Are you old enough?

I've only been a member of this site for a couple of months, I have found it very informative and helpful.
Having read through many posts I have noticed that the majority of members are aged in their 60s and 70s!
Is there a minimum age limit for riding a Swing 600 or a minimum limit for joining this Site?
I have noticed that there are a couple of kids of 50 and 52    who have sneaked in lately in the UK. Does the UK have a lower age Limit?

JB

Hi JB. I think the only age limit is that you have to be old enough to type.

Wife and I went out to eat one night. I watched a couple young guys (20's) look with curiosity at my Silverwing. It was humorous to watch their faces and their noses turn up when they discovered it was a scooter. I can't blame them, they have to marry some day and have an image to protect, as well as their manlihood. The bad boy Harley Davidson image works well for them, and besides it makes lots of noise.

As for someone in their mid 50's, the Silverwing suits me just fine.

Hi JB,

In my retirement, bikes have put the *fun* back into travelling around. The pension is (supposedly) given an easier time with less fuel and costs! In reality, I spend too much time on my bikes... it's more of a hobby... and we all know how those costs can escalate!

After suffering traffic jams in cars all my life, I get too irritable sitting in them now. Two wheels is the answer to that. Ironically, on two wheels I'm never in a rush to get places these days - often going the long way round! Riding two wheels is a far more physically and mentally rewarding experience than just looking at a "screen".

There are plenty of mature bike riders these days. Another *local-to-me* forum I frequent (plug for LancsBiker forum) has a "Mid-week meets" section to cater for retired/shift/night workers.

With the increasing limitations of age and old injuries, my Silver Wing makes it easier to continue biking. It's leg room is comfortable for my damaged knee and has the bonus of being very practical for shopping trips. I still have a 1 litre 'Adventure' bike for alternative riding experiences now and then. For the mechanically curious, repairing bikes is easier, and cheaper (validation required   ), than scrabbling underneath cars.

With plenty of the older generations thinking likewise, it's also a great way of socialising and has given me many new friends. That said, the internet has helped enormously since I first started biking in 1966. However, there used to be many regular bike meets even then.

The Silverwing is a function first machine. It is like a mini van, it has almost zero style points compared to other motorcycles. However, it functions very well as designed. It just doesn't look like the "motorcycle fantasy" that draws the emotional connection.

However, it is used by folks who are wise to its recreational abilities as well as its function. Some folks get wise with age.

I watch other motorcyclists struggle with luggage. cheap small saddle bags on the cruisers. Back packs strapped on the zoom splat bikes. I don't judge those riders. I choose not to ride those types of bikes.

Lets face facts here. No one trips and falls over themselves on their way to look at your bike. The cruisers ignore you. The touring bikes ignore you. Even the classic scooter riders ignore the maxi scooter. They don't drool over my mini van either.

I am proud of this scooter.

I'm definitely old enough and the riders who turned up there nose are probably looking at what just passed them. They wondered what it looked like from the front.

I think with age comes wisdom, and we realise that comfort and contentment, are more important than wanting show off or bragging about how fast we can go. Most of us have been Bikers since our teens and we have "been there and done that". I have never had the slightest interest in what someone thinks of whatever I am riding. If I like it, that is all that matters. I find the Silverwing 600 has all I need to enjoy riding, I have been out today 14 December a lovely day and 57 F a most enjoyable ride out to the coast, a nice cup of tea, a Cigar, and a really pleasant ride home, I could not ask for more.

It's quite simple for me, l was already an old git with 14 years riding maxi scooters in before I bought my Silver Wing. So after 2 years on a lardass 650 Burgman, it was only logical and available choice. I could bought one in the previous 10 years, but the earlier Silver Wing had a thirsty reputation that put me off.

I didn't wan't a 400 Burgman again, the 400 Majesty I couldn't make up my mind about, and whatever the appeal of the T Max was, it had gone way over my head.

The Piaggio range seemed to me to be as reliable as the Rythmn Method, Aprilia had nothing of interest, and back in late 2010 when I bought my Silver Wing, both Kymco, and SYM importers were very low profile and had nothing of interest in their line up.

So I bought a new Silver Wing, I asked for leg wind deflectors, heated grips, and a Givi Monokey to be fitted, changed the OE screen to an Airflow after a few rides, and with all the touring junk I'd accumulated from my previous maxi scooters, I was sorted.

I think that by the time you reach your 60's you are comfortable enough with yourself to not care what other folks are riding or thinking about what you're riding. Maybe not so much when you're younger and your peers are more influential.

I just wanted something small and economical for the daily commute in summer.
Errrr, yes.
But I'm obviously young, impetuous and impressionable.

A long time ago someone told me that people in their 20's worry what other people are thinking.
When they get to their 40's they don't give a s**t what others think.
By time they reach their sixtys they realize that no one is thinking about them at all.

For me the wisdom that comes with age is more of the, "Wow, I won't do that again.", type.

I gave up 2 decades of Goldwings because 800+ pounds at age 63 and being 5'7" (and not much of one who exercises) became too much weight to keep upright. 400+ pounds with my '04 Swing suits me and my wifey just fine. It has restored my confidence in handling the machine.

I've owned all models of Goldwings from the GL1000 to the GL1800. Great bikes and wonderful for road trips. I put around 300,000 miles on them. Longest trip about 6000 miles. But as already stated age starts making a fellow look elsewhere when the knees start to go and the arthritis sets in to stay. At 74 maxi scooters make a lot of sense to me. The ability to stretch your legs out inside the fairing and out of the weather as well as tucking them back toward you sure helps keep my knees from complaining quite so loudly. The lighter weight and low center of gravity sure make them easier to handle in parking lots and tight turns at low speed. As Meldrew mentioned the enclosed luggage capacity is great. All three Maxis I've owned can carry nearly as much as my Goldwings could. I guess that means I'm old enough.

thornev wrote:

I gave up 2 decades of Goldwings because 800+ pounds at age 63 and being 5'7" (and not much of one who exercises) became too much weight to keep upright.  400+ pounds with my '04 Swing suits me and my wifey just fine.  It has restored my confidence in handling the machine.

Good on you for choosing the Silverwing, but at 400+ pounds you must have stripped off a lot of weight. With topbox and a few little add-ons mine was around 570 pounds.

Referring to my Boys Own Bumper Book Of The Silver Wing, the Curb weight of an ’02 to ’04 STD Type Silver Wing is 527 lbs and ABS Type 542 lbs. My own '10 ABS Silver Wing weighs in with a Curb weight of 551 lbs.

We'll all gain a few extra pounds ourselves over Christmas too.

For me? no S'Wing = no ride, sold the G'Wing years back after 25 years of G'Winging, went two years with no two wheels, a friend found this S'Wing locally and told me about it, the rest as they say is history 66 years of 2 wheels

I'm 54 and just bought the Silverwing, my first scooter and can't believe I've left it this long.
Most practical two wheel vehicle I've ever owned as for cred I don't really care, I own the following.

1 Kawasaki H2R which sits in my living room

2 2015 Yamaha R1 race bikes

1 2013 FZ1 race bike

1 2005 FZ1 race bike

And the one I enjoy most is the wing

Hell, I'm only 50, (49 when I joined) and they let me on here
I think the S Wing caters more to the practically mided than those looking to stroke their ego, but y'know what? I've had more than a few ladies who thought it was a pretty cool set o wheels, too

As for being old enough my riding buddy who passed away a few weeks ago rode his Silverwing every day until two days before he passed. He was 90 years old. A tough old WWII marine and a good man.

I read each entry to this post. I love my Silverwing mostly because i don't ride a much as I did awhile back and there is a lot less to worry about on an Swing. The real beauty is the ease of riding. If you forget the kickstand it wont start and to go you simply twist. However, if you do decide to move out smartly the 40 to 90 acceleration is ideal and still you get 50 mpg. The thing is very smooth for a side by side twin and a person could ride all day with a break every 80 miles or so.
Now all this is probably silly to the 17 to ?? crowd as blow out racket and tire burning acceleration are essential. And don't forget the cheap insurance, esp for a 60 plus rider.

Lately I have been riding a new 2013 Foreman ATV and this is good fun. Off black top road in Arizona is beautiful and there is a lot of it. I'm really enjoying getting out there, Next purchase....a tent.

Sounds good, and on an ATV you can take enough gear to camp in style. The desert country has its beauty. I used to ride a Triumph 650 on the Mojave in the late '50s. Kinda heavy for a dirt bike but sure was fun to get out and away with the horned toads and rattle snakes for company.

I joined when I was 43 right before I bought my ride in March last year. I turned 44 not long ago. I wish I bought this scoot in 2001 instead of my Yamaha RoadStar, but I was not smart enough back then to know better.

Cheers,
Mad

very thankful this scooter is 'uncool' so underrated - means I got a low mileage one for not too much money - bought mainly for commute - but (once the damage from my 'off' is fixed) it will be going across France to the Stella Alpina rally and along a few military (gravel) roads on the french/italian border.

makes me grin when I ride it fast.

Obviously too young for it at 50 though.

Above---Stella Alpina rally------one of my favorites, but you have to like mud/snow/dirt to go up and buy pin or tee Shirt-----I found my BMWR80RT a bit heavy, knocked fin off oil pan,  MZETZ250 made the climb easy, best for me my Vespa 150E US model, go slow and you get here.  All bikes were very dirty on return.

I hadn't realised I was a comparative spring chicken at 46. I love this forum. Glad to see that experience doesn't mean an end to immaturity.

I love my Wang too. Easily the least cool thing on two wheels but in the recent snow the body protection and screen were drawing wistful comments from the other bikers out there.

I started riding motorcycles at 57. So, in terms of experience, I am still a Spring chicken with 7 years of riding. I want to ride as many models as possible as long as they are Honda's. I am still lusting after the CTX 700, and now the Rebel 500 looks interesting. I am hoping that the Bulldog concept bike they showed last year will make into production, and available in Canada.
Jay.

It does seem that us "mature" people like Silver Wings!  I have ridden conventional motorcycles since 1970 and still have a CT90 and a Goldwing 1800 but my baby is the SWing.  As most of you know, I take TRIPS on my scooter usually 1500-2000 miles at a time.  Sometimes with a group but mostly alone.  

 Even though the "cool" factor is not there for a Silver Wing here is one thing I have noticed.  On trips, people are not afraid to come over and talk to me about the scooter, I have had some great discussions and visits.  I believe that the maxi-scooter is unusual and non-threatening.

When I can no longer handle the 1800 it will go away and the SWing will stay in my stable!