[Wheelie]

[attachment=0:3qgfvkdu]Tom and Goldwing.jpg[/attachment:3qgfvkdu]Hello Fellow Burgman Riders,

This is "Wheelie" from Delaware. I bought a new Suzuki Burgman 650 on July 15, 2006 and, after putting 44,496 miles on the odometer, have recently traded it for a like-new 1992 Honda Goldwing Interstate. Shortly after buying the Burgman, I found this forum and have been a regular viewer and occasional contributor.

The Burgman 650 was extremely enjoyable for the entire six years of ownership. It did everything required of it. It was quiet, smooth, and fast. I kept it maintained and shiny, and was a proud owner. It never let me down ... until the fall of 2012. The transmission gave up and self-destructed. I had it repaired by my local Suzuki dealer, then traded it immediately for the Goldwing. The reason for trading the Burgman is because I wanted more luggage capacity, horsepower, passenger room, and long-distance cruising capability.

I have enjoyed being a part of the BurgmanUSA family and will still check in from time-to-time to see what is new.

Thank you all for your support and friendship.

Thomas "Wheelie" Steele
Wilmington, Delaware

 

[Duster]

Stay with us, Wheelie, & let us know how things are going.
Take pictures on your rides, & post some for us.

 

[MJR]

Sorry to hear about the CVT on the Burgy but congrats on the new ride. :thumbup: Out of curiousity did the dealer mention what they thought the cause of the CVT failure was or what parts did they end up replacing?

 

[Noth]

Great looking Goldwing..

 

[Fatjock]

Nice looking bike. May you enjoy it for many years.

Whether you stay on the forum or go, is entirely up to you, and I wish you well whatever you decide.

 

[Scootereno]

Very pretty bike you now own! Hope it is everything you want in a touring bike. Goldwings are sweet!
I personally like a lighter more mid sized bike but that's what make the biker world so unique.
Ride what you Like and Like what you Ride! :thumbup:

 

[Houndguy]

Wait we have to leave this forum just because we get a new bike?

I won't tell if you don't.

 

[Wheelie]

Hi Forum Members,

Thanks for the good wishes.

No, I don't have to leave the forum because I changed bikes. In fact, I am a Burgman rider at heart and will always be.
As I will soon be 65 and have some health problems, I'm not sure how many years I can continue to handle the extreme
weight of the Goldwing - it's a handfull in a parking lot - but for the foreseeable future, I plan to rack up some big
milage, and felt that my demands were more than the Burgman could bear.

The mechanic who repaired my Burgman said that the failure happened within the bearings of the CVT. Because of
that, many other parts of the transmission were damaged, and the entire transmission was basically replaced as a
result. The cost of parts and labor was just under $2100.00.

Interestingly, the shop foreman stated that he'd never seen, or heard of, a Burgman 650 with 44k miles on the clock.
(We at BurgmanUSA know better....many members have doubled or tripled that number.) Furthermore, he said,
"Scooters were never meant to be ridden to such extremes. We're amazed that you got that many good miles out
of the transmission and engine. Don't expect to ride another 44k miles before another major system failure."

Yes, the Goldwing is a sweet ride, but I've lost all the convenient maneuverability and around-town ease of handling
and parking offered by the Burgman. However, once off the center-stand and rolling, the 'Wing is quieter, far more
powerful, stores more gear, and treats a passenger to a limousine-like ride. I also enjoy the factory stereo system.
I gave up the advantages of the Burgman for the greater long-distance comfort of the Goldwing....and it's a fine
daily commuter. If you can stand the boredom, watch my video of a foggy-day ride to work. It was an
experiment, taken by my Android Incredible smart-phone. See it here:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7YnBdf ... sp=sharing

I will visit this forum frequently, and post my future pictures and videos.
Thanks for the comments and good wishes, my friends.

Wheelie