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Why migrate to a Maxi Scooter?

The Burgman 650 does not have a shaft drive but it has something just as good. It has a gear drive. The left swing arm has a series of 5 gears running in an oil bath. In the 98,000+ miles I have put on my current 650 I have done nothing to the final drive except change the the lube.

The Burgman's transmission does have three modes but it doesn't actually have any gears. The manual mode just fakes shifting through six gears by moving the primary pulley in the CVT to set positions. It can do that because it has a CVT that is controlled by a computer and an electric motor. Suzuki calls it an ECVT and it is mounted up in the frame instead of on the swingarm like most scooter's CVT. The engine is also mounted forward in the frame and does not move with the rear swingarm like most scooters.

Not sure I would call the 650 medium weight. It weighs around 630 lbs with a full tank of gas. The weight is carried way down low so you don't realize it weighs as much as it does until you start pushing it around.

The Silverwing has a conventional variator controlled CVT that is mounted on the left swingarm. That means it does not have the modes that the 650 does. It also mean it doesn't have a final drive in the conventional sense. The secondary pulley of the CVT is back at the rear wheel and it connects to a reduction gear that drives the wheel. Like the 650 the Silverwings engine is hard mounted in the frame so it does not move up and down with the engine either.

The T-Max is more like the 650 except it has a conventional variator controlled CVT. Both the engine and CVT are mounted forward in the frame. It's final drive is a chain running in an oil bath on the left swings arm.

The new BMW is set up the same as the T-Max.
 
I test rode a BMW 650 scoot last week. I, too, found on initial acceleration the drivetrain was quite noisy and coarse. For 11 large also quite expensive. If I wanted one (which I don't) I would save some $ and get a Kymco. Underneath all that plastic, the BMW scoot is a Kymco, made in Taiwan.

I would vote either for the Burgie or the Silverwing.

Only the engine of the BMW scoot is made by Kymco to a BMW design and spec. The rest of the bike is BMW and it is assembled in Germany.

Kymco is set to bring their MyRoad 700 maxi scooter into the US. It has already been tested by a few magazine. From the pictures I've seen it is a nice looking scoot. I will be interested in seeing it in the flesh when it makes it here. Price on it isn't set but I would not be surprised to see it at around $10,000 which will make it about $1,000 cheaper than the 2013 650 or the BMW.

I would like to see Honda bring their Integra Scooter into the USA. It uses the same engine, frame and dual clutch tramsmission as the NC700X except it wraps it in a step through scooter body. It is already on sale in Europe so there is hope it will make it here in a year or two.
 
Has anyone though of something like this in Ft. Worth, I see their trying to start a little group in McKinney. Would be nice to checkout McKinney, but would be too far for the smaller scooter riders. I would think it would be nice to meet downtown once or twice a month when the weather is comfortable for riding. http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcy/3953566599.html
We in Tarrant County do have a group that meets on Tuesdays for the local MG&E at different locations and a Friday Ice Cream group that meets. Maybe we have too many groups already. Just a though.:eat:

John
 
Has anyone though of something like this in Ft. Worth, I see their trying to start a little group in McKinney. Would be nice to checkout McKinney, but would be too far for the smaller scooter riders. I would think it would be nice to meet downtown once or twice a month when the weather is comfortable for riding. http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcy/3953566599.html
We in Tarrant County do have a group that meets on Tuesdays for the local MG&E at different locations and a Friday Ice Cream group that meets. Maybe we have too many groups already. Just a though.:eat:

John

If Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks are coming, I'm there. :mrgreen:

There is a Dallas Scooter group that also meets at a pub though I've never been. I don't wanna drown my masculinity in Guiness. :mrgreen:
 
Don't forget the Burger Box Bunch that meet every Friday iarrant County too.
Eveybody is welcome. We have a big variety of Bikes and scooters represented. We've got BMW's, All kinds of Cruisers and Dual Sport and even Hacks! Look it up in the Meet and Greet here.

Also if you're into early Saturday morning rides and like to eat with a bunch of riders meet us at the Blue Hanger Cafe @ the Northwest Regional Airport every Saturday morning in Roanoke for breakfast. When the weather is nice we eat outside and watch the airplanes take off while we visit.
Good food BTY!

All bikes are welcome there too. No attitudes to worry about.

The closer you can get there around 7 am the better your seating will be under the big umbrella shaded tables..
 
Something else in Honda that you might consider.

I am a pretty big guy and went with a '06 Burgman this last March as my first ride. I have been enjoying the heck out of it and have really only one big issue. My knees are about a 1/2 inch from the glove boxes. (With back support on the seat.) I get kneecapped with pretty much every bump.

I bought this as a learner bike and to make sure I could handle the highways around Dallas. Seems to work. Now like you, I am considering more.

I am looking at the new Burgmans and the new Honda DCT bikes.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSDMOWnK6Yk"]Honda CTX700N Test Drive - YouTube[/ame]

For about the same price as the Burgman, BMW, you can trick one of these bad boys out and get the storage of a basic Burgman. (You can add same stuff to a Burgman and almost double the storage.)

Honda has two DCT type bikes. An adventure type and a Cruiser. (I am myself considering the cruiser.)

Now to the folks who would say, why go this way? I am also a diabetic who is developing Neuro Apathy and I cannot feel my left leg most of the time. A shifter bike is out. A semi-auto to full auto is what I have to look forward to. These maxi-scoots and these Honda DCTs are what I have as choices. (Unless someone knows how I can get a scooter control system on a Harley/Indian/etc.)
 
Checkout the Aprilia Mana GT. Been around since '08 (initially as a 'naked') and is an 850 twin auto.

Just an option.
 
The scooters have caught my attention also, I have been looking at the Suzuki 650 Bergman's and the Honda Silver Wings. I still ride dual sport bikes, but a age 68 the scooters look like some good old fashion fun, plus the ease of what they can do and carry. I looked a the BMW scooters at the dealership, but they didn't impress me as much as the Bergman does. You can read about them on ADV under the Scooter Forum, see what they said. If anyone would like to get together sometime and talk scooters let me know on this forum, I just might could learn something about them, plus like interest always makes good conservation.

John

I had an AN650 and enjoyed it. I rode a BMW 650 and liked it even more. I'll probably buy a used one in the next year or so. I suggest test rides rather than depending on what moto journalists say.
 
I brought home a 2003 Honda SW recently and have owned (3), 2-650's and a 400 and a Honda Reflex. Since I'm waiting on new tires, I haven't been able to ride it much yet to compare with the 650. Initial observations are that it's smaller than the 650 and about 80 pounds lighter and the seat seems lower. Power wise it's about the same. Storage is about the same too with a top box. Brakes seem about the same to me despite having only one front rotar. Tires are cheaper as I just bought front and rear Diabolo's for about a hundred bucks. It doesn't have the fancy transmission that the Burgman has but then again I never used the paddle shifter or Power mode much on the 650. Maintenance wise, looks to be cheaper than the 650 if you compare drive belt replacement costs. For the SW a v belt is about a hundred bucks and for the B650, about 500 plus the labor cost to replace 2-3k. Craig aka Buffalo, helped me on my 96k B650 so replacement cost was bearable otherwise it can be very expensive. The last belt on my Burgman lasted about 45k but others traditionally see replacement around 60-70k. Most Burgman owners never see that kind of mileage so perhaps this is a non issue to them. Presently I'm changing tires to Diabolo's, changing out belt and installing Dr Pulley sliders and installing Hyper Pro front end springs. As I ride it, I'll report back the differences with the B650.
 
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I just picked up a '10 Kymco Yager 200I ( it is really a 175) sub $2000, does 65 flat out, not a touring but workable for the county roads, fuel injection, roomy as my knees don't touch the dash or bump the handle bars.No glove box but sufficient storage under seat. Equipped with a real oil filter, liquid cooling.
 
I brought home a 2003 Honda SW recently and have owned (3), 2-650's and a 400 and a Honda Reflex. Since I'm waiting on new tires, I haven't been able to ride it much yet to compare with the 650. Initial observations are that it's smaller than the 650 and about 80 pounds lighter and the seat seems lower. Power wise it's about the same. Storage is about the same too with a top box. Brakes seem about the same to me despite having only one front rotar. Tires are cheaper as I just bought front and rear Diabolo's for about a hundred bucks. It doesn't have the fancy transmission that the Burgman has but then again I never used the paddle shifter or Power mode much on the 650. Maintenance wise, looks to be cheaper than the 650 if you compare drive belt replacement costs. For the SW a v belt is about a hundred bucks and for the B650, about 500 plus the labor cost to replace 2-3k. Craig aka Buffalo, helped me on my 96k B650 so replacement cost was bearable otherwise it can be very expensive. The last belt on my Burgman lasted about 45k but others traditionally see replacement around 60-70k. Most Burgman owners never see that kind of mileage so perhaps this is a non issue to them. Presently I'm changing tires to Diabolo's, changing out belt and installing Dr Pulley sliders and installing Hyper Pro front end springs. As I ride it, I'll report back the differences with the B650.
I have an 07 Swing. I also put the hyperpro progressive springs on the front, installed 24g Dr Pulley sliders and the HIT clutch. It made all the difference in the world on mine. It handles a lot better and it has a lot more low end power for two up riding with my wife. I went from wanting to sell it to completely happy.

After drooling over the Burgman 650 for years, I finally had the chance to ride an older 08 model. It was much bulkier than my Swing. I really liked that you could change into power mode and back out when you don't need it. It felt more like a small gold wing to me. It would probably be great for touring, but I would probably miss my Swing around town.
 
IS the Aprilia SV850 no longer in production? I was just checking around for a suitable scooter for my required ergonomics and did not see the SV850 listed on Aprilia's website. If it is determined that I need additional surgery I'm going to want a large displacement "step-through" scooter. The B-man is ergonomically not big enough for me.
 
IS the Aprilia SV850 no longer in production? I was just checking around for a suitable scooter for my required ergonomics and did not see the SV850 listed on Aprilia's website. If it is determined that I need additional surgery I'm going to want a large displacement "step-through" scooter. The B-man is ergonomically not big enough for me.

Have you looked at the Beemer scooter. It seemed a bit roomier to me. If a clutch is a problem, maybe a a FJR AE or one of the Honda cycles with the clutchless sytem? I like my RT but I still miss the Burgman sometimes.
 
Yea, but the FJR AE is NOT a step through design. Not sure what surgery he's having but if he's having trouble mounting a bike then the FJR AE...sweet as it is...isn't the bike for him.
 
But then the Aprilia SV850 isn't really a step through design either. The tunnel area in front of the seat is so high that unless you had really long legs you end up having to mount it like you would a regular motorcycle.
 
The surgeries I need are a result of having my hip replaced. Probably looking at having two bulging disk in the low back addressed. My hip has been extra angry this past month and I'm getting "shocked" repeatedly at the belt line down to the knee from nerve pain.

It would take something drastic to keep me off two wheels, but I'm considering getting a lighter machine for those days when the Ninja feels too heavy. I could not find a suitable maxi scooter as a secondary ride, so perhaps the 400cc machine from Suzuki in Motard livery will fir the bill. Not the maxi scooter I wanted, but still riding all the same. There are just some days I lack confidence that the left leg will hold me and/or the bike upright.
 
The surgeries I need are a result of having my hip replaced. Probably looking at having two bulging disk in the low back addressed. My hip has been extra angry this past month and I'm getting "shocked" repeatedly at the belt line down to the knee from nerve pain.

It would take something drastic to keep me off two wheels, but I'm considering getting a lighter machine for those days when the Ninja feels too heavy. I could not find a suitable maxi scooter as a secondary ride, so perhaps the 400cc machine from Suzuki in Motard livery will fir the bill. Not the maxi scooter I wanted, but still riding all the same. There are just some days I lack confidence that the left leg will hold me and/or the bike upright.

Have you considered a Piaggio or one of the other 3-wheel scooters that lean through the corners. I decided long ago that when my legs won't support the bike at a stop light, I'll go to one of those.
 
The surgeries I need are a result of having my hip replaced. Probably looking at having two bulging disk in the low back addressed. My hip has been extra angry this past month and I'm getting "shocked" repeatedly at the belt line down to the knee from nerve pain.

It would take something drastic to keep me off two wheels, but I'm considering getting a lighter machine for those days when the Ninja feels too heavy. I could not find a suitable maxi scooter as a secondary ride, so perhaps the 400cc machine from Suzuki in Motard livery will fir the bill. Not the maxi scooter I wanted, but still riding all the same. There are just some days I lack confidence that the left leg will hold me and/or the bike upright.

I find that the Burgman has a very low center of gravity, and have no issue keeping it upright with little force when straddling it. I'd highly recommend it if you are looking for something less top-heavy.
 
I find that the Burgman has a very low center of gravity, and have no issue keeping it upright with little force when straddling it. I'd highly recommend it if you are looking for something less top-heavy.

I had a Burgman 650 and loved it. As you noted, the COG is low. My only complaints were minor. The center stand would be much easier to use if it were anchored 1/4th inch to the rear and the ride was rough (small wheels). It was a motorcycle disguised as a scooter!
 
The rough ride can be contributed as much to the short travel suspension as to the small wheels.
 
Check out this article. It is a Honda concept of a step-thru design with more aggressive wheels and tires, and presumably a suspension to contend with rough roads in an urban environment. I thought this was interesting enough to share.

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/2016-honda-city-adventure-concept-mad-max-mod-style-1743185938

That bike is built on the same chassis as the NC700X. In my opinion it doesn't have anything that would make me choose it over the NC700X. The step through is so high as to be useless so you would still end up mounting it like a conventional motorcycle. It has no storage which is one of the draws of a maxi-scooter. If you are going to have to swing a leg over anyway you might as well use that step through area for storage like the NC700X does with it's fake tank.
 
The Burgman is rough riding? My fav ride report here was Suzy's where she took a Burgman to CA (50 dates?). IIRC she loved the Burgman.
 
The Burgman is rough riding? My fav ride report here was Suzy's where she took a Burgman to CA (50 dates?). IIRC she loved the Burgman.

Rough is a relative term. It's fine as long as you are on good paved roads. When the road conditions deteriorate it goes down hill fast. Smaller wheels don't handle pot holes that well and the short travel suspension reaches it's travel limits pretty quick.
 
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