Silverwing Downgrade/Upgrade !!!.

[XP500FUN]

Blimey is that right.

I was told about mid 40`s 50`s was usually your lot on them.

Though I have seen one for sale with 77K on.

Might be a tough one to sell at that though.

Can`t see this one going until I can`t get on it any more if you will.

Anyone taken the forks out on one before ?

Best Mark.

[rtfm]

I would've thought the ageing of the electronics over time (e.g. wiring loom/cables/connectors going brittle with age) and plastic panels would dictate the lifespan rather than the milage covered.

I'm sure the engine is easily good enough on any 600cc+ Honda for 100k if it's maintained properly and not thrashed everywhere.

[Waldorf]

I can't remember all the details but he probably lives in a part of the States which is conducive to longevity - a constant temperature which doesn't put wiring and other degradable parts under stress, for example.

[XP500FUN]

Has anyone gone from 30W fork oil to 10W or less please.

The bikes great but the bumpy front on small roads is getting a bit oh gawd !!!!

I still think I may need to go back to usual springs.

Thanks Mark.

[horobags]

I seem to remember my mk1 t-max was a lot stiffer than my silverwing(s), The t-max is more sporty so I'd expect a stiffer ride than the silverwing.

[XP500FUN]

Hi my t max has std springs, but the silverwing has hyperpro progressives.

The t max handles very bumpy small rural roads etc superbly at the front.

On the open road the silverwing is fine and I think the progressives actually kept me on the bike the other day.

Best Mark.

[The Bern]

There is a degree of bollocks spoken by the ardent believers in hyperpro springs, apparently ... they're a massive improvement over standard Honda springs, because hyperpro's are progressive .... really stange that, I've had mine to bit's & they are definately standard Honda springs, strangely they are .... progressive.

Hyperpro's are probably made of a different strength wire (that's a guess) but what is absolutely definate is that when fitting the springs the fill the legs with very heavy grade oil, while not doing anthing at all to adjust the flow rate through the standard Honda shock absorber.

Hyperpro's sell well in America for touring on their near arrow straight freeways where a stiffer spring coupled with excessively hard damping give the scooter a 'motorbike feel'

Now for another 'googly', in the Honda workshop manual it tells you which way up to fit the springs in relation to the closed coils (down) then you fill the legs with oil to a specific depth (measured from the top of the leg to the oil surface). It's possible that if the hyperpro springs may have been fitted closed coils upward, this in turn would mean it was overfilled with oil.

Given you have the invoice for the work done it might be worth a phone call to them & ask if they disposed of the OEM springs or gave them to the (then) owner, if given to the owner he may have them 'gathering dust' in a shed

[Waldorf]

Thank you for that explanation.

I've read elsewhere about Hyperpro springs on Silverwings and wondered why they were 'better'.

I haven't been tempted to make major changes to the 'Crowman' barring the almost inevitable Givi screen mod; everything seems to blend together to give a comfortable, smooth, enjoyable ride.

I'm even more convinced now to leave well alone.

[XP500FUN]

They really are stiff as hell, you can see the road shocks coming through the bars, and how.

Oh for a pair of std springs to pop in.

Thanks for the really good explaination.

Best Mark.

PS the springs were done by a long ago owner ( by a bike shop ) in 2008 when a year old.

PPS any tips on doing the job please Bern. Thats just a spring switch and oil .

[The Bern]

No prob's Mike, back in the 70's I 'had hands' in building rally & circuit racing cars & very soon leant that messing with springs & shocks was a bit of a 'black art', the first lesson was never do anything that cannot easily be reversed, second lesson was always get shocks with the widest range of adjustment possible.
From messing I also learnt that on standard road going vehicle the manufacturer spent an awful lot of time & money optimising componants to give a generally acceptable vehicle.