[thebiggobe]

I have "spoken" with Allwalk at one point about this topic. Now I have the chance to put it to everyone. I hope to have a Burg 650 by next Spring. At 6' 3" tall and 285 lbs. is the Burg 650 too small for me?? The reason I ask is because with regular street bikes, everyone tells me that I don't want to get anything too small. I had told a cowrker that I was interested in an 883 Sportster and he said that I was way too big for that bike. So for that reason and others telling me the same thing, I had set my sights on the Yamaha Vstar 1100 or the Honda Sabre 1100. But I had already convinced my wife that the scooters were much safer, so she is horrified of the idea of me getting a "bike" because of the changing of gears. Any way, I'd like to hear from some larger riders if possible. Thanks.

 

[Chief_O.]

Hey cool Macon Georgia. I am just up the road from ya in Thomaston. I am also working on getting a Burgman hopefully soon. On the topic of whether you are too big for the 650. Well I cant speak from experience but I would tend to say no you are not too big. Have you actually went to look at them yet? If not at least try and find one and sit on it and test drive if possible. This way you will know if it seems too small. Hey good luck in what ever you choose.

 

[thebiggobe]

Hi Chief O!
I normally make it in to Capital Cycle about once a week to just look around. I have actually sat on the Burg with the rear stand up so I was able to put both feet up to simulate riding. I actually stretched out both legs up towards the front and it seems like this would be the most comfortable to me. I don't have my lisence yet, but I am planning on taking the MSF here in Macon later on this summer, so maybe after that I'll get a chance to ride a couple of times to see how it feels.

 

[Jim]

Check out the seat mods. I'm 6'2" 185# and ride 2up 90% of the time. Many other riders take off the backrest for more leg room (3-4"). Me and others did some backrest mods. and gained 1-2". You size should be OK with those mods. The handlebars can be adjusted to give you an additional 1-2" in arm length.

 

[Silver]

Well, I am the exact same height and weight of you and I felt comfortable on the scoot but for me it wasn't a question of whether the Burg 650 was big enough (comfort-wise), but was the Burg 650 big enough (power-wise).

In the city a definite yes, the machine (with my weight) picks up like some one smacked it a**. On the highway, it also was a steady climb but not the kind I would have like to see. The verdict is still open to me on this one. I'm not convinced yet this is the bike for me.

Silver

 

[thebiggobe]

Yeah,
I was thinking about it from both angles. Comfort and power. But more so power. I wasn't sure because if I were to ride say a 650 Savage, I would think that the bike would be a bit too small. I don't know, I mean it's a big difference between sitting on one and riding one. The power isuue is still kinda what I'm thinking about. I guess I'll just have to ride one and see.

 

[DonRich90]

I'm 6'-2" and 260# (big-boned) and just got my new 650 yesterday. I've ridden it about 100 miles and so far have found it to be comfortable and has enough power for me (still watching the break-in RPMs). I rode home on some pretty good hills near the Susquehanna River and even watching the tach I had no problems. It seemed to have plenty of power in reserve.
I'm planning on removing the back rest just to see if is more comfortable but this is more out of curiosity than need. Leg room is sufficient and I can move my feet around on the floorboards when necessary. It is at least as comfortable as the 1100 Shadow Tourer I traded. It felt as quick (if not quicker) as my 1100 in the 0 - 50 speed range I was running in.
Bottom line - I love the fit and performance. It was a real ball to ride. I even got a "thumbs up" and great grins from two Amish boys who were pushing their bicycles in a field along the road near Litiz, PA. That really made my day!

 

[thebiggobe]

GREAT!! I'm loving all the feedback!! :naka: This guy looks pretty heavy huh?

 

[pauljo]

You are not too big for the Burgman 650. The Harley Sportster and the Suzuki Savage are both tiny motorcycles - there is no comparison.

I am 6'6" and 225lbs. I've put over 6,500 miles on my AN650 since last September. To make it comfortable for me I had to remove the backrest (which is really just a butt stop), and add a taller windscreen. No big deal - I had to change the seat and windscreen on my 1000cc Suzuki V-Strom too.

Incidentally, I bought the V-Strom 6 months before I bought the Burgman. At this point I have 5,700 miles on the V-Strom and 6,500 miles on the Burgman. I just came back from a three day tour along the Nebraska / South Dakota border. I rode the Burgman 650 for that, and it worked out very well.

 

[gruntled]

I was told the same thing about the Sportster & thought it didn't make sense until someone finally explained that you can't compare cc's between Harleys & other bikes. Their answer was that Harleys don't rev as high & therefore don't produce anywhere near as much power per cc.

 

[pauljo]

I was told the same thing about the Sportster & thought it didn't make sense until someone finally explained that you can't compare cc's between Harleys & other bikes. Their answer was that Harleys don't rev as high & therefore don't produce anywhere near as much power per cc.

It's more than that. Harley's use a single crank pin design, which means that both cylinders move up and down simultaneously and fire at the same time. In effect, it is similar to a huge single cylinder thumper. Most of the Japanese cruisers, use a staggered crank pin design, which allows the pistons to fire alternately - much better for producing power. The reason Harley persists with that design is the SOUND and the characteristic shaking of the engine at idle. These are attributes that the Harley buyer absolutely demands. The Japanese cruiser models that emulate the Harley sound, also use a single crank pin design. For a few years, Honda was selling different models of their 1100c Shadow. I had one with the higher horsepower staggered crank pin engine - but they also had a single crank pin model that was lower in horsepower, but sounded just like a Harley when idleing.

And yes, a byproduct of two big pistons on a single pin crank, is also a lower rev limit (as well as half as many power strokes).

 

[Ted White]

You're not too big for the 650 Burgman. Big heavy guys aren't going to skyrocket up hills at the same speeds little guys like me (145) will. The same relationship would apply if we both got on 1 liter Ninjas. However, the Burgie's a strong engine with amazing pulling power and should suit you quite well. It's roomy, especially if you pull off the "butt stopper" ad pauljo so aptly named it. (It is not a back "rest" as it barely rises above your coxyx (close enough, I'm not going to look it up).

 

[L.SKULSKI]

TWO UP

MOST OF THE TIME I RIDE WITH MY WIFE-TOGETHER MAYBE 340 AND MOST OF TIME TIME [BECAUSE OF ROOM] I CAN'T TELL SHE'S BEHIND ME AND HAVE NOT FOUND A HILL THAT I CAN NOT CONTINUE TO GAIN SPEED UP TO THE POINT THAT I GET A TAP ON MY BACK TO SLOW DOWN. HILLS ARE IN SOUTH EAST OHIO. SOLD A 1000 KAW FOR BURG AND WILL NOT GO BACK.

 

[thebiggobe]

Great!! This is excellent information for me. I have heard so many different things from different people about it, and most of these people have never heard of a Burgman 650. They just look kinda weird when I mention that I'd like to purchase one. The first thing they say......."That 650 is gonna be too small for your big a--" :lol:
But one other thing I was wondering. And I kind think I already know what type of answers you guys are gonna give. How does the Burg rank as far as the "cool" or "coolness" I guess I should say factor? Will a big guy like me look goofy on the Burg? Or should I choose another bike if I'm just worried about looking "cool"???

 

[casek]

6'3- 270

I'm 6'3 and 270 and believe it or not ride the AN400! I am removing the backrest for a little more leg room, but seems to have plenty of power for me. I am buying the 650 and giving the 400 to my wife next month. She was scared of it for a while, but is now getting more comfortable with it.

 

[Silver]

As far as coolness factor goes - it's all your personal taste. I personally think they're the coolest looking scooter out there - I'd even venture to say it's the coolest looking bike out there. However, my wife thinks they're ugly and for old people - hmmm - go figure. All I can say is that if you like it, buy it and enjoy it. There's nothing worse than plunking down thousands of dollars to buy something that everyone else likes but is uncomfortable to you.

The Burgman 650 was designed with touring in mind. Therefore comfort should be a high priority for you when considering this bike. If you are not comfortable on this bike then any amount of coolness factor should be thrown out the window.

I personally thought it was exceptional for comfort - my only gripe is passing power - and that is pretty much it. Coolness is relative - your comfort isn't.

- Silver

 

[thebiggobe]

For all out there that actually own the Burg, does anyone see this as the future of motorcycling. I mean, for an automobile, automatic transmissions were the cat's meow, but as far as bikes go, it's kinda frowned upon right? I personally would like to see something like a Gold Wing or Fat Boy with an automatic. Is it going in that direction or no?

 

[pauljo]

For all out there that actually own the Burg, does anyone see this as the future of motorcycling. I mean, for an automobile, automatic transmissions were the cat's meow, but as far as bikes go, it's kinda frowned upon right? I personally would like to see something like a Gold Wing or Fat Boy with an automatic. Is it going in that direction or no?

The electronic CVT on the Burgman 650 is awesome. It works better than I could have possibly imagined. I have about 6,500 miles on mine now.

I've misplaced my crystal ball... but here are a couple of thoughts. Motorcyclists tend to be traditionalists, so I don't think we will see a mass transition to automatics on motorcycles anytime soon. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see a motorcycle model or two released with a similar CVT automatic - probably in the touring category.

As for frowning upon... who cares? I certainly don't. If I was that sensitive to others opinions, I probably wouldn't have bought a scooter to begin with. But I did buy a scooter, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it. And most people I chat with when I'm out riding it are pretty impressed with it.

The CVT is definitely the future of scooters - but motorcycles might take a long time to adopt it.

 

[DonRich90]

You're right that a lot of bikers frown on the idea of an automatic motocycle. In my opinion, that's just another "cool" or "macho" attitude. If they ever rode a Burgman and had an open mind, I think they'd find out how much it can add to the fun and pleasure of motorcycling without diminishing the skills needed operate the bike.
I've only ridden my new 650 about 200 miles and think that not having to shift is a great feature. I rode through some real neat twisties this past weekend and very quickly learned how to control my entry and exit speeds by just using the throttle - no need to have to brake and downshift and then upshift at every turn. Very smooth and it felt as though I went quicker than on my motorcycles.
I don't really care what some other bikers feel about automatics, I'm having fun! I met 12 of my riding buddies Sat. morning for our weekly breakfast in Whitemarsh, MD (25 year tradition) and you would have enjoyed their reactions. Most own both Wings and HDs and all had to sit on my 650. The "wow" factor was amazing. Several were seriously going to look at Burgmans that day and a lot of the others said "well, if they get em I guess we'll have to too".

 

[Bleeder]

Motorcyclists tend to be traditionalists........

Traditionalist? They're herd mentality trend humping fashion lemmings just like any other group, and I say that as someone with three mc's.



Peace.