Nothing has gone wrong with the scooter. It has been great mechanically.
The Burgman 400 is a great ride for around town and on the highway.
The turning radius is a bit larger than I would like; however it is a "luxury" scooter.
The standard windscreen is actually a bit low, which allows for increased wind noise, but it is a scooter, not a car.
I have been averaging 64 miles per gallon, which is one of the reasons I bought the Burgman as a commuter vehicle. I have gotten 69.2 miles per gallon on one tank, while riding on the highway with limited traffic and no headwind.
The 400cc engine provides more than adequate acceleration capabilities after getting to 10 mph, and has no problems keeping up with traffic.
The under seat storage is great. I have room for two full face helmets under the seat, but only store one during stops. This provides great storage for other items, including raingear at all times.
Storage is also provided in the small “wing” compartments and the “glove box”. These areas are limited in size, but are functional if you pay attention to what you want to store.
I have added hand guards and a passenger’s backrest to the scoot, both of which are Suzuki accessories. The hand guards have protected my gloved hands from large bugs and a small rock. I personally think this addition is not only functional, but provides a great look to the scoot. The backrest looks great and allows my wife to feel more secure when she rides with me.
There are some things I would improve on the “Burgie” if I could.
First, the seat is quite firm after riding for 30 to 40 minutes. This might be because I don’t have enough natural padding in this area. I am considering finding a gel pad and adapting it to fit.
Second, the wind pushes the scooter around quite a bit. I have read that if you pull your elbows in close to your side while riding it helps. So I tried this, and it does work, even though it is a bit uncomfortable.
Third, I would increase the height of the windscreen or make it adjustable in height. I have heard that “Givi” makes an aftermarket screen that works very well and only costs around $200. I will have to check this out.
Fourth, low speed stability is a bit of a challenge. When you need to run at 10 mph or lower due to stop and go traffic, the CVT has a tendency to lurch or chug along. That is to say it engages and disengages frequently. At this speed the scoot has a tendency to move side to side. If you have to engage the brakes during one of the non-powered moments, the bike stops (right now) and the scooter wants to tip to the side. Not a great feeling when you have your feet up.
The fourth item above might lead you to feel the brakes are too sensitive. Not in my opinion. They work fantastically. I am able to stop in 14 feet or less when doing under 25 mph, and the tires do not lock up.
Overall, I am really enjoying my ride. It handles fantastically in dry weather and very well in the rain. We get quite a bit of that in Oregon.
I hope you find this review helpful and thanks for reading it.
Great review, but your fourth comment will happen on any two wheeled vehicle. You will get used to it.
I am the original writer of the review. I now have over 5600 miles on the scoot and ride it in all weather conditions except ice or snow.
Absolutely nothing has gone wrong with the scoot. It's a blast to ride in any weather, and I must be getting used to the side gusts because they don't seem to bother me anymore unless the wind is gusting above 40 mph. Yes, I've ridden that also. Not fun and probably not fun on any bike.
I will continue to add to the post when I can, and there are important things to say.
It is a great ride!
Stafford, TX. I just bought a Burgman 400 this past Feb. It's an '07 model and my wife and I love it. I am concerned about the CVT performance issue. Is this something that can be fixed, or is it just something you have to live with and learn to expect from this scoot?
I've searched the Suzuki website, and can't find anything that addresses the issue. Has anyone found a solution? I along with many others would be happy to hear from you.
Lovin our Burgie in TX!
Most serious alternative would be the (very similar) Yamaha Majesty 400. A bit plainer looking, but has option of ABS, which clinches it for me. Yamaha quality maybe has a slight edge too.
If with CVT problem, you mean problems with the clutch, here in Europe it is warranty covered. In fact, you can acquire 07 and 08 models. If you get the cheaper 07, the retailer gives it you with new 08 clutch installed. New clutch has 5 points of friction while old one has only 3. Regards. (I'll get my new Burgie on Monday :-)
I bought a 2007 Burgman in January and have ridden it continuously since. I absolutely love the bike. I ride it to work nearly every day and take it out for rides nearly every weekend. I have over 4,000 miles on it.
My only other bike was a 2001 Buell Blast that I put 36,000 miles on before it totally died. Therefore, I can't compare the Burgman to lots of bikes like others might be able to do. I can say this - the Burgman absolutely meets all my needs and expectations.
My gas mileage averages 70, with a low of 60.5 mpg and a high of 75.8! I nearly always get 68-72 mpg. Also, I find the power to be fine since I am not a speed demon anyway. The bike also handles curves well (better than the Blast). Just today I was on the Cherohala Skyway (TN and NC) and had a great ride. It kept up with everyone and handled the curves like Hugh Heffner.
The only problem with the bike that I can think of is that it gets blown around a lot when large trucks pass me on the interstate. I can live with this, however. Hope someone finds this helpful.
David in Knoxville.
I am the owner of the Burgman that I started this post with. I now have over 14,000 miles on the scoot with absolutely no mechanical issues that I didn't cause. I was pushing the Bergie back into my garage and hit the tail light on my work bench. It's cracked and I just haven't spent the $250 or so for the assembly to replace it.
In my original post, I mentioned the CVT lurching at ultra low speeds. I don't notice it anymore. Not sure it if quit, or if I just got used to it and drive a bit differently.
The wind still knocks be around a bit, but I have learned to accommodate it, and kind of grin while I do so.
Another reviewer noted that the side wind from large trucks knock him/her around a bit. I concur and have found myself moving to the farthest side of my lane when approaching or passing (yes, passing) a big rig. It basically takes care of the issue.
I had the unfortunate experience to have to ride in a bit of snow this past winter. It was wet and above 35 when I left home. In my 16 mile commute, the temperature dropped and the white stuff began to stick to the road. I believe the Burgie did quite well in the stuff, but I was ultra careful. I don't doubt that riding 2 wheels in snow is just a plain bad idea, and I will do my best to make sure I don't have to do it again.
My fuel mileage is down a bit, about 59 miles per gallon. I am due for service but that's not the main cause. I live in Oregon and the state has mandated a 10% ethanol content in gasoline year round. My first tank of this fuel dropped my mileage to about 60. Oh well, still better than the 12 I got with my previous truck.
If you are thinking of a luxury scooter I would urge you to check out the Burgie's. The 650 version had more "stuff" than I wanted, and the 400 had more power than my previous scoot (50cc). If you're worried about road speeds, no need. My 400 will travel with freeway traffic all day long and still sip the gas. I have opened it twice to see what it can do. The second time was to make sure that the Burgie topped out and it wasn't my lack of courage. My courage and the scoot maxed out at the same time - fast enough to get you a substantial ticket on the freeway, but not into triple digits.
I'll post again when I have more miles and/or run into my first mechanical issue.
I'm still on the original tires, and they are about at 50%, which is good for a two wheeler. Loving life and the ride!
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