Silverwing is 20th scooter

I bought a 2004 SWing on Tuesday with 16K miles. It'll need about $300 worth the parts, so that should keep me busy through Thanksgiving. It has a tall Givi Windshield, Givi topcase, power outlet and JM CB radio. Depending on how complicated it is, I'll likely pull the radio transmitter out.

I've ordered a new plastic exhaust cover from China on eBay, but haven't gotten a tracking number yet. Not feeling great about that.

The rest of the parts are starting to trickle in. It'll need a full stem to stern overhaul, as the previous owner since 2017 didn't have any records-- so.... battery, brake fluid, oil/filter change, air filter, iridium spark plugs, CVT belt, coolant and probably a rear tire for good measure.

The battery was definitely weak; I always plan on a new one unless the seller has a receipt. The seat strut is flaccid, so I'll replace my block of wood with a 4" PVC in the near future. Removed the under seat bulb and installed a battery tender lead to simplify charging.

I'd been lurking around here anonymously a couple of weeks before buying, for due diligence. Thank you for all the good information. The scoot exceeds expectations. Good seating position, good power and predictable ride.

Welcome! Sounds like you have a handle on things but if you need any guidance there is a lot on this forum, feel free to look or ask!

I changed out everything you mentioned (except the coolant so far and the scoot was purchased with a new oil change, so I didn’t need to do that yet). Fairly easy to do it all. I recently did my brake fluid and I would highly recommend a MightyVac vs an electric vacuum pump for the brake bleeding (I screwed up using a special bleeder bottle and hand pumping the brakes which I believe drew air from around the threads f teh bleeder nipples- used the MightyVac afterwards and it took a while, but eventually I was able to build pressure in the lines and the caliper)- or, get a set of speedbleeders as they will make things very easy (I have them on my bikes and brake bleeding is a 5 minute job).

I have some cosmetic issues so that’s next, but I can take my time with those. If you’re changing out the belt, consider sliders (Dr. Pulley 26g weighted)- I just installed them and they do improve the acceleration as well as drop RPM by ~ 400-500 at the top end (at 70 mph).

The maintenance so far has been straightforward and simple.

I dreaded changing the spark plugs before looking at the instructions. It took 10 minutes.

The oil + filter change was simple, but I was surprised by the 24mm drain plug / spring loaded strainer combo.

The air filter took the most amount of tupperware to remove so far. Holy cow-- there were 12+ screws to the air filter box... Is air filter theft a problem with this particular model?

Changing the CVT belt and resetting the V belt was easier than expected. The trick in assembling the front "sprocket" on to the machined spindle is the squeeze the belts together at the back of the bike, which loosens the tension on the variator end. Made it easier to push that part in enough to get the 17mm bolt started.

New battery is in with a SAE battery tender lead sticking out. The scoot stumbled a bit when riding it home. I suspect the weak battery had something to do with it. That's been resolved, presumably with the fresh battery.

Will get to the coolant, brake fluid and rear tire change next. The handling seems a little off, so I need to check the tire pressures again. It's harder to roll out backwards from the garage than I'd expect, which could also point to low tire pressure. It could simply be the 450+ pounds.

I'm getting about 49mpg, which is what I expect.

All in all, a cool scoot. In 2016, I rode a Vino 125 from Canada 2 Key West FL. I was planning to ride a Kymco Grand Vista 250 from Ocean City MD to San Francisco CA next year. I may use this scooter instead.

Was planning to donate or sell the Kymco once I got to CA and fly home. If I took the Honda, I'd need to ride it back..