Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128141
2002 Honda Silver Wing Everything I needed to know about the Silver Wing came to me on the Long Beach Freeway. Cruising along at 70 mph behind Toland, I saw him switch lanes in preparation for an exit. There was a car between hil)1 and me in the lane to the left of me, so I gave the Silver Wing a bit of stick to attempt a pass before the approaching exit. Zing. I was there, ahead of the car and flicking it right off the freeway off-ramp. Simple Simon, power to spare. I couldn't have done it any better on a CBR600 F4i. Now that I've brought the Silver Wing back to the palatial Cycle News offices, I've answered nothing but questions about the bike. "How fast is it?" "How much does it weigh?" "Man, that's cool." "How big is the engine?" Put it this way: Not since the VRod first made its way to our offices has a motorcycle (okay, scooter) drawn so much attention. WHAT IS IT? STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL CARRUTHERS Take everything you've ever known about scooters and throw It out the window. The Honda Sliver Wing Is no ordinary scooter. II) rior to taking our first spin on the Lr" new Honda Silver Wing, Honda tech man Doug Toland (a former World Endurance Champion) couldn't say it enough: "Remember, it's a scooter." Okay, Doug, we get it. It's a scooter. After riding the Silver Wing a few miles on the road from American Honda's headquarters in Torrance, California, to nearby Palos Verdes, I could understand Toland's persistence on the matter. The Silver Wing definitely doesn't feel like a scooter. In fact - without a doubt - the Silver Wing is the fastest thing I've ever swung my leg through. You really have to use the term "scooter" loosely when talking about the Silver Wing. Sure, your legs are in front of you as you sit, scooter-style, on its plush, Gold Wing-like seat. Sure, the brakes are in your hands, rear in the left, front in the right. Sure, you don't shift gears, instead letting the bike go through the motions all by itself. But that's where the comparisons between what you think a scooter is and the reality of what the Silver Wing is suddenly differ. The thing hauls ass, handles well, stops well ... it can't be a scooter, can it? Well, yes, it can. Welcome to Scooterville, the way it's supposed to be. Welcome to 50 horsepower, 37 foot-pounds of torque. 28 FEBRUARY 13, 2002' cue I e n e _ s Powered by a 582cc parallel twincylinder engine, the Silver Wing is unique in its uniqueness. If that makes sense. The engine's 360-degree crankshaft design uses two balancer shafts that are built into the crankcase. One balancer spins the same speed as the crank and is located above and in front of the crankshaft; the other is below the crank and to the rear. Together, they cancel out vibration both vertically and longitudinally for "comfortable cruising."