Congrats! That will do the trick nicely.
|
|
|
Thinking about getting a commuter, ideas welcome...
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
Why? I put thousands (close to 30k) on a 125 and 250 within a few years.
Never an issue keeping up. The 125 struggled at times…but indicated 130 max speed.
As for the smaller wheels…that’s my only concern. But considering it’s popular and in the market…should be good.
Priller
Well-known member
Thanks! It's an experiment, but should be fun. Worst case, I sell for no loss and get that DL-650 everyone was telling me to buy...
I'm hardly the first. These things are all over the highways in Europe, and their limits are no lower than ours. I think taking my Tuono out has higher risk, and that's reflected in the insurance premiums...
It's also physically much bigger and heavier than the Tuono. The wheelbase is massive.
14" front and 13" rear, so not too weenie. There's a Vespa 300 that still has tiny wheels that can apparently be a bit of a handful over grooved pavement.
According to what I've heard, the worst bit is how they catch crosswinds, as there's a lot more surface area than a typical motorcycle.
Relax
Well-known member
For some reason Aprilia did the same on the SXV, but not their other models (that I'm aware of), and I don't understand why. Obviously not an Italian thing if BMW does it too.
I've ridden lots of scooters before and there's something about having your knees almost touching together, and your feet not doing anything that constantly reminds you "this isn't a real motorcycle", so I've never had the accidental pull-in-the-rear-brake moment.
My moment was on a demo ride....Cycle City.
I made it through the whole ride, uneventful as I recall.
As the group was pulling into the parking lot, it came to an abrupt stop, just as I was turning in. Instinct took over, and I grabbed that lever on the left, hard & fast.....(why wouldn't I, it's a clutch after all). Well, I kept the shiny side up......some how.
I've had several muscle memory moments as well:
My buddy let me ride his GP-shift motorcycle. I was hopping that rear tire every time I tried upshifting and downshifted by mistake.
I rode a trike once, and the first time taking off, found that I was push-steering that thing in absolutely the wrong direction.
I rode a snowbike and had to constantly remind myself that it would balance itself at stops and not to put my left foot down into 3 feet of powder, unless I wanted to be buried up to my waist trying to get back onto the snowbike when the pegs are at eye level...
Memories. Same thing happened to me, buddy let me ride his converted 750gsxr. I was lost after 1st gear. I went with the brakes to slow it.
Strange thing is.....it was my bike originally.....I sold it to him.
Priller
Well-known member
Oh man, somebody has a nicely done SXV up for sale for not a lot of cash, and I made the mistake of favouriting the ad. Every time I'd scroll through, I'd see it and have to talk myself out of it. A DR-Z400SM was easy to ignore, but the SXV not so much...
Congrats!
Hope to see you at the track with that beast!
Could be a lot of fun on the shorter layouts at Grand Bend or Shannonville, I think. There are pics of folks dragging knees (barely and in a contortionist a-frame style) on one, maybe easier with the centre stand removed...
Thought I'd be clever and set my RC51 track bike up with GP shift on my first ever session with it. Nope. Bad idea. Spent every braking and exit zone second guessing myself, and much like putting in a USB plug in upside down, getting it wrong every time. Got swapped back to street pattern immediately. I may try again, but to put it mildly, my limits at the track have nothing to do with the shift pattern...
LOL! Same thing when I see a bike on Kijiji or FB, I bookmark it, but secretly hope that someone else buys it before I work up the courage to go to the bank and move some money around...
There's about 3 bikes that I tell myself if I ever see on sale, I would snap up in a hearbeat. But then they show up in the classifieds and I have to come up with BS excuses not to pick it up.
"Oh, biposto. Was looking for a monoposto"
"Oh, wrong colour."
"Oh, wrong year."
"Oh, it's Tuesday today.... Bad time to buy a bike.."
Priller
Well-known member
So I picked it up from the seller tonight in Toronto (Woodbine and Danforth), and after some wobbling around getting a feel for the light steering and how the power comes in, I was off. In the pouring rain, of course, because, well, of course.
Started down Lakeshore to try it at speed with an exit strategy, which I wouldn't have once I jumped on the highway. Got it up to 100 past Ontario Place, but only briefly, as there was a speed trap in the opposite direction. So from there it was onto the Gardiner at Jameson.
I'm happy to report that it's totally fine on the highway. Stable, and I got it up to a theoretical top speed sonewhere past 150, which I suspect is closer to a real speed of around 140ish. I cruised in the left lane at 120-130 indicated, and the scooter never felt stressed or at the limit. The only issue was pickup at that speed is, uh, leisurely, and I got caught a couple times thinking I was on a real bike only to discover I couldn't teleport into that gap like I could on the Tuono.
Pluses include decent distance (needle barely budged by the time I rolled into Hamilton), good wind protection (despite the pissing rain, only the outside of my legs and my gloves got really soaked), comfort, effortless handling, and the CVT really is fun carving up traffic. Storage is hilariously huge, with two cubbies, a big glovebox, and the huge bin under the seat.
Cons are the windscreen directs blast right into my visor, so as is, it's the loudest bike I've ever been on. The roar in my ears was absolutely deafening. A Givi adjustable screen will be ordered with expedited shipping. Other than that, the front brake is soft while the rear really bites, which means you have to pull the right lever harder than the left. And the biggest con is the soft power delivery that feels like it's filtered through a rubber band (which I suppose it is).
All in all, I think it'll do what I need it to very well. Not bad for $3500...
Down to go was relatively easy. Up to slow was the hard part, because I had a ZX-7R track bike that needed firm input, which gave me the habit of using my whole foot to bang down the gears. I think my biggest mistake was trying GP shift when the whole bike was new to me, so it was a bit of sensory overload...
(And I think that may be the only thing Schwantz and I have in common...)
Boy, that all sounds familiar, but I have a solution: put a kid through university at the same time as buying a boat. That'll destroy your discretionary spending budget, no more temptation that you can actually follow through on!
Terrible financial planning aside, an SXV is on my list. Any Hawk GT. Little (<500 cc) sportbikes, especially Japanese grey imports or any racy two-stroke. 2nd gen RSV1000s. Clean, green ZX-7Rs. CBR900/929/954R. Original Ducati Streetfighter. First gen of the Speed Triple 1050 series (those rims!). And any newer Africa Twin in that white/blue/red scheme. All of these will make me stop scrolling and click that 'save' button to make sure they torture me later. When you get a price drop, it's even worse...
Congrats ...was never attracted to the 400 as the technology on the 650 is much better and got 100,000 trouble free km out of a 2005 and 2009 with only a battery each needed and a good few tires ( that small rear tire gets hot and wears quickly. )
I was the other way when switching back ...stalled the damn KLR650 a few times forgetting I need to clutch.
Lots of good info on the 400 here
www.burgmanusa.com
Why should I make fun? ...it's a good bike tho the too often belt chain put me off it. The storage on them is wonderful as is the weather protection. The 650 Exec had heated grips and adjustable windscreen and an Daylong seat with a backrest ....longest day was 950 km doing James Bay Road and actually did back to back 950s getting to Mississauga from Radisson PQ in two days with some minor diversions. That RDL backrest was soooo good.
I recall doing a Virginia run via PA and weather was miserable pouring rain and 10c but just wore my glove liners and barely got wet in the legs at all. Was $17k new out the door for the rich fella that bought it and realized he was in over his head with a 600 lb bike ( new rider ). Mess up his leg dropping it on his lawn and sold it to me for $7k with like 1700 km on it. Got $4k for it a couple years later to 60k km on it
End of the Burger King reign in Europe but hundreds of thousands of scoots on the road usually outnumbering motorcycles.
I got a chance to take the BMW GT650 around Mosport track ( no one else knew how to ride it
It was nice but the seating not as flexible - I'm medium height ...5'9 and shrinking and I just fit but anyone taller would be SOL with knees hitting the dash. It was quick and easily kept pace with the bigger bikes accelerating. CVTs are good that way but takes a little getting used to.
Only one Burgman 400 for sale in Australia at $6,490
$2800 for my 2015 CB300F was a bargain .
I was the other way when switching back ...stalled the damn KLR650 a few times forgetting I need to clutch.
Lots of good info on the 400 here
Suzuki Burgman USA Forum
A forum community dedicated to Suzuki Burgman motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Open to all 125, 200, 250, 400, and 650 models!
www.burgmanusa.com
Why should I make fun? ...it's a good bike tho the too often belt chain put me off it. The storage on them is wonderful as is the weather protection. The 650 Exec had heated grips and adjustable windscreen and an Daylong seat with a backrest ....longest day was 950 km doing James Bay Road and actually did back to back 950s getting to Mississauga from Radisson PQ in two days with some minor diversions. That RDL backrest was soooo good.
I recall doing a Virginia run via PA and weather was miserable pouring rain and 10c but just wore my glove liners and barely got wet in the legs at all. Was $17k new out the door for the rich fella that bought it and realized he was in over his head with a 600 lb bike ( new rider ). Mess up his leg dropping it on his lawn and sold it to me for $7k with like 1700 km on it. Got $4k for it a couple years later to 60k km on it
End of the Burger King reign in Europe but hundreds of thousands of scoots on the road usually outnumbering motorcycles.
I got a chance to take the BMW GT650 around Mosport track ( no one else knew how to ride it
It was nice but the seating not as flexible - I'm medium height ...5'9 and shrinking and I just fit but anyone taller would be SOL with knees hitting the dash. It was quick and easily kept pace with the bigger bikes accelerating. CVTs are good that way but takes a little getting used to.
Only one Burgman 400 for sale in Australia at $6,490
$2800 for my 2015 CB300F was a bargain .
Last edited:
100% agree. i've commuted for years and years. riding in and out of toronto every day made me not want to ride bikes at all.
Priller
Well-known member
I wonder if they made some adjustments, as the C650GT I sat on was plenty roomy, and I'm 6'1". Compared to the Burgman 400, the seat was relatively high.End of the Burger King reign in Europe but hundreds of thousands of scoots on the road usually outnumbering motorcycles.
I got a chance to take the BMW GT650 around Mosport track ( no one else knew how to ride it
It was nice but the seating not as flexible - I'm medium height ...5'9 and shrinking and I just fit but anyone taller would be SOL with knees hitting the dash. It was quick and easily kept pace with the bigger bikes accelerating. CVTs are good that way but takes a little getting used to.
The only cheap ones here are older than 10 years. There's basically nothing available that's new, and when one does come up, it sells fast and at a premium. Nothing like skyrocketing fuel prices to spike demand...Only one Burgman 400 for sale in Australia at $6,490
$2800 for my 2015 CB300F was a bargain .
GT650 Could be - it's been in production for a while. I don't recall too much about it other than it was quick and smooth with nice braking. I fit it as well but thought at the time it would be tight for anyone with longer legs.
The Burgman 400 shows 55 ish mpg over the years. Not particularly outstanding as the 650 Stroms run 50ish and the CB300s and 500s much better than either reflecting new engine tech.
The storage on the Burgman is outstanding. Ideal for a commuter.
Windscreen replacement might be tricky as don't know about 3rd party.
Puig makes one Puig 9973 Clear Touring Screen -
CVTs are easy to ride in stop and go traffic...no clutching or shifting and they are quick to accelerate for filtering. Riding across the Peace Bridge on a brutally hot long weekend with my kid on his hopped up FZ8 he for the first time admired my not having to clutch or shift.
I have a Puig on my CB300F but it's much smaller.
Fitment was good and it has held up well over 20,000 km
Givi makes one for the 400 as well.
I must admit I'd happily ride this..I like red bikes.
Keep those tire pressures up to get any distance from them and the handling is lighter as well.
The Burgman 400 shows 55 ish mpg over the years. Not particularly outstanding as the 650 Stroms run 50ish and the CB300s and 500s much better than either reflecting new engine tech.
The storage on the Burgman is outstanding. Ideal for a commuter.
Windscreen replacement might be tricky as don't know about 3rd party.
Puig makes one Puig 9973 Clear Touring Screen -
CVTs are easy to ride in stop and go traffic...no clutching or shifting and they are quick to accelerate for filtering. Riding across the Peace Bridge on a brutally hot long weekend with my kid on his hopped up FZ8 he for the first time admired my not having to clutch or shift.
I have a Puig on my CB300F but it's much smaller.
Fitment was good and it has held up well over 20,000 km
Givi makes one for the 400 as well.
I must admit I'd happily ride this..I like red bikes.
Keep those tire pressures up to get any distance from them and the handling is lighter as well.
|
|
|
|
|