Comparison: Piaggio BV500 and Honda Silverwing

[Domromer]

How is the leg room different between the two models. I always find the Silverwing a little cramped.

[gumshoe4]

Looking for tires for the SWing...I think the Bridgestones are getting tired and I don't like them much anyway.

Having done a little research, it looks like there are several good choices, which include the Pirelli Diablos, the Metzler Feelfrees and the Michelin PowerPures.

The Michelin tires are dual compound, which helps wear, but theoretically retains decent cornering...hard compound in the center tread and softer on the sides...that said, I've seen reviews that rate them OK...but I'm trying to do a bit better than that...the current Bridgestones are only OK or OK-, IMO.

The Pirellis get good ratings, the Metzlers also...Pirellis slightly better.

Anyone have any comments regarding these three choices or others I haven't considered?

[cdwise]

I had Pirellis on the 2007 Scarabeo which handled very well but I don't know how long they would have lasted. I've kicked myself for not having them transferred over when I traded it in for the 2009 (NOS last year). They are far superior to the ones that came on the 2009.

I've got Michelin City Grips on it and the GTS right now. They are pretty good but not as good at cornering as the Pirellis. From everything I've heard the Power Pures are probably what I'll get next time I replace tires.

[Cortez]

I got Power Pures on my scoot - got more grip then Dunlop Roadsmarts I had
on my Kawasaki. I heard a rumor that they made a new version of them
(the power pures), something to do with different with central grooves on the
tires that make the bike "catch" imperfection on the road and steer you
around a bit.

I've noticed my scoot does that, but it's not a big issue.

The grip is amazing, and there's no noticeable wear yet after about
4k miles (13" rear, 14" front, 30hp scoot, 400lbs dry).

They need a bit of warm up though before they work - I didn't expect
to be able to powerslide with them, but around town, on poor pavement
(and thanks in part to the performance CVT), I still can.

Tmax riders here are the most aggressive usually and they tend to prefer
GPR100 tires, and on smaller scoots the most aggressive riders mostly
use Diablo scooter tries.

I always liked Michelin tires on scoots (City Grips are fine too) so I'm stickin
with these.

[gumshoe4]

Good info, guys, thank you...I think I might try the Michelin PowerPures...price is good, also...

The grip issue is my primary problem with the Bridgestones...they're a hard compound, so they wear well, but just don't corner great...

I'll probably get the Michelins put on in the next few weeks and I'll let you know how all that works out...

Thanks for the info!

[Cortez]

[gumshoe4]

I got the Michelins and had the shop put them on...just got back from picking the bike up and riding it home.

Obviously, I haven't ridden on the new tires very far yet, but one thing I have noticed is that the new tires have no central groove, which means they don't catch much on rain grooves and longitudinal defects in the pavement. The old Bridgestones did have the central groove and would occasionally catch a bit...never a big issue, just a matter of staying loose on the bike...

As the weather here is cold and clear through the weekend, I might take a ride in the next day or two and will be able to provide more info about the performance of the Michelin Power Pures...more to follow later.

[Cortez]

Be careful, they take some time to warm up!

I've noticed riding in the sub-freezing temps last week that they tend to
let go more easily when accelerating then braking, and even on wet
roads the braking is great, regardless of the central groove.

Also, you might notice a slight "hesitance" when going from the central
part of the tire to the grooves since they're not aligned front-back.

Some say the tires are "unstable" but it's really a non-issue, just ignore it.

[gumshoe4]

Interesting. Is that hesitation due to the shift from the harder compound in the center of the tire to the softer compound in the sidewalls?

I'll watch for that. I'm always a bit cautious with new tires until they break in a bit, but didn't particularly notice anything weird on the ride home...

Thanks for the heads up, Cortez!

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by gumshoe4

Interesting. Is that hesitation due to the shift from the harder compound in the center of the tire to the softer compound in the sidewalls?

Nah, it's the grooves.
You'll hit the ones on the front wheel first, and when you start "leaving"
the area of the front grooves the rear grooves "kick in" giving you the
feeling of loosing traction for a millisecond while in reality everything is ok.

Originally Posted by gumshoe4

I'll watch for that. I'm always a bit cautious with new tires until they break in a bit, but didn't particularly notice anything weird on the ride home...

Thanks for the heads up, Cortez!

Np!

I've read somewhere that they had a lot of complaints about that and
that they are making, or have already made a replacement (under the
same name).

Never managed to confirm any of that.

These tires on my scoot in 14" and 13" sizes have more grip then what
I had on my Kawasaki 650R with Dunlop Roadsmarts, and those were
great, too!

[gumshoe4]

Well, the temp was up near 70oF this PM, so was able to put a couple of hundred miles on the new PowerPures.

I initially did feel the hesitation Cortez described above a little bit...mostly when the tires were cold (AM was cool...about 40oF), but VERY little and really not an issue at all.

As they warmed up, I no longer felt anything resembling hesitation or slip. What I felt, instead, was lots of very good traction and excellent cornering on the twisties. Very confidence instilling and exponentially better tires than the Bridgestones they replaced.

I will buy these again! Very impressed...thanks for the recommendation, Cortez and others!!

Here are a few photos from today, taken on the west side of the Sutter Buttes...the smallest mountain range in the world!

[Cortez]

[damasovi]

So amigo, I read the first page of this tread and notice you like your NEW scooter, also notice it was written in July and as a new scooter.

I see you still have the SW, so I wanted to ask if you still have the BV and how do you like it now that it has more miles? Or if you sold it and keep the SW, why?

Thanks

Damasovi

[gumshoe4]

Howdy! I still have both and love both. This is partly because they're both great bikes and partly because I don't really have any more $$$ to buy or trade anything else. Fortunately, my current "stable" is more than adequate for my needs.

Weather protection on both bikes is excellent, particularly after I replaced the wind deflector on the BV500 with a full Givi windshield.

I see the SWing as the "mule", the machine I use to tour and run long distances. It's highly reliable, has lots of storage space, good power and handles reasonably well. It averages about 50 mpg. Service points are pretty easy to get to and the factory service manual is good-even if I choose not to do the work, at least I can see clearly what has to be done.

I see the BV500 as the bike of choice for day rides and twisties. The BV500 is also reliable, though I initially had some issues regarding the speedometer and it was then I discovered that the Piaggio parts pipeline, at least here, is, shall we say, leisurely at best, despite the fact that my dealer is a major BMW/Triumph/Ducati/Vespa/Piaggio dealer about 5 miles from my house. That said, the BV500 continues to outhandle the SWing due to the lighter weight, weight distribution and larger wheels and is truly a joy to ride. It has reasonably good power, although nowhere near that of the SWing...I suspect that the new BV350's engine might be close in power output to the BV500 and probably much smoother. Storage is much less than the SWing under the seat, although front storage is much better. If I need to carry more, I put on the smaller Givi box. Fuel mileage is 55-60, which is fortunate because the fuel tank is pretty small...I made about 130 miles on the tank going over Carson Pass awhile back and so I think it's OK.

So, I love them both and will keep them both. Every time I think about replacing one or the other with something else, I just can't bring myself to do it...they're both such good machines and have pleased me very much.

Here are some recent photos of the BV500 on a short run into Amador County and back out through El Dorado County via the Shenandoah Valley, a big wine vineyard region east of Sacramento.

[damasovi]

thanks for the reply!!

They look like keepers!

Damasovi