Suzuki Burgman 650 test

Menus

• 2013: Always more Pullman with standard options
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• Highway
• Departmental
• Comfort
• Braking
• Consumption
• Convenient
• Conclusion

2013: Always more Pullman with standard options

11 years old! It took 11 years and more than 83,000 units sold worldwide for Suzuki to upgrade its famous maxi scooter after having launched the concept and the segment.. Presented at Intermot 2012, the Burgman 650 has gained in look, in accessories incorporating for the base model options formerly reserved for the Executive model since 2004, gaining in reliability and consumption, and all for the same price as the old one, is cheaper than the competition. So success assured ?

Discovery

With the Burgman, Suzuki launched the first maxiscooter, with a priority – comfort – and a major innovation: the electronically controlled CVT with different power modes. Over the years, the model had retained its undeniable comfort, undoubtedly the most Pullman of scooters, but had significantly aged, both in terms of look, and the driving environment with in addition a serious problem of reliability of the CVT, above all linked to a more manly use in France in the on / off mode when starting a fire and to a very small part which could not stand this bad handling of driving. The competition has also grown in 10 years, with models with a more polished look, greater ease of driving and a riot of electronics with features going as far as traction control. The Burgman had to react and come back to the fore, while retaining what was its leitmotif: comfort and a “statutory and elegant” positioning..

The new design retains the big scooter side and we immediately recognize the genes of the origin, without big break as one might have thought, especially when seeing certain competing developments (note: switch from the X9 to the Piaggio X10). The front rounded and tilts more with wider front lights and LED sidelights, resulting in a slightly more modern design. The rear is more tapered. The central part remains low, for easier passage of the legs. The silencer evolves to meet not only Euro3 standards but is ready for Euro4 standards. There is a parking brake positioned on the left side, under the hand and the saddle, which is very practical on a daily basis. There are mainly touches of black, from the rims to the black parts both on the sides and at the rear establishing a break with the color of the bodywork, and conversely a painted front compartment when it was previously in simple plastic.

Especially the colors used in standard appearance – white, gray and black – are particularly successful with in particular a pearly white, and a matt gray of the most beautiful effect. We will not go so far as to use the terms of "silk touch" from the manufacturer’s press kit, but the overall result is more finished and rewarding than the old model. Above all, the Burgman now incorporates accessories previously reserved for the Executive version, with an adjustable electric screen, retractable electric mirrors and ABS as standard. You have to pay for these options elsewhere; here, they are part of the basic, and for on average a thousand euros less than the competition! The Executive version is now only distinguished by the handles and the heated saddle (900 euros extra).

While the engine remains broadly the same, a tremendous amount of work has been done to reduce internal friction, with modifications to the piston rings, valve springs, rear axle, oil retention grooves, ECM and especially ignition and injection times with smaller injectors. All of this has reduced consumption by 15%. Beside that, the SECVT has been modified in order to reduce as much as possible the jerks at low speed. Above all, the engineers claim to have solved the CVT reliability problem, which should therefore be a thing of the past! ABS is now standard. This is a new model.

In the saddle

The feet easily pass the central deck and you get comfortable. At 750 mm, the saddle is low compared to the competition and almost allows you to put your feet on the ground, even for the little ones. You then step back to lean against the backrest, adjustable in depth. The hands fall naturally on the handlebars and the feet have all the necessary space on the sides to allow both an upright sitting position and a more rounded back position with the feet far in front..

Under the eyes, the new dashboard returns to analog with large counters and tachometers framing a full digital display in the center with 5-stick fuel gauge, clock, gear engaged and driving mode, totalizer, exterior temperature , oil indicator, maintenance operation (oil change), consumption (liters per hundred km and km per liter). Beside that, there are light indicators for frost (automatic under 3 ° C), the parking brake or the "Eco Drive" fuel economy indicator. Everything is very readable, even under the sun, and whatever the driving, thanks in particular to a new lens angle.

On the left, we find the huge commodo integrating the choice of driving modes, manual gearshift buttons and the more traditional flashing and less traditional heated grip buttons with 3 levels of heat. We just regret the control overgrowth of the heated grips, as an addition after construction, rather than an integration as we can see in the competition.
The mirrors, placed lower and smaller than the old model, mounted on a ball joint, are very easy to adjust. They offer good rear view. Little more, they retract electrically by pressing on the right stalk.

Contact

The maxi scoot snorts discreetly with a very slight noise of a turbine and without vibration. With a slight push on the right grip, the scooter instantly launches, smoothly, but effectively as on velvet and without noise. No engine knocking, no jerk in the transmission, no noisy revving…. the Burgman glides over the pavement, especially since the shock absorbers set to notch 2 absorb irregularities in the cobblestones and loose Rome’s pavement particularly well. And despite a weight of 275 kilos, the grip is done naturally and without feeling of this weight, particularly well placed, low. With the few degrees of winter morning, you can appreciate the warmth in the palm of your hands and the heated saddle…. for the pilot as for the passenger.

In the city

Used to having to fold the mirrors on the older model to get through the cars, nothing like it here. It goes easily and naturally, despite an officially identical width. We almost wonder if it was necessary to include in the basic version the possibility of retracting the mirrors electrically.
Suzuki had announced a reduced hunting angle. And indeed, the maneuverability is there, even at low speed, in particular to slip through the buzzing traffic of the Italian capital. We forget that this is a 650, which here is more akin to a 400 in terms of ease and handling ….
In automatic mode, driving is smooth and speeds change quickly to hardly exceed 3000 rpm. As a result, the eco indicator lights up regularly. Reactivity is immediate at the start of the traffic light to rush into traffic with a slight dip to start again if you keep the right grip in action. It’s efficient, and responsive, without being nervous but on the contrary pleasant. It does not encourage you to accelerate hard, but on the contrary to insert yourself dynamically into traffic. Consumption stabilizes at around 5 liters per hundred, according to the on-board computer. On the braking side, it’s adjustable and progressive, powerful. Only the ABS is triggered quite easily if you only use the rear, especially since there is no combined braking here.

Highway

The Burgman takes off automatically towards the heights, and quietly settles down to 5,000 rpm at 130 km / h, or 3,000 rpm from the red zone…. it is able to then take 15 km / h better every additional 1,000 rpm. The bubble protects well in the high position…. small templates. The older ones will suffer from a lack of protection compared to the old model. With significantly better handling in town, the Burgman pulls back noticeably in terms of stability at high speeds. And yet, it passes uneven sections of the road with flying colors, able to go from one groove in the road to another, without any disturbance and with excellent heading hold. It is even impressive to see him so insensitive to the defects of the road. Passing large curves at high speed is done with the same confidence and stability.

And for those who were used to overdrive, it has "disappeared"! It is therefore no longer necessary to switch back to manual when you are at maximum speed to automatically benefit from it, as was the case for the previous generation..

Departmental

Back on the small roads, the times are a little soft to tease the stopwatch in the virolos. It is then with great pleasure that we switch to “Power” mode. We are then still in automatic mode, but the reports are higher. Suddenly, instead of going to the next speed at around 3,500 rpm, the scooter goes to the next speed between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm higher. The result is more fishing and real catches with instant responsiveness to the go-around. The mode is so effective that you don’t feel the need to switch to manual mode, while already having a particularly fast pace. But if you really want to see what the Burgman has in the stomach, the manual mode allows you to flirt with the red zone permanently at 8,000 rpm. Suddenly, the 1st pulls up to 57 km / h, the 2nd up to 80 km and the 3rd up to 110 km / h…. enough to play from one turn to the next with gusto. In fact, it’s not the engine but the ground clearance that will make you slow down. Without being as limited as a custom, it scrapes in sport mode on the left first with the center stand then on the right.

Comfort

The Burgman is COMFORTABLE for both rider and passenger. The double shock absorber does its job excellently, without making driving look like pumping. Added to this comfort in absorbing irregularities in the road is the warmth of the saddle, for the rider and the passenger, which is very pleasant in very cold weather. The passenger handles are well positioned. And the passenger also benefits from wide and long footrests allowing him to choose between several positions. The Executive version with its sissi-bar completes an excellent panorama.

Braking

Controlled, powerful and progressive, the braking suffers from practically no fault, apart from a somewhat easy start of the ABS on a rear braking a little bit heavy. Nothing crippling so far.

Consumption

In automatic mode and with the economy indicator light regularly on, fuel consumption in mixed use for the test stabilized at 5.2 liters per hundred. In fact, the gauge only loses a stick about every 50 kilometers. With five sticks and a 15-liter tank, the Burgman has effectively gained in range, estimated at over 250 kilometers (to be checked during the long-term test). Consumption soars in Power mode, on the other hand, above 6 liters per hundred and is close to 7 liters in manual mode.

Convenient

The trunk lost 6 liters to get down to 50 liters "only"! Surprising for a model which is intended to be very utilitarian. And yet it remains in the upper average storage capacity and accepts without any difficulty to accommodate two modular Shark Evoline type while still leaving room for a small laptop..

The two front side storage compartments are deep and each offer 1 liter of capacity. The central storage offers an additional 5 liters, enough to house the current and more.

We just regret not being able to switch from one display to another on the on-board computer via a control unit and that we have to go and find the small “select” or “adjust” button directly on the meter, possible but not very practical while driving.
The filling of the tank is always done on the side, like on a car. On the other hand, the hatch is now more flexible and no longer risks being torn off as easily as before.

Filling the oil and coolant tank can now be done easily and without tools via a hatch on the left.

Pre-wiring is now available behind the dashboard and will allow easy installation of accessories.

Conclusion

Clean, sober, without extravagance, Suzuki delivers here a new successful version with all the necessary options for an efficient, pleasant, safe maxi-scooter and for a very reasonable price. It will delight commuters while offering real mini-GT possibilities with its protection and storage capacities. Its great price with the original options make it a real choice and confirm its interest in the maxi-scooter market…. with the added advantage of not being prized by thieves, the guarantee of daily peace of mind.

Strong points

• look
• behavior / handling
• engine approval
• standard prices and options

Weak points

• finishing details and practicality

Competitors: Aprilia SRV 850, Gilera GP 800, Honda Silver Wing, Piaggio X10, Yamaha TMax

Datasheet

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