VOL. 50 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 19, 2013
obvious. The new Burg' has
sleeker lines, more angles, and a
narrower profile, especially when
viewed from behind. The seat is
also narrower, as well as a little taller. The dual headlights are sportier
looking, as is the tail section.
Even the cockpit has a more
modern appearance. The "dashboard" has been completely reworked, utilizing a mixed bag of
analog (tach and speedometer)
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and digital (everything else) readouts. There is plenty of information to be had, including a fuel
consumption meter and a permanently displayed clock (no longer
do you have to toggle around to
find out how late you are).
You'll also notice a brand new
readout – an eco drive indicator.
It glows when you're getting the
best fuel consumption at certain
throttle, rpm and speed settings.
The number-one complaint
previous owners had with the
Burgman 650 had nothing to do
with riding it but pushing it – it
didn't roll easily. The culprit? The
clutch. Suzuki redesigned the
entire clutch system and managed to reduce drag by 35 percent. As a result, the Burgman
is far easier to maneuver in the
garage or in the parking lot. The
clutch redesign had other advantages as well. Combined with
other refinements to the Burg's
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LIVING WITH THE BURG'
We took delivery of our 2013
Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS three
months ago and I nabbed it.
Since that time, many "cooler"
rides (i.e. test bikes) have passed
through our garage doors but
none of them could sway me
away from the Burgman when it
came to my commute – for many
reasons.
Actually, there are so many of
them I don't know where to start.
How about practibility?
1. Feel the need to do it yourself?
Suzuki's CVT transmission offers
manual thumb shifting when
the urge strikes. 2. There's
enough room for two full-face
helmets under the seat. Nice!
3. There seems to be storage
areas everywhere. 4. There is
a lot of stuff here. Heated grips
and heated seat, however, are
not standard equipment on the
U.S. version but Suzuki does
offer them as accessories. The
ignition key is tamper resistant.
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Suzuki Electronically-controlled
Continuously Variable Transmission (SECVT), and a reduction
in mechanical loss, it all contributes to what Suzuki claims is a 15
percent boost in fuel economy.
Other notable improvements
include the Burg's braking system. The entire ABS system has
been upgraded and is now 55
percent lighter. And there is a
new triangular section muffler,
which also gives the Burgman a
more modern look.
For three months my backpack
laid dormant in my closet. With so
much storage space available in
the Burgman, there's no need to
strap a pack to your back. Most of
that storage space is found under
the pop-up seat, which can easily
contain two full-face helmets, or
one helmet and a bunch of stuff.
(There's also a cable lock for your
helmet outside to make space for
luggage inside.) A "trunk" light
that automatically turns on and
off when you open and close the
seat definitely makes life a lot
