[Monterey10]

As I ride my 650 more, I've grown to consider it more of a
light/medium touring bike than a scooter. Seriously folks,
go down and look at the little bitty, plastic, 50cc powered
toys they call scooters. The Burgman has little resemblence to them.
I offer that the Burgman is more akin to the ST1300, Gold Wing, BMW KL group than the former.

Sure, it's lighter, but add on modular paniers and many
solo riders would be traversing the country on the AN650.

Just some thoughts on "definitions"

 

[Randy]

That's one of the reasons these scooters are called "Super Scooters or Turing Scooters". While I have a 400 myself I agree with your statements about the 650.
Based on what I know the 400 is capable of

 

[allwalk]

People often ask me why and how I ended up with a scooter. I told them that when I went out shopping this time around my ideal bike would be a mini-Goldwing in the 600-750 range. I found it exactly in the Burgman 650. I dont care what people want to refer to it as.......It's all Mine

 

[GinDrinker]

Hi Monterey10'
If you want a reasonable definition for the 650, tell folks that it is a "step-through" motorcycle; works for me.
From the rear, with a E52 Givi topcase, we look as imposing as anything out there.:twisted:
Hasta,
GinDrinker

 

[cptdenny]

If one was coming off a Gold Wing to a Burgman its a scooter, if one was coming off a Honda Helix to a Burgman its a motorcycle and if one is coming off both :twisted: to a Burgman its a hybrid. :shock:

 

[Mi SeaRider]

I think that when 98% of the car driving public sees a Burgman on the road they assume it is a motorcycle due to its size--irrespective of the step-through design (which your legs are covering anyway). I also think that on the road most motorcyclists also initially percieve the bike to be a motorcycle, at least until they get a few seconds look at it (at which point they might not know what it is). I just call it an auto-transmission motorcycle if I am explaining, since the term "scooter" seems to be a less helpful explanatory term than "motorcycle", given the engine size, acceleration, and top speed. The "scooter", as has been mentioned, is too ingrained in the public's mind to be the 50cc type. I think that as the years go by we'll see more and more automatic transmission bikes (aside: did you know that only 9% of automobiles produced today are manual transmission?--that surprised me), yet they will still be called motorcycles.