[greginnm]

Got my 2009 650 Burgman last Wednesday and have been riding it every chance I've had. Traded in my 2003 Vstrom 1000 for it and absolutely love this new bike. I have been on this forum daily since then ( actually before I purchased the bike to learn what I could) and have been impressed with the knowledge of the forum participants. I'm an old time rider and mechanic and hope someday I too can be of help on this forum.

Greg

 

[Bolzen]

Welcome, greginnm!

Don't recognize you from the V-Strom technical board. Have you changed the name along with the bike too?

 

[MacDoc]

Welcome - same year as mine.
Get acquainted with the power button ....transformative in the twisties... Burgman grin comes free

 

[greginnm]

Bolzen, names the same just didn't participate on the Vstom board much, liked the bike a lot but with my back injury it was getting harder to swing my leg over it.
MacDoc , I've been playing with the transmission and reading on this site about the things you can do with it. I am looking forward to taking the bike and riding up to Cloudcroft to experience some twisties. There's a highway that's calling my name!!!! The Vee has is all over the Burgman in the suspension department mainly because of it longer travel but the Burgman is effortless in turning, that has been a real nice surprise for me.

 

[MacDoc]

Yes the Vstrom has much better suspension - I recall my teeth being jarred on the frost bumps on The James Bay Road while buddy on the weestrom floated over them

Strom has a higher top end and more power but the tranny offsets that in the midrange and the handling and brakes are superb.

FIddle with the manual but most let the ECVT do it's thing and more aggressive punch the power button as needed

Read BikerSmurf and the R1 for a jaw dropper
http://burgmanusa.com/forums/12-general-discussion/70658-high-praise-650-burgman.html

this is the article that got me into the category...
http://www.onewheeldrive.net/2006/10/04/scoot-touring-the-honda-silverwing-and-suzuki-burgman/

Notice the VFR800 escort rider's comment...."if this were a race there would be no losing the 650" ....

I had a similar if shorter experience with a VFR800 rider in a sweet series of twists near home - both of us were surprised - the Burgman hung in easily including full on acceleration from the stop light at the end.

Eventually he pulled away - mind you about double the speed limit - top end is not the 650s best feature.

 

[LeDude]

Greg,

Congrats on the new ride and welcome to the 650 family.

The 650 is a great ride and very hard to beat when it comes to comfort.

As usual be prepared to do a lot of this

 

[greginnm]

LeDude, trust me I plan on many miles down the road! BTW I really like your site, I'm in the process of building a laminar lip like you show on your site.

MacDoc, You're right about the power, I "educated" a "un named motorcycle cruiser" and his v twin powerplant to the fact that my scooter could catch his bike at will.
This 650 is an absolute hoot!

 

[MacDoc]

Yeah it's sort of fun...

I was heading back to PA from south of DC and motoring and this Harley was doing it's damnest to try and pass me - I didn't have much left what with head wind and all but he didn't have any....after about 100 miles of this he gave up in disgust and settled back.

I just kept motoring.
I do find the 650 uses a bit of oil at sustained high speed.

 

[Scootermikie]

Got my 2009 650 Burgman last Wednesday and have been riding it every chance I've had. Traded in my 2003 Vstrom 1000 for it and absolutely love this new bike. I have been on this forum daily since then ( actually before I purchased the bike to learn what I could) and have been impressed with the knowledge of the forum participants. I'm an old time rider and mechanic and hope someday I too can be of help on this forum.

Greg

Welcome to the best and most informative forum on the Internet. Btw, I too have a 2009 650. Is yours one of the fast white ones?

 

[greginnm]

Scootermikie, mine is the stealthy black one .

Got the laminar Lip put on my stock windscreen, gotta give Kudos to LeDude, that addition works really well. My Laminar Lip is made out of 1/8 Plexiglas and may eventually upgrade it to Lexan for its scratch resistance.

 

[Chérie]

Greginnm congratulation, 2009 very good vintage for 650 Burgman, it one of motorcycling best kept secret.

Also own 2009.

 

[greginnm]

Thank you Cherie, I agree with you this motorcycle is an absolute hoot to drive. I have a buddy of mine that has a 2006 model and was introduced to the Burgman when he got his 3 years ago and have wanted to acquire one ever since. I have a lower back injury and am real selective about what I can ride comfortably and this bike fits the bill really well.

 

[bikerdoc]

KiaOra, welcome to the world of maxi scooters.

My Pseudonym is bikerdoc and I'm a maxi scooter addict in recovery (not)...

You've found a bunch of sympathetic folk who understand your new found addiction. Interesting transition you've made from the V-strom to the big Burgy. While the former ride had suspension travel in spades allowing for spirited riding across a wider variety of surfaces at speed, the latter doesn't offer such comfort, however it does make up for it in many other respects.
I continue to beat the mantra that if only one manufacturer would produce a 500cc+ maxi scoot that had longer suspenders e.g. maxi scoot ADV hybrid, I'm sure there'd be a market, coming from someone who enjoys what these two very different sectors of the motorcycling market offer.
As for swinging a leg over, it is still really possible to do so over the Burgy or most of the other maxi scooter tunnels, especially since I have tunnel bags on my maxi's meaning I'm forced to either swing a leg over (which I enjoy doing), or else I park the scoot's on their respective centre stands, and then climb aboard, rocking the scoot's forward off of the centre stand. Easily done with a little practice.
Just traded my 2004 Burgy Exec for a 2014 Burgy 650 in NZ on my two week holiday back home to see friends and family, though I did seriously consider the new 2014 V-strom that was on display.

it is hard to beat the convenience factor and weather protection of a scooter...


Welcome aboard Greginn.

 

[DougInKY]

Interesting transition you've made from the V-strom to the big Burgy. While the former ride had suspension travel in spades allowing for spirited riding across a wider variety of surfaces at speed, the latter doesn't offer such comfort, however it does make up for it in many other respects.

There are several of us who have come from the V-Strom/Wee-Strom to the Burgman 650/400. I have seen this across several places here on the internet. I do still have my Wee-Strom but am finding that I am not riding it very much. Expect I will sell it this spring if I can get the price I need for it.

Namaste'
Doug from Kentucky

 

[Desert Rat]

Love my black 09 650 & know you will to.

 

[greginnm]

Bikerdoc and DouginKy, I thought long and hard before making the switch to the Burgman. I had my Vee setup nicely in that the seat had been modded, handlebar risers peg lowering kit, tall windshield and crash bars. It was a nice ride just got too tall for me and my lower back injury to comfortably swing a leg over.
A buddy of mine has a 06 Burgman 650 and I rode it for 90 miles without my backbrace and that pretty much sealed the deal. I have put about 500 miles on my bike in the past week and really like it. Its down right now while I'm having the seat modded for me ( can't hardly stand that but it'll be worth the wait when I get it back later this week).
I put a laminar lip on the windshield ( ala LeDude's example) and boy do I like that.
a electronic cruise control will probably be in my future as I paln on riding some long distance stuff later on this year. And Desert Rat you're right this bike is the cats PJ's!