[andre66]

Hi all,
i just had my motorcycle stolen last week and i am seriously considering a burgman 650 as a replacement. I work as a motorcycle courier part-time, just because i love to ride and not for the money, and i was wondering if the burgman would be suited for such a role. Most of my deliveries are in the suburbs of vancouver bc so i would be doing a lot of highway riding with a little bit of downtown riding thrown in. The weather protection of the burgman looks really attractive to me and with the fall coming up a little bit of rain protection would be in order.
Thanks-Andre

 

[Jim]

I think the 650 or the 400 would be a perfect choice

 

[billmeek]

Andre,

Sorry too hear that your bike was stolen. Hope it was insured against theft! I've have thought a few times that my Burgman 400 would make a great delivery vehicle. Especially each time I go and pickup a couple of pizzas on the bike...which fit easily in the trunk Add a topcase and maybe some sidecases and you have a lot of storeage available.

What bike are you replacing?

 

[NormanB]

Hi all,
i just had my motorcycle stolen last week and i am seriously considering a burgman 650 as a replacement. I work as a motorcycle courier part-time, just because i love to ride and not for the money, and i was wondering if the burgman would be suited for such a role. Most of my deliveries are in the suburbs of vancouver bc so i would be doing a lot of highway riding with a little bit of downtown riding thrown in. The weather protection of the burgman looks really attractive to me and with the fall coming up a little bit of rain protection would be in order.
Thanks-Andre

Andre

Welcome to the forum. :wave:

The Burger is the absolute ideal vehicle for courier work.

I cannot advise you on which one as I have no experience of the area in which you intend to work.

However - I will post a link to a UK site. You must contact these guys (George and Taz) - they courier in and around London (UK) and have clocked up absolutely stellar mileages using 400 Burgers. They set up their parts business as a sideline to the courier work. It maybe that the 400 is svelte enough for London work whereas the highway element in your useage profile may tip the requirement towards the 650.

If you can raise these guys (they do not always answer emails) they will be well worth having a natter with, even if it means resorting to telephone initially. Anyway, have a look around their site - much will not be relevant to you as it is olde 400 specific - but have a look at their Monster Courier boxes!!

http://www.burgmanparts.co.uk/

 

[Invincsum]

Andre, so sorry to hear about your bike! I agree with the others that a 400 would be your best bet. Plenty of power for local/urban roads and easier to park than the "lardy-assed" 650. (With a tip of the helmet to NormanB!)
Bryna

 

[BertvL]

Hi all,
i just had my motorcycle stolen last week and i am seriously considering a burgman 650 as a replacement. I work as a motorcycle courier part-time, just because i love to ride and not for the money, and i was wondering if the burgman would be suited for such a role. Most of my deliveries are in the suburbs of vancouver bc so i would be doing a lot of highway riding with a little bit of downtown riding thrown in. The weather protection of the burgman looks really attractive to me and with the fall coming up a little bit of rain protection would be in order.
Thanks-Andre

I have owned a Burgman 400 for 3 years and have been using it to drive from my home town to the town were I work (100 km each day). Since april this year, I use a Burgman 650.
Though the 650 is wider and heavier it behaves much better than the 400. The 650 is also more comfortable. After two months or so, I handle the 650 just as I did the 400.
Usually I take the highway in the morning. Lane splitting -which is legal in the Netherlands- is no problem, but retractable mirrors are a must (standard on the Executive). The 650 has enough power for smooth overtaking. My cruising speed usually is slightly above the legal limit of 120 km/h; if I need to overtake fast I temporarily accelerate to 140-150 km/hr. At these speeds, the 650 uses 1 litre of fuel for every 20 km.
In the afternoon I sometimes use secondairy roads. The passage through the village of Dieren has several traffic lights. Even there lane splitting is often possible.
My advice to Andre is: go for the Burgman 650. Only if you would drive most of the time in the city, the Burgman 400 is a better choice, because it is somewhat smaller and lighter.

 

[NormanB]

Hi BertvL

Thats good info and you are getting good mileage at those speeds (56mpg/45mpg(US)).

However high speed commuting is very different to city based courier work with occassional forays on the highway. Things like parking the beast 20 to 30 times a day is also a significant factor.

 

[Brian]

...Most of my deliveries are in the suburbs of vancouver bc so i would be doing a lot of highway riding with a little bit of downtown riding thrown in.

Having driven and ridden cars, limousines, and motorcycles in Vancouver, and based on your specific requirements, I think the 650 would be a better choice. Especially if you're getting out on Highway 99 or the 1A with any frequency.

In Europe, many legal/postal couriers use bikes as big as the BMW 1100, so the 650 would be considered "mid-sized" for that kind of work. Even the 400, though, would be an acceptable choice. Try to take a ride on both and see which one fits you best.