All Duels – 2013 BMW C 650 GT Vs Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive: The Roads Are Nice! – Buy knowingly

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2013 BMW C 650 GT Vs Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive: The Roads Are Nice !

All the Duels - 2013 BMW C 650 GT Vs Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive: the drivers are nice! - Buy knowingly

The Suzuki Burgman 650 had reigned without competition for ten years in the GT maxiscooter market, but the arrival of the BMW C 650 GT forced the Japanese manufacturer to review its flagship. What about today ? Big GT scooters face to face.

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By their protection, their comfort and their carrying capacity, these two maxiscooters also intend to compete with road motorcycles like the and others, moreover much more expensive..

Electrically adjustable windshields, heated saddle and grips, daytime running lights, standard ABS … the rider is pampered and protected, both on the BMW and on the Suzuki. But who says bloated equipment also means significant weight: our two competitors are not featherweights! Slight advantage however to the C 650 GT, which accuses 16 kg less on the scale than the Burgman 650 (261 kg against 277 full facts).

Therefore, caution is required when handling: without going so far as to require a mover’s template to move them with the engine off or unkick them, a little experience – and hands! – is required.

Surprisingly, the Suzuki is forgiven for its overweight during these first contacts: its center of gravity placed really very low and its lower saddle height of 20 mm (760 mm against 780 on the BMW) help to forget its curves. . These two characteristics even allow it to stand the comparison against a BMW C 650 GT remarkably balanced and rather easy to maneuver..

In addition, one of the big faults of the previous vintage of the Burgman 650 was the excessive friction of its final transmission by cascade of gears, which made any maneuver undertaken with the engine off. This friction has been considerably softened and is now almost forgotten.

Ergonomically, the pilot sits straighter on the Burgman 650 and a little more "stretched out" on the C 650 GT. The BMW scooter will be more suitable for riders over 1.85m, who might feel a bit cramped on the Suzuki.

The old, antediluvian dashboard of the Burgman 650 is advantageously replaced by an elegant, readable and complete element (all the practical details and equipment in our Comparison table on the penultimate page). But the BMW dashboard is even more complete, including the RDC tire pressure indicator (optional in the Highline pack at € 805).

Too bad the digital window of the C 650 GT, which nevertheless presents a multitude of important information, suffers from a lack of readability in sunny weather. Same criticism concerning the tachometer by bar graph on which it is sometimes difficult to read the engine speed, especially as the digital graduations go in increments of 1000 rpm.

The maxi hold of maxi scoots

The main strength of these two maxiscooters lies in their trunk under the saddle, so spacious that they do without a top case! The new Burgman 650 sees its trunk go from 60 to 56 liters, but it still accommodates two full-face helmets without any problem. The hold of the BMW claims 60 liters, but it is a little less roomy, perhaps because of its rear rim which goes back higher (15 inches against 14 on the Suzuki).

There are three storage compartments still as practical on the Burgman 650, against "only" two on the C 650 GT. And here again, the quality of these elements leaves much to be desired: to the touch, the plastic seems fragile and a significant play is felt between the cover of the storage compartments and its hinges….

Thanks to an agile chassis and a lively front axle, the BMW is more pleasant and more efficient in town. Its mirrors go above those of sedans and below those of utilities, which allows to squeeze quite easily. Heavier, the Suzuki adapts less well to a rushed driving.

Its mirrors are still prominent and badly placed, but they are fortunately electrically retractable with a pressure on the handlebars (at the cost, however, of a total loss of the rearview which can be extremely dangerous)…

Both competitors are fitted with warnings, to which BMW adds – as an option in the Highline pack – an excellent daytime running light to improve visibility. By its intensity and color, it can be seen by motorists without dazzling them: a real advantage for safety. The Burgman 650 also has small daytime running lights on its sides, not as visible … but fitted as standard.

Tested at night, the two dual optics of the Burgman 650 and the C 650 GT are on the whole equal: the beam illuminates the road in width and depth and offers serene night driving.

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