2013 Burgman 650. 6 months & 1600 miles

[Raven]

Well we’ve had the new Burgman for almost six months now and it’s done over 1600 miles so I thought I would say how I’m finding it so far.

Engine & power

The engine is now fully run in so I no longer need to watch the revs. It will cruise all day quite effortlessly at 70-85 MPH and hold this speed on most hills, this is with two up as well. Talking of speed, the fastest so far is 95 MPH on the flat and still going but I need my License for my job so didn’t want to push it any further, as I said it was still going.
The fuel economy is quite good it seems to average around 57 MPG. The engine is very smooth indeed, this is the one thing that stands out compared to the 400 single cylinder Burgman I also have.

It’s most definitely higher geared than I can remember from my 2009 model. This can be noticed mostly in slow moving traffic or around town it doesn’t present a problem but if I think the engine may be laboring a bit I press the power button, this keeps it in a lower gear for longer keeping the revs up and as soon as we hit open roads again I switch back to normal mode.

Brakes

The brakes are excellent, I mostly ride with Sandy & I so the brakes have to cope with the weight of two people, they are very responsive and will pull you up very reassuringly but will also slow you down gently from speed.
As yet I have not had the ABS kick in and I have had to apply them quite severely a few times.

The only fault so far is the rear brake makes a squeaking sound when just coming to stop, will get this checked by local dealer under warranty.

Both the leavers are well placed on the handlebars and can be adjusted for the individuals hand reach. Initially I couldn’t get used to the hand brake, I could never place my hand straight to it but this has changed with time and I have no problems with it at all, in fact I prefer it now it’s more car like if that makes sense.

Lights

Fantastic I can’t fault the lights in anyway they do what is required of them and that’s all that’s needed

Storage

Definitely not as good as my 2009 Burgman, or the Burgman 400 come to that. You can get two full face helmets under the seat, but you have to work one under the rear of the compartment under the backrest and the other has to be placed in the front in the right position, or the seat will strike it when closing and then there is not much room for anything else. The front storage has not changed that much apart from the position of the power socket and the front locker door is now the same colour as the bodywork.

Dash & instrumentation

I love the new dash design it’s very modern and the old style dash is so out dated now. The MPH & RPM gauges are very easy to read in daylight or at night. The fuel and temp gauges are also very easy to read, placed in the center between the two main gauges you only have to glance down and all the information required is there no looking around to find anything and all the warning lights placed along the top.

I read here that someone took a new 2013 Burgman for a road test and found the new Eco light very annoying blinking on and off like an indicator warning. I can't see this, as it’s not in my field of vision when glancing down at the dash, I have to look down further to see if the Green Eco light is on and to be honest I’m not fussed if it’s on or off

Comfort

Very comfy we’ve had no problems with numb bums or arm ache and we’ve been on a few long journeys.

Bodywork & design

I have read a lot of comments on other forums and here about the new look of the 2013 Burgman. It has not changed that much from the old design but the changes have most definitely brought it up to date. If there’s one thing I notice is how oversized the old style is. The 2013 Burgman is far more modern to look at and a lot sleeker. When anonstarter road tested a 2009 Burgman last week the first thing that stood out was the how wide it is and how old fashioned it was with the old style rear lights, even older style of dash and the handle bars with it’s big round base. Yes I’ve lost some storage space but this is a very small sacrifice to pay for the far better looks of the new model.

So if you’re thinking of getting one, I can only say go ahead I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Raven

[MrGrumpy]

Thanks, Interesting
It strikes me that its a bit better in several useful but minor waysthan the old model, but overall, its not hugely different - except for the storage space which is worse!
It may look sleeker, but I'm afraid the difference is too subtle for me. There are two of them of my local dealer, and they look enormous! Possibly making the shape look thinner makes it look even longer than before!

[alp231]

The new burger dose look sleeker but I compared both side by side and the under seat storage is far less so for me I went for a new old burger if that makes sense mind i like to carry a bit of kit i would post a pic of it loaded but not sure how that magic works

[Ferret]

Nice review thanx

[VOZZA]

Nice review thanx, I understand that the new model is far easier to push around like in and out of the garage etc.

[SkuTorr]

In France and most of Europe it's outselling the BMW C650GT, which was designed as a "Burgman Killer". Suzuki Fit & Finish is Top-notch; BMW has cheap/unfinished looking spots, and an endemic CLUCH problem. Some buyers are installing the Dr. Pulley HIT clutch in them as soon as they get the bike home, warrantee be DAMNED...

Enjoy the BURG...Resistance IS Futile...

[Deleted User 796]

In France and most of Europe it's outselling the BMW C650GT, which was designed as a "Burgman Killer". Suzuki Fit & Finish is Top-notch; BMW has cheap/unfinished looking spots, and an endemic CLUCH problem. Some buyers are installing the Dr. Pulley HIT clutch in them as soon as they get the bike home, warrantee be DAMNED...

Enjoy the BURG...Resistance IS Futile...

I'd take a sluggish clutch any day over that iffy belt in the Burgman 650

For me the BMW 650 GT was much more comfortable and better looking than the Burgman and it has longer service intervals and more power and more storage (than the new Burgman). The only downside is the stupid price, for the quality it should be slightly less than the Burgman and have the highline package as standard.

[kayz1]

What iffy belt in the Burgman 650 Sir, i have had three of them and done 98,000miles between them, the ONLY thing i ever had go wrong was the side stand switch one winter day
and that was on no: 1 the first year they hit the streets... I would have bought the new one but for the rear seat being far too wide for Pat's little bum
Lyn.

[MrGrumpy]

For me the BMW 650 GT was much more comfortable and better looking than the Burgman and it has longer service intervals and more power and more storage (than the new Burgman). The only downside is the stupid price, for the quality it should be slightly less than the Burgman and have the highline package as standard.

More storage in the C650GT than the new Burger? According to the recent MCN test, the BMW struggles to take some full face helmets - or at least helmets without the BMW logo on! Even though the new Burger has lost some storage, it does seem to be able to take 2 helmets quite easily.

[Raven]

There are a lot of comments about the under seat storage, so here are a couple of photos comparing the storage of my 2013 Burgman 650 to my 2011 burgman 400.

2011 Burgman 400


2013 Burgman 650


When choosing which scooter to get I was looking mainly at comfort for Sandy & I and due to the lack of scooter dealers in Cornwall we only had a limited choice - Suzuki, Honda or SYM. SYM were out as at the time they didn’t have a 600-650 version and to be honest we didn’t care much for the look of the Honda Silverwing. We chose the 650 Burgman mainly for the build quality & reputation plus we had owned one before a 2009 model. The Burgman was also the only scooter that had what I would call a proper backrest for the pillion. I personally think if one is looking for a sport-like scooter then you would most likely not go for the 650 Burgman. If, however, you are looking more for a cruising machine with exceptional comfort and reliability then you would most likely go for the Burgman 650. Yes I will give you that mechanically the new 2013 has not got that many improvements over the older model but it’s the old adage “if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it”. The cosmetic changes have brought the scooter right up to date with the rest of them and when parked in amongst other scooters or motorcycles it can hold it’s own looks wise.

Raven