I agree totally with you Migz. I am just as pleased with my machine as it sounds like you are with yours. The power button is great to use for those people that say " it's just a scooter" I love blowing them away at the lights. It sure does open up there eyes.
Owner Review: First 150mi on the 650 Burgman
I bought the Silver Burgman 650 last weekend and am just about to finish the first tank of gas today, Friday. I've used on my commute to work everyday, which incudes a few California Big Freeway miles, and a good deal of twisty roads.
Although the price is somewhat high in comparison to its competition, the Burgman 650 shows you exactly what you are paying for on nearly aspect of its use.
FREEWAY: The Freeway drive is very stable, and although this bike is capable of speeds well in excess of 100mph, I feel that's its proper cruising speed at 65-80mph is VERY comfortable. If you are driving in an area with lots of freeway or open highway, this is the bike to get.
WIND: As mentioned by others, the windsheild could be somewhat higher, but since I don't go on extended rides, it doesn't bother me much. Maybe one day I will install the GIVI screen, or buy a Lip to make the sheild deflect the wind more upwards.
I had a chance to test the Burgman 650 out on the freeway on a day with high winds. I felt no MORE or LESS danger than I would have been on my previous bike ('00 GSXR) ... I was more focused on making sure the bike was in control during the wind gusts and the Burgman felt a bit more 'movable' than the GSXR would have been, but not enough to overly stress about, or to get me off the focus of making sure I'm safe.
CITY: The Burgman 650 extremely practical for city use. It's maneuverable enough in a parking-lot environment and has plenty of power to accelerate on the city streets when needed. Unless you are carrying a heavy load, you will out-accelerate most cars on the road and be able to 'safely' keep up with most other bikes in the city environment.
SIDE-MIRRORS: THe Side mirrors are large and for someone my height (5'9") it gives a great display of the situation behind. The great view of the rear however does have its drawback as the side-mirrors size and position make the bike somewhat wide. To those who live in States that allow lane sharing, the spread of the mirrors 'may' be a problem if you like sharing the lanes. I understand that auto-folding mirrors are available via order from Japan and that is definetly something I want to have on the Burgman. I like to get in between cars to be out in front at a traffic light. Currently the Burgman's width has cut my ability to do that at least 80% of the time.
LIGHTING: The lighting system all around, from the headlights back to the taillights and all the blinkers is excellent.
INSTRUMENTATION: More than you will need, SPEED and RPM is digital, and has plenty of other indicators (oil, temp, time etc). It scares me to think what I would do if those instrumentations malfunction and the bike is no longer under warranty, but that's life. All in all, the instrumentation is GREAT.
COMPARTMENTS: It has lots of built-in storage, and the trunk under the seat can hold plenty enough to fit two full-face helmets, and yes I have fit it and they FIT with a little extra space even. The 3 glove compartments are great, and the key lock on the largest one is a big plus. I do feel that the inside the compartments there must be some padding, as my cellphone did get scratched from tossing around inside it. Otherwise, the availability of these compartments, left, right and center, is GREAT.
SUSPENSION/HANDLING : The suspension is great, but I had to set the rear to its maximum allowed setting (#5 - stiffest) in order for me to be comfortable on the curves. Perhaps it's my weight (220lb) or just personal preference that I need to have the suspension tight. At that setting, the bike handles surprisingly well on curves and can lean farther than most people would be comfortable with. It of course is no GSXR, but it's great that Scooter that size and weight and take the curves.
TRANSMISSION: The automatic transmission on a bike is just as awesome a convenience as it is to have in a car, and probably more. It generally works great, except that when you are slowing down, the bike tends to slow ITSELF down a lot faster than you initially anticipate, as the transmission downshifts itself. Coming to a rolling stop can take some getting used to as the bike stays in gear a tad bit too long before releasing for a rolling stop. You get used to it.
I haven't had a chance to really test the "manual" gear changing because the bike is still in break-in. Maybe after. In the meantime, I leave it on "auto" all the time.
Power Mode: When engaged, there is a noticable difference in acceleration. If you want to haul ass, that button needs to be ON
ENGINE: The power is plentiful and adequate for nearly all conditions of public road riding. It has that POWER that Suzuki has made sure we would all feel. I am very happy with it. After about 50 miles, I began to notice that "DIESEL" Sound that everyone talks about when the bike is on idle. It is quite a noticable sound. If it is availabe for repair under warranty, I will probably have them do it. However, if that won't be available for repair under warranty, it does not bother me and I can live with it.
OVERALL: At this point, 150mi into it, this bike is a joy to own and is delivering everything I have expected out of it so far. It has great styling and surprisingly I've gotten a few nice comments about it, including people who thought it was an expensive BMW.
My Wish List:
- Auto Folding Mirrors definitely
- Padding inside the Glove Boxes
- Ability to open the Trunk while the engine is on
- Slightly taller wind screen
Although the price is somewhat high in comparison to its competition, the Burgman 650 shows you exactly what you are paying for on nearly aspect of its use.
FREEWAY: The Freeway drive is very stable, and although this bike is capable of speeds well in excess of 100mph, I feel that's its proper cruising speed at 65-80mph is VERY comfortable. If you are driving in an area with lots of freeway or open highway, this is the bike to get.
WIND: As mentioned by others, the windsheild could be somewhat higher, but since I don't go on extended rides, it doesn't bother me much. Maybe one day I will install the GIVI screen, or buy a Lip to make the sheild deflect the wind more upwards.
I had a chance to test the Burgman 650 out on the freeway on a day with high winds. I felt no MORE or LESS danger than I would have been on my previous bike ('00 GSXR) ... I was more focused on making sure the bike was in control during the wind gusts and the Burgman felt a bit more 'movable' than the GSXR would have been, but not enough to overly stress about, or to get me off the focus of making sure I'm safe.
CITY: The Burgman 650 extremely practical for city use. It's maneuverable enough in a parking-lot environment and has plenty of power to accelerate on the city streets when needed. Unless you are carrying a heavy load, you will out-accelerate most cars on the road and be able to 'safely' keep up with most other bikes in the city environment.
SIDE-MIRRORS: THe Side mirrors are large and for someone my height (5'9") it gives a great display of the situation behind. The great view of the rear however does have its drawback as the side-mirrors size and position make the bike somewhat wide. To those who live in States that allow lane sharing, the spread of the mirrors 'may' be a problem if you like sharing the lanes. I understand that auto-folding mirrors are available via order from Japan and that is definetly something I want to have on the Burgman. I like to get in between cars to be out in front at a traffic light. Currently the Burgman's width has cut my ability to do that at least 80% of the time.
LIGHTING: The lighting system all around, from the headlights back to the taillights and all the blinkers is excellent.
INSTRUMENTATION: More than you will need, SPEED and RPM is digital, and has plenty of other indicators (oil, temp, time etc). It scares me to think what I would do if those instrumentations malfunction and the bike is no longer under warranty, but that's life. All in all, the instrumentation is GREAT.
COMPARTMENTS: It has lots of built-in storage, and the trunk under the seat can hold plenty enough to fit two full-face helmets, and yes I have fit it and they FIT with a little extra space even. The 3 glove compartments are great, and the key lock on the largest one is a big plus. I do feel that the inside the compartments there must be some padding, as my cellphone did get scratched from tossing around inside it. Otherwise, the availability of these compartments, left, right and center, is GREAT.
SUSPENSION/HANDLING : The suspension is great, but I had to set the rear to its maximum allowed setting (#5 - stiffest) in order for me to be comfortable on the curves. Perhaps it's my weight (220lb) or just personal preference that I need to have the suspension tight. At that setting, the bike handles surprisingly well on curves and can lean farther than most people would be comfortable with. It of course is no GSXR, but it's great that Scooter that size and weight and take the curves.
TRANSMISSION: The automatic transmission on a bike is just as awesome a convenience as it is to have in a car, and probably more. It generally works great, except that when you are slowing down, the bike tends to slow ITSELF down a lot faster than you initially anticipate, as the transmission downshifts itself. Coming to a rolling stop can take some getting used to as the bike stays in gear a tad bit too long before releasing for a rolling stop. You get used to it.
I haven't had a chance to really test the "manual" gear changing because the bike is still in break-in. Maybe after. In the meantime, I leave it on "auto" all the time.
Power Mode: When engaged, there is a noticable difference in acceleration. If you want to haul ass, that button needs to be ON
ENGINE: The power is plentiful and adequate for nearly all conditions of public road riding. It has that POWER that Suzuki has made sure we would all feel. I am very happy with it. After about 50 miles, I began to notice that "DIESEL" Sound that everyone talks about when the bike is on idle. It is quite a noticable sound. If it is availabe for repair under warranty, I will probably have them do it. However, if that won't be available for repair under warranty, it does not bother me and I can live with it.
OVERALL: At this point, 150mi into it, this bike is a joy to own and is delivering everything I have expected out of it so far. It has great styling and surprisingly I've gotten a few nice comments about it, including people who thought it was an expensive BMW.
My Wish List:
- Auto Folding Mirrors definitely
- Padding inside the Glove Boxes
- Ability to open the Trunk while the engine is on
- Slightly taller wind screen
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1 - 18 of 18 Posts
