[roy_ryall]

I often see posters state that the average/expected lifespan of the 650 ECVT is 50,000 miles. I do not know where this number has come from other than a post by a BUSA member who used some debatable methodology to arrive at his numbers. None of us have enough info to make even an educated guess at the longevity of the ECVT. Some ECVTs “that we know about” have failed in the upper 20,000 to low 30,000 mile range, some have failed 80,000 to 90,000 mile range, and the majority of 650s we not even know about. Also, to get a reliable number of miles that the ECVT will last, you need to also know how and where the bike was ridden, how it was maintained, and many other factors that could cause the ECVT to fail. My point is we do not have any reliable numbers on when a 650 ECVT will fail and by repeating those questionable numbers, the non-informed reader may come away with the mistaken believe that it is “fact”.

I would like to suggest that posters quit using this questionable number in their posts, unless you have some reliable statistics to support your comment.

 

[Buffalo]

Good luck with your effort Roy but I suspect it will be for naught. The validity of those numbers have been debated over and over.

 

[Desert Rat]

It's no different than how many miles do tires or brakes or engines last. Just too many things effect all of those. I take the CVT lifespan mileage post with a grain of sand. Now it does seem like the 03 & 04 do have more of a problem. I don't have statistic to support this just whats been posted. So you can take that info with a grain of sand. One thing I can tell you I'm not worried about my CVT lifespan.

 

[29534]

I think transmission failures on the Burgman are no different than transmission failures on cars and trucks. Some will fail early but most never fail. I have a friend who had the transmission fail on his 2011 F-150 at 35,000 miles. He would say the transmissions are failure prone. I have a cousin who drives a F-150 70,000 miles per year for work and gets a new truck every 200,000+ miles. He has had 5 or 6 and has never had a transmission problem. He would say the transmissions are great.

 

[Liamjs]

Well I like the idea of perhaps getting imperial data on the subject as it is a concern of every 650 rider. For instance my bike only has 7k on it, but its close to nine years old. Does age affect the belt or is it only mileage? Could I expect only 30k from the original belt?

Perhaps some of the high mileage guys can write in as to how many miles they have, year of bike, type of riding they do and replacement of belt mileage if applicable. Someone statistically minded could put this data in a spreadsheet and come up with at least a minimum amount of age and mileage one could expect from an OEM belt. One of those survey posts would help. Any takers?

 

[Buffalo]

Well I like the idea of perhaps getting imperial data on the subject as it is a concern of every 650 rider. For instance my bike only has 7k on it, but its close to nine years old. Does age affect the belt or is it only mileage? Could I expect only 30k from the original belt?

Perhaps some of the high mileage guys can write in as to how many miles they have, year of bike, type of riding they do and replacement of belt mileage if applicable. Someone statistically minded could put this data in a spreadsheet and come up with at least a minimum amount of age and mileage one could expect from an OEM belt. One of those survey posts would help. Any takers?

It's been done http://burgmanusa.com/forums/15-burgman-650/51590-an650-cvt-reliability-tracker.html . That's kind of where the 50,000 number came from. Still from a statistical analysis standpoint it is not a valid sample. It's information but it does not provide an answer that can be relied on.

 

[Burgmanmaniac]

It's been done http://burgmanusa.com/forums/15-burgman-650/51590-an650-cvt-reliability-tracker.html . That's kind of where the 50,000 number came from. Still from a statistical analysis standpoint it is not a valid sample. It's information but it does not provide an answer that can be relied on.

But, I wouldn't buy a 650 with close to 50,000 miles on the odometer unless it was cheap enough that I could walk away from the bike if the tranny failed.

I view my Burg 400 as a 75,000 mile scooter and the Burg 650 as a 50,000 mile scooter. Like it or not resale is GREATLY affected by the mileage of a Burgman 650. It's all about the average life expectancy of the Burg 650 transmission.

 

[soc714]

It is a mystery how mechanical things fail. I blame grimlins. I hope that everyone is aware of the prejudice against maxi scooters. I know that there is not a manufacturer on this planet that makes exactly what I want but the 650 Burgman comes the closest. People that ride conventional motorcycles are quit defensive when they are around Maxi scooters. Some how they think that to be a real motorcycle you must have to use all 4 of your appendages to ride on 2 wheels. There was a time when they would not let blacks play in professional sports. Its the same prejudice.

Take the HOT AIR about ecvt failures with a grain of salt. Suzuki is going to make a lemon for how long? 10 years plus. I don't think so! Once Can Am figures out to move there new inline 3 cylinder engine forward and make it front wheel drive. Then lengthen the seating position so you can stretch out like your on a scooter it will drive the conventionalists crazy.

 

[Chérie]

I view my Burg 400 as a 75,000 mile scooter and the Burg 650 as a 50,000 mile scooter. Like it or not resale is GREATLY affected by the mileage of a Burgman 650. It's all about the average life expectancy of the Burg 650 transmission.

Oh no, another one ! :lol:

 

[Dave_J]

My observation seems to be that most posts about the 50,000 mile range of the 650 comes from 400 riders. I made that comment to a moderator that was pushing the "Stats" hard and lost a friend. IMHO, he is still my friend but he does not PM me anymore so he may not consider me a friend any longer.

:glasses5:

 

[GK13]

So, having a 400 myself, I see it as a bike I can run into the ground. As long as it's taken care of, I don't see a mileage cap. One thing I don't understand is how the 650 transmission works compared to the 400. Does it not use rollers or sliders? I was just never explained how it works. And, what makes them fail? A belt can be replaced and your fine right?

 

[MacDoc]

Ex- moderator.
Ride it - enjoy it - when I hear what other marque riders go through I pat the Burgman 650.
HAd two - 80,000 km between them so far, two batteries plus tires and oil changes.

That's it. No chain to oil, can do 1,000 km days, Fun and amazing storage. Tranny failure? fuggefaboudit. Lots more more things to be concerned about like just WHAT is that driver doing?. ;_

 

[miken6mz]

Just a gut feeling, but I think the CVT is "worn" much more during those rough transitions from acceleration to engine braking than in simply spinning away thousands of miles at nearly constant speed. That would apply to the belt especially.

Anyway, I learned not to worry about my K4's CVT. If/when it fails then I'll decide what to do. I'll have to tell the girlfriend that I'm taking over her 400 at that point also

 

[ChipDoc]

As a commuter with a 60-mile round trip, I'm one of those high-mileage guys, but I ride EVERY bike into the ground so I'm expecting it at some point. However I'm religious about keeping the fluids fresh and it's the reason I've got two other bikes in the garage each with 100k miles on them.

My '07 650 has just 20k miles on her, but 5k of those have come since I bought her on October 31st and I'm well into my regular maintenance routine. I know that this routine helps, but it's hard to avoid that it's likely she'll be nearing 50k by next summer. So I'm planning now for overhauling it by then. Thanks to LeDude for the detailed instructions, since I really have no idea of what I'm getting into! I'm starting to gather tools too, and I'm reading the old CVT overhaul threads. There's ten years' worth of knowledge and experience stored up here - it's a spectacular resource for us newbies!

 

[Colchicine]

I think it would be fine to use any number, dubious methods or not, as long as there's a disclaimer attached to it. Such as "...the mileage is conjecture", "In my opinion...", "anecdotal observations suggest..."

In other words, any number provided should not be cited as the definitive word on the matter.

Nonetheless, I applaud any effort to document the intricacies of the 650. Just keep in mind people are dumb, and will attribute problems with the clutch/trans/final drive to that CVT.

 

[trainman]

We all know that many people only look at the negative side of things and that's how they make their decisions. The smart ones will look at both sides and make their decision accordingly to their findings. I'm not that smart, but it didn't take me too long to realize that the Burgman was a very nice scooter overall.

John

 

[Buffalo]

Does it not use rollers or sliders?

It has no roller or sliders or variator at all. It uses an electric motor controlled by the ECM to adjust the primary pulley instead of a variator.

I was just never explained how it works. And, what makes them fail?

Most but not all failures appear to be bearing failures on the input shaft.

A belt can be replaced and your fine right?

As long as the problem is just a broken belt then yes. That is all I had to do to mine at about 84,000 miles.

 

[TheReaper]

If we were talking 03 and 04 models I would say 50K on average would be a good a number as any . Personally I like the so called bad press these get , it allows me to buy the world's best riding scooter on the cheap . So I say TALK UM DOWN .

TheReaper!

 

[winginit]

Craig, 104,907 impressive ! I think I read on a post that you had done some repair to the CVT ? With that kind of mileage would a long trip concern you ?

 

[Otisco Kid]

All automatic transmissions have shorter life than manual transmissions. With a manual you usually have clutch wear to worry about and that's all...assuming no abuse.
Unfortunately auto transmissions have more moving parts and wear surfaces than a manual transmission. I think an interesting thing to note about CVT auto trannies is that they began showing up on production cars around 2006 in large numbers. I think part of this was due to increasing gas milage as well as reducing cost. However, I think it is a sign that the CVT is evolving.