[wilder days]

Hello,
I'm considering buying a burgman next summer. My question to you all is..what kind of bike do you ride now or have ridden before you got your burgman? How do you feel the burgman stacks up to whaother bikes you ride/have ridden?
I'm riding a suzuki intruder 1400 now, and trying to convince myself that trading it in on a burgman is the right thing to do. The reason for considering a trade is, my legs/knees and hands can't take the chilly wind anymore. That and a softer/wider seat for both me and my wife would be great for the long hauls.
any and all feed back would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bleeder]

Long hauls? You sure you wanna go from 1400 down to 650cc's for long hauls?



Peace.

 

[pauljo]

Welcome to BurgmanUSA. I have had 17 motorcycles & 3 scooters before the AN650. I still own a motorcycle. The Burgman is the most practical bike I've owned, and probably the most relaxing to ride. Stability and handling are excellent. It has enough power to be fun - it will cruise at 85 mph all day, and it accelerates briskly. The automatic CVT transmission works better than you could possibly imagine. I currently ride my Burgman at least twice as often as my motorcycle.

You might want an aftermarket windscreen for more wind protection. If so, no big deal, there are several brands available in various sizes for under $200. Some folks like the stock seat, some don't - same with any motorcycle. Corbin is now offering an aftermarket seat - or you could have the stock seat reworked as I did.

Suspension & ride is not quite up to motorcycle standards over rough pavement. It is the best stock scooter suspension currently on the market, but it is no Goldwing (the smaller wheels are the main reason). Ikon makes aftermarket shocks that are somewhat better than stock - I have them on mine. Ride can also be improved by changing the weight of the fork oil - a couple of our members have done this.

No show stoppers though. I've had to tweak any motorcycle I've bought to make it better for my needs and tastes. The Burgman is no different. You might like it just as it comes. The most common modification is to replace the stock windscreen with one that better suits your height. Some offer better wind protection for your hands as well.

 

[pauljo]

Long hauls? You sure you wanna go from 1400 down to 650cc's for long hauls?

We have several members that have just completed major tours on their AN650s - one was 5000 miles. It is a capable touring machine. It is better suited to carrying gear and more comfortable for touring than most cruiser style motorcycles. The addition of a Givi E52 trunk can almost double luggage capacity, and is a commonly added accessory for those who like to tour. Touring is not all about cc's.

 

[Edwljoseph]

I went from a 1300cc Venture to the Burgman. Do not miss the Venture and feel I gave up nothing (except for the factory stereo/cb/intercom). The Burgman does it all. I am like Paul in that i have a second toy. My Bandit 600S. You will enjoy the all round practicality of the Burgman and will not regret the purchase. Put on a bigger windshield and a topcase and you have it all.

 

[Pappy]

Hello,
I'm considering buying a burgman next summer. My question to you all is..what kind of bike do you ride now or have ridden before you got your burgman? How do you feel the burgman stacks up to whaother bikes you ride/have ridden?
I'm riding a suzuki intruder 1400 now, and trying to convince myself that trading it in on a burgman is the right thing to do. The reason for considering a trade is, my legs/knees and hands can't take the chilly wind anymore. That and a softer/wider seat for both me and my wife would be great for the long hauls.
any and all feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Rode "REAL" motorcycles since the late 50's. Over $150K worth. Harley's, British, CZ (oh the shame), Greeves, Spanish, Japenese, Italian, ya name it, I owned it. Just sold my 1500LC to buy 2 Honda 50cc scooters AND a Burgman 650. Ya make what ya want out of ANYTHING. I have a few mods to go as usual. I wanted something "different" I have it. Oh yeah, I can beat my Harley buddies every green light after they finish raggin me too.....

 

[Bleeder]

We have several members that have just completed major tours on their AN650s - one was 5000 miles. It is a capable touring machine. It is better suited to carrying gear and more comfortable for touring than most cruiser style motorcycles. The addition of a Givi E52 trunk can almost double luggage capacity, and is a commonly added accessory for those who like to tour. Touring is not all about cc's.

LOL!! Yes yes yes, I know as much about touring as anyone, and will spare you the details of my bonafides, but the question is legitimate. I personally would not give up that much displacement if I was going to be touring again. I'd get a more comfy seat and better wind protection. Plus, depending on how much they weigh, touring can indeed be significantly about cc's.




Peace.

 

[skootertrash]

ride what?

i have an 800 intruder and a 650 burger. i got the burger aug. of 03. in sept., the wife and i rode to calif. and back. 300+ pounds of humanity plus another 30 or so of gear. no problems keeping up with traffic in calif. or anywheres else. plus i averaged about 48mpg. 2800 miles in 7 days. my gas mileage is better now than then. i have almost 10000 miles on it now and have been averaging about 54 mpg.hard to describe,it's like a motorcycle only it's not like a motorcycle.

 

[magyver]

Re Who rides what

I have riden about anything with 2 wheels. Raced for 10 years and just
traded my V-Strom in on a 03 blue Burgman. My wife has had her's 11
months and I have riden it enough to know that it is a very comfortable
bike. We will both be riding our's from N Illinois to Arkansas to go to ScoterCade. Our first and our longest trip on any bike.

 

[Art Spencer]

I have quite a few bikes in my riding career, Hondas and several Harleys, the last was the V-Rod, all of them I loved but.....the Burgman 650 is the all around best bike I've owned. Hands down it is the best all around bike I have owned, use it all the time.

 

[Franklin]

Size vs Effectiveness

Here in the states we're all about size, and getting worse as time goes by. When I was a kid, a 650 bike was HUGE! Harley Sportster 880's were considered racing bikes, no joke. Many people rode 125's and 250's, and a 350 was relatively bad-ass. Now, we've got bikes with enignes exceeding 2 liters. Many, my first new car was a Honda Civic with a 1300 engine, and that was the sport version! We're concentrating too much on size and not enough on what gets the job done. The Burg 650 goes as fast as I want to go. If I wanted to go faster, I'd go get a Haybusa. As it is, I've been pulled over more often than I want. It hauls what I want (with the Givi E52), stores my stuff when I'm at work, and I'd don't have to shift (arthritis in the toe joints). Mercedes is successfull marketing a small car in Europe (the Smartcar) with a 650 engine and fuel injection, and a tranny similar to the Burg. If it works for a car, it ought to work for a bike.

 

[Wasquid]

It is what it is, a very big, very fast scooter. I have owned a Kawasaki EX500, and a Kawasaki ZX-6R. I bought the Burgman 650 after totaling my ZX-6R.

I've had it almost two months, and I have 5800 miles on it. Needless to say, I like it very much. It is perfect for touring, delightful for commuting, and fun just to cruise around on. As for your question about engine size, there is a "power" button on the transmission which moves the shift points up a little more into the meat of the torque; I find it unnecessary.

The suspension is a problem on frost heaved roads taken at a fast clip. So, if you do a lot of that, perhaps a V-Strom 650 would be a better choice for the money. Otherwise, it's a joy, and I can't think of anything that I would replace it with.