In case you were wondering about those big scoots.....

[soto]

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I remember police were following one guy and telling him to shift to "N" and he refused 'cause he thought his car would flip over...

 

[CafeRay]

I wouldn't be so sure that a manual shifter would prevent determined idiots. They would just crash more often, with the increased possibility of you being on the receiving end. No thanks. Bring on Google Drive or whatever.

Do you know what Google Drive is really about? It's about keeping old people in cars. No way will self-driving cars come to fruition in our lifetimes. The big problem is that any trip will involve some turnover to manual control. At best, it may work on highways, but only if all vehicles have this mandated.

The biggest threat to road safety is old drivers. The testing system is a joke, and there is a huge and increasing number of people with cognitive impairment and dementia on the roads -these are the people you read about driving into parades and into store fronts, dragging pedestrians home, etc.

The government is doing F-all about this group, and insurance subsidizes them with younger drivers. In about 10 years in Canada, the mean age of drivers will be 50. Even now, we have the oldest driving population in history.

 

[MacDoc]

Already approved in Nevada and certainly assisted drive is here already

You gettin' old or sumpthin??....out of touch

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/09/18/elon-musk-tesla-self-driving-cars/2829879/

and

right now....

very morning, at about 8 a.m., Anthony Levandowski walks out of his house in Berkeley and folds his six-foot-six-inch frame into the driver’s seat of his white Lexus. Levandowski is embarking on his daily commute to work. It’s the most ordinary, familiar moment there is. Most of us perform this ritual five times a week, 50 weeks out of the year. Levandowski’s commute, however, is decidedly different. He’s got a chauffeur, and it’s a robot.
Levandowski backs out of his suburban driveway in the usual manner. By the time he points his car down the street, it has used its GPS and other sensors to determine its location in the world. On the dashboard, right in front of the windshield, is a low-profile heads-up display. manual, it reads, in sober sans serif font, white on black. But the moment Levandowski enters the freeway ramp near his house, a colorful graphic appears. It’s a schematic view of the road: two solid white vertical lines marking the boundaries of the highway and three dashed lines dividing it into four lanes. The message now reads go to autodrive lane; there are two on the far side of the freeway, shown in green on the schematic. Levandowski’s car and those around him are represented by little white squares. The graphics are reminiscent of Pong. But the game play? Pure Frogger.
There are two buttons on Levandowski’s steering wheel, off and on, and after merging into an auto-drive lane, he hits on with his thumb. A dulcet female voice marks the moment by enunciating the words auto driving with textbook precision. And with that, Levandowski has handed off control of his vehicle to software named Google Chauffeur. He takes his feet off the pedals and puts his hands in his lap. The car’s computer is now driving him to work. Self-driving cars have been around in one form or another since the 1970s, but three DARPA Grand Challenges, in 2004, 2005, and 2007, jump-started the field. Grand Challenge alumni now populate self-driving laboratories worldwide. It’s not just Google that’s developing the technology, but also most of the major car manufacturers: Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota, GM, Volvo, BMW, Nissan. Arguably the most important outcome of the DARPA field trials was the development of a robust and reliable laser range finder. It’s the all-seeing eye mounted on top of Levandowski’s car, and it’s used by virtually every other experimental self-driving system ever built.
This year will mark another key milestone in self-driving technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is widely expected to announce standards and mandates for car-borne beacons that will broadcast location information to other vehicles on the road. The beacons will warn drivers when a collision seems imminent—when the car ahead breaks hard, for example, or another vehicle swerves erratically into traffic. Automakers may then use this information to take the next step: program automated responses.
Automatic driving is a fundamentally different experience than driving myself. when I arrive at work, I’m ready.Levandoswki’s commute is 45 miles long, and if Chauffeur were perfect, he might use the time napping in the backseat. In reality, Levandowski has to stay awake and behind the wheel, because when Chauffeur encounters a situation in which it’s slightly unsure of itself, it asks him to retake control. Following Google policy, Levandowski drives through residential roads and surface streets himself, while Chauffeur drives the freeways. Still, it’s a lot better than driving the whole way. Levandowski has his hands on the wheel for just 14 minutes of his hour-long commute: at the very beginning, at the very end, and during the tricky freeway interchanges on the San Mateo Bridge. The rest of the time, he can relax. “Automatic driving is a fundamentally different experience than driving myself,” he told automotive engineers attending the 2012 SAE International conference. “When I arrive at work, I’m ready. I’m just fresh.”

more

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2013-09/google-self-driving-car

You must have an awfully short life span anticipated

•••

BTW the insurance companies disagree with your assessment. Young drivers get into far more accidents......hence the insurance differences.

 

[MacDoc]

Second place in touring to the Goldwing...not bad...and hey it's a just a scooter...

http://rideapart.com/2013/12/rideapart-motorcycle-year-awards/3/

 

[Wingboy]

Rideapart? What the heck is that?

 

[Flywheel]

Rideapart? What the heck is that?

The rebranded Hell For Leather website. Same original guys Siler/MacDonald + contributors. I think some media group (Jalopnik?) owns them now. Lots of Best of/Top Ten Lists articles to get people arguing, presumably driving up advertising rates.

Still, the Big Burg deserves the praise. Suzuki engineered it well from the start and stuck with it.

 

[MacDoc]

Yeah a large on the main Burgman site either have bit tourers gathering cobwebs or have sold them.

 

[inreb]

Yeah a large on the main Burgman site either have bit tourers gathering cobwebs or have sold them.

have another one lolccasion7:

 

[CafeRay]

Already approved in Nevada and certainly assisted drive is here already

You gettin' old or sumpthin??....out of touch

This is one prototype, with one guy. The idea that this will be common is hilarious. When auto electronics become 100% reliable, I'll believe it. I read old books that foretold that we would all be driving on 200 km/hr highways in turbine cars wearing silver onesies.

With the highly complex one pedal gas, one pedal brake system, this still allows hundreds of deaths from people driving through donut shops. None of them are 18-25.

BTW the insurance companies disagree with your assessment. Young drivers get into far more accidents......hence the insurance differences.

That is a myth. Insurance companies use young drivers to subsidize old drivers. The data is "U" shaped -there are just as many accidents 18-25 as above 75.
http://www.qualityplanning.com/qpc_resources_public/news/030929-Older drivers.htm

 

[MacDoc]

did you wander into a CAGE conversation or a motorcycle conversation. Want to find some stats on young riders???

••

Inreb - you haven't a clue...lets take a little sample from the Burgman site... previous bikes tho some still own them....current is at the bottom

he list of bikes I've owned:
1973 Harley Davidson (AMF) 125 - don't recall which specific model but had dual sprocket on rear.
1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 750
1990 Honda Gold Wing
2005 Burgman 650
__________________

2000 Honda ACE750 Shadow
2001 Honda ST1100 ***
2005 Burgman 650 ***

1986 Honda GL1200 Aspencade Goldwing
1996 Honda Magna 750
1998 Yamaha Royal Star Cheyenne
1999 Yamaha Royal Star Venture
2003 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
2006 Suzuki AN650 Burgman

1984 Honda Sabre 1100cc, a V4. First mega powerful bike I owned
1982 Honda Goldwing 1100cc
1983 Honda Sabre 750cc, a V4
1984 Honda Sabre 1100cc, a V4..a different one
2000 Yamaha V-Max, 1200cc V4
2004 Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom
2006 Suzuki Burgman 650 Exec

2001 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport
750 Breva Moto Guzzi (still have)
2005 650 Burgman (still have)
2004 400 Burgman (still have)

1992 Ducati 900SS *
2003 Kawasaki Z1000*
2006 Burgman 650

1975 GL1000 Goldwing
(?) Honda CB360
1980 GL1100 Goldwing
1981 GL1100 Goldwing
1982 GL1100 Goldwing Interstate
(?) GL500 Silverwing
1983 Yamaha Venture 1200
1986 Yamaha Venture 1300
2002 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
2004 Burgman 650

1993 BMW R100GS 'Paris Dakar'
2000 Suzuki Hayabusa
2003 Honda VTX 1800R (Still have)
2006 AN650 Burgman

1994 ST1100
1996 Valkyrie Tourer
2006 Burgman 650

and that was just from the riders that bothered to list...

There is a reason for that second place finish. It does a lot of things very well and for many like me it's the best all around ride we've owned.

4. Yamaha V-Star 1100
5. BMW R1150RT
6. Honda ST 1300

And my MOST favorite ride:

7. 2005 Burgman 650

The day I got the first Burgman 650 I met a rider also with one at the Forks and got chatting.
Turns out he's been in the industry for a couple of decades.
Owns 17 bikes....
Daily ride of all of those to choose from ??? Burgman 650.

 

[inreb]

Yeah a large on the main Burgman site either have bit tourers gathering cobwebs or have sold them.

have another one lolccasion7:

Inreb - you haven't a clue...lets take a little sample from the Burgman site... previous bikes tho some still own them....current is at the bottom

and that was just from the riders that bothered to list...

There is a reason for that second place finish. It does a lot of things very well and for many like me it's the best all around ride we've owned.



The day I got the first Burgman 650 I met a rider also with one at the Forks and got chatting.
Turns out he's been in the industry for a couple of decades.
Owns 17 bikes....
Daily ride of all of those to choose from ??? Burgman 650.

You're right, I haven't a clue what "a large on the main" or a " bit tourer" are, hence my woefully inappropriate attempt at humour

And the rest of it? Carry on, fight the good fight and godspeed. I wish I had the cajones to trumpet my fave ride like you do.

 

[CafeRay]

My friend in California is a 20 year road racer. He's owned every italian super sports bike, but insists the Burgmann is the best motorcycle for the real world.

 

[RockerGuy]

I call those the contraceptive motorcycles, once you ride those you're never getting laid

Sent from my tablet using my paws

 

[Jayell]

Inreb - you haven't a clue...lets take a little sample from the Burgman site... previous bikes tho some still own them....current is at the bottom

he list of bikes I've owned:
1973 Harley Davidson (AMF) 125 - don't recall which specific model but had dual sprocket on rear.
1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 750
1990 Honda Gold Wing
2005 Burgman 650
__________________


2000 Honda ACE750 Shadow
2001 Honda ST1100 ***
2005 Burgman 650 ***



1986 Honda GL1200 Aspencade Goldwing
1996 Honda Magna 750
1998 Yamaha Royal Star Cheyenne
1999 Yamaha Royal Star Venture
2003 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
2006 Suzuki AN650 Burgman



1984 Honda Sabre 1100cc, a V4. First mega powerful bike I owned
1982 Honda Goldwing 1100cc
1983 Honda Sabre 750cc, a V4
1984 Honda Sabre 1100cc, a V4..a different one
2000 Yamaha V-Max, 1200cc V4
2004 Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom
2006 Suzuki Burgman 650 Exec





2001 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport
750 Breva Moto Guzzi (still have)
2005 650 Burgman (still have)

2004 400 Burgman (still have)



1992 Ducati 900SS *
2003 Kawasaki Z1000*
2006 Burgman 650





1975 GL1000 Goldwing
(?) Honda CB360
1980 GL1100 Goldwing
1981 GL1100 Goldwing
1982 GL1100 Goldwing Interstate
(?) GL500 Silverwing
1983 Yamaha Venture 1200
1986 Yamaha Venture 1300
2002 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
2004 Burgman 650





1993 BMW R100GS 'Paris Dakar'
2000 Suzuki Hayabusa
2003 Honda VTX 1800R (Still have)
2006 AN650 Burgman





1994 ST1100
1996 Valkyrie Tourer
2006 Burgman 650



and that was just from the riders that bothered to list...

Wait a second! The above info came from a Burgman forum? You're kidding, right? What else would one expect?

Yeah a large on the main Burgman site either have bit tourers gathering cobwebs or have sold them.

Inreb was commenting on your confusing post. A quick proof read goes a long way, Doc.

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

Rideapart? What the heck is that?

That site must be a joke. Look at the other 'winners' it lists:

CB500X as the best adventure bike? Maybe if your adventures don't include any gravel roads and you don't mind the lack of farkle as compared to the KLR or the Vstrom. Their quote: " For $6,000 you get all the bike anyone could ever need." Yeah, right.

And then the runner up: The NC700X. I like the concept and thought it looked alright, but an adventure bike it certainly isn't. It very mildly resembles an adventure bike, but has far too many plastic bits that won't really protect anything. It also has a gas tank under the seat, which would be a royal pain in the arse when you are loaded up with gear and need to refill.

I don't have any experience with the other categories to comment, but considering their poor choices for the ADV category I wouldn't give this site any weight at all.

 

[PaisaMed]

I just purchased a maxi scooter, a Yamaha T Rex and rode it to Florida. I found it comfortable enough. Not sure if I could do a 1,000 km day on it. I need to fill up every 250 kms but that was riding the Interstates at 130 km/h. Underseat storage only allows for 1 full face helmet and there are 2 small gove compartments up front. I don't like the stock windshield and the Givi Airflow is probably a good replacement. I really want to get this bike into some twisties but that will have to wait until the spring. With 15" wheels this scoot really turns in quickly.

@Rockerguy..."contraceptive bike?" Are you serious??? Broads aren't comfortable riding on the pussy pad of your Gixxer! So, if you're just going for a 10-15 minute ride your supersport may be just fine. However the TRex is a comfortable ride for longer jaunts and even 2 up touring. And, wouldn't you want your girlfriend to arrive painfree without having to do a half hour of yoga to strech out before you can stretch her out in other ways? Plus, the Trex comes standard equipped with the pussy magnet option!

 

[CafeRay]

I call those the contraceptive motorcycles, once you ride those you're never getting laid

Oh yes, because riding a sport bike always attracts disease-free women.

The official vehicle of giving up on life is the Toyota Prius.

 

[CafeRay]

Plus, the Trex comes standard equipped with the pussy magnet option!

 

[MacDoc]

SHipping costs look to be in the $1000 range plus crate - at this point it's not in the plans as I'm staying in Canada a bit longer than expected.

••••

could not say it better

The Perfect Tourer
Article of November 2013:

Chris Moss is an experienced motorcycle journalist, having worked on and written for a wide range of publications. He’s also raced the Isle of Man TT. After being invited on a trip that involved riding around the Scottish Highlands, he needed the perfect machine for the trip. So he took a Burgman 650.

The prospect of riding a scooter all the way up to Scotland for a four day tour of the Highlands may sound daunting to some. But I’ve just done that on Suzuki’s Burgman 650 Executive, and it really couldn’t have been much easier. As a tourer, the scooter can match the very best.

Now I know that might sound like a big claim, but with its high level of convenience, comfort, and practicality it’s fair to say it’s one of the most versatile two-wheelers on the market. The effortless fashion in which it covered the 2,500-mile journey is full evidence of that.

I chose the Burgman specifically for the trip. As the lucky tester I am, I had the pick of pretty much of any bike I wanted. Yet opting for the 650 carried no risk for me. Not long ago I rode one 375 miles from Loch Lomond to Cirencester in total comfort. Based on that successful run, I had high expectations of the scooter being able to complete the lengthier task just as well and competently. And so it proved.

Whizzing up from Gloucestershire on the afternoon preceding the tour to stay with a mate in Kendal was a doddle. With kit for the four-day break easily packed in the roomy underseat storage compartment and optional top box, the Burgman handled the 250-mile motorway trip with almost nonchalant ease. Cruising at around 80-90mph is no strain at all thanks to the total protection offered by the fairing and electrically-controlled screen. And returning 66mpg is an indication the trip didn’t take much out of the motor either. Selecting the auto option of the three gearbox settings available, and keeping the ‘eco’ light illuminated on the dash guarantees that sort of economy.

Feeling just as fresh the next morning I met my new touring companions at the nearby Tebay services ready to head north of the border. Along excellent and well-planned routes the Burgman continued to handle all that was asked of it. Matching the abilities of the more conventional big-engined tourers I’d joined, posed no problem at all for scooter. It has a good turn of speed with keen acceleration provided by its twin cylinder engine.

You have a choice of how responsive you’d like motor to be via the gearbox settings but even in the standard ‘Drive’ option, just twisting the throttle open (and not having the inconvenience reaching for a clutch or gear lever) is enough to despatch traffic and attain healthy speeds. Hitting the ‘Power’ button sharpens the engine reaction further, and using the manual setting to flick through the six gears via the bar-mounted rocker switch gives even more performance. One thing is certain, the Burgman’s speed is impressive whatever option you choose. The surprised look and comments of my fellow tourers as they witnessed the 650′s pace confirmed that, and was a regular source of amusement for me.

I’d learned of the Suzuki’s excellent pace some years ago, having ridden the previous model for several thousand miles. Though I have to admit, just as it did to them, its impressive performance came as a surprise to me at first.

Scotland is an absolutely superb place to ride. Not only are the roads utterly fantastic in the way they twist and turn, climb and drop, but the landscape they cut through is sensationally staggering to view. Its scale and grandeur is breathtaking. Quite simply, it’s a fantastic place to ride a bike – or scooter for that matter.

With another 450 miles added to the clock, we arrived at the Bridge of Cally. I can honestly say I felt just as fresh as I had done at the start of the day, and such is the Burgman’s comfort, doing it all again would not have brought any objection from me. Instead we left further mileage for the following days.
And so the pleasure of it all continued, with more miles bringing more smiles. And that was the case even when circumstances weren’t perfect. Light rain which greeted the start of the second day couldn’t dampen my spirits. Such is the excellent shelter offered by the generously-sized bodywork, even lighter clothing is sufficient to stay dry and warm. And with heated seats and grips assisting the comfort still further there’s rarely any need to physically suffer on the Suzuki.

The tight and twisting nature of the Scottish roads didn’t affect my contentment in any way either. The routes can be challenging in places and it’s important to avoid any riding errors to stay safe. But on the scooter that’s pretty easy. Sure there’s a bit to get used to, with the smaller diameter wheels and feet-forward riding position making the handling feel a little different for a while. Familiarity doesn’t take long though, and after a while you can appreciate the Burgman’s agility and sure-footedness through the corners.

Adding to the security are the excellent brakes. It’s not often you trigger the ABS system into action. And even when you do it’s not intrusive, restoring brake pressure very promptly. Allied to the Suzuki’s capable suspension, quicker and sportier riding is definitely possible on this machine. A fact regularly commented on by the other riders in the group who were impressed at just how well it kept up with their bikes.

Fuel consumption will drop to around 45mpg when you’re being a bit keener with the throttle, and with a tank size of 15 litres ideally you should start considering a refuelling stop at around 120 miles in the more remote parts of Scotland. Though in fairness it can do 200 miles between re-fills when you’re not sampling so much acceleration.

More than acceptable I’m sure are features like the fold-in mirrors. They’re another thoughtful feature of the scooter which helps to make life run all that bit more smoothly. Admittedly we saw very little congestion throughout the Scottish trip. But I do know from previous experience with just the touch of a button they swing back to reduce the width of the Suzuki quite markedly allowing easier, time-saving filtering through cars. It’s an advantage that adds to the bonus of the scooter’s already reasonably-sized girth. And bearing in mind it has 50 litres of storage capacity without having to double its width with panniers as normal motorcycles do, the 650 scores highly as a traffic-buster.
Up in the idyllic biking world of Scotland where deserted roads mean progress goes generally unhindered, the Burgman continued to impress. Of its many virtues perhaps the fuss-free fashion in which it just gets on with the job of despatching miles is the best. Its such an easy bike to manage. By now the daily routine of quickly storing the day’s needs, enjoying the easy nature and civility of the ride, arriving at the hotel when all done, then unloading before reflecting on yet another fine day’s touring became the highly pleasurable norm.

Two nights based at Tongue on the northern coast gave us the chance to further explore the many joys of two-wheeled life up in that region. Unsurprisingly the Burgman lapped it up and continued to provide nigh-on perfect service mile after mile. Yet as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and almost as quickly as the spectacular landscapes and stunning routes seemed to have been experienced, the time to head south and back to reality arrived.

Fortunately, though spirits on the way home were markedly lower than they had been previously, the matter-of-fact manner the Suzuki got on with its job prevented any further dissatisfaction. It doesn’t matter whether you ask it to tour Scotland, sit on a motorway for hours on end or, as I did of it when I got back home, perform like a dutiful servant and deal with a multitude of mundane tasks, the Burgman just gets on and does it. And performing in such an effective and efficient way, it just has to be hailed as a totally brilliant workhorse. A magnificent two-wheeled Jeeves.

After Scotland, it took me shopping, to work, and coped with all manner of other miscellaneous duties so well that I used it every day, ending up clocking 3000 miles on the 650 in the three weeks I had it, and then wondered how the **** I was going to cope after I gave it back. The Burgman really is something that makes a difference to your life, completely simplifying your transportation, regardless of the nature of the journey. I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I’m confident anyone who tried one would feel exactly the same way.

 

[MacDoc]

another touring on the Burgman 650 review

Four Ferries on Two Wheels—Tour Testing the 2013 Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
Cumberland River Ferry
Captain Kevin and the Lucille carried many motorcycles and made 100 crossings of the Cumberland River on many summer weekends during its years on the river. It was replaced with the larger Patience just after my trip.
Photo Credit: James Parchman
James Parchman
January 13, 2014

http://www.ridermagazine.com/road-t...-testing-the-2013-suzuki-burgman-650-abs.htm/

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