[Willy Mo]

Greetings to all! This is the best site, regardless of topic on the web. My wife and I went through an MSF rider course last August (we both passed). We are planning on purchasing a Burgman in the future (can't right now, just bought a Condo). Other than finishing the course, niether one of us has any riding experience. We live on Staten Island, NY City and there's always traffic. Would the 400 suit us better? Should we go for the 650? I am 5 ft 10, 210 lbs. and the wife is 5 ft 3, 130 lbs. My instinct tells me the 400 would be better for the city traffic and the weight. My desire is for the 650. We don't want to buy the 650 and then regret it. No dealer that we know of in the NY/NJ area allows test drives (would make it a lot easier).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you all in advance.

:wink:
-Willy Mo in SI

 

[JD]

If you are going to be riding mostly in the city, then the 400 would suit you just fine. If you want to do alot of 2 up riding on the freeways, go with the 650. Seems to me you prefer the 650 more, so go for it. You wouldn't want to buy the 400, only to scold yourself down the road for not getting the 650. Just my opinion. There may be someone on this forum who lives near you, and may allow you to ride their Burgman. I know I had several offers from people as far away as Missouri!!! Either way you go, you will be happy with the Burger. Good luck with your future purchase and welcome to Burgman USA!! 8)

 

[billmeek]

Welcome to the BurgmanUSA forums Willy Mo. Glad to have you join us.

If you want the 650 and the price is not a consideration, by all means get the 650. The weight difference isn't that noticable to me. If you plan on doing 2 up riding or touring, I think the 650 is a better choice. As I've suggested before... one option is to get the 400 first, get the wife addicted and let her have the 400, and then go get the 650 yourself. :wink:

 

[pauljo]

If your wife is going to pilot the machine sometimes, she might have an issue with the seat height of the 650. As an inexperienced rider, she might also be intimidated by the additional weight of the 650 in low speed maneuvers. You really need to get to a showroom that has both models, and have her sit on them. This should be off of the centerstand. You and a salesperson can "spot" the machine so that it doesn't fall over. A salesperson should be willing to pull the machines out to an area away from the other bikes where she would be comfortable doing this. If they are not willing to, simply put, find another dealer.

She should also sit on the back of the 650 with you in the front. Some people of her height find the passenger floorboard position very uncomfortable.

These steps alone, may give you your answer.

 

[allwalk]

Greetings and welcome to the forum. The others have already given sound advice so theres no need in me telling you the same thing. Good luck with whatever choice you make.

 

[Willy Mo]

Thank you all!!! Pauljo, thanks for the practical suggestion. I think that's the way to go! In all honesty, I am also concerned about the weight of the 650, so it would be a benefit for us to check both models out. We will also try to check out the Yamaha Majesty in a similar fashion. There are quite a few Vespa dealers in the city so, if I find a Piaggio X9 on a showroom floor, we'll try that too. However, we both love the Burgmans.

Thanks again!!!

:wink: -Willy Mo

 

[JKerstinJ]

Willy-Mo,

I am your wife's size and I drive the AN650. I sat on both and found the 400 closer to the ground but had no trouble holding up the 650. I've been on the back of the Burgman once and I found it very comfortable. As was suggested, at least sit on both with your wife, and get a feel for them. If you and your wife plan on riding outside of the city the 650 will probably be a better choice. The 650 is a great touring scooter.

Maybe you can find a small used scooter to ride for a while to get comfortable on the street then get your Burger when ready. I started out on a Vespa ET4 150cc which I still have and enjoy riding. My husband and I ride the Vespa and get up to 60 mph on flat land.

Oh, I forgot, welcome to the group.

Janine

 

[NormanB]

If its city useage I would say a 400 (if the ergonomics suit).
But any 2 up touring aspirations then its the Lardy - as long as the ergonomics stack up.

Welcome to the forum BTW :hello2:

 

[swstiles]

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you all in advance.

:wink:
-Willy Mo in SI

I know that most of the guys are saying if your going to do any 2 up riding (I think one said if you do a lot) to get the 650 I think that unless you are going to do a lot of 2 up and I mean a lot then there's nothing wrong with riding quite a bit 2up on the 400. My wife and I have been riding and I'm 265 lbs and she's 175
and the 400 gets right on up to 70 mph going uphill without any trouble and still has a lot of Throttle left. I realize that the 650 has more power than the 400 and can do this even better and I may someday buy a 650 just because and give the 400 to the wife (she handles it great and the seat height fits her better but the fact is that the 400 will get the job done one or two riders and she seems to be just as comfortable on the 400 as on the 650 And it will do it with less gas if that's a concern. :wink:
Other consideration you might what to concider is the 650 has a digital dash and the 400 has an analog odometer, tach, fuel and coolant gage.
Thier also seems to be a lot more involved in adjusting the valves on the 650 than on the 400 if you are going to do your maintinance.
At the end of the day since you and especially your wife are inexperienced riders I would highly recommend the 400 if your wife is going to be riding the bike solo. Just my 5 cents :wink:

 

[Willy Mo]

Thank you swstiles! You know, I have seen a couple of 400's in the City and a couple of the lighter Hondas (Reflex). I imagine that these riders feel as you do. I would be riding mostly solo, with my wife on occasional trips to the beach or family/friends houses in the Summer. This involves some highway driving (to get off the Island), but I feel that the 400 would probably make the better fit for both of us. Truth be told, I rarely go above the speed limit (55 mph) in my car, so I doubt I would be going much faster than that on the Burg. The 650 appeals to me simply because it is the top of the line ( hate to admit that). You're right though, the 400 should be more than enough for her and I to handle. Thanks again.

-Willy Mo
:wink:

 

[Willy Mo]

Oh and God Bless your daughter!!!!!

-Willy Mo

 

[wasions]

Guess I'll throw in my tuppence.

I (we) ride a 650 here, but borrowed Chickenman's 400 in Hawaii.

The 650 gets decent gas mileage, but really not much better than most superbikes, especially with the (nearly mandatory) windshield change. It's comfortable, stops well, goes well, and handles well in most any situation.

The 400 gets outstanding gas mileage, far better than it's bigger brother, stops well, goes well, and handles two-up almost as good as the 650. The only things I didn't much like about it were: the sound, and a little vibration. But it's a single, so it's going to have some of that. If I lived in Hawaii, riding the 650 would be silly. It's just more than I'd need. (Hen's situation is different though, and his new 650 with sidecar will be ideal.)

For me, and what I do with the bike, the 650 is clearly the best choice (aside from that gas mileage thing). It sounds to me like the kind of riding you'll do is more like what we did in Hawaii, though, so I'd recommend the 400.

Did that make sense?

Steve

 

[Willy Mo]

Steve,

Perfect sense. Thank you. Was the vibration in the handle bars or the seat? Thanks.

Willy Mo :wink:

 

[JohnnyDeath]

I love my 650.

I have taken my 650 with wife on back into NYC many times and it was great.

If I did not like to go to darn fast and take the wife the 400 might have been my coice. Then again ... maybe not.
Some of the responses in this thread does make me want to try out a 400 though.

 

[NormanB]

I think moving from a 650 to a 400 would actually be quite difficult and you would really (truly) need to be very objective in your assessment.

Whereas going from a standard bike or a small scoot the 400 would just steal your heart.

 

[billmeek]

Some of the responses in this thread does make me want to try out a 400 though.

Chuck,

If you ever get down this way, you can take my 400 for a cruise and see what you think.

 

[NormanB]

What 400 is that then? :wink:

 

[billmeek]

Willy Mo,

The vibration on the 400 is the light singing of a single. If you just get on the 400 and ride, you'll think the engine is smooth as silk. Only when I compared the 400 to the 650 by riding each within a few minutes of each other could I notice it. Either Burgman could do the type of riging you've mentioned. It's just a matter of your personal choice. As suggested, go take a test ride. Spend some time looking over eack bike and see which feels the best to you. There is also a wealth of information here on the forums. Before I purchased my Burgman, I read every post on the forums. Since the forums have grown since that time, it'd take a lot longer for you to do that now. But there is still a lot of information here you might find useful. Also, as you can see, the people here on the forums are willing to help if you have any specific questions.

 

[swstiles]

Our Daughter

Oh and God Bless your daughter!!!!!

-Willy Mo

Thank you very much.

 

[burgwoman400]

which Burgman for my wife and I

WillyMo,
Welcome to BurgmanUSA! Just wanted to share that last summer,I met a couple at Honda Homecoming who rode 2 up on a Burgman 400. They were similar height and weight to you and your wife and and were very happy with their choice. As I recall, they lived in Indiana--not sure if they were city or country folk.
Incidentally, we (the Indiana couple and myself) struck up a conversation while waiting in line to register for a demo ride, I for a Silverwing (had to check out the competition) and they for a Reflex. I didn't see them again to learn how their demo ride went but I enjoyed my Silverwing ride. Like the Burgie 400, the Silverwing really goes. After the ride, the gentlleman behind me commented "Boy that thing really goes, I couldn't keep up with you." He was on a Shadow 750. His comment is also true of the 400.I have more than enough power to keep up with any bikes I ride with, even
Goldwing 1800's. Hope this is helpful.
Burgwoman USA