I could have called it a review, but what the ......
First I have owned V Twins, parallel twins, triples, inline 4s and flat 6. Recent bikes are GL1800 ABS 191,000 km (still have), 650R (25,000 km gave to daughter #2) and the N1K (1200 km).
What's good about the N1K
1 Gobs of torque. You can accelerate smoothly in top gear from 2000 rpm
2. Surprisingly good fuel economy. Even though not fully broken in I have one tank at 5.3L/100km or over 50 mpg (Imperial gallons) most of the rest were 5.8 (49 mpg) Don't get me started on those other gallons and that piddly 16 oz glass they call a pint.
3. Range between fills so far is 275 km to 325 km
4. Handling and acceleration
5. Traction control with all the dust and gravel from winter sanding covering the intersections.
What's missing
1. better weather protection/wind screen
2. stability in cross winds
3. seat is still under review. Definitely not Wing comfort so far. Maybe it will get better over time, but I would hesitate to put in a 1600 km day on it while the Wing with a stock seat is just fine. (I must have an Asian size ***.) The seat may get better with time, but so far I am happy the tank is not bigger. I will hold off on seat changes till I get some more time on the bike.
4. Fairing pockets for stuff.
5. Self cancelling turn signals. Come on, touring bikes in the 80's had them so 30 years later it should be a standard feature on all bikes. Even if it was a simple version of xx seconds or xx meters would keep you from blinking away for a few km. Doesn't need to have a lean angle sensor to be OK.
6. There are some minor other things, but I will probably not miss them once I put a few more miles on
It is nice to have two bikes to choose from. The N1K has a big grin factor that gives it the nod for short rides. I have an over nighter panned for early June with 2 x 500 km days in a group ride that will have stops at least every 200 km. That will help me better decide if I want to use it on longer distances in a day. But if it is wet or higher winds then the Wing gets the nod for the trip.
Let me explain the wind. I live on the east slope of the Rockies in an area where a gentle breeze is less than 50kph. On the N1K with a 50 kph cross wind you could feel the wind trying to lift your helmet. Today the wind warning sign said wind wind speed was 69 kph (43 mph) and the gusts were quite a bit higher than that. I would guess in excess of 80 kph. Never had any helmet lift issues with the Wing, although a passenger on the Queen's throne definitely would. At 100 kph semis with empty trailers get blown over. I was comfortable on the Wing. Mind you on the north/south sections I was increasing my tire life as with the constant lean of varying degrees I never used the centre strip. Did about 150 km north/south and another 80 east/west
The torque the N1K and the Wing have means once you get to top gear you can just leave it there. Both have more than enough grunt for passing etc without down shifting. If anything I would almost say the N1K has even more oomph at lower RPMs even though it has less torque. (80 lbs versus 125) making top gear more flexible. I would be more inclined to drop a gear on the Wing than the N1K in similar situations. The Wing has better fuel economy despite an 80% bigger engine and a lot heavier bike. I am hoping with a few more miles and possibly a 16 tooth front sprocket the N1K will be as good. If it isn't NBD just greater range is always nice. A 300 km range means I am better than most bikes, but when travelling with a group would need to fill at every stop as I could not go two stops without needing fuel. The Wing with over 400 km range usually only needs to fill every second time.
The Wing is like driving a big V8 compared to the N1K. It might beat the N1K across an intersection, but then the hp of the N1K kicks in and by the other side of the intersection it would be passing the Wing on its way to disappearing in the distance. The handling is quite different, but the Wing doesn't lose as much in the twisties as you would think. It is a very solidly planted bike that inspires confidence and allows you to be more aggressive. So far on cold pavement the N1K doesn't feel as solid on the front wheel. Time and tweeking of the suspension adjustments should cure that.
