[hyak107]

I'm going to look at a 2003 Burgman 400 tomorrow. It has 6,429 miles on it and looks to be in good shape. I was an avid motorcyclist up until two years ago when I hit a deer on my way to Yellowstone. I was gun shy afterwards and sold my bike within a few months.

Anyway, I'm looking to get back in the saddle, but am only planning to do short trips the occasional ride into work. I rode scooters when I was younger and always loved the simplicity, just get on and ride.

The asking price for the 2003 is $2,000, which seems reasonable to me considering the low miles. Does it seem about right to y'all?

What things should I look out for since it's an 11 year-old scooter? I know motorcycles, but the Burgman seems to be a much different animal.

One last question, how are the headlights? I don't think I'll ever get over hitting that deer, but I guess that's a good thing. Good headlights are important to me for deer avoidance :tongue:.

 

[Chérie]

This is 12 y.o. bike $2000.00 is lot of money for old bike.

Replacement to consider if done 3-4 year ago or more, tire, brake fluid, all new brake line, radiator flush, all new rad hose, new coolant, front & rear caliper cleaning and pin lubrication perhap even rebuild, new rear belt, possibly because of rust front & rear wheel bearing, front & rear brake pad, etc. etc., lot of money even if do yourself.

 

[Liamjs]

Yes, for that amount of money, I'd opt for a newer model, even one with a bit more mileage. Your talking 500 miles per year on that bike. I did that last weekend on my 650. Not much exercise means carb tarnish and all kinds of issues Cherie pointed out.

I'd opt for an 08 or better. It has a Bigger engine, efi, dual disks in front, new clutch, styling, etc.

Blue book has them in the $2-3k range.

Good luck.

 

[Jeff_MdR]

Though year-to-year improvements are minor, over 12 model years the refinements add up (especially in 07 - 08 ). Even if this bike were 'showroom fresh', $2K is way too much for a 'primitive' 400. I too suggest searching for an 08+. If you have budget constraints, and the 03 seems to be well taken care of, and you don't want to wait until a better bike comes along, I'd offer no more than $1200-1300 tops. If you do your own wrenching, that would be an OK deal.

Re: the headlights, low beams are adequate, high beams are good. Better bulbs are readily available at low cost.

 

[Quantum Mechanic]

hyak, congratulations on returning to the saddle. I very nearly came to an end myself last year, just avoiding a high speed deer hit thanks to my Burgmans abs brakes. Closest I've come to going to the emergency room in 43 years of riding. I understand the effect it has had on you.

I tend to agree with Liam, Cherie and Jeff. The early Burgmans are great bikes but the cost being asked for that one, unless it has full service history which has taken care of all the things Cherie lists, is probably not the way to go. As said, the refinements on the 07 onwards bike are huge. More power, better fuel economy, better ease of maintenance, and better features. Suspension and some frame parts are much better too. And parts are more plentiful if you like to diy bikes yourself. In this case, the lower mileage is NOT an advantage. It's better to buy a higher mileage bike that has been used more as the engine will not have been standing idle with condensation forming and causing corrosion on the engine internals. Front fork oil seals tend to dry out over time too if the bike is left idle for long periods and those may suddenly let go once the bike is pressed back into service on regular use. There is other stuff too but won't go there at the minute. You can usually find a 07 onwards that's a much better deal if you are not in too much of a hurry, for maybe similar money. Buy as late a model as you can afford, it will pay off. Over this side of the pond all bikes are very much more expensive than what you guys pay. But we can buy secondhand 400's, 2010, 2011's for around £2,200-2,400 with very low miles (usually 2-3k miles). Don't know what the exchange rate is, sorry. That would be the standard model, not the 'Limited' version that has the heated grips, abs, passenger backrest, handguards and special paint. But the standard model can be brought up to spec easy but the abs is not available as an aftermarket fit to my knowledge. The one caveat I will mention is that IF the bike you are looking at has been regularly looked after and serviced irrespective of miles (as it should have been) then make a much lower offer. Otherwise I'd walk away. What you actually do is of course up to you. You will have a better overall picture of what the bike is actually like and how it's been cared for. Keep posting to let us all know how you get on. Good luck.

 

[hyak107]

Thanks for all the replies. One of my challenges is that in the past two months only four Burgman 400s have been advertised by private sellers in the entire state of Texas. I've yet to see a single 2007+ model, and the one I'm looking at now is the least expensive I've seen (by $500 US).

I believe that part of the issue is attitudes towards scooters in Texas. You'll find lots of small scooters in larger cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston, but 99.9% of the two-wheeled vehicles you see on the road are motorcycles. Just as with the number of pick-up trucks and SUVs here, people tend to think that bigger is better.

The Yamaha Majesty seems to pop up more in the classifieds, but it's a similar situation. There's an '06 locally with 19,000 kilometers, but the asking price is $3,000. The next closest one is 321 kilometers away, it's an '07 with 2,000 kilometers for $2,800 US.

Now if I were to just buy another motorcycle my problem would be solved :tongue:.

 

[Liamjs]

Ooo, Texas. You didn't throw that variable into the equation. I doubt there's more than a figurative handful of maxi scooters in the whole state, and its a big state. No offense to the lone star state, but I can see your comment about attitudes towards scooters there.

I'm sure people on the board would be glad to check on any out-of-state bikes you find. Good luck.

 

[insp03]

http://mcallen.en.craigslist.org/mcy/4289158600.html

In the valley!!!

 

[Buffalo]

Ooo, Texas. You didn't throw that variable into the equation. I doubt there's more than a figurative handful of maxi scooters in the whole state, and its a big state. No offense to the lone star state, but I can see your comment about attitudes towards scooters there.

You would be surprised. Maxi scoots are rather common around here. We've had group maxi scooter meet ups in the DFW area where 40 to 50 show up. I doubt the ratio of scooters to conventional motorcycles is much different here from what it is in the rest of the country.

 

[rut3556]

http://mcallen.en.craigslist.org/mcy/4289158600.html

In the valley!!!

<<2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 Scooter. This scooter is considered a touring scooter and can top out at 120 mph!<<

Yeah, in his dreams! LOL

 

[Bolzen]

Yeah, in his dreams! LOL

maybe he re-bored the pot or used a DRZ engine kit

 

[cliffyk]

I have a 2003 400 I bought almost 3 years ago. I had 12k miles when I bought it, 36k now--I would not hesitate to do it again, and plan on riding it for at least another 3 to 5 years.

If it looks good and runs well do not let all the FUD put forth above scare you off.

BTW-it's fuel injected so don't worry about varnish in the carburetor...

 

[itlives]

I bought my 2008 400 with 9,400 miles for 2K. That's too much for a 2003.
Texas is a huge state. You didn't say what part you live. I live in Louisiana just about 10 miles from the TX Border. Check out Craigslist in all your surrounding areas. I bet you can find a much better deal!