The One and Only Cheap Tourer - Honda Silverwing Review
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- Опубликовано: 23 июн 2023
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In the 1980s Honda released a lightweight, small engine touring motorcycle that could handle long distance rides as well as run errands in the city as if it was a small commuter bike; this is the Honda Silverwing.
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Directed and Edited by Edwin El Bainou
A very long time in the 1980s, Honda gambled on releasing a lightweight touring motorcycle for those less inclined to purchase a Honda Goldwing, Harley Davidson Wide Glide or another liter engine touring bike. Enter the Silverwing, a 500c V-Twin powered, shaft driven fully dressed touring motorcycle. It weighed less, used less gas, could travel long distances with a shorter wheelbase and was lightweight enough to handle most city riding comfortably. It even came with color keyed panniers. The catch? With a 500cc engine you would be hard pressed to carry a passenger while maintaining high speeds and up long climbs. Touring stability and parking agility. This is the story of the little touring bike that could: the Honda Silverwing. 
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Ryan has this amazing ability to make me completely fall in love with a motorcycle I've never given a second thought to in a video under 10 minutes long. Time and time again
Seriously. By the end of that video I was ready to make a "Bring Back the Silverwing" banner and stand outside Honda HQ waving it.
Dude, I was just thinking the same thing. I definitely had a moment of "I wonder if someone is selling one locally..." 😅
It completely turned me off even more
@@steve00alt70 You are so cool then
@@TheDeadeye5 me too, even after getting up close and personal with a CX500, aka the plastic maggot, many moons ago.
That opening is exactly the quality I've come to expect from this channel.
Really? Coz I saw two ads
@@SalmanKhan-ze3zh get ad block, thats your fault
@SalmanKhan-ze3zh they're not doing this for free. Watch the ads and support these works of art.
@@SalmanKhan-ze3zh = Freeloader
…and everything in between and the end! 😊
You don’t have to give up the pillion. You could replace the trunk with a second seat. There was also a kit that allowed you to have both, mounting the trunk farther back above the tail light. This is how my Silverwing was equipped. Great bike! Not fast, but that’s not what it was for.
I think the point is : given it's 500ccs and above average weight, riding with the extra weight of a pillion would make it too slow and not powerful enough.
@@williamjacksebastian 1st world Problem.....I have ridden motorcycles with 100 cc (Suzuki Ax-100, Honda Eco-100) with pillion and luggage in 1000 km trips through Colombian geography.....and yes...I rode an average of 80 km/k in flat but...I enjoy every minute of those trips
@@williamjacksebastian
I had one with the rack that moved the trunk back and allowed for a passenger. My wife and I put quite a few miles on it that way. Quick? No. But it still pulled away from most cars and was a lot of fun!
Always amused by "not enough power".
@@williamjacksebastian I did a weekend trip with my ex-wife on one, yeah you plan if you intend to pass, but it could cruise along at 120 km/h two-up no problem.
To give everyone an idea of what a terrific all-rounder this bike is:
I started riding in my early 50s, mostly to save on commuting costs, but also, motorcycle.
Saw a dirt-cheap GL500 for sale; bought it, then used it to learn about riding and servicing carbeureted bikes as I got it ready to ride.
She's been inactive for a couple of years, but my beloved "Imoto" and I racked up 20,000 miles a year for 7 years.
To work and back (over 100 miles sometimes) in all kinds of weather; a few trips camping down the Blue Ridge Parkway, one time all the way to Key West, then up to New Orleans, then home to NJ...freeway, secondary roads, gravel, dirt, sand. Day, night, rain. No problems, even with a top-heavy load of camping gear or tools.
First time I rode into NYC, about 2 weeks after I bought her, I wound up riding to every borough except Staten Island, during both morning and evening peak traffic hours (long story; work-related). With full Interstate kit and some new tires, she performed wonderfully. Didn't overheat, took every nasty pothole in stride, always ready to zoom out of trouble, and superb low-speed handling even with the dorky factory "buckhorn" bars (which I replaced with Daytona-style bars).
Average high 40s in mpg, simple and rugged, plenty of parts still around... super-sexy 80s styling...and the sound of that quirky little engine is very nice.
Best advice I can give any first-time Twisted Twin owner: RIDE THE HELL OUT OF IT
Riding a motorbike in New York sounds nightmarish. Especially parking. But crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on a Silverwing must feel epic.
@@AshleyPomeroy Parking is the easy part (although if you're not careful about your choice, either the cops or some thieves will make off with your bike). The hard parts are: thousands of unruly pedestrians, dense, aggressive traffic, and sudden changes in road surface.
My friend has a honda gl 500 in México it's a great bike
This is the only channel on the internet that can make me feel nostalgic for a motorcycle I've never owned. Truly a blessing. Never stop doing what you do
I worked at the Grand Canyon during college. I saw the world’s hardest working 500cc bike ever - a Silverwing, 2-up with a well-fed (typical North American) couple, TOWING A TRAILER. At 7000’ altitude. Mind. Blown.
But it’s a Honda. And if you don’t love Honda, for all it’s done for motorcyclry, you simply don’t love bikes and God hates you.
My dad bought an ‘82 GL500 Silverwing in 1983. It’s June 2023 and that bike is still sitting in my dad’s garage, and still takes him around town. That’s also the bike that taught me how to ride a motorcycle, and took me to school a whole bunch of times. That bike has seen a lot of history and it’s only ever asked for regular oil changes and maintenance.
Hondas never die ❤
Thanks for sharing this story!
Hondas❤️
And a low coolant level.
If ur dad named it "the ancient one" I'll lost it
can you please stop doing motorcycle reviews, i dont have any more space in my garage
This is an example of the old world of entertainment. Brilliant writing, pacing, and performance, because the guy who is making this content is ACTUALLY talented and puts the time/effort into the work that it deserves. Gold star. Wish other youtubers would follow his lead, only Papameat/Meatcanyon comes to mind.
Don't forget the amazing editing and art direction. Top notch.
I honestly just watch these videos for their humour and excellent production quality. I don't even like motorcycles, but I'm still super excited whenever I see a new f9 video in my feed.
Exactly the same for me!
That's awesome but unfortunate.
Wish you had more interest in them.
He has outstanding taste in bikes and what they should do and not do.
Sad, just sad😢
How could you enjoy these videos of you don’t like motorcycles??
Same - in fact, not only do I not like motorcycles, I don’t care for videos, not crazy about talking, and electricity is of the devil and gets me worried about infetterence. Still, I keep coming back for this channel.
As someone who’s been looking at the 80’s Silverwing. I am both estatic you’re covering it in the detail you do, and heartbroken that you’ll contribute to the prices to slowly rise now that people see ts 😭
You can do what I'm working on. Get a CX and try to add some aero and luggage capabilities to it. You can buy a poorly made cafe and re-work the rear end pretty cheaply.
Don't be silly. No one wants an 80's Honda Silver Wing bad enough to pay a lot of money for one. They'll stay way within your price range I'm sure...
I'm in the same boat. I've been looking for a good one to buy at the right price. Now the prices are going to increase dammit!
Your riding way beyond my dreams and stop to cover one I will problem not afford though not because its not a legendary ride. 🙌
I don’t think this video will be enough to drive them up. They will be cheap for the rest of time
8:43 the most perfect squeak in cinematic history
Bet that wasn't just that one take :D
This video it's a work of art : image, production, script, music. ... and I believe this Honda it's one Ryan's favorite bikes ever.
Craigslist prices just spiked 20%.
Totally blown by the fact that even the doll's noise was pitch perfect with the music 😮
I'm telling you, this channel seats right at the top with TOP GEAR, excellent content, excellent footage, excellent camera work and let us not forget about the script and story telling. Job well done.
I was about to comment that his analogies and descriptions are very Clarkson-esque
Just without the racism and workplace abuse, which is a nice bonus.
I bought a 1982 gl500 with 2k miles for $800 in 1998. I rode it the next 17 years and put 35k miles on it including a 1500 mile and 3000 mile tour with a passenger. Sold it to a friend in 2015 and he used it as a daily rider until he passed away in 2019. The GL 500 is an amazing motorcycle! Thanks for reviewing one of the best!
The opening and closing segment of video is no doubt cinema quality. Big applause to Fort9 team. Ryan and other crew are doing great work.
This continues to be some of the finest RUclips content. The effort is appreciated!
I don't even have a moto, nor I plan to buy one, but the production quality is so high, I watch every video
It's epic
4:42 That was a smooth commercial that didn't even feel like one. Even stepping on the doll and timing the squeak with the music was great. 8:43
My first bike was a CX500C, a close cousin to this GL500. Even now I miss it. Shouldn't have sold it but the young fellow who pulled it away on his trailer has probably given it a good home. Ryan is right though. Honda should make another small tourer and not just throw bags on an adv. I'd love an inexpensive, low maintenance, fuel injected traverse V twin with shaft drive. It was such an amazing combination to ride.
After I bought a Kawasaki Concours, I sold my 1982 CX500C. What was I thinking!
I hope it’s been said a million times before, but the production value of this channel is unreal. Easily 1 of the best channels on RUclips.
Rest assured, it has been said...
But it's still worth saying
My dad had a SilverWing several years ago. Prior to that purchase I didn’t even know they existed. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen in person. Nice to see you’ve got one to cruise around on. Keep up the good work!
The only way this gets better is the ghost of Prince shows up.
Always thought Honda SilverWing was a scooter
@@InMotoVitait is, they brought the name back for a big scooter in 2001
The Silverwing was my first bike, taught myself to ride on it. Put 97k miles on the thing before I sold it for $300. It was a really great bike mostly. Every time it fell over it snapped off a mirror before landing on the fiberglass fairing and all 3 versions of the CX500 I’ve had didn’t generate power, necessitating a car battery in a bag on the back that needed to be constantly recharged so the spark plugs kept firing. Range was greatly extended by rigging an on/off switch to the headlight.
This is why I Tour on my Honda PC800...dead reliable, comfortable. Added 40L scooter box on the back and my wife and I can ride for days
Lol when that blow up doll hit that high note in the song it killed me! 8:20
This bike was made as a 500 and 650. I owned the 500 silverwing and the goldwing at the same time. My wife and I rode over 600 miles in one day on the Silverwing at highway speed. I used the same bike in the early 80’s to help with the development of MSF range training program. Great bike.
There's a Malaysian couple who rode two up around the world on a honda rs150 underbone bike😂
Hmm, you were driving a 550 silver wing ? It's got short legs in two ways. The frame is short and the gearing makes run a lot of rpm at those speeds.
@@jamesberry7150 it's a Honda so it'll just eat those rpms, like it does the many maintenance free miles
@@maximilianeissner4759 yup but its electronics burn out and you wind up on the internet looking for a replacement. Kept extra used one on the bike. When I sold mine it came with two spares. Another little problem the carbs are linked and tend to leak . Real pain in but to work on.
Last year I was looking for a cheap freeway flyer with saddlebags. Ended up finding a retired police ST1300. It’s as much fun as a minivan but gets the job done. The current prices on touring bikes will not assault my checkbook. Love the silverwing
Watched the intro a 2nd time, Epic
I'm wondering what's going to happen as the people with the disposable income to buy a tourer die. For those in the upper half of the country, long motorcycle rides are largely a seasonal activity, and for those in the southern half, they just have to deal with the fact that wages haven't been keeping up with inflation.
I wonder at what point Royal Enfield is going to decide that they want to introduce a larger motorcycle that's more in line with what the Silverwing represented, as they seem to be the main ones looking to expand the range of offerings of less expensive motorcycles.
I've read the ST1300 is decently sporty (for a tourer) and pulls pretty well, in the category its supposed to be tops!
@@Kingsoupturbopeople who sleep on the ST1300 are the dudes that get their shit rocked by a police officer riding them. They're fast bikes, and despite what the squids say they're not outrunning the cops on st1300s. They're better riders than most people on 2 wheels
@@SmallSpoonBrigade The call amongst the more astute Harley crowd is buying new is for suckers.
Plenty have a summertime fling with the outlaw biker image, only to leave that possibility languishing in the garage for when you have the time (I mean hell, I do it with books).
Eventually those bikes get sold for a steep discount, barely used. Maybe not SilverWing territory in its heyday, but there's ALWAYS someone trying to clear out their garage.
The notion of selling a competent piece of machinery for a decent price new left a decade ago. Everything now is hype.
@@XPsychowaffleXRyan should make a video about that! ;)
the only motorcyle channel that actually puts in effort in cinematography. Loving it!
Mate, you can't go wrong with these old bikes for touring. I've just fixed up an old FJ1200 and toured it around France and Spain. It's a perfect touring bike that is surprisingly good in the twisty roads.
Somehow the quality of the videos keep improving. Not by leaps, but steadily.
They are expanding the standard of a youtube review and merging with documentary, infographics and movies.
They are by now the reason i keep checking the channel to make sure i didn't miss a video
I had one,rode it everyday for a few years,to work and hollidays in wales,it never let me down and that huge fairing always kept me dry in bad weather. I loved every minute spent on this bike ❤
There is no place wetter than Wales riding in the winter ! I worked in Haverfordwest in 1970 and had a Bonneville that not only did not keep me dry but had Lucas electrics :) Thank God for Oiled Belstaff ...
In April my wife was perusing ads on marketplace and found an 83 GL650 Interstate . I’ve gotten very attached to it. It may not be the fastest or the best handling but it feels great to ride. It’s a great looking bike as well. Thanks to Ryan for reminding people what great bikes these are
I had a GL 500 but it was underpowered if you wanted to take a pillion. I then bought a GL 650 and it was perfect.
I had the 650 also. Loved it.
My dad had one of these when we lived in Ontario, we moved 3 times across the country since he originally left it parked in front of his friends house before the city had it towed. Took them 10 years to finally do it! Wish he never just let it stay there though.
The production quality of this channel never disappoints. By far the best motorcycle channel on YT
This and 44 teeth
It’s the best channel on RUclips.
It did disappoint me this time. His microphone is peaking throughout this video. Very badly at some points.
@@pyro637 Shaddip
@@pyro637 honestly I thought that was them doing an 80’s “bit”. You’re right though, audio production was off for this one.
One of the greatest tourer paired with one of the greatest production team on RUclips in the form of Ryan and co.
_Ingenious combo._
Look at the right side of the video at 0:44, at the red container.
I have the standard version, many happy years worth of riding on it.
I restored and rode a ‘79 CX500 as my first bike and I loved every mile on it. What a bike.
Honda CTX700D was a great SilverWing successor, especially with automatic dual-clutch transmission. I had one and sold it recently at 34K kilometers. Never had an issue, could do 500 km in a day without feeling tired, and averaged 3.2 - 3.4 liters per 100 km. That's 70 mpg. The bike shared the parts with NC range.
Ah yes I forgot about the CTX700! Was there a top box for it? ~RF9
I've got one, but I've often wanted to try a SW to see if I'm missing anything. And yes, you can get a top box for one.
Until recently, I had a '79 CX500C. I loved that bike. 43 years old and it ran like brand new.
Agreed. I had a EuroSport, and they threw all the bells and whistles at it. Maybe because it was the last of the line. I miss that bike more than every other one I've owned. Really rare now.
I've got an 82 C in my shed. Bought in 84. Parked it after 2nd stator died.
how much?
I owned that exact same bike !! Bought it in '79 .... sold my CX500 Custom in '83 .... worst m/c decision I ever made
I had one in 1979 and did 100,000 miles in 7 years with no breakdowns. Saw it 10 years later still going strong. Great bike
Hands down you’re are the best Host I’ve come across, not only on RUclips, but any shows similar on TV! You absolutely should have your own show/series on every major network!
I wanted to upgrade my bike to a small touring bike. I tried two Silverwings, and found out real quick, that once you are used to the smoothness of a four cylinder bike, you can’t go back to a two cylinder engine. I eventually bought a Goldwing, and loved the smoothness it provided.
I've been interested in a 4 cylinder engine/bike for a short bit now.
I started on a Rebel 250 (single piston), went to a Shadow 1100 (v-twin), and then back to a single piston bike (KLR650) and find myself just loving the single pistons more than a heavy V-twin.
Is there a light(er) weight 4 cylinder engine out there? Or is it only sport bikes and highway-couches??
@@MotoDash1100 Honda VFR800/1200 platforms, S1000XR, Tuono V4, Yamaha MT10, Kawasaki Z800, 900 and 1000 bikes. To name a few. It depends on the bike a lot. Good luck though :)
The GL1500 motorcycle is such a superb machine, with IMHO no equal for the low cost of ownership. With dedicated practice the big heavy bike (infinitely more comfortable on highway) can be ridden better than a novice can ride smaller machines.
Focus on skills, and don't rule out a bike because it's big or heavy
GL1500 was around 1400lbs with my wife and I combined with luggage for a 1500 mile trip. My 165lb and nearly 50 year old body was taxed only during some low speed riding, and the difference between passenger comfort on our GL 1500 gold wing, and that silver wing are huge beyond words.
Very few passengers would be able to take 1500 miles on the back of that Silverwing, and I would never consider interstate riding at high elevation on such an underpowered machine.
Without passenger and luggage, the big bike does not feel heavy at all to me, yes fully loaded it's a challenge to park, but can be mastered. There is no way around the huge lack of passenger comfort and equally huge lack of highway power of that Silverwing in comparison.
Why are old bike reviews so fascinating? More of these please
Putting HONDA SILVERWING on the barge in the background was a classy touch. Love your content Fortnine, it's so well put together. I foresee a big future for you.
Came looking for this comment :-)
it's those little details that make this channel unique,I thought I was seeing things at first.
Love that view of the rife and shovel side-by-side in the garage
This was my very first road bike. My father ended up giving it me because he upgraded to a Harley lol... By the time I have gotten the bike she already had 42000 miles on her.. The bike never gave up. She didnt have the power but it was always fun to do lawn burn outs with her lol.. This bike will always have a special spot in my heart. I wonder if that bike is still out there giving somebody the same joy it gave me🙂
The production of this video is exactly what the community at large desires. Way to go F9. Your continued dedication to quality, humor, and unique presentation is outstanding and honorable. 🙏🏻 My first bike was an ‘81 GL 500 silverwing, not quite as fancy as the one young Ryan is perched upon, but the stripped down, reddish/brown version. Odd for a bike tagged with “silverwing” to be brown imo…but such things were what we had in the wild and loose 80’s. It ended up being a fun, little, rural, hooligan machine. 😂
Top Gear quality at 10 min RUclips style.👌
All Goldwings are not gold.
@@stacyhamilton2619 fair point. And I’m still just as shocked. 😂
Had a couple of friends who owned them back in the day. The bikes were competent, and although uninspiring by big tourer standards, they were enjoyable for day trips. When one considers that much lesser bikes have circled the globe, they suddenly appear to be a brilliant answer to an unasked question, back then. Now, there might be more customers who would be thrilled by such a bike.
I've heard that the gearing was too low, that cruising speed was a little too 'buzzy'. Can you or your friends confirm that? Cheers.
Baggers can't even keep up with me where I ride my ADV Silverwing.
@@perrycalabrese3475motorbikes tend to be more of a fashion accessory these days. Everyone was riding cafe races 5 years ago and now it's all adventures. The only sport bikes you see are overweight 50 year old posers on a bmw r1000 or duca panagale that never go over 2k rpm. Tourers seem to be slow sellers as well and I doubt that's just down to the $30 grand prices.
My buddy had a Silverwing, I had the cx custom 550 in the 80s. Fun machines at the time. Damn I'm getting old.
The Honda CB 500X and the Kawasaki Versy 650 are probably the most comparable bikes to the baby Wing made today. I had a 2014 CB 500F and toured just fine with soft saddlebags and a rack on the back. Just don't expect a rolling couch with surround sound and just about any midsize standard bike can make a decent tourer.
I just did a 6000 mile tour around the western US last month on a Honda Cb500x that I turned into a pretty capable tourer. (Larger windscreen, barkbuster handguards, heated grips, comfier seat, and saddlebags) now it’s probably the closest thing to a modern “silver wing” that you can get.
I too have a "touring" cb500x and with a hair over 40k miles on her, I find it hard to justify a larger/faster/heavier bike!
Will it cruise comfortable all-day at 75-80mph ?
Let’s just say it prefers back roads and two lane highways. But I also did this trip fully loaded with camping gear and I’m 250lbs. A sub 200lb rider could probably cruise comfortably at 85 all day if they did a sprocket swap
@@JacobInzerillo If it was a 750cc it would be perfect....just my opinion
Great video! Honda did this trick again with the NTV650. I did 100,000miles on mine with no issue. 👍😎🤘😃
That Silverwing sounds exactly like the type of bike I would gladly own. Small enough to be a commuter yet with enough cargo capacity to go to the Alps for a few days? That's not just a small tourer, that's a VW Golf on two wheels
However, I think that the small tourer class was replaced by maxi scooters long ago. Like the Suzuki Burgmann you've reviewed a while back. Honda has a few of those in their line-up today
My '09 Ninja 250 has the capacity to go camping for a few days, sadly because it's carbureted and has a small displacement, the Alps would be asking too much. But, you can pack a surprising amount on it.
Consider the NC750 with aftermarket luggage. Saddly, the engine lacksthe character of the CX500/650 used in the Sliverwings but they can be had for around $5000 used and if you get a DCT model, 90% of the advantages of a maxi scooter.
I think small tourers would still sell in the US. We have a thing against scooters over here, remember.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade I have known people ride over the Alps on a 125cc scooter, and 200 cc motorcycles, keep the weight down, take your time and its no problem, you will lose a little power at high altitude, but knock it down a gear and you will be ok
NEW FORTNINE! WHOOO! MY FAVOURITE SEVEN-FOOT TALL 14-YEAR-OLD CANADIAN RETURNS!
Once again, great writing and editing by the whole team. Thanks for always introducing new bikes to explore
The writing is always so witty and humorous. Love it.
this guy just cannot stop coming out with QUALITY CONTENT. btw I loved the honda silverwing detail on the ship
This bike has one heckuva loyal following. You can't imagine the fierce loyalty of the owners until you've experienced it from behind the parts counter 🙂 Pacific Coast was/is even more so. Ah... the days of manual chokes. 😛
I owned one of theses 1988-1997. I enjoyed about 55k miles on this machine, including an epic road trip from my home in Los Angeles all the to Milwaukee, where I proudly parked it in the Harley Davidson headquarters parking lot. My CA license plate, along with many dead bugs on the windscreen earned me some respect from the bikers assembled there. I took a tour of the engine factory there, which at the time was building Evo units.
The Honda was a true friend. It never left me stranded anywhere. Engine valve adjustments can be done in 10 minutes with 10, 12, and 17mm wrench and two feeler gauges. The only weak component on the whole machine was the rear airshock, which developed a leak. It was ridiculously expensive to replace from Honda, and was unique to the GL500. I believe WORKS Performance eventually offered a coil over replacement.
Performance was leisurely, with my top speed achieved being 89mph. Engine RPM were always high--this engine is a revver! That said, the engine was designed for a turbo application, and is therefore quite over built and stout for a mere 500cc in na configuration. Expect about 6000 rpm for highway cruising in today's freeway system. You will always be hunting for the 6th gear that is not there.
I replaced my SilverWng with Honda's subsequent midsizer, Pacific Coast 800. That bike had many similar qualities, but was substantially less comfortable on long trips.
Later, I purchased a 20017 CTX700 (I prefer midsizers) and modded heavily in an effort to replicate the comfort and utility of the SilverWing. That project was a failure. The comfort just wasn't there.
Props to the production and editing team as per normal!
I had one of these back in the 80's. My dad had the Goldwing. He picked up the Silverwing for me because it was dirt cheap. It was a good bike and was 100% Honda. Turn the key and go. I now own its "replacement" the Silverwing scooter and it is a great little bike. It has a great CVT and a smooth ride. Mine has seen trips fro Chicago to New Orleans on a few occasions without breaking a sweat. Even though it is a scooter, it is still a Silverwing at heart.
Hart to beat the Silver Wing sport touring scooter.
Yes I wish they would bring it back too
We own 6 in various conditions. Love the silver wing! I’m a 5 ft 4 in woman, and this bike is a joy to ride!
Awesome. I also choose to own the same 80s Honda's. Ride safe.Hello from new Zealand.
Awesome. The most reliable version of a MotoGuzzi. I had one of these in the 80's. Great bike. Lots of torque, Easy to maintain.
08:49 , i do that smile every time i crank my ST1100. Disruptive felling rules
When I was in college I had an ‘83 GL650 Silverwing, bought used from Johnson’s Honda in Ellensburg, WA. Clear, aftermarket windshield, and a cool little tail trunk that could be fitted in place of the rear seat. Great little bike and, yeah, I’d ride one today!
Loved the begging of the video, love Fortnine, love how Ryan presents, and now I’m obsessed for a silverwing.
Dito! Plus I need a new safety razor and new glasses.
Love Ryans videos, he knocks it out of the park every time! A mashup of the old underdog touring bikes would be fun, wonder if he's ever done one? I'll have to look back and see if he has but I missed it.
I saw this video about last Summer and fell in love with the concept and look of the Honda Silverwing. I set out to find one and did, in of all places rural Oklahoma. I live in WI. It was a 1983 GL650 in near-perfect physical condition with about 16K miles on it. After a few calls and some photos shared, I decided to take the plunge.
After confirming it was in good running condition, I sent a small down payment and rented a 8 foot U-Haul trailer. When I checked in to get the trailer, unfortunately (fortunately, as it would turn out) they only had the 9ft version.
After traveling the better part of a day hauling the trailer to rural Oklahoma, I shacked up in a cheap hotel. Early the next morning, I drove another 30 miles into the middle of nowhere and met the seller. The bike started easily, but drove very roughly. I was crestfallen, until upon return he reminded me that the choke was still on. Ooops! I pressed the choke off and it ran like a top and I went out for another 30 minutes and it handled and ran flawlessly.
I as I started to trailer it, I realized the 8 foot version would have been shoehorning it on, the 9 foot version gave me a couple inches in front and back. I then drove the 12 hours home (stopping for water and food) running on adrenaline and excitement.
I would never have known about this bike, or even considered buying it if not for FortNine and seeing this video.
After checking oil and all the mechanicals out, I drove it about 250 miles last summer and have put another 100 miles this year due to an early spring. It is a dream to drive, you are totally protected and I cannot wait to pack my bags and drive it 800 miles on a long weekend touring around WI this summer.
Thank You, FortNine!
Adblocker off and will watch multiple times
The quality of the videos on this channel never disappoints
That will generate 0.001 pennies for the channel. Don't bother supporting Google.
@@ii7317 a million views for the channel will generate over 5k for them
If you feel they don’t deserve that money for the work put in please keep blocking ads
But I’ll do the right thing thanks
@@ImDavidJames if you want to support them, buying something from their shop will be much more effective, but 🤷♂
A CX500 was my second bike and I put 1000s of miles on it. Then I got a Silverwing and put on many more 1000s. Such a magic 1 up tourer. Never a problem with either.
The art direction and editing on this channel is great. Congrats. The love comes through.
Just picked up a 82 silver wing for $1600 bucks. I love it.
So, I was literally just thinking of the Silver Wing a few days ago, and it is like you plucked this straight from my brain! This is a bike I had been wanting for a while now because it is a smaller, inexpensive touring bike that I would love to tinker with and just ride. Thank you for all these great videos!!
Basic maintenance is easy (e.g. valve clearance). Good idea to have some SS protection tubing for when it gets dropped.
I’d totally buy this if Honda dusted it off and brought it back to life. I didn’t realize that ever existed. As always, amazing video….love the 80’s theme and the bags of coke in the luggage bag made me ROFL. Well done!
Nobody will buy it, at the moment the touring bikes are the adventure bikes.
These ones are the ones that you see travelling through countries and states.
@@fs5866 Funny how fads come and go. The adventure bike has the market now, its exemplar the BMW GS boxer has simply set the stage. While the adventure bikes are mostly very comfortable, they are also very tall, big and expensive. The GL500/GL650 is extremely comfortable, not too tall and not too heavy, though it is top heavy.
@@awuma Can't disagree with the whole premise of an adv bike, they do it all, certainly do not excel at any but they do it all, commuting, highway, bit of off-roading, can pack up luggage, can carry 2 people comfortably, they're plenty fast with loads of power, pack in the greatest tech of all the categories.
I mean, they certainly remove the need to have like 3 bikes for a different purpose.
Sure they are more expensive but once you buy one, it may as well be the only bike you will ever really need.
All of the romance, sap, and nostalgia of the best of old Top Gear - what a fantastic channel.
I had one of these when I was a young man in college the first time. I loved it. Mine wasn't in the best shape but it always got me there and back.
This was my 1st bike I bought used in 1989. Seeing this video makes me wish I kept it.
I hope that you kept it for a long time.
I've been riding a CX500EC (a sport-tour version of the Silverwing) for half a year now and it's been an amazing bike. These deserve way more love than they already get!
This video finally dropped in my feed even though I've been following Ryan for years. Not sure what RUclips is playing. Anyways I had to jump on and commend him - production standards, scripting... **everything** is wound up to 11 on this ep. It's been so fun to watch his growth. Right now the storytelling (10 months ago anyway) is off the charts. My job is a brand director, so I see all the hard to do bits that he goes above and beyond to do. And it makes clips like this so engaging. This is where Top Gear used to be. Well done to you and whoever is helping build out this amazing channel. Now... off to find myself a greywing, er oldwing, whatever the hell this amazing piece of retiree touring bike tech is.
this dude is good. so many hosts get it wrong. try too hard, too loud etc. this guy gets it right. content is great and he is super likeable. well done!
The Honda NT 700 V Deauville seems to be the legitimate successors of the Honda Silverwing. Simple yet modern, reliable and affordable. It's common sense to see in this kind of motorcycle the perfect tourer. Also for the average sized and framed rider those bikes are not too heavy. Thank you for this great review of a great bike. Cheers from Canada.
After being a owner I can't disagree. I just haven't bonded with it. Maybe one more year!😉
Ryan- there was an aftermarket kit which moved the top case farther back, and allowed room for the optional Honda pillion seat. I got my silver wing used, and came with a two piece seat and the top case. It was at least a year before I realized that configuration wasn't stock. It worked quite well. I ASSUME the stock silverwing allowed you to switch the top case with the pillion seat, and vice versa.
Your assumption about the seat is correct.
Same here. Bought one second hand with the aftermarket kit installed. First bike I ever purchased,
I had one back in the '90s, that had the aftermarket kit included. A great bike. Can't remember why I sold it, aside from the metallic brown paint... I guess I was fickle in my youth.
Owned a 1982 Silverwing (500). There was nothing I would change about that iconic motorcycle. Pure pleasure. So, why then did I sell it? I just do not know. For me, your moto videos are a lot like my Silverwing. Pure pleasure, clean and simple. Thanks again Ryan!
I put together a Frankenbike using a $300 78 CX500 and a $25(!) GL500 motor with 20,000km. Threw on a flea market Vetter Windjammer and bags.
Lightweight tourer for under a grand! Only problem so far a leaky water pump mechanical seal. With the help of RUclips that was fixed with engine in frame. Great video as always BTW!
My first bike was a CX500c so... this hits close to home!
Same! And my buddy had a GL500, basically a naked SilverWing.
Love this video, Ryan and the team did a great job. I do think Honda's NT700V Deauville hit a lot of the same notes as this Silverwing, especially with the factory topbox. I would love to see Ryan do a video with one of those.
I owned a '98 Deauville. It was beaten up, scratched, colour faded, but i loved that bike. I commuted to work day in, day out in all weather and it was excellent. Not too daunting for me as a (relatiely) inexperienced rider, enough power to keep to legal speeds, comfortable, and the scoop windshield kept the rain off. I'd love to see RF9 give it some attention.
My bro rode almost 100 000km on a Deauville. Called it the second ugliest bike in the world and only got rid of it when insurance wrote it off for a fist sized hole in the front fairing. He moved on to a V-strom 650, which he's now sold to me as my first bike.
Luggage latches are made of cheese, but I agree. I did 20k or so on mine (with factory top box), with the only issue being a fuel pump. Have plenty of warning before finally giving up
@@christophercox9150 I owned one too, it came with the optional extra wide pannier lids, I modified the left hand side fairing pocket to take a car radio. I did own a GL1500 before hand so yes I turned this bike into a mini Wing basically.
My first street bike was a Honda CX500 Custom. I miss that bike a bunch! First blast of freedom I had as a teenager. Hitting the open road, skipping school and riding all over the place...Honda hit home runs with that line of bikes.
that’s such a nice low key detail on 1:22. that’s one of the reasons i love this channel so much
I believe it already exists: I ride a Yamaha Tracer 7GT. Basically a MT07 with slightly altered suspension and a windscreen, fairing, comfort seat and storage. It cost me new in 21 10.000 euro and I absolutely adore the bike. It filters easy through traffic, can be economical and is comfortable for a days ride. The only thing it lacks is cruise control
yeah, an option for cruise control on mid range bikes would be so helpful.
i have a kawasaki 650 Versys year 2021, bought it new for £9k, and i bought a plastic palm grip, so as you put weight on it it clamps around throttle, but when you let go of it the throttle moves with your hand, makes life a bit straight forward for motorway journeys. (its called a Oxford Cruise Throttle Grip Assist if anyone looking for one).
It looks like that bike is UK and Euro only. I can't find any place that sells it in the states 😢
@@BladeoftheImmortal2005correct. It's made at Yamaha's EU factory and is specific to that market. Similar to the up-spec'ed Tenere's only in EU/UK
@@kkattrap dang because I would have probably looked into it
@@BladeoftheImmortal2005 if you an find a Versys 650LT, I know a few bike reviewers who claim that's the slightly superior bike
From Leo: I was a Honda salesman during those years. Honda did make the CX500 into a 650 in the last years. The 650 engine made a good improvement on bikes heavily loaded at highway speeds. Sadly, they never allowed the 650cc engine into the SilverWing version. They were too cramped for me because of my height, but the SilverWing was a well executed design.
1983 GL650 Silverwing Interstate
Owned a GL650 silverwing. They definitely made them.
I have one as well
The 1983 Silverwing had the 650 engine. It had more power, but also more heat and vibration
@@johnkuhn5814 No, actually it had less vibration because the bike was also geared higher, and generated no more heat than a 500.
The topic might be silver but the production was pure gold as always.
I rode the CX500 Turbo in Norway when I was young, this video made me smile and remember. Thank you!
I had all but forgotten the Silverwing. I'm happy that you resurrected yours. If it was in production now, Honda couldn't make them fast enough. It was far ahead of it's time as far as market niche. Great video.
Honda Silverwing was my first motorcycle, got it in 1996 at the age of 18 for $650 in good condition.
The interchangeable backseat/trunk option was awesome, I’d love to see them bring that back.
I have a Honda CX500, It is 40 years old, has over 100.000km/62.000mi, got passed through the generations and is still used for going on vacation.
I love it until death do us apart!
This was my first bike, I took my mc test on this, leaned everything on this. Thanks for taking me for a ride down memory lane, this was enjoyable. Can't forget that air filled suspension.
I love my Silverwing. Over 100000 km and still running strong with regular maintenance. As a beginner a while ago I wanted a small touring bike. The Silverwing was the only answer, because there is nothing else on the market nowadays. Mine is an ´82 in Silver as shown in the video.
The ONLY channel that I watch each video at LEAST twice. Man, you are a legend.
As far as the Silverwing, they'd be crazy NOT to bring it back.
What a pearl of a video... so much love went into this !!
i personally think the silver wing looks awesome, hits all the right nostalgia notes.
I would like to see Fortnine's take on Honda's mini moto lineup. I picked up a Monkey last year after riding every type of motorcycle for years and couldn't see myself ever getting rid of it. Although I would like to add a larger bike one day to my stable again, in addition of course.
@@sys-administrator Haha, that's part of the charm I think with alot of the mini moto lineup. They sure have expanded it alot over the years but we're certainly limited on which models are available here in Canada.
Congratulations, the Monkey is looking very tempting
@@sys-administrator That does sound pretty rad. I would love to take a Dax for a ride sometime. I need to go through the first few gears pretty quick on my Monkey when going through town, but I am able to get it up to 120km/h on the flats in 5th.
@@GregLanz Thanks, I got lucky finding one second hand with only 17km on the odo after the previous owner decided to sell due to some health issues. Every dealer I called had them pre-sold.
My 22’ NC750x DCT with Shad top box and saddlebags has everything you talked about. It handles like a dream, gets 70mpg, can comfortably carry a passenger and was only $10k.
I do love your videos and want to see you planning board where you figure out what your next episode will be. You have to be completely spaced out to come up with some of the ideas you use.
Thats true. I looked at an NC 700 when I had a CB 500. I liked it because it had the factory bags and a fairing. The one thing I wasn't sure of though was they made it more of a cruiser riding position, and I was never a fan of that riding style.
Looking for a light bike that could go two up, with luggage for mild touring, abs and low seat height I came up with the NC750 from Honda and the 650 Adventura from CFMoto. Both have slightly higher seats than I'd like. If Honda wanted to capture this market either develop the NC750 or better yet make a 1000cc opposed 4 cylinder, lightly stressed and making 75 - 85hp (dust off and modernize the original Goldwing) . Keep it light and cheap.
Is that American MPG? I would have thought it would get more if not. My triumph t120 gets 70mpg
@@cgmoog > 1000cc 4 cylinder
> Boxer
> Cheap
Take this inline twin and you WILL like it.
@@ilikelampshades6 My 2016 Triumph T100 got 55mpg.
I just bought a 82 Silver Wing to restore. It has been housed indoors its whole life. The last 11 years it has been in the warehouse of a bike dealer. Shortly after getting it home I found a parts bike for only minor cash so I brought it home too. Soon I realized that both bikes are in good shape. The parts bike has 24K miles on it and the build bike has only 21K on it. I plan to restore it to OEM GL500-Interstate. The parts bike will be stripped down to the GL500-D model. I fell in love with the D version of the bike first. I am 5'6" tall and this bike fits me well and at 74 the air suspension sounds great. I love this bike and restoring a matched set is too much fun. Vietnam Vet, Air Force mechanic.
You have some of the best production I've ever seen. Well done sir