If you could 'blink' yourself behind the 'bars of this scooter while it was rolling down a highway, it would take you a good few moments before you realised that you weren't on a touring motorcycle. The large screen, the expansive dash before you and a plush broad seat beneath - this thing is built for open-road comfort above all else. Then you look down and see your feet way out in front of you, and you know you're on something a little different. Welcome to the world of the Suzuki Burgman 650 - a world where people who scoff at scooters learn very quickly to eat their words...
The big boy 650 is at the top of the Burgman food chain, having 250cc and 400cc brothers, and indeed it's the biggest production scoot around - as it has been since it was first launched back in 2002. Not too much has changed with the model since its inception, apart from the upgrade from a four-valve to an eight-valve head in 2005, which puts a little more spring in the step of this 238kg behemoth. Actually, the use of the term 'behemoth' is probably a little unkind. That 238kg hides itself remarkably well, being held way down low in the frame as it is, while the injected, 638cc parallel-twin engine gives more than enough oomph to keep the Burgman out in front of the traffic.
There's a pleasantly surprising wave of silky smooth power and torque from a standing start, which from a red light will see off just about everything bar other bikes. Suzuki doesn't claim horsepower or torque figures these days, but given the old four-valve version was good for around 40bhp, I reckon these days we're talking closer to 50.
Then we get to the tricky, techy stuff. A touch of the button will put the Burgman in 'Power' mode, which essentially just adds around 1000rpm to your revs, giving you more punch in a given gear. 'Manual' mode allows you to take the Burgman from a fully automatic six-speed (including an overdrive sixth gear) to a pushbutton-operated manual. It will keep you amused for about 10 seconds, after which - like everyone else - you'll go back to using the standard 'Drive' mode. I found myself using 'Power' mode around town, and normal 'Drive' on the open road. There's more than enough power to zap your license into oblivion, and that go is arrested well by twin disc brakes up the front, backed up by a further disc down the rear. It handles well and has plenty of ground clearance - you'll be amazed how good this thing feels through a high-speed sweeper.
The suspension (non-adjustable forks and preload adjustable twin rear shocks) does a good job, although it feels pretty harsh whenever you hit a decent pothole, and the bodywork does a great job of protecting you from the elements - in fact if you're on the highway in downpour, you shouldn't cop any rain from the neck down. The only problem here is when you're about town. Those clear, vibration-free mirrors are brilliant at letting you know what's behind, but they stick out far enough to mean that lane splitting in heavy traffic is pretty much off the agenda. Depending on what you want your maxi scoot to do best, this may well be the deciding factor.
And then we come to the major string to any scooter's bow - its practicality. Under the seat you can fit two full face lids and a jacket. There's an easy-to-use centrestand, and the instrumentation is large and easy to read. There are two decent glove compartments either side, with a massive extra glove compartment that extends below the entire dash, which is lockable.
Suzuki AN650 Burgman
Engine: 638cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, eight-valve parallel-twin
Fuel system: electronic fuel injection
Power: N/A
Torque: N/A
Transmission: CVT automatic
Frame: tubular steel
Front brake: twin 260mm discs with twin-piston calipers
Rear brake: single 250mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Seat height: 750mm
Wheelbase: 1595mm
Claimed dry weight: 238kg
Fuel tank: 15.0L
Price: $12,990 plus ORC
Colours: Pearl White
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres
Web: www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au
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