Suzuki Burgamn 400 – Real men ride a Burgman

With the words of the Suzuki PR guy ringing in my ears “real men ride a Burgman…..” I jumped on the Suzuki Burgman 400 and with a twist of the throttle, I was on my merry way.

On the lead up to this review, I was a bit nervous about the image I would be sending out of me riding a 400cc maxi scooter. The PR guy told me he had one as his very own daily transport, and he’s a young, good looking, red-blooded male, he’s even raced a fair bit, so surely he must know what’s what.

I can usually be found on large capacity, bigger, heavier motorcycles, so this was a very different experience. I needn’t have worried, what a great all-round, practical and comfortable bike the Burgman 400 is.

Suzuki’s Burgman comes in 2 flavours; 125 cc and 400cc.

This is the 400, which means it has a 400cc 4-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine which produces 23kW @ 6300rpm, (31PS or 30bhp in old money). All that power is complemented by 36Nm torque @ 4800rpm or 26.55lb.ft. It drives through a CVT transmission so feels like a big twist and go scooter…..because that’s what it is.

Unfortunately, during my time with the Burgman it rained almost non stop but that didn’t stop me enjoying myself.

Now, i haven’t ridden many maxi scooters, so it took some adjusting to the riding style, but after just a few miles it felt great. Feet forward, legs together, no clutch, no gears, so simple and easy.

Suzukis Burgman 400 isn’t exactly a featherweight, tipping the scales at 215kg, which is heavier than the GSX-S1000. Don’t worry though, it carries it’s weight low and once you’re rolling, you don’t notice it.

Handling is great, it turns sharply on its 15” front wheel and 13” rear wheel and the suspension is plush and comfortable. Traversing the urban landscape on the Burgman is a breeze.

These days, Unless you have an adventure bike with luggage, there’s little or no storage space on modern motorcycles. If you are the proud owner of a Suzuki Burgman 400 though, you certainly won’t be worried by a lack of luggage space. As a Burgman owner you will be able to take advantage of an abundance of storage. There are two compartments in the fairing, below the handlebars. There’s also a huge underseat area, easily big enough for a full face helmet with room to spare. If you need more, you can order your Burgman with a top box.

I found the Burgman 400 a perfect tool for commuting. I could carry spare riding gear for a pillion, or my laptop, or camera gear for media work.

Pillions have plenty of room and a wide, comfortable seat and the Burgman will cruise all day at motorway speeds or above if you dare, eating up the miles in comfort whilst returning great fuel economy.

Practical considerations are well taken care of with features such as a centre stand, advanced immobiliser and parking brake. All in all, the Burgman 400 is a very capable, fun, practical way to get around.