Burgman 650????

[rjs987]

Scooters have been done, even at the Granddaddy of STOC events WeSTOC!

Whit Brown at Taos in 2008.

So what's that scoot doing in a pickup? I thought only HD riders did that. :grin:
If I showed up to a STOC event on one I'd be riding it there.
Having said that I will be picking up that low miles 2013 White Burgman 650 in my photo for a really good price from Eden Prairie, MN. And I will be trucking it back home... likely the only time it sees the inside of a truck bed or trailer under normal circumstances. Just seemed like the thing to do since I don't have the time to take a bus up there and ride it back, and it didn't seem right to have my friend who is taking me there ride alone on the way back. Besides, if I did ride it back I'd be taking all the back roads and double the time to get home as it took to get up there (about 250 miles up) just due to the route taken and lower mph on those roads. The highway patrol takes a dim view of 75 mph on the county highways around here.

 

[ST_Jim]

So what's that scoot doing in a pickup? I thought only HD riders did that. :grin:
If I showed up to a STOC event on one I'd be riding it there.

Yeah, well, no one said you wouldn't get a few good natured ribs for a scooter, let alone trailering/trucking it there!

But the important thing is you're there, enjoying yourself.

 

[sherburd]

Had a stroke in November 2016. Owned a Burgman 650 before the stroke, as well as a 2014 Indian Chief. Can't ride the Chief anymore, but I have two Burgmans and I love them. And, yes, they hardly qualify as "scooters".

 

[cwaltz]

I was on the fence about motorcycle riding on the street, so my first "bike" was a Yamaha Majesty 400cc. Figuring with just learning to ride the scooter would be easier since i didn't need to worry about a clutch and it was. I rode it for 2 years and loved it, but got no respect from anyone else on 2 wheels. It had more than enough power for the highway and was plenty fun in the twisties even. It was fuel injected so starting was never a problem and it got 56mpg repeatedly. I then got a Vulcan 750, which was a blast to ride, but reliability was a problem. I replaced the stator twice. Plus, I didn't like the fact of no locking storage. Enter the ST1100, very reliable, plenty of lockable storage and really fun to ride. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have just kept the scooter for a few more years.

 

[ST Gui]

Does the Burgman have a center stand?

 

[rjs987]

Yes it does have a center stand. Here's another photo of the scoot I'm picking up tomorrow as it sits on the center stand.

 

[ST Gui]

Thanks for the info. I really like the look of the Burgman overall. The feet forward seating position make take a minute to get used to. My GL1000's floor board put my feet more forward than most bikes but a few cruisers and I liked it.

A 'scooter' as a second bike is an interesting idea. Legally it's a motorcycle in CA (and every other state I imagine). The mirrors folding in electrically is a nice touch–good for splitting lanes. It's not getting any easier throwing a leg over the ST and bag.

but got no respect from anyone else on 2 wheels.

I'd have suggested a personalized plate RSPCT or similar but they've probably all gone to Aretha fans. Or an 870 in a scabbard.

 

[rjs987]

I still think THIS would garner a bit of respect...


Would this be considered "open carry" in most states?

-

 

[SMSW]

I still think THIS would garner a bit of respect...


Would this be considered "open carry" in most states?

-

Riding on it might be a bit uncomfortable. Especially without an RDL seat.

 

[Al st1100]

Now Bob.....You do know that you are an outcast no matter what you show up on!!??...(Just kidding) Russ.

Speaking of outcasts, how have you been Russ??

 

[ardykay54]

Speaking of outcasts, how have you been Russ??

Feeling like an outcast a little more each day!!:butt1::mrgreen:...the only outcasting I want to do is when I'm fishing.....Russ.

 

[Mondo]

At one of the early YooperSTOCs, 6 or so of us met up and rode much of the way together. Included was Sally on her Silver Wing. The only times she fell a bit behind was when we were passing cars. The bikes can drop down a gear or 2 and blast. She would be out of sight, but pretty soon here she would come zipping along and fall right back in line. It was fun to watch.

Greg

 

[rjs987]

The SWing is a nice scoot, but only has the automatic mode and no power boost mode. One of the things I like about the B650, aside from a bit bigger engine (650 vs. 500), is there is a power boost mode that holds the rpm higher and there is also a manual shift mode that would allow me to lock in a CVT ratio and downshift in passing situations to bump things up a knotch. The benefits of the Suzuki Electronic CVT (SECVT). I am told that also is a big benefit in really curvy roads, to better predict what power is available carving through the twisty roads. I know the ST can easily pull away from any of the big super scooters, but it is surprising to many riders how well they can keep up.

 

[ST Gui]

but it is surprising to many riders how well they can keep up.

I've never ridden a Burg but I imagine handling also helps. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it handles very well and can be pushed in a corner more easily than an ST. When the road bends handling is often a bigger advantage than power. Of course if that's not the case with the Burg then I'll just pretend I never mentioned it.

 

[rjs987]

After riding the Burgman 650 to WISTOC and then adding up the fuel figures in addition to one or two more tanks of gas that I've put in since bringing it home I find this one is doing even a little better than I remember my older B650 did. It only has a 3.96 gal (15 Liter) tank but that doesn't seem to be much of a problem for range. For the WISTOC trip I ended up with an average of only 57 mpg, mostly due to a massive headwind on the way there (did better on each tank after those first two). Last weekend I was getting low on the fuel gauge and decided to see how far I dared to go before stopping to fill up. I know there is just over 1 gal when the gas pump symbol starts to flash and about 1/2 gal left when the last segment starts flashing. The mpg meter is really pessimistic about what it shows but based on earlier calculations I was able to give it a good guess how far I could go when the last segment was flashing. When I filled the tank I put in 3.77 gal and calculated that I had another 6 miles to go before a dry tank. That time I ended up with 60.7 mpg and 229 miles for that tank. I've been getting between 60-62 mpg regularly for the commuting miles.

 

[honsfun]

I have a 2009 burg 650 exec. Ridden it for 35000 miles love it. Ride n NJ with a group of sport tour riders no problem keeping up in the twisties. I have a corbin long seat and bar risers. Changed the suspension front and rear but with a very short travel its a waste of money. Suspension is the only negative for me. Have been riding my ST1300 this summer and if I had to sell one it would be the ST.




i

 

[STraymond]

How are the Burgmans for riding 2 up?

 

[rjs987]

That was the last bike on which my wife rode with me regularly (my former 2005 B650- see post 10 in this thread). She claimed it was comfortable. We did travel across the state a number of times. She thought my Gold Wing was better but the Burgman was good. It has plenty of power to ride at super slab speeds 2 up and still have some in reserve. She would regularly ask to ride the older Burgman with me around town for errands and just to ride through the neighborhoods to look at landscaping and such. She did't like the ST1100 saying it was uncomfortable. She said my CTX1300 seat was too wide but by then she had really already simply lost interest in riding pillion so I think that was more just an excuse.

 

[Upt' North]

That was the last bike on which my wife rode with me regularly (my former 2005 B650- see post 10 in this thread). She claimed it was comfortable. We did travel across the state a number of times. She thought my Gold Wing was better but the Burgman was good. It has plenty of power to ride at super slab speeds 2 up and still have some in reserve. She would regularly ask to ride the older Burgman with me around town for errands and just to ride through the neighborhoods to look at landscaping and such. She did't like the ST1100 saying it was uncomfortable. She said my CTX1300 seat was too wide but by then she had really already simply lost interest in riding pillion so I think that was more just an excuse.

Lost interest? Lost blummin interest? She obviously needs a talking to.
But not by me.
Upt'North.

 

[rjs987]

She just prefers to ride her own scooter and stay around town on it.