QUIKSPIN: Suzuki Burgman 400 - Junior Burger

I had just pulled up at the Yackandandah Bakery in north-east Victoria, and was in the process of lining the Burgman up for a photo.

"Jeez mate, you need a Harley if you're gonna do that."

The words belonged to a rather large Hoggie, out for a Sunday ride with his young son as pillion - and he was probably right.

A 400cc scooter simply doesn;t carry the sort of cred that encourages a man to take it for a weekend ride, but what the Burgman lacked in cafe cred it made up for with comfort and practicality.

I'd cruised up the Hume Freeway from Melbourne to Albury at a steady licence-preserving 110km/h, attended my sister's surprise birthday party at Tallanhatta, taken in a Jimmy Barnes concert on the Saturday night and was on my way home via the scenic backroads when MR Hoggie let fly with his remakes.

Suzuki's Burgman 400 is a small version of the bells-adn whistles Burgman 650 Executive - the king of the maxi-scoots. Not that the 400 is lacking in spec, with electronic fuel-injection and ABS included for the $9890 asking price.

The 400 doesn't score the electronic paddle-shift of the 650, nor the undeniable grunt of the bigger twin, but the single-cylinder, Burgman 400 still gets along at a fair clip. Around town it will easily see off the four-wheelers in the traffic-light derby and on open roads there's ample poke for overtaking traffic.

Stability is surprisingly good given the small 13/14-inch wheel combo, with bumpy sweepers taken at an indicated 120km/h. The Burgman isn't as sure-footed as Yamaha's class-leading Tmax, but it si a very tidy $3000 cheaper.

Sure the suspension package is basic, but the 41-mmdiameter fork up front and the preload adjustable rear monoshock provide a comfortable ride over most surfaces.

A steady 100/km/h sees the tacho hovering around 5500rpm, although with CVT (continuously variable transmission) those revs vary depending on the load placed on the engine. Average fuel consumption was a commendable 4L/100km, with one stint of 240km still leaving 3.5L in the 13.5L tank.

As a practical do-everything two-wheeler there's a lot to like about the Burgman 400-especially with the sub-$10k price and standard ABS.

There's ample leg room for long limbs a comfortable stepped saddle with adjustable rider backrest, good weather protection from the fairing and large screen, and the under-seat storage is capacious with a whopping 62 litres, supplemented by three compartments in the fairing.

There are some neat touches, such as a light in the luggage compartment, a parking brake and a 12V power outlet to charge our mobile phone on the go.

Some of the things I wasn't enamoured with included the plasticky pivot-top gloveboxes, the sudden sub-20km/h down-charge from the transmission and the slight helmet buffeting from the top of the screen.

Suzuki does offer an optional screen kit for the Burgman 400 ($295) to counter my grizzle, as well as a topbox ($299) and pillion backrest ($455).

There;s a lot to like about a maxi-scoot that can combine practical city use with touring duties. If you're in the market for a maxi-scoot, the Burgman 400 offers impressive value for less than $10k. Unfortunately it won't help you wiht cred at the Yackandandah Bakery, although at least there's that 62L of under seat storage to fill with takeaway donuts.

Protect your Suzuki. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.