After 12 years of riding a '93 ST1100 around the eastern US, bought a great condition 2000 GL1500se to take its place.
Being able to easily stop flat footed and older age on flat Florida roads steered me to the Wing for rest of life riding instead of a trike.
Now that I've had the Wing for a couple months, what was Honda thinking?
I do like the Wing and will keep it, but it seems every time I do something, the ST does it better. If you are considering a change to a Wing, just some things to think about. Now, my ST is setup more like a Wing, with Russel seat and ST1300 top box, so not everyone with an ST will notice these ST/Wing differences.
Wing con's:
Storage. You mean the Wing doesn't hold more than a ST?
I can't even put my cell phone in either front pocket. Left pannier is not large enough to hold my helmet unless I remove tool kit. Tank bags seem like a "what's that" with the Wing, and tough to find. With vent in windscreen, no room above dash for storage. 160lb Wife would use my ST backrest pouch to hold snakes when we ride, but on the Wing I had to actually remove the backrest so she would have enough room to be comfortable back there, so no easy snack access. The rear cubbies on the Wing do not allow her easy access, and they seem to easily break, so trying to avoid using them. ST no problem for any of this. On a side note, both wife and myself agree the Russel ST seat is more comfortable than the Wings sofa.
Power.
Due to size and weight, I expected the newer flat 6 cylinder 1500 Wing to be a little less powerful than the old V4 1100, but not this bad. The ST takes off more like a crotch rocket, while the Wing feels slower than my Honda Civic. Even at highway speeds, downshift the ST and it takes off, while the Wing goes more like a car.
Economy and range.
300 mile trips from Tampa to Ft Lauderdale were nothing on the ST. The Wing, with its smaller gas tank and worse mpg, means 200 miles is about all we can go on a tank.
Brakes.
ST stops short and fast. Wing stops like a large truck, scary at times. Almost no play in front brake lever of the ST, while the Wing almost feels like you have another clutch lever to pull (slightly exaggerating of course)
Ease of maintenance.
Wing does not have a key you turn to remove saddlebags, topbox or seat. All that stuff needs to have tools to remove. Plastic needs removed for almost everything, and there is a lot of plastic. Photo below shows stuff I removed to change filters on the Wing. I hear the rear tire change is a couple hours work, just to get it off.
Other stuff.
The HUGE old school radio/cb does not lend itself to easy upgrades. We use bluetooth headsets with FM music, plus full access to mp3's and anything phone related, all changed by talking into headset, hands-free. Wing radio controls on left grip are ugly and get in the way of mounting additional farkles. The two huge Wing antennas are as useful as a trunk CD changer in a car.
Forums:
Wing forums try, but the info out there for the ST is far more advanced and easy to find. I still haven't found saddle bag liners custom fit just for the Wing, while I was able to get them instantly for the ST, and at a low cost. We'll end up using the ST liners in the Wing.
------------------------------------------------------------
Now, stuff I like about the wing:
It is quieter.
Being able to sit flat footed when stopped and not wearing riding boots. The ST when stopped feels like it is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the Wing. But when moving, the ST feels much lighter than the wing.
Other non-Honda riders actually wave now. The Wing being Black with a lot of chrome might help as it could be confused with other american motorcycles. Harley riders are a LOT more friendly now. The Wing seems to fit in better with society.
Wing Cruise control is much better than ST's throttle lock.
Wings has ton's of wind protection, but also a lot of vents. I can ride at any speed with visor up. Riding the ST with tall windscreen and visor would slam down anytime I went above 30mph. Wife and I can actually talk at speed without using headset. In Florida the foot warmers are useless, but they do work as they were stuck open and I had to modify to keep them closed.
Carb rebuilding was much easier on a flat 6 with 2 carbs than a V4 with 4 carbs.
Forgot to mention:
Reverse. This is sweet. I am able to ride the Wing around tight obstacles like pathways and a car to get in and out of backyard shed, all thanks to reverse.
------------------------------
The photo below shows what needs to be removed to change filters on the Wing
.
Being able to easily stop flat footed and older age on flat Florida roads steered me to the Wing for rest of life riding instead of a trike.
Now that I've had the Wing for a couple months, what was Honda thinking?
I do like the Wing and will keep it, but it seems every time I do something, the ST does it better. If you are considering a change to a Wing, just some things to think about. Now, my ST is setup more like a Wing, with Russel seat and ST1300 top box, so not everyone with an ST will notice these ST/Wing differences.
Wing con's:
Storage. You mean the Wing doesn't hold more than a ST?
I can't even put my cell phone in either front pocket. Left pannier is not large enough to hold my helmet unless I remove tool kit. Tank bags seem like a "what's that" with the Wing, and tough to find. With vent in windscreen, no room above dash for storage. 160lb Wife would use my ST backrest pouch to hold snakes when we ride, but on the Wing I had to actually remove the backrest so she would have enough room to be comfortable back there, so no easy snack access. The rear cubbies on the Wing do not allow her easy access, and they seem to easily break, so trying to avoid using them. ST no problem for any of this. On a side note, both wife and myself agree the Russel ST seat is more comfortable than the Wings sofa.
Power.
Due to size and weight, I expected the newer flat 6 cylinder 1500 Wing to be a little less powerful than the old V4 1100, but not this bad. The ST takes off more like a crotch rocket, while the Wing feels slower than my Honda Civic. Even at highway speeds, downshift the ST and it takes off, while the Wing goes more like a car.
Economy and range.
300 mile trips from Tampa to Ft Lauderdale were nothing on the ST. The Wing, with its smaller gas tank and worse mpg, means 200 miles is about all we can go on a tank.
Brakes.
ST stops short and fast. Wing stops like a large truck, scary at times. Almost no play in front brake lever of the ST, while the Wing almost feels like you have another clutch lever to pull (slightly exaggerating of course)
Ease of maintenance.
Wing does not have a key you turn to remove saddlebags, topbox or seat. All that stuff needs to have tools to remove. Plastic needs removed for almost everything, and there is a lot of plastic. Photo below shows stuff I removed to change filters on the Wing. I hear the rear tire change is a couple hours work, just to get it off.
Other stuff.
The HUGE old school radio/cb does not lend itself to easy upgrades. We use bluetooth headsets with FM music, plus full access to mp3's and anything phone related, all changed by talking into headset, hands-free. Wing radio controls on left grip are ugly and get in the way of mounting additional farkles. The two huge Wing antennas are as useful as a trunk CD changer in a car.
Forums:
Wing forums try, but the info out there for the ST is far more advanced and easy to find. I still haven't found saddle bag liners custom fit just for the Wing, while I was able to get them instantly for the ST, and at a low cost. We'll end up using the ST liners in the Wing.
------------------------------------------------------------
Now, stuff I like about the wing:
It is quieter.
Being able to sit flat footed when stopped and not wearing riding boots. The ST when stopped feels like it is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the Wing. But when moving, the ST feels much lighter than the wing.
Other non-Honda riders actually wave now. The Wing being Black with a lot of chrome might help as it could be confused with other american motorcycles. Harley riders are a LOT more friendly now. The Wing seems to fit in better with society.
Wing Cruise control is much better than ST's throttle lock.
Wings has ton's of wind protection, but also a lot of vents. I can ride at any speed with visor up. Riding the ST with tall windscreen and visor would slam down anytime I went above 30mph. Wife and I can actually talk at speed without using headset. In Florida the foot warmers are useless, but they do work as they were stuck open and I had to modify to keep them closed.
Carb rebuilding was much easier on a flat 6 with 2 carbs than a V4 with 4 carbs.
Forgot to mention:
Reverse. This is sweet. I am able to ride the Wing around tight obstacles like pathways and a car to get in and out of backyard shed, all thanks to reverse.
------------------------------
The photo below shows what needs to be removed to change filters on the Wing
.
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