[moparmedic]

To be honest I really had my heart set on a Honda SW up until last night when I found this site.

My father has both a Helix and a SW. I've rode the helix before and I really enjoy riding it around town. I feel much better on it than on my Yami Riva 180 in heavier urban traffic. But I'm just not thrilled with hwy performance. I have yet to ride the SW so I'm not sure what that is like from my perspective. My dad loves it though, and is very happy :lol: .

My riding habit/style, will be using it comuting to work 90%, 5% with one of the kids (soccer, little league, ballet), 5% riding with co-workers (single not 2-up) that have sport, touring, and cruisers. It is because of the last 5% that I want something larger cc'd 8) , I've been left behind many times with the 180 :shock: and I know that a 250 won't be much better. I know that even the SW or Burg will never perform like what they ride but it sure would be nice to maintain out on the rode with them. BTW we are all in our early to mid 30's, no young suicide guys all of us are very saftey focused, a bunch of medics.

What do you guys (generic term) think? What short comings does a SW or Burg 400/650 have. I know I'm not asking the most impartial crowd but I would still like to hear.

 

[Canon]

Shortcomings?

Moparmedic
I have no experience with others - own a Burg 650 - my first bike. I have taken a 550 mile round trip on the "blue goose" and I have found no shortcoming at all. It was comfortable and powerful enough to hold its own on both interstate and mountain roads. I had worried about a tired back (not as strong as it was 50 years ago), but I experienced no discomfort at all. I suspect you would also like the SW with the same size engine. I would also urge you to stay above 400 cc if you plan to be on the open road. The 650 is just right.
Canon

 

[4DThinker]

I don' think there are any real shortcomings to either the SW or the 650. I rode a SW before deciding on my 650. It was a great bike, and the only reason I didn't buy it was because the dealer wouldn't deal. I got a much better price on the 650.

I have read that the SWs had a few recalls. Haven't heard of any for the Burgmans. If you've got both dealers nearby then I wouldn't worry. I'll have to drive 50 miles to get to either dealership so any future recall on my burgman may be a problem.

 

[wasions]

I've owned many motorcycles, and one other scooter, and have no regrets about my 650 Burger purchase. Of course a good rider on a sport bike will ride away from you, but you'll be surprised (and so will he) at how close you'll be. If you're the somewhat better rider, you may just leave him/(her) behind, as the Burgman is a very easy bike to ride fast.

Steve

 

[scooter mom]

We were in the same quandry over bikes. My husband loves Honda but after doing investigation, the Burgman had it over the SW. I have logged over 4,000 since December. It performs great. I have driven at speeds over 65 for long stretches. There is never a shake or shimmy. Still has plenty of power left. Plus the Burgman has lots more storage which will come in handy with your schedule. of drives. I have a CB unit and satelite radio hooked up. It is great.

 

[moparmedic]

My dad said he chose the SW over Aprilia, dealer unwilling to deal. SW over Burg had concerns re trans on the Burg :?: . He claims the SW has a trans that has been around for years, and is virtually bulletproof.

As far as dealers go I have one near me but I do not deal with them at all possable causes. Nearest dealer for either over 100 miles away.

 

[lilleyen]

I like the SW. Certainly Honda has a rep for quality.
I own two Honda cars and love them both.

The only thing that gives me pause is the drive belt which needs replacing on a regular basis, and it's slightly narrower so you get a little more wind on your legs.

It looks sharp too!

 

[pauljo]

Burgman 650 advantages vs Silverwing:

- Dual Front disk brakes
- Radial Tires
- Frame mounted engine
- Ecvt transmission

 

[roy_ryall]

SW vs B650 – there is no comparison. B650 is better in every category. The most common comment by SW owners when comparing the two bikes is reliability. But, if you look at the old posts on the SW site you will see SWs have their own set of "occasional" problems. I think the reason reliability is used frequently is because the SW comes up short in any comparison of the two bikes.

The comment about the transmissons, go to the SW Yahoo site there was just a discussion about one having trouble.

If you are going to look at 400s, include the Yamaha Majesty 400 on the list.

 

[billmeek]

For the type of riding you listed, the 400 may be a good choice for you. If you are going to do a lot of 2 up riding/touring, I'd go for the 650. I suggest going to a dealer and taking a test ride on both.

 

[vfdcaptain]

I'd go with the 650 instead of the 400, because you will eventually end up trading up anyways. Might as well save your hard-earned money & just start with the biggest! 8)

It's a people magnet - everywhere I go, I have people coming over to look & chat, especially after they see me put four bags of groceries under the seat.

Cheers,

 

[moparmedic]

Out on the highway

How does the Burgman handle out on the open road? How worried are you when coming up to a big 18 wheeler :shock: ? Does the bigger fairing/cowling of the bergman help with the buffeting caused by bigger vehicles?

Again if anyone can directly compare a SW to the Burg appreciated.

 

[vfdcaptain]

I blow by the 18 wheelers all the time and never have a problem. The 650 is very stable at all speeds. 8)

 

[4DThinker]

My ride home from the dealer was on a two-lane highway, many trucks going both ways, speed limit 65 but most going 70-75.

I was very impressed with how it handled. Passing trucks barely had an impact. Had the power and control to quickly zip past slow vehicles in my lane. The 650 seems very well designed to cut through the wind in control. Handled expansion joints/cracks/railroad tracks well.

I had also test ridden a SW, but only about a 4 mile ride with no truck traffic. It cut though the wind just as well, and had power to spare. I don't know how well it would do with truck pressure waves though. Lighter than the burgman, it might not be as soft over things like railroad tracks.

Dave B.

 

[roy_ryall]

Re: Out on the highway

How does the Burgman handle out on the open road? How worried are you when coming up to a big 18 wheeler :shock: ? Does the bigger fairing/cowling of the bergman help with the buffeting caused by bigger vehicles?

Again if anyone can directly compare a SW to the Burg appreciated.

The B650 handles very well on the open road. The SW is OK, but the B650 is better. The B650 handles "much" better in the curves and I have not experienced the +60 mph "lopping" on long swepting curves on the B650 like I and a couple of friends did on our SWs. On straight line highways riding the SW and the B650 are very close, with the edge to B650 for comfort.

18 wheelers - both do fine with a slight edge to the B650. I had a GW GL1800 with a large windshield and fairing air deflectors. It did not do much better then the B650 with a moderately large W/S.

The larger fairing on the B650 does provide better protection from the elements. You can add fairing wind deflectors to the SW to increase the proection, but you must get them from Europe. Buffeting - both needed taller windshields for me.

Direct comparisons - I have owned both B650 and SW, but not at the same time. I also have two riding friends who had SWs until they rode my B650. They traded for B650s.

In your 1st post you said you would be commute 90% for the time and ride with a child 5%. I sold my first B650 for a B400 because the B400 was easlier to handle a low speeds and walking the bike while sitting on it. I have gone back to the 650 because: 1) do not commute any longer (most my riding is 2 lane highways in the mountains now), 2) the B650 has a "very" smooth drive train, and 3) I wanted the extra power to pass quickly on those 2 lane twisty mountain roads and (this applies to your final 5% and is a personal problem of mine) to be able to demostrate to non-scooter riders that scooters can be quick and handle as good as or better than the majority of MCs on the road. If you are the same personal hangup about other riders, get the B650 and forget the the SW and 400s.

A good point about the SW, you should be able to get a good deal on a used or a new one.

 

[lilleyen]

Burgman 650 advantages vs Silverwing:

- Dual Front disk brakes
- Radial Tires
- Frame mounted engine
- Ecvt transmission

To add to this a little:
-The wheels are bigger too, 15" front 14" back on the 650, versus 14", and 13" for the Honda. Means tires wear longer and pot holes/bumps handled better, and more stabiliity at speed. (gyroscope effect)

-The ride is better-see "Frame mounted engine-above", means less unsprung weight.

The Ecvt transmission is like no other. It's a techno marvel!

 

[Brian]

To be honest I really had my heart set on a Honda SW up until last night when I found this site.

...5% riding with co-workers (single not 2-up) that have sport, touring, and cruisers. It is because of the last 5% that I want something larger cc'd 8) , I've been left behind many times with the 180 :shock: and I know that a 250 won't be much better. I know that even the SW or Burg will never perform like what they ride but it sure would be nice to maintain out on the rode with them.

There are more than a dozen bikers at my company, a few with Goldwings but most with Harleys, Honda 1800s, a Victory, a Magna, etc. No sports bikes, and I'm the only scooter rider.

We often have organized group rides. On my 650 I never have trouble keeping up with them, and when I'm leading I often have to hold back on curves so the cruisers can keep up with me!

Because of the frame-mounted engine and the high torque of the 650 at highway speeds, the Burgman 650 handles the long sweepers and mountain loops we frequently ride like you wouldn't believe.

Coming back from Spokane across Steven Pass last summer, the long hot day on the 200 miles leading to the pass, and the stillness of the air in the setting sun at the pass, got the best of me, and I really cranked it going through a series of s-curves. I was probably doing 55 or 60MPH on curves with advisories of 35 to 40. In my mirrors I saw another bike slowly gaining on me, and after coming out of the curves and onto a two-lane stretch a guy on a BMW R1100RT pulled up beside me and gave me a thumbs up before speeding away a lot faster above the speed limit than I was willing to go. (I'd already done a high-speed "test" earlier on a straightaway I knew wasn't often patrolled -- 112MPH indicated, ~101 actual.)

On the other side of the pass, in the town of Monroe, I stopped at Ixtapa Family Mexican Restaurant for dinner, and the BMW rider was just getting off his bike. We stopped and talked for a while, and he told me he'd been admiring the mystery bike from the rear as it swooped through the curves. When we got to the straights he had to pull up for a better look, and was shocked to see that it was some kind of scooter. He said he had to speed away to preserve his sense of pride!

I looked at the SW first, having owned Honda scooters in the past, but after riding both, the Burgman won (despite the silly name). It just felt more more stable, more substantial, and better built to me. (I'm a big guy, and the 650's 600+ pound wet weight suits me.)

Re the transmission: Motorcycle Consumer News, in their review of the AN650K3, gave the transmission 5 out of 5 bullets, the only perfect score I've seen in one of their reviews. Most of the categories got 4 or 4 1/2 bullets, with only "Value" getting 3 (they thought the Burgman was a little overpriced).

Frankly, this is a Burgman site, so we're bound to be a little biased...okay, more than a little. I'd say, try to get a test ride on both and take the one that fits you best. I don't think any among the current breed of Japanese or Italian maxiscooters (400cc and above) will be a bad choice, so go with your muse.

 

[billmeek]

Now to mention a few of the pluses of the 400:

• Less expensive to purchase[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• Less expensive to insure[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• Has better gas mileage[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• Same storage as the 650[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• More responsive for city driving[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• Capable weekend tourer[/*:m:1zqvkphv]
• Cruises interstate well (70 no problem, tops out at about 95) [/*:m:1zqvkphv]

A lot depends on the riding you plan on doing and also your physical stature. If you're over 6ft tall, you'll appreciate the additional space (stock) of the 650. Whatever plans you have for riding, multiply it by several times because once your riding a maxi-scooter, you'll be making 'excuses' to ride more.

 

[burgwoman400]

looking for a new/used bike

Moparmedic,

I've ridden the 400 for almost a year and have never had trouble keeping up with the 1500 & 1800 Goldwings I ride with- including freeway riding. I've taken a long demo ride on the Silverwing at Honda Homecoming and I liked it ok but Pauljo states the Burg (650) advantages over the SW quite well. I'm considering a move up to the Burg 650 but not out of necessity. I rode and kept up with my big bike friends all last year. To their amazement, they know and I know I'm right there with them!

Burgwoman400 USA
Michigan

 

[DonRich90]

Like Brian, I'm a "big guy". After sitting on both the SW and the 650 in the showroom, I found the 650 to have more leg room. On the SW my knees were up against the dash and the bar ends hit my knees when turning the handlebars full left or right. On the Burgman there were no such problems. And, after a test ride on the 650, I bought it and have never regreted it.
Don