Faults:

The only thing to go wrong so far with the Burgman 400 was a screw in the rear tire -- and I can't blame that on the bike.

General Comments:

I bought the 2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 as a commuting vehicle. My round trip to work is 60 miles per day and I didn't think the Kymco Bet & Win 250 was up to it. Actually, I didn't think I was up to it on the Kymco. It handles like a sport bike disguised as a scooter, and the Seattle freeways would beat me to death on it. So I looked for a scooter with a longer wheelbase and a little bigger engine, since I ride every day except when it snows.

The Burgman 400 has proved to be exceptional. I am constantly amazed at how much storage space is under the seat. It might actually have more than any other scooter, with 62 liters.

I had a top box on my last scooter, and planned to put one on this one too, but after living with the storage built into the scooter, which is all usable, I don't know what I'd put into a top box. It'll fit two full-face helmets plus gear, or a full-face helmet, riding jacket and pants with their bulky armour, gloves, jacket liner and more. That's a lot of space.

The suspension is adjustable, and I've set it at the lowest (softest) setting, which still provides great handling, but smoothes out the jolts in the Seattle freeways.

The acceleration is great. Some would feel it only sufficient, but I'm not looking to pop wheelies on the freeway. You can crack the throttle open at 60 mph and feel it surge forward. The bike clearly wants to go faster.

And all this happens with exceptional gas mileage. I'm getting gas mileage in the high 60's in rush hour, stop and go, traffic with one time when I hit around 75 mpg. As much as I liked my Kymco Bet & Win 250 (which never got this high of gas mileage), I've never looked back on the purchase.

If I had one drawback to mention on the bike, it would be its susceptibility to wind gusts. I'm getting wind gusts coming alternately from around the corners of the windshield. They aren't bad though, and I'm wondering how bad they'll get when the winter weather arrives. It may be that they will be no worse, in which case, they are easily livable.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the scooter. It has been great mechanically.

General Comments:

The Burgman 400 is a great ride for around town and on the highway.

The turning radius is a bit larger than I would like; however it is a "luxury" scooter.

The standard windscreen is actually a bit low, which allows for increased wind noise, but it is a scooter, not a car.

I have been averaging 64 miles per gallon, which is one of the reasons I bought the Burgman as a commuter vehicle. I have gotten 69.2 miles per gallon on one tank, while riding on the highway with limited traffic and no headwind.

The 400cc engine provides more than adequate acceleration capabilities after getting to 10 mph, and has no problems keeping up with traffic.

The under seat storage is great. I have room for two full face helmets under the seat, but only store one during stops. This provides great storage for other items, including raingear at all times.

Storage is also provided in the small “wing” compartments and the “glove box”. These areas are limited in size, but are functional if you pay attention to what you want to store.

I have added hand guards and a passenger’s backrest to the scoot, both of which are Suzuki accessories. The hand guards have protected my gloved hands from large bugs and a small rock. I personally think this addition is not only functional, but provides a great look to the scoot. The backrest looks great and allows my wife to feel more secure when she rides with me.

There are some things I would improve on the “Burgie” if I could.

First, the seat is quite firm after riding for 30 to 40 minutes. This might be because I don’t have enough natural padding in this area. I am considering finding a gel pad and adapting it to fit.

Second, the wind pushes the scooter around quite a bit. I have read that if you pull your elbows in close to your side while riding it helps. So I tried this, and it does work, even though it is a bit uncomfortable.

Third, I would increase the height of the windscreen or make it adjustable in height. I have heard that “Givi” makes an aftermarket screen that works very well and only costs around $200. I will have to check this out.

Fourth, low speed stability is a bit of a challenge. When you need to run at 10 mph or lower due to stop and go traffic, the CVT has a tendency to lurch or chug along. That is to say it engages and disengages frequently. At this speed the scoot has a tendency to move side to side. If you have to engage the brakes during one of the non-powered moments, the bike stops (right now) and the scooter wants to tip to the side. Not a great feeling when you have your feet up.

The fourth item above might lead you to feel the brakes are too sensitive. Not in my opinion. They work fantastically. I am able to stop in 14 feet or less when doing under 25 mph, and the tires do not lock up.

Overall, I am really enjoying my ride. It handles fantastically in dry weather and very well in the rain. We get quite a bit of that in Oregon.

I hope you find this review helpful and thanks for reading it.