2011 Suzuki Burgman 650 - Scooter Shootout Video

650Burgie -   August 3, 2011 02:43 PM
I too, like Colchicine, signed up to leave a comment regarding the review of the Burgman. I've owned my Burgman 650 for 2,5 years now and have ridden more than 30000km (that's 18640 miles) on it, most of those done in rush hour traffic and lane splitting. It's very clear from the video article that an understanding of how the electronic CVT operates and may be operated by the rider. Also, to place the Burgman in the same category as the Kymco Xciting was, in my opinion, complete nonsense. The Burgman is streaks ahead of the Kymco in all aspects and cannot be compared. So, the CVT and its operation. It takes getting used to handling it, especially in corners. One has to preempt it a little and start to throttle on early to allow the CVT to come out of 'engine breaking' mode to 'drive mode'. A little practice sorts this out, but to the novice, would seem that the clutch is slipping (bull) or that it's not able to find the right gear - in this case, the word ratio should have been used in addition! The power button: This simply lowers the gearing ratio of the CVT allowing the motor to rev a little higher (by about 1000rpm) giving a spurt of power when needed to overtake or shoot a gap. The trick with the power button is to use it at the right time, timed with a twist of the throttle. An example, the throttle is twisted a bit, the CVT loads the engine, the power button is pressed lowering the ratio allowing the engine to spin faster, thus generating more power and pulling the bike along quicker. It's like releasing a loaded spring. This takes a bit of practice, but is very effective! The un-initiated would find the power button a little puzzling, as was demonstrated. One is able to effectively 'kick down' the gearing on the Burgman, for example, going up a hill. The trick is to give the throttle a quick twist and this lowers the ratios slightly, thus getting more out of the motor. I'm willing to bet that the test riders only opened the throttle slowly, and thus got the feeling that the Burgman is slow and unresponsive. If one just opens the throttle slowly, the motor tends to be loaded and one doesn't get anywhere too quickly. Try the throttle jab, it works! Handling: this is a 240kg bike with bags of storage room and comfortanble suspension setup. None of the reviews made mention of the adjustable rear shocks! The default setting is on 2 (out of 5) which is soft and spungy. I set mine on 4, and the whole thing feels completely different. If the front is too springy, then put in a different fork oil! If you want to go zipping around mountain passes, then go and get a Busa, but the Burgman handles totally fine in sweeping bends. I really wish these reviewers would redo their test of the Burgman once they've done a bit of research into how this machine is put together. This may be asking a bit much as it's a sophisticated piece of kit requiring different handling to a regular scooter. The Burgman is NOT a regular scooter! The End.

Colchicine -   June 28, 2011 05:22 AM
The review of the 650, especially the video, pissed me off enough to sign up and post a comment. Apparently you have be signed in just to see the comments. Here's mine: The review on the Burgman 650 was very poorly done. Reviewer Justin Dawes lacks the fundamental knowledge of how the 650 is constructed. He used the words "roller-weights" to describe the clutch. The 650 has a wet clutch like a conventional motorcycle. There are no roller weights to adjust like in a conventional scooter. They also continually describe problems with the clutch / CVT slipping. Unless you had a defective unit, this is completely unfounded and also shows all of the reviewer's lack of knowledge. There is no clutch slippage issues with the 650. Instead, they are likely having trouble adjusting to the heavy engine braking associated with the CVT. The engine braking requires some adjustment in riding style, and is not a problem to control for an experienced motorcyclist. For a thorough explanation, see: http://burgmanusa.com/bkb/650+CVT+Info#Engine_Braking . In response to screamer69's comment, I can assure you there is no motorcycle that has 15 gallons of built in storage space, as effective wind protection, and the ease of a fully automatic transmission for $10K. Those relying on features and functionality to base their decision on, and not their ego, will find the Burgman 650 the best all-around bike available.