The Decision to Purchase the Suzuki Burgman 650 K9

Decision Criteria

My main criteria this time was:

• A quick and suitable replacement for my Burgman 400
• A comfortable scooter
• Good leg room
• Great storage
• Good Quality

There were other considerations, such as distance between home and work, riding mix (country, city, freeway, suburbia), etc. some of these are very different today than they were when I chose the Burgman 400 in 2006.

The Options

My intial thoughts were in the ~400 ccm space. This changed in a matter of a day.

Option 1: Suzuki Burgman 400

My preference is the Burgman 400. Loved it, nothing to complain, and the way she handled the recent accident, or more how she protected me from significant injury makes her a prime candidate. None in the country; the 2008 model ran out; the 2009 model was not yet imported.
The list price is 9,500 AUD (+ ORC).

Option 2: Piaggio MP3–400

Piaggio MP3-400 in Red

Now his is an interesting one, and a close runner up to option 1. While I had hardly any problems with front wheel traction, when riding normally, I clearly see a point for the 3-wheel concept: safety! Yes, the  Piaggio MP3–400 is a three wheeler! Two in the front and one in the back! Marvellous, innovative, and of course oil on the "nagging machine" for the purists, but did I ever care about the latter?  The list price is 10,999 AUD.

Coming back to safety: This 3-wheel concept — as I see it — provides the rider with unprecedented traction on the front wheels, leading to a significant shorter break distance, better handling of different road surfaces. It takes on cobblestone streets, patchy asphalt and tram tracks with the greatest of ease, remaining safe and stable all the while. The full extent of this three-wheeler's stability can be tested on wet asphalt or tough riding conditions that would sorely challenge a traditional two-wheeler.
And here is where the crux lies: could I have avoided this accident with this technology?

Let' be honest, the Piaggio is still an Italian bike, with flimsy switches, non-ergonomic dashboards, and other quality issues hardly found with products from the top three brands in this space: Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki. Nevertheless, I like the concept; I will test-ride it, without prejudice.

As for the test-ride:  Scootopia — my previous dealership, where I bought my Honda Foresight FES 250 in 1999 — generously offered me a demo MP3-400 for a day to hang out with .

Option 3: Kymco Xciting 500

I wanted to have a look at the  Kymco Xciting 500. It has grabbed my attention for two reasons:

1. Kymco is producing the engines for BMW; this implies a high-quality manufacturing standard to me
2. The recommended price of 9,000 AUD is cheap compared to the other contestants in the market
3. It comes with a four year warranty!

The current list price for the Kymco Xciting 500 is 8,999 AUD (+ ORC).

Late Entrants

The late entrants later emerged as the front runners.

Option 4: Honda Silver Wing 600

The Silver Wing 600 is without a doubt a nice maxi scooter. I test-rode the Silver Wing 600 in 2007, and was very pleased with its handling and performance. The seat and wind screen scored higher marks in my book when compared to the Burgman 400.
In contrast: the petrol consumption of an estimated 6.something litres per 100 km was not too attractive, when compared to the Burgman 400, which had a similar performance when sticking to the speed limits, but only needed around 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres.

The current list price for the Honda Silver Wing 600 is 13,999 AUD (+ ORC).

Option 5: Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive

I know the Burgman 650 quite well, from other riders, forum reports, riding reports, and other sources, but I never rode one. The majority I read was positive. It had been around for eight plus years (at least in Europe) and scored high in its community.

I dismissed the Burgman 650 when making the decision for the Burgman 400 in 2006. The main reasons:

• Mirror to mirror widths of 950 mm made it almost useless for lane splitting at traffic lights.
• The performance was not required at the time.
• The scooter appeared too bulky.
• Petrol consumption was seen around the 6+ litres per 100 kilometres.

The current list price for the Suzuki Burgman 6500 Executive is 13,290 AUD (+ ORC).

Option Analysis

In a nutshell: I had a look a couple of scooters, namely the Piaggio MP3 and the Kymco Xiting 500. These two did not really grab me. As a result, the Honda Silver Wing 600 and the Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive were pretty much the stable I wanted to pick from.

Suzuki Burgman 400

As I said before: I love the thing! Would have bought one, without looking at anything else!
None in the country at the time. Import timeline was some 6 weeks plus. Sorry, I am not prepared to wait.

Result: Eliminated from further consideration (solely based on the fact is was not available at the time)

Piaggio MP3-400M

I liked the concept. 12″ tyres in the front did not strike me as comfy. The legroom was too small for my liking. The windscreen did not seem high enough for my height … and, I have a personal dislike for Italian bikes, based on the lack of quality, particular electric, dashboards, and mirrors.
While I was given the opportunity for a demo, something I appreciate and value, I did not take up the offer as I already dismissed the MP3-400 based on the other points I mentioned above.
I need to add that test ride is usually limited to 5 kilometres, which does not allow for getting to know or judge a scooter to base a solid decision on. The demo arrangement allows me to ride the thing as agreed, say a day or even longer.

Result: Eliminated from further consideration

Kymco Xiting 500

The question of spare parts is of major concern. These would be available from a small range of dealers, mainly in big cities and not anywhere else. Yes, four years warranty will leave you safe and comfy, in particular when you are riding mostly within the big city fringes. Price is good. Quality in bodywork and seams do not meet my optical expectations.
I did not ride it, though sat on it. I was not happy with the presentation of the front part of the scooter, and the windscreen was not high enough for my height.
I am very aware that my judgement here is very subjective, mainly, because the thing did not "grab" me at all.

Result: Eliminated from further consideration

Honda Silver Wing 600

In short: I rode it before and loved the experience! Close to Burgman 400 in regard to performance and handling. Availability: now!

Result: In the running

Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive

In short: without a doubt, a nice ride. My perception! of the scooter being bulky and not as agile as the Burgman 400 were negatives I held against the 650. The anti-lock breaking system was a plus despite me not being a a great fan of it. Availability: now!

Result: In the running

Summary

Out of 5 contestants, 3 failed to be considered further. The 2 scooters left are so close, that I would accept the outcome of tossing a coin to make a selection / decision.

Making a Decision

Friday (Feb 27, 2009), around 10:00, I had learned:

• My previous scooter was a write-off
• My preferred option: A replacement Burgman 400 was not available in Australia
• A new Burgman 400 K9 can come into the country as early as in 6 weeks; same price not guaranteed
• A Honda Silver Wing 600 is sitting on the shop floor
• A Honda Suzuki Burgman 650 K9 is sitting on the shop floor
• Other scooters I had a look at were either not available or did not grab my fancy

I knew I required some wheels to get around and to go work the following week. I could buy some cheap used thing for the time being, but it just seemed a waste of money, hence, it was quickly ruled out as an alternative.

Let's say I had a good offer for both the Silver Wing 600 and the Burgman 650 Executive, and let's say for a moment we take money out of the equation, how would I determine a preference for one over the other?

I had the opportunity to test ride the Silver Wing on May 23, 2007 and had mostly good things to report. It comes closest to the functionality of the Burgman 400, has a similar physical appearance, but just more horses under the hood.

In contrast, I never had a chance to ride the Burgman 650. What I read about it in the past was mostly in favour of it… and I liked the 650, tossing the pros and cons around when I selected the 400 in 2006. At the time there were clear reasons against it, mainly around perceived manoeuvrability, width, and petrol consumption.

I looked up the technical specifications for both these brands, and was at the point of tossing a coin, so close were the two; too close for my liking. I have to admit that I had a slight preference for the Honda, say 51/49. My reasoning or main differentiator was the perception of a bulky Executive with ABS versus the slick Silver Wing. … what the heck, let's go and see the two next to each other.

I drove to the store, sat straight on the Silver Wing, balanced it, nice, light, and as I even remembered, and gave it 60 seconds to let it sink in.
Then I walked straight to the Burgman 650 Executive, balanced it, heavier but alright, I sat very comfy and noticed the extra leg space — and gave it 60 seconds to take it all in.
Then I pulled out the tape measure and checking on the width, comparing the two and how this would impact on lane splitting at traffic lights:

Burgman 650: Folding Mirrors

(Hint: Click on image to open lightbox. Hover either left or right over the image to browse through the images. ESC or mouse-click will close the lightbox.)

What I learned on the shop floor: The Executive has electric mirrors, which rotate towards the body, actually mostly into the fairing, at the push of a button on the handlebar. Last time (in 2006) I had to do this by hand, and it certainly was one point that deterred me from buying it. Not because of the manual mirrors, but the width of the lot, and the added inconvenience of flipping the mirrors manually. Who would do such a thing while riding?! This time though, the mirrors are electric. Well, on that promise, how wide is the Executive with mirrors in? As per the table above, less than the Silver Wing or Burgman 400.
The point I need to make is: the Burgman 650 Executive with mirrors flipped in is smaller in width than the other two scooters! Fantastic. This makes my day! … and so totally unexepcted.

The Decision is Made

Ta ta — and the winner is: Suzuki Burgman 650A Executive! 

It took me 3 minutes to make this decision in the store. As it turned out soon after, it was the right decision. Why did I reach this conclusion? The Executive was the latest model (2009) the Silver Wing was the previous year model. The Silver Wing is slightly more expensive (but I left $$ out of the equation). The Executive is the cruisier ride! Yet surprisingly slim when taking her actual measurements.

Buying the Burgman 650 Executive K9

Well, paperwork and all was done in no time; less than 30 minutes for contract, rego, CTP, comprehensive insurance. I drove back home, transferred the money, and delivery was on for the same day! Jason offered me free delivery, considering my current health status, being still on the mend … and with hurting shoulder and all… I did appreciate the delivery.

Home Delivery

Later that afternoon: the ute arrived with a metallic silver grey Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive on board, which was rolled of the ute, onto the driveway, and under the carport. I receipted it. Here she was, in all her glory. 

Afterthought

Since I was happy with the performance of a ~400 ccm scooter, I already know that I will not be too impressed with the petrol consumption of a 600-ish scooter, which could certainly be in the range of 5 litres, and when used in short distance city riding, most likely close to 6 litres per 100 kilometres. This is a negative attribute I am happy to wear without further complaining about it. Why does the relatively high petrol consumption not impress me? Well, I can drive my Honda Jazz 1.6l VTi between 5.8 and 6.5 litres per 100 km;, though consumption can peak at 13 litres if driven exclusively over short very distances of less than 3 kilometres. I do not expect, and I am confident, a ~600 ccm scooter would ever reach such peak consumption.

Visitor's Comments

Entries are shown in the order of latest first. The following comments are user submitted, and as such do not necessarily reflect my interests, opinion or beliefs. As such, I reserve the right to moderate any inappropriate content.

Author Date / Time	Comment
Dean from Melbourne wrote on Thursday, February 25, 2016 11:53	Interesting read indeed. I'm strongly considering buying a scooter, and I'm looking at Burgman 400/650A/E or a Piaggio Mp3/4. Curious to know how you're going to date? Do you still ride this scooter? Or what do you have now? I was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 and really messed up my shoulder. I suspect I'm in a similar situation to you in that regard.
MaxG from Brisbane wrote on Sunday, March 21, 2010 17:57	I am glad you are enjoying your Kymco! There is no right or wrong for choosing a specific scooter. The decision should be based on your true requirements, an option analysis, and a decision (often constrained by various circumstances) with confidence. Another issue is: the world is not perfect, hence, one will never find the "perfect" scooter (or anything else for that matter). In reading my article you will find that the circumstances surrounding my decision played a big part. In hindsight: I am glad how it all turned out. I am happy, riding my Burgman 650 Executive!
Merrily Willis wrote on Sunday, March 21, 2010 15:25	Shame you let bias stop you from trying the Kymco; FAR better handling than the one you picked, and better value too. Parts are not a problem and yes we have tested this fact recently, when we accidentally broke a part under the seat — so not even a standard part used in servicing.