Rode the new 2018 today....

[UTurn]

I eagerly anticipated the new/updated wing. I test drove one recently and agree with most replies on this thread. My impressions are both good/bad. The upgrades to the suspension and electronics/interface are certainly welcome and great. My issues are with the styling, fairing, flimsiness, and especially the storage. The '18 is certainly more angular and less rounded, with the square motor sticking out there as well as the small trapezoidal saddlebags. One thing I love about my F6B, is that I can fit a modular fullface in a saddlebag (along with a couple of pairs of gloves, a nylon pullover, my gerbing heated liner, small bag of bungy cords, small tool bag, and rain pants). The saddlebags are both small and odd-shaped, and couldn't fit my helmet. The trunk was small, too, and might fit one full face. The fairing didn't cover as much as the old. Riding in New England, it's nice to be ensconced behind the fairing in cooler/inclement weather (with baker wings to deflect air in warmer weather). While playing with the new parked '18's that the dealer had, I found that the plastics seem cheaper/thinner. I had a hard time opening/closing the trunk on a couple of the bikes there. I think I'll keep my '13 F6B (with HD King Tourpak I can add/remove in 5 minutes), or upgrade to a newer (<18) "full" Wing. I stopped by a BMW dealer and sat on the K1600GTL. That felt great, and the saddlebag fit my helmet, and the trunk was huge.

[VStarRider]

I eagerly anticipated the new/updated wing. I test drove one recently and agree with most replies on this thread. My impressions are both good/bad. The upgrades to the suspension and electronics/interface are certainly welcome and great. My issues are with the styling, fairing, flimsiness, and especially the storage. The '18 is certainly more angular and less rounded, with the square motor sticking out there as well as the small trapezoidal saddlebags. One thing I love about my F6B, is that I can fit a modular fullface in a saddlebag (along with a couple of pairs of gloves, a nylon pullover, my gerbing heated liner, small bag of bungy cords, small tool bag, and rain pants). The saddlebags are both small and odd-shaped, and couldn't fit my helmet. The trunk was small, too, and might fit one full face. The fairing didn't cover as much as the old. Riding in New England, it's nice to be ensconced behind the fairing in cooler/inclement weather (with baker wings to deflect air in warmer weather). While playing with the new parked '18's that the dealer had, I found that the plastics seem cheaper/thinner. I had a hard time opening/closing the trunk on a couple of the bikes there. I think I'll keep my '13 F6B (with HD King Tourpak I can add/remove in 5 minutes), or upgrade to a newer (<18) "full" Wing. I stopped by a BMW dealer and sat on the K1600GTL. That felt great, and the saddlebag fit my helmet, and the trunk was huge.

Do you think the lighter plastic is a move to save weight?

[opas ride]

Do you think the lighter plastic is a move to save weight?

Most everything today it seems is made with cheaper materials. Perhaps to save weight, which is a real concern as well as saving manufacturing costs..With all this tariff "crap" going on who knows what we will see down the road...If I had to guess, I would lean towards saving weight to keep fuel mileage up as much as possible....Ride safe