★★★★★ | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
The bike
One of the most unusual bikes I’ve ridden is the Suzuki Burgman 650. On one hand, it’s a twist and go scooter, on the other, it’s a luxurious tourer. In reality, it’s a bit of both. It’s one of the new crop of maxi scooters.
The Burgman is powered by a silky smooth parallel twin 638cc engine putting out 55 bhp and 62 Nm of torque. It’s velvety smooth and it’s mated to a Suzuki Electronic CVT gearbox (Continuously Variable Transmission), that’s a kind of automatic gearbox.
Riding
The Burgman is a pleasure to ride. The feet forward riding position takes some getting used to as does the twist and go gearbox, but it’s such an easy bike to ride. It’s lively, It turns in sharply and holds a nice line and is very easy to manoeuvre. The suspension is supple like a French car, and the ride quality is great. Cornering is easy, it’s eager to turn and even fun to throw around. I actually touched down the centre stand a couple of times but I was being a little daring.
Details
The dashboard gives more information than you know what to do with, but it’s not intrusive or distracting. It tells you when you need to change the oil, oil level, air temp, water temp, the time, plus there’s a great trip computer with information on fuel consumption, range and more.
A big seat, loads of storage, heated grips, electric folding mirrors, tall electric screen all add make it feel more like an adventure bike than a maxi scooter. Build quality was excellent, no exposed wires, no dodgy catches or rattling, squeaky panels.
Living With It
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Brakes are very good, it doesn’t dive or push on. An electrically adjustable tall screen means motorway miles are a breeze, the wind hardly touched me and you sit up straight too which means you can see over the cars in front.
I took the Burgman it on a 2-day road trip on all sorts of roads, 2 days luggage, my laptop and all manner of stuff crammed in the massive storage compartment under the seat. It’s practical, fun, easy to ride and economical. What’s not to like?
The Verdict
The Suzuki Burgman is bristling with equipment, it’s easy to ride, it’s comfortable and even economical. It sounds like the perfect do it all bike then right? It nearly is. The Burgman is a little long in the tooth, it’s a few years old now. It also suffers from an image problem in certain circles; is it a proper bike? But other than that, it really is a do it all motorcycle. Pop to the shops or ride across Europe, the Burgman will eat it up.
Build quality is great and its pricing is easily comparable with the competition, most of which have smaller engines too.
Loves
Comfort
Practicality
Easy to live with
Loathes
Snatchy at very low speed
In the company of big bikes, you feel inferior
It’s very wide when you’re filtering through traffic
Lowdown
Motorcycle – Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
Price – £9,199
MPG – 60.5 mpg (combined)
0-62 – 8.3 seconds
Power – 55 bhp / 62 Nm of torque
Top Speed – 110+ mph
Co2 – 109 (g/km)
