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some positives

3K views 26 replies 20 participants last post by  Porky 
#1 ·
I would say that 90% of posted treads are all negatives on the 650. Gosh, of all the bikes I've owned, the 650 is the best. How about posting some of the great attributes this great machine has. I wouldn't ride anything else.
 
#2 ·
We all know about the positives, remember we all own a 650 too.

In my case, my bike runs great and I am customizing it to suit my needs better, so I ask ask and read a lot of questions and answers on every topic.

Not everyone has a new bike, or a perfect one. When something isn't just right, most of us have found out that factory service isn't all that great and we need to work it out ourselves, How do we do that? We talk on forums like this.

(And when it's still winter, talking is all we got)

Blakers
 
#3 ·
OK, You want to here some positives, well here goes. I have a 2003 650, I bought it used from an estate with 15k on the clock for 2000 dollars.It now has 25k. Other than maintenance and tires I have replaced the PPG adapter and the ignition switch which was a factory recall and was working fine at the time of replacement. This bike sits out in the hot blistering sun in the summer and has had been covered in an inch of winter ice before I could put it away. Yesterday morning it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock. I went out to the bike, stuck the key in it and fired it right up and did some errands. How is that for reliability? As far as the ride goes the seat is the seat and the shocks are the shocks. The bike preforms the way it was designed. What more can you ask? After all it is not a 30,000 dollar Honda. I now have a Carey gel seat, which I put an Air Hawk2 and an Alaska sheep skin on top. It may be over kill, but boy is it nice. I can now see over my Givi wind screen which I don't have to cut down now. It is easy to blame the machine for our own physical short comings, like my sensitive posterior.:D
 
#4 ·
This board tends to be a very informative / helpful one and people don't need information when they're well versed in the machine and it's running well. They're too busy riding to write in. :D

People need help and information when they're uninitiated and or something goes wrong. Its somewhat the nature of the board to hear of other people's problems or questions. So it may come off as negative, but really it's very positive. Old hats helping young bucks find their way around their new steed.

Gonna go riding right now. 181 miles of twisties and very little slab. Woo hoo. Taking the 400 just for old times sake.
 
#5 ·
They are positively beautiful, fast, economical, reliable, frugal with fuel, comfortable, handles well, have great wind protection, are cheap to insure, have great under seat storage, the brakes are good with or without ABS and routine maintenance is quite easy. They also are cheap to purchase and hold their value well.:(

Oh, I almost forgot that the B650 rider is far superior to others at least in their own mind.;)

There ya go, have a great day.:p

Sam:eek:
 
#7 ·
The positives far out weight the negatives for most of us 650 owners. But there was a time when a lot of negative comments were being pumped up in almost every thread by a couple of 400 owners and they were asked to stop, and it mostly has. And then there are owners that have had major issues with their 650 and will post in almost every 650 topic about their issues and pontificate that you should NOT buy a 650.

I will mostlikly buy another 650 when this stead I am riding goes to pasture. I got to 54,900 miles on my first one and due to my failure it is parked. Then 19K miles on the second one, Frankenburg, and I crashed it. I am now over 65,000 miles on my 3rd Burgman 650. Yes I have made changes to them all to make them more MINE.

Oh, by the by, inbetween the 1st and second 650 I rode a GL1100i till on Oct 5th 2009 when I crashed it. I liked the Burgman just a bit more than my Goldwing, just a bit, not a lot. :twisted: When I crashed my second 650, my nick-name was Crash Bike Dummy. ;)
 
#8 ·
Dave, please remind me to never let you ride any of my Scoot's!:rolleyes:

Sam:D
 
#9 ·
Probably because 90% of the time when someone posts they are having a problem or at least they perceive they are having a problem. When they don't have a problem they're probably out riding.
If people post how great their scooter is then they're just singing to the choir, we all know how great they are. I mean imagine someone posting "I'm having a problem because my scooter is just too great" ;) :p
 
#10 ·
I think you will find that the more experienced a rider is the less negative he will be on the 650's short comings . He's owned a lot of bikes over the years and knows that every bike is what it is , he also knows that the 650's minuses , are far out weighed by it's pluses .

The talk on other scooter sites for as long as I can remember , is the 650 is a bomb ready to explode . They repeat the now famous it can cost $4,000 to fix mantra , and scare every one to death . Keep in mind that half of these sites are filled with kids with $500.00 scooters .

All that said there are a lot of people in this country living hand to mouth , most are one pay check away from disaster . So for them I can perfectly understand them being afraid to take on any risk ON ANYTHING .

Don't forget all the negativity on these 650's is to our advantage , their reputations make a slightly used one an absolute bargain on the best ride in the scooter world .

TheReaper!
 
#12 ·
OK kids. Here's one some of you may have experienced: I ride with a club that is primarily composed of folk with some really NICE Harleys, plus a few more esoteric brands for fun. When we stop somewhere, who do the bystanders want to talk to? The guy with the scooter...
 
#21 ·
That's it exactly! I absolutely LOVE the way my Burger King 650 confounds my Harley and GW buddies. After spending upwards of $30,000 for theirs, they are perplexed that I spent $4,000 for my used 2006 last year and seem to be able to keep up with all of them ... and my constant smile pisses them off too.
 
#13 ·
TheReaper I agree with all the points you made.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Okay, here goes...

The Burgmans are THE best bikes I've ever ridden, bar none. There is absolutely no other ride Id even consider owning.

Personally, the 400 fits me a bit better, but I love the 650 too. The comfort, storage, sheer practicality and overall package just can't be beat.

I call the 400 the Swiss Army Bike cause it does everything well. It's got enough of everything to make it the most practical of any bike out there and nothing more. Just enough is its strong suit.

The 650 is similar but more. And as touring bikes go, I suppose it's the same; just enough and nothing more.

And I mean "nothing more" in the best of ways. I've owned big sport touring bikes and it was too much. Nothing needs to go THAT fast or weigh THAT much. Much like the story of Goldilocks & The three bears, they're "Just Right".

So cheers to our steeds! Many miles may they roll.
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
The Aprilia SRV850 does not make it to USA. The closest to it is the Mana GT 850. But it has a rubber band belt like the Burgman 400 and you MUST have the computer reset with Aprilia's scan tool or it will go into Rain mode and cut the power output. The dealers here want $800 (USD) for the service and most will not flash your bike unless they do the service.
 
#19 ·
Thanks Y'all. Before all your responses...I was certain that my CVT was going to leave me stranded somewhere in the boonies, that my electrical stuff was going kaput, etc, etc. Now I'll be able to ride with confidence that I'll return home, as I usually do with my car.
 
#22 ·
My neighbor has a victory cross country in that burnt orange color , nice looking bike . He was over a while back and we were talking about our bikes , I asked him what he paid for his and he said like 23K brand new out the door , he then asked what I paid for mine . I said it had 4,800 miles on it and I paid 3K for it . He looked dumb founded and kind of sad at the same time . To be honest I love doing that to these guys who pay 20 or 30K for a bike . I never get tired of seeing that expression on their faces :D

TheReaper!
 
#24 ·
I never get tired of seeing that expression on their faces
especially when they see how quick to 60 the Burgman 650 is. The only time I miss more power is 70 mph plus...it's still available but not effortlessly like the ST1100 I sold.

The ECVT makes the limited Burgman 650 horsepower go a long long way.
That said....$3k is silly low for a sophisticated bit of kit.
 
#25 ·
I have had my 2003 AN650 since 2006. Since then I have replaced the battery a couple of times, sparkplugs, tires, and the fan assembly. I could not have asked for a "sweeter" ride. I caused the problem with the fan assembly when I hopped a curb and damaged it. I replaced the fan assembly with an aftermarket fan assembly mentioned in this forum and it has been smooth sailing ever since. Finally, I like the fact that I can store my helmet and armored jacket under the seat whenever I run my errands.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Positives about my '05 650?
I've put more miles on it than any single bike I've ever owned (almost 26,000 now).
So far, the only problem I've had with it that's not a normal wear item or a consequence of leaving it sit parked (unused) for a year was that the seat release cable broke after 7 years, and every once in a while it needs a shot of contact-cleaner/oil into the turn-signal switch. The windshield is starting to haze up a little bit, but that's to be expected after almost ten years.
I used to do 900-mile weekends on it on a regular basis, on a highway with 80 MPH sections.
It will (as noted by roadsterred), hold an armored jacket and a helmet under the seat, which makes using it in daily life rather convenient.
The electrical system has enough extra capacity to support heated clothing if you want it.
The upper glove boxes ('12 and earlier) will each hold a normal 22oz water bottle.
Airflow over the stock windshield will keep rain off of you at speed while blowing the raindrops downward off your helmet's face-shield. (Note: it's important to have a very good seal between the visor and the helmet for this to be helpful, otherwise it blows rainwater through the gap...which can be unpleasant.) (Also note that this effect may vary by rider height and inseam length.) The windshield and fairing are effective in keeping rain away from you while you're moving.
It does a very good job of keeping engine heat away from the rider. And from the underseat storage space (something any owner of a modern Vespa will appreciate).

The thing it does well is that it does everything -- it's not the best at anything, but it's good-enough at everything that replacing it with something else means giving up a lot more utility than you get.
 
#27 ·
I'm sure your friend with the 25 thousand dollar Victory wasn't sad because of the decision he made versus your decision to buy the used B650??:rolleyes:

Sam:D
 
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