Life in the old dog? Suzuki Burgman 400 | Road Test

Can you believe that the Suzuki Burgman is 25 years old this year? Yes, the ubiquitous maxi scooter is a quarter of a century old. 

Amongst its peers the Suzuki is starting to show its age as well, the once class-leading scooter doesn’t have all the toys you expect to find on a big modern scooter. It’s certainly not a cheap maxi scooter either, it tips the scales at just under £7000. What you do get though is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the Suzuki – a big comfortable and dependable mobile armchair. You can sit in feet-forward luxury and cover continents, solo or twos up on a Burgman. 

We’ve recently had this big grey 400 for a couple of months and despite the lack of modern gadgets like a TFT colour dash, keyless ignition, electric screen, cruise control, heated grips, mobile connectivity and navigation I’ve still got a soft spot for the big old Burger. 

Long distance

During my time with the scooter, it’s been used for knocking around locally and for a couple of airport runs (when heading off for foreign scooter launches). With a big Arai kit bag Rok Strapped to the back and space beneath the seat to put my UK riding gear in when I get to departures it’s been very useful. This is the kind of commuting a maxi scooter is best at – longer distances where storage space is needed and you have to be somewhere for a specific time. With a 90mph+ top speed the Burgman is quick enough for those otherwise monotonous motorway stints and late-night dashes back home.

LED lighting

Talking of late nights, the LED lighting was a very welcome bonus whilst riding across the pitch-black Woodhead Pass late at night. The lights give a very good beam and the position lights help get you noticed. There’s also a parking light which you have to be careful not to leave on by accident when putting the steering lock on.

Long lost friend

The Burgman is one of those scooters you can forget about until you get back on one after a few years away. I last rode a 650 Burgman about five years ago, sadly that larger capacity version is no longer imported to the UK. They’re a big scooter for sure but boy can they glide around corners. The Burgman is well-planted, has a low centre of gravity and is more fun than it looks. Get your feet forward, twist the throttle and you’re rewarded with instant fun – as you can see in the video above.

The suspension works well enough, although it’s not quite as plush as something like an XMAX. Even so, the Suzuki handles itself very well. 

Stopping power is provided by twin front discs and a single rear, with ABS and traction control to keep things in check. I did get the TC cutting in occasionally and it’s reassuring to know it’s there. If you do want to do without it you can though by switching it off using the starter button.

Security

The Burger also has a handbrake which is useful on a big scooter, leave it on a hill and you know it’s not likely to roll off the stand. It’s also an extra security device that may slow a thief down a bit. The Burgman also comes with Suzuki’s Advanced Immobiliser System (SAIS) and a magnetic flap to cover the ignition when you leave the scooter. Finishing off the security is a chain gate which allows a chain to be passed through the bodywork.

Alternatives?

I said before that this scooter is lacking some modern refinements and for its price of £6999 you’d expect stuff like an adjustable screen (the Honda Forza 350 gets an electric screen and costs about £1200 less). Or maybe a modern TFT display with sat nav and keyless ignition? The Yamaha XMAX Tech Max gets both and costs £200 less. 

New model on the horizon?

Sadly, the Burgman seems a bit dated in that department. Yes, it gets a central digital screen, flanked by an analogue speedo and rev counter but it’s a very simple dash with no mobile connectivity. What you do get is a fuel gauge, odometer, trip distances and time. There’s also a green ‘Eco’ light that comes on when you’re saving the planet. 

The new Burgman 125 Street arrives in dealers any time now, we’ll be riding it next week…

The Burgman is well overdue for a new model. I’m pretty sure Suzuki will announce one later this year for 2024, certainly at EICMA in November if not before – especially seeing as we’re at the UK launch for the brand new 2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Street at the end of this month. The bigger version/versions can’t be far away…

Less is more

If there is a new model coming and you don’t want extra gadgets on your scooter (for many riders less is more) I imagine there will be a few deals around on the current 400. Looking at the used market you can also pick a decent Burgman up for not a huge amount of money. I’ve seen a low mileage 2022 model at under £5,000 which is a decent saving. 

Free child place?

I mentioned before about strapping my kit bag to the back, that’s fairly easy if riding solo because the seat is wide and huge. The under-seat space is ok, although not cavernous. I can just about fit my two-month-old grandson under there and a bit of shopping*. In total, there are 42 litres of storage space beneath the seat, a further 6.3 litres can be found in the two compartments up front, one of which contains a 12v socket. 

Getting back on the Burgman again after a couple of weeks with it being sat in the garage I was happy to just get out and have a blast into the countryside to do some photos and video. This scooter is just as good on the twisties as it is doing a couple of hundred miles on a motorway. I really do enjoy the whole feel of the scooter when ridden hard, as you can probably tell from the video. 

*No children were harmed during the making of this feature.

Turbulence

The scooter comes with a shortish screen which is just about right for me at 5’10” but at motorway speeds, it can get a little noisy unless I crouch down a bit. An adjustable screen would make life more pleasurable. Suzuki does offer a taller option though as an accessory. Like all battleship-sized scooters, this scooter can suffer a bit with turbulence once you get towards it’s upper limits (it’ll sit at 85mph no problem and you’ll occasionally see as high as 96mph on the speedo). That buffeting is safe and predictable though and if you’re riding legally you won’t even feel it.

As much as I love this scooter I couldn’t write this test without finishing off by telling you that there are cheaper, better specd, more modern looking and feeling maxi scooters around. The Burgman was once the maxi scooter pioneer and leader but Suzuki have stood still for too long which has led to the opposition gaining momentum in an ever more competitive market. I’m sure they’ll be firing more shots though in this battle before too long and I’ll be very happy to find out exactly what they’ve done to bring it up to date.

Words, photos and video: Iggy