Suzuki AN 250 Burgman

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Suzuki AN 250 Burgman

New boss

Longer, deeper, stronger: The Suzuki Burgman AN 250 is said to trump Honda Foresight and Yamaha Majesty.

With the CN 250 Helix in 1986, Honda tried to bring scootering and cruising under one roof. Zeitgeist and customers only accepted the principle of the sofa scooter ten years later and in a sportier form: Yamaha seized the opportunity with the YP 250 Majesty, Honda followed suit in 1997 with the similarly designed FES 250 Foresight.
Suzuki took an extra year to show off its own version of the 250cc theme with the Burgman. It goes one step further than the maxi scooters from Honda and Yamaha. After all, the water-cooled four-valve single of the Suzuki scooter, which is calmed by a balancer shaft, produces 23 hp instead of the usual 20 horses. Its cryptic name Burgman, by the way, according to the interpretation of the German importer, indicates a lord’s claim to power. Large 13-inch wheels and a long wheelbase are supposed to guarantee that the car stays true to the line, while an integral braking system with discs on both wheels tame the excessive forward thrust. A mono-spring strut, which is located under the footboard and linked by a lever system, acts on the single-arm drive unit swing arm and enables a low seat height and good suspension comfort.
During a first trip to the Odenwald, the Burgman was allowed to show what he’s made of. First of all, that’s the whole range of comfort details that modern scooters have: E-starter and stepless automatic belt system, main and side stands, a parking brake to prevent unauthorized rolling away. There is a large, illuminated helmet compartment in A3 format under the bench seat, which is raised by a gas pressure spring. Two smaller compartments open in the front panel, which also houses the maintenance-free battery. Windshield, lumbar support, fuel gauge and timer are a matter of course in the 250cc touring scooter league, while the electronic odometer with two independent trip counters is a useful innovation. In some areas you may also appreciate the ignition lock cover, which can only be unlocked with a magnetic code on the key handle and thus protects the lock from cracking attempts.
Like all 250 scooters, the AN starts exclusively electrically, its four-stroke engine needs a little gas to start. The centrifugal clutch grips softly and sets the longship, which weighs around 180 kilograms, in motion when fully fueled. Thanks to a well-coordinated and generously dimensioned automatic belt system, which is cooled by its own fan wheel, the engine, which is as cultivated as it is determined, moves the Suzuki forward quite quickly. Not only in urban areas, but above all between 70 and 100 km / h, the Burgman seems to be able to add a bit more than other 250cc scooters.
But it is hardly the three extra horsepower that predestine the Suzuki to be the new boss on the country road. The main role is played by the character of its chassis, and this is not only determined by the weight, but also by the 1590 millimeter long wheelbase, the thirteen-inch model and a fairly flat fork. Instead of the easy handling that is typical of a scooter, the AN 250 shows a bit of clumsiness when starting off, like a chopper, which soon turns into a sovereign lane keeping with increasing speed, which was previously not found among scooters.
The Burgman not only appreciates long straights, he also circles corners with stoic calm – with one caveat: you can’t let it fly so much to the right, especially when fully loaded with two people, because otherwise the main stand will seek intimate contact with the asphalt. This could be remedied by driving more slowly, but better by changing the design of the main stand, because banking reserves are not a disgrace, even in scooter circles.
It’s good that the Suzuki has made braking into corners, like braking, one of its favorite disciplines. Its equipment with a disc brake at the front and rear as well as an almost foolproof integral braking system has a positive effect. The less the driver is concerned about braking, the better this works: just keep pulling to the left, then a large piston engages at the rear and a small piston at the front if the driver pulls more. When there’s a fire and your right hand tells the big piston in front to say “Keg!”, The Burgman stands nailed down.
The comfort of the driver and passenger is also above average. The well-padded bench is of luxurious length and is divided by a lumbar support, which only people over 1.90 meters in length find annoying. You should definitely screw on the extra steps planned by the German Suzuki representative for the pillion passenger. It comes with a world-class seat as standard, the use of which is only denied by the small, unfavorably positioned running boards.
E.Assuming that the main stand has been changed to improve the lean angle, the Burgman has what it takes for more than 23 hp. We bet that he will soon make his claim to power a bit clearer – perhaps as an AN 400 with 34 hp? 1999 would be the right year for that. Honest.

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