2003 Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooter reviews

This is an update to an earlier review. I'm appreciating my 2003 Burgman 650 more and more with every mile. It's comparatively the easiest to use and most agile motorcycle I've ever owned, and I've ridden plenty. 0 to 60 acceleration is better than 99% of the cars out there commuting. I just sold my 1997 Goldwing in favor of keeping this machine as my daily driver. I can't wait to see the 2007 models. I've never written more praising comments about any vehicle I've ever owned. Show less

This is an outstanding touring bike. I rode the 650 Burgman from San Diego to Death Valley and then to Las Vegas in 117 degree weather in one day, 550 plus miles, with my two other Burgman rider friends road from Temecula, CA to Reno, NV for an overnight trip. It has great comfort and power. We passed several Harley groups in steep grades on the I-395 near Yosemete. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a touring machine. Show less

I bought the Burgman with 10,300 miles on it on June 4th. I now have 12,700 miles on it on July 27th. I love this scooter! It is fast, it is steady, it is reliable, and is pretty comfortable. I already had a GIVI windshield on it but tried the stock windshield with a laminar lip, I still got beat up a bit. This is truly the king of the scooters. I have changed the buttrest to become a backrest. It gives you about 3 more inches of leg room and gives good back support. Overall I'm getting 50 mpg in town for most of it. Gone a few short trips, 200, 300, & 110 miles. wasn't worn out too bad on any. The 650 does ride a bit rough, a little unforgiving on bigger road bumps. A Corbin seat might be nice, although you lose storage space under the seat. Show less

My AN 650 has 4600 miles on it and my only real complaint to date is that the center stand is mounted too close to the rear of the scooter by perhaps 1/3 to 3/4 inch. While the placement may facilitate placing the bike on the center stand, it is more difficult to take it off and more difficult to rotate the front wheel while stationary for cleaning. Mine is an '04 model. Perhaps Suzuki corrected this for '05. Show less

I've owned 41 motorcycles in the past 30 years, and the Burgman is one of the best. I've owned six Gold Wings including a GL1500 and a GL1800. Riding the Burgman is like riding a little Gold Wing. It can cruise easily at 80-90 mph. I have had mine up to 115 mph on a slight downgrade passing a Harley. I passed him at 102 mph and kept accelerating. When I looked down again I was going 115 mph. The Burgman is one of the most practical bikes I've ever owned. It has good performance, is super smooth, has good storage capacity under the seat and in the compartments up front, and is quite comfortable. Because the wheels are smaller, you do feel the bumps a little more, especially at slower speeds. However, I have ridden it long distances. Last summer I rode 765 miles in one day on a trip to Michigan. I cruised at 75-80 mph most of the time and still got around 50 mpg. I've also owned a Honda Silver Wing and I like the Burgman better. It runs lower RPMs in the normal mode and still has plenty of passing power. It handles better also because the engine is up front and it has larger wheels and tires. There are also several minor things that I like better about the Burgman. The trunk light has an on/off switch and is located under the seat where it still illuminates the trunk even when the trunk is full. When you have the trunk full on the Silver Wing the light is hidden. I like the transmission better on the Burgman and it is much smoother at take-off. The Silver Wing shakes a little when you first accelerate to take off. The Burgman feels more like a regular motorcycle when starting out from a stop. Also, I like the final drive better because there is no belt to wear out. There is one in the transmission, but it's a short belt and will last a long time. The Silver Wing has a long drive belt which needs replacing at 12,000 to 15,000 miles or you might get stranded on the highway. I had several recalls on my Silver Wing but have had none on the Burgman and have had no problems at all. I now have 21,300 miles on the Burgman and just recently replaced the front tire. The rear tire was replaced at 11,300 and will need to be replaced again at about 22,000. The Burgman is not for sissys and it's not for people worried about their image. It's a great all-around bike for around town and touring. It's more comfortable for two people than many larger motorcycles I've owned. Most riders will want a taller windshield; I installed a Givi after I had about 10,000 miles on mine. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it provides better protection from the wind than the stock windshield. <[> I'm happy to answer any questions. Send me an E-mail and I will respond promptly. I've never considered buying the same model twice in a row, but I will most likely buy another Burgman 650 unless Honda or Suzuki come out with something bigger and better. Show less

I have 5,000 miles on my Burgman. It is very comfortable, handles well and just does it all. The best word to describe it is easy. No hassles. <br /> I sold my Venture Royale after getting the Burgman. Do not miss the Venture. I also have a 600 Bandit. I ride the Burgman twice as much as the Bandit. Show less

Been there and done that on an 1100cc Suzuki Katana for a couple of years and read enough cruiser reviews to know that the Burgman is the one for me. It's just too easy not to have to worry about shifting and there's plenty of power to cruise at plenty high speeds (75 mph), and pass anything short of some fool on a crotch rocket all leaned over and itching to get off his "misery machine". If I really need to go 125 mph I'll take out a good life insurance policy first and then buy a GSXR. The Burgman is so smooth and comfy I honestly can't see me going to anything else short of one with a bigger engine, and even then I don't know why I would want anymore. Just ego I guess. You can't go wrong with an AN650. Show less

Well I've put 135 miles on it. It had 1 mile on delivery. It runs good. It's cool knowing that there isn't another one within a hundred miles of me. Harley riders give mixed reactions. Some smile and nod in approval and some act "above it" as if I wasn't even on the same road with them. Lots of people in cars double-take or flat out stare as if to say - what the hell is that!? Almost ALL old people like it... especially old blue-haired ladies! Some dude at the gas station yesterday said - a 650!!?? I smiled and nodded yup. It's the only bike I've ever had that I have to remember which side of the gas island to pull up to because it has a gas tank filler door on the left side. I've tried to keep it in the "break-in" rpm range, but to get anywhere around here you have to go faster than that. Yesterday I had to go to Crestview to help my friend re-roof his house (uggg! - I'm BEAT and sunburnt!) and the only way there is up highway 85 (an 80mph road no matter how you slice it) - and the ol' scoot just cruised right along at 70-75 without even breathing hard. It had a LOT more twist left in the throttle (I didn't need to see how fast it'll go - that's already been published to be about 110/115). It was very stable...except for sometimes at that speed (70-ish), when an SUV would pass going 80 and then pull back into the slow lane only 2 car lengths ahead of me and I'd be caught in the backwash - then it wants to wiggle a little bit, which is to be expected. I love the storage! It'll hold a week's worth of single-guy groceries under the seat - no kidding. The digital dash is readable in all light conditions. The CVT tranny takes some getting used to - not the go part but the slow down part. When you let off the gas it's almost like hitting the brakes! You have to untwist the gas real easy. I hardly have to use the brakes at all, but I "feather" my brake levers as a courtesy to people behind me so that they know I am decellerating. However, the brakes are pretty good. The left brake lever operates BOTH the front and back brakes (which is sort of wierd - and takes some getting used to) and the right lever operates just the front disks. The "feel" isn't that great - sort of hollow - without much feedback, but they'll haul it down in a hurry when needed. It's heavy and you feel it when going around sharp curves. I've been going really easy around corners. It feels good once you're leaned over and taking your "slice", but getting that "slice" set up is still something I am acclimatizing myself to. The ride is okay. The front shocks are a tad stiff and non-adjustable (maybe a different oil viscosity someday?), and the back is soft enough on the softest shock settings. Show less

After 40 years of riding and dozens of bikes (I continue to own 3 Hinckey Triumphs) this is the most pleasent bike I've ever owned. This bike is smooth and quick, and there is no more need to shift, just enjoy the ride. Show less