Part 1 - What's a SilverWing?
Anyone who has even a passing familiarity with motorcycles knows a
GoldWing is Japanese Hog Heaven, but even
experienced bikers return a blank stare when you mention a SilverWing.
Back in the late 1970s Honda developed a shaft driven, water-cooled,
turbocharged bike which had a Motto Guzzi style perpendicular mounted V-twin
engine. Those who rushed out to buy one quickly discovered that waiting for the
turbos to spin-up and the power to kick it is not something you want to do when
you are leaning into a tight curve at 100 mph, so this $10,000 was not very
popular. (Note: For a detailed -- and far more accurate -- story about the
development of the Turbo and CX please see this background story contributed by Eirik Skjeveland, of
Norway.)
Not one to let expensive R & D and tooling go to waste Honda built and
marketed a conventional street bike -- the CX500 -- around its radical -- for
them -- 500cc water cooled engine. The CX500 was a moderately successful, albeit
ugly, bike which is still popular with commuters. In 1981 Honda, seeking to cash
in on the huge popularity of the GoldWing created a smaller version around the
CX500 and in the process turned the ugly duckling CX500 into a swan; the Honda
SilverWing Interstate.
Honda replaced the ugly rear spring/shocks with an internally mounted
(i.e. invisible) air adjustable "ProLink" mono-shock similar to what they used
on their motocross bikes, and added a second disk to the front wheel which also
rode on an air adjustable fork. These two changes improved the appearance,
handling, and braking performance. The "SilverWing Interstate" package consisted
of full frame mounted fairing -- exactly the same as the one on the GoldWing --
and a very cleverly designed seat / luggage rack / saddle box arrangement.
The bench seat was split into two parts and the passenger half could be
removed and replaced with a streamlined looking luggage box which was tapered so
it was smaller at the top than at the base. This box was designed to open at
both the base and the top using a clever two-way latch. You could easily access
small items by opening the top lid and by opening the bottom it was possible to
stow a full coverage helmet.
The saddle boxes were equally well designed, sculpted to match the
lines of the bike and easily removable. The same locking latches which secured
the passenger seat / luggage box also served as the rear support for these
saddle boxes. The front support for the saddle box was a push button clip
identical to a seat belt buckle. It was possible to mount or remove the saddle
boxes in seconds by simply unlocking the rear catch and pressing the release
button in front, and folding the front support arm out the way. The back of the
box even had a spring catch for holding the support arm in place and there was a
built-in handle which allowed the box to be carried like a suitcase.
The sum total of the innovative engine / powertrain and the cleverly
designed luggage system was a small bike that looked good, performed well around
town and for short road trips, and offered the storage space and convenience
needed by a solo, suit and tie commuter like myself. The same type of integrated
design can be seen on the Honda Pacific Coast Highway, but in my opinion Honda
went too far on the PCH, completely disguising the fact there is a motorcycle
underneath the plastic.
Like a Beemer, there was something comforting about having the
cylinders of the SilverWing up in front, next to your knees. It was a great way
to warm your hands in the winter too! Compared to my previous bikes, an 1968
BMW R60/2 and an 1969 BMW R50/2, the SilverWing had plenty of power, albeit at
much higher RPMs. The SilverWing was in many respects more like a Beemer than
its big brother the Goldwing in that everything on it was no-frills functional
but extremely well engineered. That, and the fact I was able to buy a mint
condition, year-old specimen for only $2,500, is how I came to own the burgundy
1981 Honda Silverwing Interstate which is now tooling around downtown
Lumbambashi, Zaire.
To be continued: I owe my good fortune to a
Harley owner
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