didn't mean to mislead - no I don't only commute. I love to ride and yes, it may be simpler to use bags, but I enjoy pulling. My wife rides with me too on fun trips (not commuting - she drives a cage) so the trailer would make the trip a lot more comfortable and extend our range by allowing us to take more of our stuff with us.

At any rate - I'm looking forward to test riding this weekend, pulling and all wired up.

I will probably run the hitch wires over the mud flap through an eye bolt and cable shield. Will send pics soon.

Hey Dennis - I had a hard time finding a 3/8ths eye bolt shorter than 4" so it's likely I'll have to get out the whiz wheel and cut it down. I wonder if you've considered sending them with the hitch or at least making it an option for buyers? It might also be cool if you had an optional wiring kit for a standard 4-blade harness too. I would gladly have paid the extra and gotten them from you.

KB