Just came back from an overnight trip on my Silverwing and I gotta say my only complaint is legroom. How do more upright large scooters like the BV500 compare in terms of legroom? Just kicking around ideas for my next bike and legroom is something I'd like to have more of.
I have done tests sits on the following bikes and have ridden one or two. Obviously, this is my highly subjective opinion... The Burgman 400 and 650 both have more leg room. The Piaggio BV500 has more leg room. The new BMW C650 has more leg room...a lot more. The TMax, at least the version we got here in the States, has more leg room, but also a longer reach to the ground. I like my SWing, but there are machines out there which are more comfortable and have more leg room and are better ergonomically. I probably won't buy another SWing, athough it's been reliable, carries a lot of stuff and has been a decent touring machine. I might seriously consider the C650 as a replacement, although it ain't cheap.
So pretty much everything has more legroom than a Silverwing... Just my luck. I sat on a Burgman before and really liked it. The downside was my passenger hated it. She is tiny and found the Burgman much wider than the wing and she had to slide way forward to sit comfortably. If it was just me I'd probably go for the 400 Burgman it ticks all the boxes,more legroom,more storage,and better mpg.
Two things- is it your bike or the pssengers bike? Second, an easy way to more leg room if you like the bike, is to take it to an upholsterers and have 1" more foam added to the seat.
I have a 32 inch inseam and had a bit of trouble with legroom on my SW. Installed one of those buttrest to backrest conversions. Found it on eBay for around 50 bucks or so. Raises the buttrest up so pad contacts the small of your back and gives your butt a bit more room. I gained about two inches of legroom and it made a world of difference! If you are 6'5" or so it might not help :huh Good luck!
A 650 Burgman will give you more legroom and with my backrest will give you 2 to 3" of additional leg room.
I did the mod myself (I think leroybeal.com? has the details) and found it made a world of difference in comfort. I also have a 32" inseam (plus another 1" or more for the boots). Plus, it takes some of the strain off your shoulders, since you have actual back support instead of a butt stop. One of the best mods for the bike. Also, try using a seat pad to raise you a bit higher. It also lets your knees straighten out a bit more.
I recently tried all the maxi scooters, and my favorites were first the BV500, because of it's more scooter like seating position, and the fact the the floorboards weren't 4 foot wide. I could actually put my feet on the ground on both sides at a stop. My second favorite was the Silverwing, because despite it's floorboards being too wide, there was a cut out section that would allow you to get your feet on the ground at a stop without hanging your legs way over the floorboards. The Majesty was worst, I could not get both feet on the ground at a stop, and the edges of the floorboards hurt my legs when I tried. I never even thought about legroom, even though I have a 34" inseam, I am used to riding a Zuma 125 and a Vino 125, and a Genuine Stella 150. I did get highway pegs for the Zuma, but only so I could use the entire floor as a place to pack stuff on trips.
Jerry, I think you need a Morphous. There is no modern scooter I know that is lower than the Morphous...if you can't flatfoot on that, stick to driving a car.
The problem was not the seat height, it was the floorboard width. A motorcycle (well most of them) are very skinny where you would put your feet when stopped. A KLR, even though the seat is tall, is not much wider than a mountain bike. Maxi scooters are WAY wider than a KLR, or most motorcycles. I ride my Zuma 125 quite often slid way back on the seat, with my legs hanging over the sides, and the seat is high enough that my feet are a good 6" above the road. I slide forward when I need to stop. But measure the width of the floorboards on a Zuma 125 and a Majesty or Burgman. They are so wide that they spread my feet to far apart to be able to reach the ground easily. Honda must have realized this, as the floorboards on the Silverwing do not go as far back as the other maxis, so you have a straight reach to the ground from a normal seated position, without the floor getting in the way. It's still a big cumbersome scooter, but I did not feel uncomfortable holding it up at a stop. I never did get to actually ride any of them on the road, so I have no idea how they would handle, but I'll bet they handle way different in turns than either a Goldwing or a small scooter.
JerryH says" I never even thought about legroom, even though I have a 34" inseam, I am used to riding a Zuma 125 and a Vino 125, and a Genuine Stella 150." And has trouble flat footing on some scooters? I call BS big time.
I'm there opposite. I'm 6ft but have a 28" inseam. I don't know how you taller guys don't feel super cramped on the Silver Wing. I think the buttrest to backrest will be a project for this weekend.
big ruckus has leg room once you move the front floor boards forwards I been told. Not that hard to do just making a custom so you can move them if you ve got over 36 inch inseam
