After three years of driving a Peugeot Satelis 250 to my complete satisfaction, a 2009 Suzuki Burgman AN650 came my way. Because I had been looking for a motor scooter with which you can comfortably ride with two people, this was a very good alternative.
During my first impressions I was mainly struck by the appearance and soon after by the enormous weight. The appearance is a positive thing here and the (over)weight takes some getting used to.
Maneuvering through rush hour traffic on a Suzuki Burgman is akin to using a 20kg sledgehammer on a thumbtack – neither is right for the job, although both will complete the task.
But, unlike the 20kg sledgehammer, the 2009 Burgman 650 Executive has folding mirrors to make its job a little easier – not the normal, rotating engine items, but the ones that swing in electronically at the push of a button. A gimmick? At first I thought so, but they really work.
There are also plenty of other buttons to press on the Burgman’s steering wheel, with the big Burgman in addition to automatic transmission also having an electronic 6-speed gearbox, activated by pressing buttons near the left handle. It is similar to the electronic sequential shifting found on expensive sports cars.
But the buttons don’t stop there. There’s also a power mode button, plus another button to raise and lower the electrically adjustable screen. Yes, plenty of buttons. But even then, the Burgman is not your normal, everyday scooter.
Suzuki’s maxi scooter is really a touring bike in disguise and in its latest executive guise it has more features than ever before. For 2009 it gets standard ABS, a passenger backrest and an immobilizer system, all for the same € 12,999 price as the 2007 model.
The Burgman is undeniably the king of the maxi scooters. The Suzuki Burgman AN650 loves the open road and spoils the rider with unparalleled weather protection, a luxurious saddle and a gigantic 50 liters of storage space under the seat. There are also three good-sized compartments in the fairing, plus it has excellent stability at high speeds and the on-board computer keeps the rider informed of fuel consumption – 5.7 l/100 km in the suburbs and 5 l/100 km on the public road. With a 15 liter tank this gives a range of 280 km.
At 638 cc, the Burgmans have the largest engine in the maxi scooter category, the largest body, the most kilos, the most legroom, the largest number of technical functions – and the most buttons.
Speaking of buttons, I don’t really see any advantage in manual shifting, as the Suzuki Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (SECCVT) allows the Burgman to win most traffic light sprints. I’m fine with setting it and forgetting it.
The enormous braking power when releasing the accelerator at lower speeds via the SECCVT, for example when approaching traffic lights, is surprising. It’s a bit too strong for my taste, but I quickly learned to adapt.
Although the Suzuki Burgman AN650 is infamous for its (SEC) CVT, I think that the rider of this scooter in particular has a major impact on this. Unfortunately, the parts are on the pricey side, but fortunately all parts are still available new and a lot is also available on the second-hand market.