Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/213117
RIDING IMPRESSION P52 2013 SUZUKI BURGMAN easier in the dark. And if that's not enough storage space for you, there are more nooks and crannies below the handlebars where you can conveniently and safely store away things like a wallet, transponder, a bottle of water, envelopes and/or keys. One of those compartments is locking. Suzuki redesigned the lockable compartment so items don't fall out as soon as you open the door. I'm all about comfort when it comes to my commute and comfort is a big plus with the Burgman 650 ABS. Being a scooter in design, climbing on and off the bike is super easy and you have lots of room to move your legs once on board. You can position them pretty much straight out on the foot boards, straight down or even a little rearward, so you're never locked into one position. And the seat, which is only 29 inches from the ground and provides some lower-back support via an adjustable backrest, is comfortable – it's fairly wide and firm, yet still cushy. My 6'1" frame fit the Burgman just fine, though I had to crunch down a bit if I wanted to get completely protected by the windscreen, which is electronically adjustable via a switch on the right handlebar. In the screen's full upright position, it takes a fair amount of rain before you start feeling wet. Overall, wind and rain protection just doesn't get much better than this. The Burg' does have a DC outlet, which is great for heated vests, which is simple to get to. Although Suzuki claims no power gains over the outgoing Burg', the new Burg's 638cc DOHC parallel-twin motor is still impressively strong. Don't think for a moment that just because it's a scooter that it's not fast. It's plenty fast. It might not sound like it at idle, but when you twist the throttle it certainly goes. Beating cars across intersections is not even a challenge on the Burgman but is always a kick in the pants, and it has no problems keeping up with the flow of traffic at freeway speeds - even at 80 mph. And, yes, the Burgman will reach triple digits while still feeling as stable as a rock. The Burgman's "automatic" SECVT transmission changes gear seamlessly. You just don't feel the transition from one gear to the next, at least not much, and, of course, it does it all on its own. And with the SECVT transmission you have two operating modes – "drive" (standard) and "power" – to chose from that you operate via a button on the left handlebars. It doesn't really increase power but instead changes shift points, which makes it feel as though you gained a few ponies. Pressing the powermode button is like downshifting just before grabbing a handful of throttle when you need quick initial acceleration at speed, something we all do on smaller-bore bikes all the time. You'll see about a quick 1500 jump in RPMs on the tach when the power button is depressed and then the Burg' will respond much sportier when the throttle is twisted. The revs will remain at a high pace until you press the button again and you'll return to the more relaxed and more fuel-efficient standard setting. Power mode is very useful and I took advantage of it all the time, mainly while in heavy traffic when I needed a quick burst to The Burg' handles well at both high and low speeds.