MotorBikes: Road testing the Honda Silver Wing 600 Despite its appearance, the scooterish-looking Silver Wing is indeed a 'real motorbike', writes John Wheeler
When it comes to names, Honda like to recycle. The name Pan European, which rightly belongs to their best-ever touring machine, has also been given to one of their grass-cutters. Similarly the Silver Wing name, which belonged to one of their best-ever motorcycles, a partially faired version of the CX 500 and 650s, has been revived for a scooter.
This is not quite as sacrilegious as it might seem. In truth the Honda Silver Wing 600 scooter is more of a motorcycle in scooter clothing than what many would expect of a scooter. With a twin-cylinder 600 cc engine and automatic transmission, which means no loss of momentum due to gear changing, it can more than hold its own with conventional motorcycles of similar size. Also it sounds like a motorcycle rather than a hysterical hair dryer.
It has all the convenience and comfort of a scooter. The mechanical bits are well hidden. It is easy to clean. The rider is very well protected from the elements. It has a low centre of gravity and is very stable. Yet it has all the attitude of a motorcycle. It can move off from a standstill up to around 60 mph at a pace that can surprise many a motorcyclist. Its acceleration in the 40 to 70 mph range is excellent; and in the right conditions and circumstances it can cruise happily at 100 mph, even then it is not flat out.
The 16-litre tank is enough to give over two hours of very fast cruising between fills. This machine has the power on British and European motorways where, these days, if you do not want to remain behind 60 mph traffic in the "slow" lane, you really have to be doing 85 mph or more.
Like so many scooters it has, by motorcycle standards, small wheels. If you have been used to a conventional motorcycle you would notice that, and would probably think it a bit uncertain on corners, especially on a less than perfect surface.
Yet not once on our long test run, when it was pushed a good deal harder than most would ride it, did it give a moment's concern, not even when some kind contractor had left a decent-sized cobble right on our line. It also wafted through a series of hairpin bends with confident ease.
On narrow roads we could feel the bow wave blast from oncoming lorries more than one would with a larger wheeled machine, but never to the extent that the machine was thrown off its chosen line.
Throughout the brakes were excellent. Just how good was seen when a cement truck decided to do a crash-stop right in front of us. The suspension coped well with poor surfaces.
The seating position is very comfortable both for rider and pillion. The test machine was fitted with a Givi topbox which has a backpad for the pillion passenger, a useful addition.
Beneath the dual seat is a stowage compartment large enough to take two helmets, or half-a-week's groceries. There are two glove lockers, one lockable, in the scuttle. The windscreen offers good protection, but round about the legal limit a tall rider would experience some wind buffeting. A slightly more vertical aspect might cure this. The mirrors are well placed and give a good rearwards view.
It comes with Honda's sophisticated and ingenious ignition immobiliser system which ought to be a standard fitment on every machine. The side-stand is of the spring back variety. A trifle awkwards at first because you have to keep your foot on it until it has taken the weight. It is very easy to lift on to the centre stand.
In dense traffic its relatively large size and 770 mm width presented no problems. It is so stable that "filtering" through the traffic was every bit as easy as with the smallest machine. It really came into its own, not just on the open road but also on the narrower, twisty back roads. The engine is sufficiently powerful that overtaking, a heart-in-mouth exercise with many scooters, became a delight.
This is a machine that can happily combine the daily commute with brisk cross-country trips and would enjoy being asked to head for the Riviera. Many motorcyclists regard scooters of any kind as under-powered poor relations. Not so with the Silver Wing. It may not look it, but it is "a proper bike".
TECH SPEC:
Engine: 582cc, liquid-cooled four-stroke, eight-valve DIHC parallel twin. 10.2:1 compression. Electronic fuel injection, digital ignition. V-matic transmission. 50 bhp @ 7,500 rpm
Chassis: Front suspension: 41 mm telescopic forks, 120 mm travel. Rear: dual conventional dampers with five step preload, 115 mm travel. Brakes: Front: 276 mm disk, three piston callipers. And ABS. Rear: 240 disk, dual piston callipers and ABS. Wheels: front 14-inch, rear 13-inch
Dimensions: Wheelbase 1,595 mm, seat height 740 mm, dry weight 230 kg. Fuel capacity 16 litres, including 3.5 litre reserve.
Insurance: Group 7
Price: 10,492