Burgie beats S'Wing!
There is nothing wrong with the Honda Silver Wing 600. Like the Suzuki Burgman AN650, it is an amazing touring class motorscooter and one people are happy to own and delighted to ride. However, there are differences between the two scoots and for me, like many, it makes the Burgman the clear choice.
Here is an extensive list of the difference that were important to me. It may not be 100% complete, but it is fairly compressive.
The Silver Wing does have a slightly lower seat height, about half an inch. It also weighs about 50 pounds less and you can even get antilock brakes on the S’Wing for an extra $500.
The Burgman AN650 has more power, in part because of its bigger engine and in part because the automatic transmission has a power mode or even can be shifted manually. This gives it an edge in top speed and pick-up. The normal transmission mode is actually more economical than the Silver Wing’s one mode transmission, giving it about a 5 to 7 mpg edge. This increase fuel economy allows the Burgman to actually have a slightly better cruising range than the Silver Wing, even though the S’Wing’s fuel tank can hold two tenths of a gallon more.
The Burgman carries its weight low by putting the engine in the central hump and the fuel tank under the seat. The advantage here is handling with the lower center of gravity both at low speeds and highway speeds in curves. It also gives the Burgman the unique feature for a maxiscooter of having the fuel filler door up high to the right side of the machine, much like a car. I find this is easier to deal with at the pump most of the time. Of course, if you use saddlebags it requires a bit more finesse, but nothing I have found too difficult.
The wheels on the Burgman are a bit bigger and the tires are steel-belted radials. This translates into amazingly good handling at speed. The tires also seem to wear better and last longer. Of course, they cost more to replace, so I’m not sure if that is a big difference between the two.
Add to all the pluses so far one of the biggest when it comes to touring on these machines. The Burgman can carry more. I don’t have the number in front of me, but the Burgie can carry around 80 pounds or so more. While both machines have room for two full-face helmets in the lockable under seat storage, the Burgman is a little bigger. The front dash storage is also larger on the Suzuki and shaped so they are more useable.
There are also a host of little differences, like a power outlet in the larger front lockable storage area of the 650, not to be found on the U.S. version of the Silver Wing. The large mirrors of the Burgman are mounted on the flaring and can be folded in for storage. This gives it amazingly great rearward visibility, while the S’Wing uses smaller handlebar mounted mirrors. The headlights are superior on the Burgman, both low and high beam. The tail lights are much, much better on the Suzuki compared to the Honda. Many S’Wing owners I know felt they had to add extra brake lights for safety. The seats are a bit larger and more comfortable on the Burgie, especially the co-rider’s seat which I heard is only okay on the Silver Wing. The S’Wing’s co-rider has fold-out pegs to put their feet on. The Burgman gives them small foot boards instead, allowing the co-rider to change their foot position and reduce fatigue. The riders backrest is adjustable without tools, need tools to adjust the S'Wing's. The under seat storage light has an on and off switch, the Honda's does not.
Want to add electrical extras? The Burgman’s electrical system puts out significantly more amps than the Silver Wing. That’s a big difference if you start putting on parade lights or plugging in heated suits.
Oh, and did I mention the Burgman has dual disc brakes up front, compared to the Silver Wing’s single disc front brake? Don’t know if it actually stops better, but it makes sense to have it since the bike weighs more and can carry a bigger load. The Burgman also has even a more aggressive engine braking ability, plus you can manually downshift if you want. Save lots of wear and tear on those brake shoes.
There are probably other things I’m forgetting to mention, so feel free to ask questions and I’ll add more if I think of it.
Bottom line while they are both great machines that are fun to ride and very practical too, after test riding both last year, the hands-down winner by me was the Burgman, so, I bought one.