2005 Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooter reviews

I started out with a Honda 250 scooter and then went to a Honda 600 Silverwing and finally in December 05, I purchased my Burgman 650. I have since ridden over 38,000 miles in all kinds of weather and all types of terrain. I have been in the mountains and at the seashore. I have never once had a problem other than a flat tire out in the middle of nowhere. It is truly the most comfortable scooter and the most powerful scooter I have ridden to date. It rides with two just as easy as just me. I am a big person and the scooter has never let me down. I would definitely recommend this ride to anyone. Show less

I have owned my Burgman for about 1 year now and I would not change it for anything else. This is just such an amazing ride. It rides very smooth and has plenty of power. My only complaint is they should have added a larger fuel tank for long trips. Other than that, it's awesome. I use it for work, travel, fun, and anything else; I find myself looking for excuses to leave the house to ride it. I have added a Corbin Saddle it gives me a little extra leg room and a bit more comfort for longer trips. I have also added a Givi trunk. But don't take my word for it, test drive one you won't regret it. Show less

My wife & I just completed a 2100 mile trip without any trouble. I designed a hitch and built a 2.5 foot wide x 4 foot long trailer and we had our camping gear and some luggage and a ice chest.The Burgman 650 scooter pulled it fine without any trouble. Still cruised 80mph and averaged 40 to 45 mpg. Show less

I have owned my 650 Burgman for over a year and saddled around 5500 miles on it so far. This is about the most practical all around bike you can own. I take it on trips, to work and back, and to town for errands and in all these areas it satisfies my needs with abundance. It's heavy enough to be stable and fast enough to be fun. It starts like no other bike I have seen; even when it sat all winter it just popped right off. It does take some getting use to in the looks department, but so what. There are a few small things that prevent me from saying it is a perfect bike, for instance: It is heavy to back up if you get into a pinch,especially on a slope(reverse would be sweet for this!). It's also a bit touchy in the torque department. A slight move of the throttle and it lurches forward. I found a way to ease it into the get going mode, so it's not really a problem. Also, The Burgman uses it's torque to slow the bike down, which is good for the brakes but lacks the coast you get when you clutch in other manual bikes. This too is a small issue. I love not having to shift this scooter and that same torque is appreciated when you quickly get moving! I'm close to 40 and like the other rater I don't have to impress anybody with the bike I choose to ride. Sure I get laughed at by the people I ride with (Harleys and such). But behind the shield of my helmet it is me that's smiling from ear to ear because of the fun I have riding this machine. Show less

I have been riding motorcycles for the past 5 years and have owned 7 different motorcycles. Most of the bikes have been sport bikes or dual sports (ex., BMW GS). I am still in the break in period and can only go to 4K RPMs. The Burgman is reasonable in many areas including power and handling, but it is not up to motorcycle standards. It does seem like it will be able to keep up with highway speeds. The lean angle is OK, but it is fairly easy to grind the centerstand if you push in turns. The engine is relatively smooth, but it does vibrate. The vibration is never really a problem. Where the Burgman excels is in comfort, storage and wind protection. It has a very up-right seating position and lots of room for your legs. It is also very easy to use. The automatic transmission is great. I am very happy with the Burgman, but I am also very glad that I still have my FZ-1. Show less

Three years, one month, and 42,666 miles. that's how long and how far I went with my 2002 Nomad before I used it as a trade-in for my 2005 Burgman. Having ridden that many miles in that short of time with my former touring cruiser, I have the wisdom to write from a base of experience. Because of it, I'm going to use that experience in giving a credible comparison between the ride of the two machines: Without any regret and without any doubt, the Burgman is the better one. Its lighter weight of 221 pounds less than the Nomad makes the Burgman more maneuverable, more agile, fast to respond to your input, and demands less of your energy. As a result, the Burgman makes you feel relaxed even under challenging traffic situations. The Burgman also offers these other pluses: You can vary your sitting posture because of the different ways that you can position your legs; it has more storage space; it's quicker; it provides more and better information from its dashboard; its quiet hum makes for a peaceful ride - especially on long trips; it's cheaper to insure ($231 a year for comprehensive), cheaper to maintain ($117 for full service), and it's cheaper on (regular unleaded) gas because I've gotten 50.77 miles per gallon (626 miles / 12.329 gallons). Overall, the Burgman is a sophisticated machine. It offers a comfortable ride, bounding in amenities, and demanding less from your wallet to own it. Show less

I returned to riding after more than 50 years! Inspired by friends (husband & wife) who had each bought a Honda Reflex. It had been so long since I had ridden; I decided to start with a 2003 Reflex. That lasted 90 days, and then I felt the need for more power, so traded up to the Honda Silver Wing. My wife chooses to ride with me 99% of the time, so the extra power was really needed. I had the Silver Wing for 2 years (and 2 recalls) and 14,000 miles, when I decided (after much research) to move up again... to the Suzuki AN650 Burgman. So far, I have never been sorry, as it was like moving from a Chevy to a Caddy. She is some sweet ride. I use the automatic feature most of the time except when running over 55mph for any length of time... then it's the overdrive! There are so many neat features on the Burgman that it kinda makes the Silver Wing seem obsolete. The ride and handling are better; storage is better, etc. I have added the backrest (1st day out of the showroom...and 200 miles later also a headlight modulator, brake light flasher and a Sigma Sport BC1200 cyclometer. The OEM speedometer is off around 10%. I've found that if you take the first number of the indicated speed and subtract it from the indicated speed, it gives you close to the actual speed. that's too much trouble, so therefore, the cyclometer. I guess Suzuki doesn't want to take the blame for any of us speeding! LOL Show less

I recently had to give up a Ducati Monster because of back problems. Having owned a Honda Elite 250 some years ago, I had no trepidation in riding a Maxi Scooter. Tried a Silverwing, then the Burgman 650 - NO COMPARISON. The Burgman is the most unscooter-like scooter there is hands down. It has more in common with a large touring bike or a Japanese micro car. 100 percent reliable so far and very confidence inspiring for highway travel. An unusual sidebar is the fact that it looks like a touring bike front-on causing many oncoming regular motorcycle riders to start to give you the "wave". Then they catch the side view and strange looks come across their faces as well as a suddenly limp wave hand. Wasted a fellow biker salute on a Scooter:-) Only weak part of this bike seems to be the windscreen is too short. I am contemplating either a clear view or a Givi but I want to see one in person before I order. Show less

I'll admit it, when I first looked at this thing it said "scooter" all over it. However, when I get on and ride it, it tells a different story. I've been riding for over 15 years; everything from dirt bikes to sport bikes, to my current Harley Road King. Sorry, Harley guys and gals...this thing is a lot more fun. I am a motorcycle officer for my department and seem to be the aficionado of the two wheeled vehicles. Spending 8 or more hours a day riding a vibrating monster of a motorcycle is great, don't get me wrong. It just seems a lot more comfortable to ride off-duty on something more smooth and relaxing. I figured buy a motorcycle that you have to add the saddle bags, the windshield, etc. Or...buy a Burgman 650 with everything already there. Ride quality is great, just put your feet up and go. Shifting... can't even feel it... and oh, by the way, did I mention that the Burgman shifts for you? It took some work explaining to my wife that we were about to skip the purchase of a Honda VTX 1300C for a scooter, but after her first ride I think she was convinced. We still haven't surpassed the break-in period due to the nice tropical storm that just blew in. Even keeping the engine below 4K RPM's (for the first 500 miles) I have no problems getting up to speed (and a little more sometimes) within a very short time. I'm currently reviewing some pics from BurgmanUSA Forum about how to upgrade the upper left and right storage pockets into 4 inch speakers. I've also seen in-dash CD players added into the lower glove box, and even under the seat. I'm looking at skipping the CD player, and wiring up a 4-channel amplifier with a seat of speakers in the dash and a set in the rear touring pack (VIP luxury pack looks the best I think). I'll be using a 3.5mm input into the high level inputs of the amplifier and the output will come from my portable MP3 player that I have powered off of the factory 12 volt lighter plug! This gives less chance of theft of an in-dash CD player, and greater ease of changing music on my MP3 player. Thanks to the other reviewers for all of your input. It helped to sell me before I ever walked into the dealer and fell in love with this machine. I'll ride this until I run it into the ground and buy a new one. Man this thing is great! Show less