[Ted White]

Someone traded in an '03 AN650 with 1400 miles on it to the Yamaha/Honda dealer in Sierra Vista.

So I bought it. This is the largest (and most comfortable) two wheeled transportation device I've ever owned. There's an eight mile climb up a mountain to get to my home (Bisbee) and the conventional wisdom is that if your machine will do eighty up it then you've got a serious machine.

The Burgman did eighty.

However, at 5'9" and 145lbs I find it a bit difficult to schlepp around in parking lots and lifting it on the center stand. I'll probably get better at it.

 

[pauljo]

Ted,

The Burgman 650 centerstand is pretty easy to use compared to some others I've had in the past. But there is a technique to it.

Put the scooter on the sidestand first, and dismount. Do not apply the parking brake.

Hold the handlebar with your left hand, and the rear passenger grab rail with your right hand, lightly push the centerstand down until it touches ground with your right foot.

Now, tilt the machine upright, then put all your weight on your right foot (which is on the centerstand lever) as you pull up with your right hand. The weight you put on that centerstand tang should be doing a lot of the work for you, so really stand on the thing.

To get it off of the centerstand, straddle the machine, and have the handlebars aiming the wheel straight forward. Stand up, don't sit down. Now throw your weight forward with a bit of a snap - kind of like you were jerking a barbell with weights.

One caution. Never put a machine on a centerstand if you are on a significant grade. For one thing, if the nose is pointing uphill, you could have a very difficult time getting it off of the centerstand. Use the sidestand and parking brake when you must park on a hill.

Hope this helps.

 

[migz123]

One caution. Never put a machine on a centerstand if you are on a significant grade. For one thing, if the nose is pointing uphill, you could have a very difficult time getting it off of the centerstand. Use the sidestand and parking brake when you must park on a hill.

Hope this helps.

Good advise paul!

 

[Greengoose]

Welcome to the Forum Ted!
-Bryan

pauljo wrote:

One caution. Never put a machine on a centerstand if you are on a significant grade. For one thing, if the nose is pointing uphill, you could have a very difficult time getting it off of the centerstand. Use the sidestand and parking brake when you must park on a hill.

Hope this helps.


Good advise paul!

LOL-
:lol: I did this in my drive way and nearly busted my back trying to push it uphill off the stand!

 

[flintbobbi]

Hey Ted, welcome. Fellow suntanner here. There are 10 or so of us from Arizona registered on this site at last count. Glad to hear you are on board.

Drive safe.

 

[allwalk]

Hi Ted!
Congrats on the new Burgman and welcome to the forum.If you have any questions just ask and someone should have an answer.

 

[ajwood]

yeah, me 2.

 

[lvmeier]

Welcome to the forum Ted & congrats on your purchase!

 

[Ted White]

Thanks, all

I thank you all for your collective welcomes and advice.

Well today I rode the hell out of it. I am seriously impressed with its seamless acceleration and smooth handling, with its good looks (a crowd around it today at the coffee shop in Old Bisbee) and with its practicality. I did a full shopping at Safeway just now and got it all stuffed into the luggage compartment.

I am not impressed with the windscreen. Creates too much turbulence and noise. I had to park my brand new HJC Sy-Max flip up helmet and go back to my old Shoei RF900. Flip ups, apparently are inherently noisier than full face helmets.

Any windshield advice?

Also, how can you see ANYTHING looking at the oil level site gauge?

 

[flintbobbi]

LOTS of complaints about the stock shield. Probably the # 1 complaint...

Do a search on the main page for shield, clearview, or givi to see a ton of comments.

Givi and Clearview (and maybe one other company?) make a replacement shield. Both seem pretty good.

I personally got a Clearview, and it has made a world of difference. Much improved, to the point I use a 3/4 helmet now for some of my riding.

Good luck Ted. Hope to see you on the AZ roads sometime.

Flint

 

[bmylan]

Yea I think a Clearview is the way to go . See if you can get it with a vent ...because we live in Arizona ...well I will just leave it at that... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Ted White]

windshield

Thanks Bill and Flint. Is the Clearview simply aerodynamically better, or merely taller? Wider? Wider would help.

My line of sight is about three inches above the stock windshield and I really hate it when I have to look through a motorcycle windshield or find its top edge lip exactly in my line of sight.

BTW, as far as I know, I've got the only Burgman in Cochise County. I was in Phoenix in early March and stopped by Metrocycles on West Bell Road and they had a couple of new ones. I might have bought one if the sales personnel weren't so voracious. Two of them were on me, like good cop/bad cop stuff.

Today I went riding around on the Burgman, soliciting signatures on my nomination papers. I'm running for another term as city councilman. However, when I got into a poor section of town I took it home. I could see too many people thinking, Man, this guy can afford that? Where'd he get the money?

 

[flintbobbi]

Hey Ted. I think the Clearview is an inch or so wider on each side and about 3 inches taller. It is not as wide as the Givi I don't think.

Here is a link to a discussion thread WITH my photos of the stock shield compared to the Clearview XL.
http://burgmanusa.com/forums/viewtopic. ... =clearview

Some have indicated the Clearview vibrates less than the Givi at higher speeds. I like mine a lot. Someone else who rode my bike said it should be another inch taller. I'm 6'2" with 32" inseam and my line of sight is right above the top edge...just about right I think. It really quieted the ride down considerably, and yet I still get a little air which is nice as it gets hotter. Clearview is reportedly making an even bigger one that is due out anytime.

Feel free to send me a PM if you want to drop by Phx and see my bike/Clearview shield.

Oh, and I won't hold it against you that you are a "politician." Really...I'd still put you WAY above auto/cycle dealers anyday. :?

Flint

 

[pauljo]

Ted,

The Clearview is 2 inches wider, and It comes in four or five different heights. You can call them at 800-798-6089 or email them at
[email protected]. They don't show the Burgman screens on their website yet.

I've found them very good to work with. I switched from a Givi to a Clearview, mine is an XXL size, and I love it. You'll be happy to know that the smaller sizes cost a bit less... I didn't get the right size at first, and they actually paid for UPS to pick it up for the return, which was pretty nice.

 

[Ted White]

windshields

Flintbobbi:

I looked at the pix. Very interesting the way it pooches out on the sides. I got on their website and gave them my height/inseam, etc. So should hear from them tomorrow.

As for the politician part, I'm a former college English Professor, and before that I was a detective sergeant in the Imperial County Sheriff's Department in California. Now there's a couple of professions that we all know go together.

Been in Bisbee since '76 and got sort of drafted into the city councilman thing. The incumbent got indicted for something that had nothing to do with being a councilman. So there was a vacancy. I made the naive mistake of writing a letter saying gee, Bisbee's been good to me all these years, maybe I can do something for Bisbee, blah, blah.

The lesson here is never write letters unless absolutely necessary.