Suzuki Burgman 400

A bit about me which will put my review in context. I’ve ridden everything from 80cc to 1300cc in the past 45 years. All motorcycles with a scooter exception a couple of years ago. I’m 5’6, 140 lbs. and my inseam is 28”. This will help if you’re interested in being flat footed at a stop. This is for a 2012 Burgman 400 with ABS and only 2,800 miles. Recently bought, I’ve only put around 150 miles on it.

Ergonomics: Sitting on the forward part of the seat, both feet are flat on the pavement at a stop. Slide back and probably half my foot. Works for me. The bars are in a comfortable position, the gauges are easy to read (even under a Florida sun) the brake levers only need a slight pull. It all feels and works just as it should. You can move around on the seat, stretch both legs out, one leg out, one in typical scooter fashion – whatever suits you. It’s hard NOT to get comfortable! Well, the seat is the stock seat and not much to say about that.

Handling: Fairly hefty at a little under 500 lbs. dry weight, the Burgie sure doesn’t feel it whether I’m stopped or moving. Only when making a sharp turn at speeds approaching stop do I notice the weight. Other than that whether you’re at 30mph or 70mph, curves or straight stretches it feels nearly perfect to me. The engine and all the running gear is quiet and silky smooth. So much so that it’s pretty easy to be exceeding the legal limit and not have a clue you’re going that fast.

Braking: Amazingly wonderful! Two discs up front, single in the back and it stops quickly and nice and straight. I’ve had to yellow light pull hard a couple of times and nose dive was minimal and the ABS never came into play.

Engine: It’s not a rocket but it doesn’t take much throttle roll to leave cars in your rearview mirror. Plenty quick enough to slide into open spots in traffic and a lot of fun dialing it on coming out of curves! Equally happy at 70MPH on the interstate as well.

At 50 MPH it’s turning 5000 RPM and at 70MPH it’s turning 6400 RPM and since redline is at 9000 RPM there’s room for more. I’ve read other reviews that have said that if you’re riding two up, the Burgie is likely happier at 60PMH or less. Probably true.

For its’ size/weight class and for its’ intended multi-purpose ride – I’d call it as near to perfect as you can get. Tons of storage, very good handling, quiet/smooth power, great braking. I personally think it looks great too.

Of course there are some quirks: Suzuki put straight valve stems on the rims and with double discs up front and all the running gear on the rear – checking air pressure is a pain. The windshield could be taller for me – just my preference. The hand grips could have a larger diameter for my hands (easy remedy) and it appears that to adjust the shock pre-load, I’ll be on my back under the scooter. Lastly, I wish it had a spin on oil filter and an oil dipstick rather than a sight glass. Given these – it’s still amazing. Call it a motorcycle or a scooter – and you’re right!

I will start by saying I have been riding motorcycles for about 26 years and have had everything from Super Sport bikes to big cruisers. Currently I have 3 Harley Davidsons (Decked out Road King, 100th Anniversary V-Rod, and a custom painted and tricked out 2011 Fat Bob, and had an Ultra Classic with a big bore motor). I also have a 2008 Ducati 848, and 1098 Superbikes, and a 2007 Triumph tiger 1050 with adventure panniers, etc for touring. My wife also has 2 Harleys, and a 100cc Aprilia Scarabeo 100 scooter. Anyway. My point being. I just got a pre-owned 2008 Bergman 400 with 26,000 miles on it at a dealership and it looks brand new. I have only put 15 miles on it so far since we now have a big snow storm here, but I have to say, it's way more comfortable than any of the 35-40 bikes I've owned over the years. I did just add my cord to the battery that plugs into my heated gloves for cold weather. I can't wait to go out and ride this thing in cool weather. I think one of the main reasons I will love this scooter is because I can wear all my cold weather gear and not feel cramped like on my motorcycles. I have read reviews online of people who have put over 37,000 miles on these in a short time and they are still running like new.

Bought a Burgman 400 (2000 reg) a few months ago and can't sing its praises more highly. Comfortable and fast enough to keep up with all traffic conditions but the best thing is its fuel economy (regular 72mpg). Most bikers seem to forget that Motorcycles originally were the poor mans transport with Triumph/Norton type bikes returning great MPG and running costs. Most biking nowadays seems to focus on performance characteristics that put you on course for the spinal injury unit in Stoke Mandeville.

The Burgman is not a thing of beauty but when i'm cruising along the Motorway day after day on my commute do I really care what this highly practical and comfortable bike looks like? With a top box fitted I have all the storage I need.

The only negative would be wind noise.

I leave my 10000 pound car sat on the drive depreciating while I look for any excuse to hop aboard my 1500 pound Burg.

this is a really great bike. very practical, tons of stowage space, under seat carriage carries tons of stuff. i love the front compartment that locks and the top 2 compartments i put my cellphone wallet veryting..

it has 2 locks for helmets so that you dont need to put the helmet under the seat, you could hook 2 helmets one on each side or you could put the helmets under the seat... which ever.

as for the ride, its; very very smooth, the suspension is great, the power is perfect and balance, the take off is smooth and accelerates fairly quickly... this bike is riding a camry or a lexus compared to harley or sport bike.

fuel economy is great... full tank will do 180 miles and cost around $10 with these high gas price.

the headlights are strong, the lighting is perfect adn visible, the controls are easy to reach .. and it has the high beam toggle.

great bike! will buy it anytime.

this bike is the best .i had my bike for 3 years it is great , it runs real nie

I like the auto transmission, solid state ignition, ABS brakes with 3 disk brakes, water cooling, fast start up, spacious storage under the adjustable seat with small built in backrest. the locking front compartment with an accessory plug for GPS or MP3 units. and the 2 smaller compartments.

I like the simplicity of a drive belt instead of a chain.

What I don't like is the difficulty to check the air in the tires and to add air. The disk brakes do not allow my hand between them and the wheel rim. Checking the tires from a standing position is next to impossible. One must lie down on the ground, facing the front or rear of the scooter, and using one's fingers, unscrew the air caps, place the tire gauge over the stem, and press the air hose against the valve stem, using only the fingers.

This is a very difficult chore for me, a fit 82 year old man.

Another feature that I don't like and I consider useless, is the accessory port inside the glove box. With the glove box closed the port opening is snug against the inside of the compartment door. Therefore, It cannot be used.

The seat is not comfortable. I bought an inflatable bag that helps with the comfort.

The windshield is too short for a 6 footer. The wind blast buffets my head.

Perhaps an adjustable windshield such as the type installed on the 650 model would help.

Even with these few complaints, I like the scooter and hope that I can keep riding for another couple more years.

Only downside i found was the running in ,In the handbook it states for the first 600 miles dont exceed 4000rpm this is near impossible as 4000rpm = 30mph and that speed on any main road is dangerous ,I pointed this out to Suzuki their reply:'We are sorry to learn that you are having some difficulties with regards to the recommended use for your new machine and we apologise for any dissatisfaction this may have caused 'Apart from this its a brilliant economical machine keep it around 60mph = 80mpg comfy soaks up the bumps a joy to ride .

I had 4-5 bikes when i was 25 to 35 years old. Rode a friends Harley road king some. wanted my own bike but never had the extra money. at work a coworker was selling his wifes 2003 burg 400 and i mentioned it to my son. had 13k mi for $1200 he loves it. so one day i borrowed it and went on a local loop. northern calif mendocino coast. Lots ofcurves (hwy 20 has over 200)freeway, willits to ukiah, hills ukiah to booneville, more curves back to the coast and cold weather. incredible. handles the curves well. better than i can ride. freeway no problem. 70 mph and over the ridge hwy 101 highest elevation, was impressed. even got waves from other bikes. so the good..... lots of storage. good protection power etc. slightly buzzy at times. really like the twist and go. had to have my own bike. nothing really bad to say... so after looking at ninjas, cb400 to 500, even gs850g like i had before i kept coming back to the burgman 400. found one 2006 400s for $2500 with 700 miles on it. i am stoked. this is going to be great.

This has been my first automatic bike other than holidays scoots and I have to say it was well worth the money.

Great milage, very comfortable and not a massive hassle to service yourself. If you really want these bikes to last, like anything, do the work yourself and spend the time getting to know the ins and outs. Just because the dealer did a service does not mean it will be in great shape as most dealers will take it for a spin and not even bother to do all the checks.

10,500 miles and the only thing I have replaced are tires, oil, filters and fluids. I am 32 years old so I dont exactly potter around with this thing but have never really gone over 95mph as its not really worth wreaking the engine.

Get a burg, get its manual, do you own work to it and have a good laugh on the road.

Only downside to this bike is there should be a cleaning vent to clear the dust from the CVT that the belt makes but I will be designing my own.

Bought this 3 months ago with 4500 miles on the clock.

Have used for commuting and general use, and just returned from a 1500 mile, 6 day camping round trip to South of France.

My brother took his HD Night train and the Burgman managed to keep up with no probs. (I have a Road King but left it in the garage on this occasion)

Carried everything I needed, with top box and expandable panniers.

Fantastic little scoot!

The only critisismn is the limited suspension, you can feel all of the bumps and ripples.

Handling otherwise is really good.

MPG varies quite a bit. Around 55 mpg when on the motorwat at 70 -75 mph, but around 65 mpg locally.

No other bikes wave of course, but they havent a clue how good these things are. It might not be a 'motorbike' but it'll eat as many miles as any tourer, and not even a hint of backache or sore backside.

Cant speak highly enough. Get one!!