Suzuki AN Burgman 400 ÆÁ (ABS) ( 2007- current ): If it were a piece of furniture, it would definitely be a luxurious designer armchair.
Engine: The single cylinder, liquid cooled engine of 399 c.c. capacity, provides a smooth acceleration to the Burgman. Actually acceleration is smoother compared to that of the 300 c.c. scooters.
This is mainly due to the weight of the bike, however the result is a user friendly acceleration which is really helpful to inexperienced riders. Top power figure is 34 bhp/7300 rpm and 6.3 Kgm/5800 rpm torque, nominal values.
Accelerating the speed of 40 Km/h is reached instantly, very fast the 60 Km/h figure, fast the 80 Km/h figure , ok the 100 Km/h indication. Acceleration is reduced then, top speed 168 Km/h at 9100 rpm, indicated figures.
On the highway, the cruising speed should be considered about 120 Km/h as there is adequate acceleration to overtake a car while engine rpm are kept lowish. Thus 7000 rpm provide a speed of 128 Km/h, 8000 rpm about 150 Km/h and 9000 rpm 165 Km/h.
The average consumption during the test was 4.6 l/100 Km, while the pace was nimble.
Riding position: The height of the rider¢s seat is low, 710mm. The width is average at the whole length of the seat. This results to very confident feet stepping on the ground, no matter the height of the rider. Its again a very user friendly element of the scooter. However, stepping both feet sure on the ground is enhanced even more by the specially designed curves of the scooter, just below the rider¢s position.
The dimensions of the scooter are relatively increased, especially the width. This results to a great total bulk. The hand guards make the scooter even bulkier from the rider¢s point of view. The weight of the bike is considerable, 222 Kg nominal curb weight. Centre of gravity is high.
Due to the small wheels these figures are totally useless when the scooter is on the go, on the contrary, agility is superb. Due to the low seat and the small wheels it is very easy for the rider to maneuver the bike with a very low speed. However maneuvering the Burgman at a standstill or using the centre stand, it will be obvious. Quite a physical strength will be required.
Additionally due to the low seat, rider is placed clearly in the scooter by the neutral, comfortable, relaxed and upright riding position.
The scooter is equipped with Bridgestone Hoop tyres, 120-80/14 front and 150-70/13 rear.
On the road: The firmness of the suspension is average, just slightly to the stiff side. The feeling of a bulky and heavy bike disappears in a magic way as soon as the speedometer indicator leaves the zero area. A versatile scooter becomes apparent , providing confidence to the rider on various road conditions. Combined with the user friendly power performance, it will be really helpful to the rider on urban rides.
The increased agility is also a pleasant surprise to the rider. At the same time stability is not affected at all, rider will be satisfied. It¢s a pleasure to commute to work, leisure and short everyday riding.
At the majority of the rides there will be no serious criticism. Street imperfections will be noticed, under both wheels. Rider will get their feel, from the other hand if these imperfections are considerable, they will not be absorbed sufficiently.
On streets featuring many imperfections, the comfort provided by the expensive scooter will not be adequate. Due to the riding position, rider cannot apply any weight to the feet in order to absorb the impact then.
Steering lock is superb, rider will be tempted to exploit small traffic gaps. Close to the end of the steering lock motion, either side of course, rider¢s hands will be stretched.
On traffic congestion it will be evident for the rider, that he cannot easily overcome the combined laws of Physics and Geometry. It will be difficult to exploit small traffic gaps, where smaller scooters will easily do the job, mainly due to the more compact dimensions, width-bulk-length. The effect of the weight is negligible.
During filtering the combination of the handle bar and hand guards is usually at the same height with that of car mirrors. The height of the Burgman¢s mirrors is almost the same with the SUV mirrors.
As the rider gets more experienced with the dimensions of the Burgman, filtering will become more efficient. However a smaller scooter would not require any additional familiarity time period. It would be much more effective just from the beginning.
The cooling fan is almost noiseless. Actually it may be activated while the noise of the traffic will not permit the rider to take notice. If the rider needs to get on-off to steep ramps or pavements, the little ground clearance will be an obstacle to overcome.
On B-roads riding an elegant-neutral combination of increased agility and stability is provided. It seems very light changing direction, yet quite firm. Rider will surely use the Burgman for B-roads commuting, no compromises asked on flat tarmac. Any imperfection will be noticed by the rider.
The riding pace may be easily increased, the Burgman will take it. Actually riding pace may be quite fast, before serious compromises will be asked.
If the road friction factor is reduced, the same applies to the feedback to the rider. At the fast pace on decent tarmac roads, feedback to the rider is relatively good.
On slow-medium bends up to 80 Km/h no wobble takes place. However on sweepers of 120 Km/h or more, some flexibility will be noticed. Handling then is confident, although feedback is vague.
On the highway, best riding speed should be about 120 Km/h, where air protection is good and engine performance is sufficient. A decent helmet will be required as for an average height 1.7m rider, the wind blast strikes in the middle of the helmet. Due to the bulk and frontal area, the scooter gets affected by wind blasts. The upright riding position gets tiring after few hours of continuous riding, especially on bumpy roads.
Brakes are sufficiently powerful, very safe indeed due to the ABS. There are two disc brakes at the front and a single one at the rear. Feedback provided to the rider is average.
Comments: Lights are powerful, the beam is sufficiently concentrated. The feet floor is not level.
The large screen is flexible , it may be vibrating over bumps. This doesn¢t really suits to a luxurious scooter. The end of the screen is thin, however the top end affects the rider¢s vision, e.g. for an average height rider the specific area of 8 meters of the road ahead, gets distorted.
The fuel cap lies at the leg shield, rider will not need to park the scooter in order to refuel. Hand brake will be useful when parking the scooter, using the side stand on uphill or down hill roads. Pillion is placed much higher than the rider.
At the left hand grip of the handle bar there is a 6 mode switch for the heated grips. The heat generated is really adequate. Together with the hand guards, its very effective for the cold weather rides.
Gloves during winter will be necessary only during journeys. The whole body of the rider is consequently protected from bad weather elements. This was thoroughly tested as during the days of the review there was a slight snowfall. At the end the Burgman was one of the most suitable bikes to enjoy riding all day long in such conditions.
In a specific country people often say “ love and money cannot really be hidden ”. In the specific case of the Burgman, the luxurious scooter yells both a superb built quality and a really long accessories list for the Executive version.
This includes a 12V socket at the 10 liters storage space on the leg shield, hand guards, heated grips, handbrake, a light at the 62 liters storage space under the seat which will accommodate two full face helmets, two little storage spaces under the handlebar, an imitation of a wooden dashboard, anti-theft key lock, leather looking seat, an adjustable back support for the rider, non adjustable for the pillion, ABS, immobilizer, stylish pillion handgrip.
Especially the dashboard which is a fake wood style is really neat, an interesting detail so different from other scooters. The deliberate influence from the car world is a lot deeper than style. The same applies to the rear lights and the full car like instrumentation.
A short story: Living in a country where people are open–hearted and many motorcycles are used for commuting all year long, it is very common for the bikers to have a chat while waiting at the traffic lights.
In my case, immediately after obtaining the almost brand new Burgman for the bike test, I had a lot of notes to take, thus, wearing gloves was out of the question at the time.
The weather was awfully cold, some flakes of snow had just started to fall. I had my complete biker¢s gear on: winter biker¢s boots, biker¢s jeans, thermals, leather heavy duty jacket, helmet, balaclava, and I was waiting at the traffic lights. While the green light was on for the oncoming traffic, a rider on a Suzuki V–strom coming from that direction , made the following comment to me, without stopping : “OK where are your gloves?” and he was gone.
Assuming that the biker¢s outfit was rather extreme and sporty for the specific scooter, I was thinking of an appropriate silent answer to the comment, after the initial surprise.
At last, I came up with a suitable one, as simple as it can be. “Well there isn¢t any need for gloves, really. There are hand guards and heated grips for me”. Ôhe truth is that my hands were kept really warm…
Price Burgman 400 Executive: 8395 Euros.
Price Burgman 400, Top Case version: 6995 Euro, the ABS, heated grips, wood like dashboard, brown seat cover are not included.
+Quality built
+Versatile character, town-B roads-highway use.
+Status symbol
- Road imperfections are not sufficiently absorbed
-Weight
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