Thinking about a Suzuki Burgman 400?
This may be my shortest review yet. Save some money and buy an unsold 2022 Suzuki Burgman 400 or save a lot of money and buy the more modern and powerful 2022 Piaggio BV400 made by the company that makes the Vespa.When it comes to innovation, creativity and new features for scooters, the Suzuki corporation is lazy. In fact, its behind the three top contenders of US available Maxi Scooters (A Maxi scooter has a 300cc or larger engine).
BROWSE SUZUKI BURGMAN 400 SPECIFIC ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE ON AMAZON (CLICK HERE)
What Scooters Are Currently Available To American Riders?
Yamaha's XMAX is only a 300cc motorcycle (scooter), it super difficult to get one because of poor supply chain issues and lack of dealer enthusiasm. It's owners have a high resell rate at around 2500 miles, complain of poor seating posture and horrible headlights. But, it has modern features like a keyless fob and a more modern appearance, though for some reason, Yamaha likes ugly colors of paint, and in my personal experience, their US dealers can be unfriendly and evasive.
Honda (at the time of this article at the end of September 2022) has not had a US Maxi scooter available for a few years and hasn't announced any for 2023 in the US market. If Honda came out with one of their newer Maxi Scooters that are currently only available in the European and Asian marketplaces, it would bring some real competition to the US market. It's main pitfall however would be similar to Yamaha and Suzuki, since Honda has a similar frequent required maintenance scheduled and a lousy 1 year warranty. But I have always been a Honda product fan, even though I think they need to stay out of politics.
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Piaggio (Made by Vespa) Is the real powerhouse Maxi Scooter that honestly makes buying a new 2023 Suzuki Burgman 400 either for someone who has not done their homework, hasn't heard of Piaggio or who has an extra $1400 MSRP to waste. But remember, you don't pay MSRP, you pay other fees too. So Expect a new Suzuki Burgman 400 2023 model to cost at least $10,599 minimum out the door cost. I can say that, because the out the door cost on the 2022 Piaggio BV 400s was $2,000 more than the MSRP of $7,199 when I purchased mine. Suzuki also adds a $440 Destination charge and $150 Freight Surcharge to the MSRP which makes the real MSRP $9,189 plus the taxes and other fees. So an out the door cost for a Suzuki low estimate could be around $10,599.
But the real issue with the 2023 Suzuki Burgman 400 is not that it isn't a good motorcycle scooter, its just not the best you can get for your money.
Vespa is the most well know, longest established brand of scooter ever made, because they made the scooter, and they still make the scooter. For in and around town use, you can't beat their Vespa GTS 300cc series of premium scooters, featuring all metal bodies, classic Italian styling, and modern day technology and features. In the world of scooters, you'll find designer Vespa customized by Justin Bieber, Sean Wotherspoon, even a $25,000 limited edition Christian Dior for you rich people. The Maxi Vespa scooters can go on the freeway and reach some high speeds, but their little wheels might make you want to stick to zooming around traffic in the city.
Suzuki has been in the Scooter market for many years. Like Yamaha and Honda, Suzuki is a Japanese scooter. Visit Japan sometime for a few days and you're likely to come across a scooter group speeding up or down the street. For some reason however, they've narrowed their selection down to two engine sizes, but at least they have stuck in the game, even though their updates are way behind Piaggio, Vespa and even Kymco.
Kymco is newer in US popularity. You're likely to find Kymco at most motorcycle dealerships that carry a scooter. They are a Taiwan brand that previously produced the motors for Honda, BMW and a few others, so parts should be easy to find. Price wise, they are generally a few thousand dollars cheaper, but they tend to be made for their larger Asian market, so if you are tall you might find them not so comfortable.
BMW also occasionally puts out a scooter. They are at the top of the price range for both initial purchase but also for repairs and maintenance. BMW scooters tend to have cutting edge technology and designs. That being said, they have had some overall poor quality control in the past few models, making some riders stay away.
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The 2023 Suzuki Burgman 400 vs 2022 Suzuki Burgman 400
In 2022 the Burgman received a revised camshaft, new dual-spark technology ignition system and starter button, traction control, a more compact ABS system, and a new color, but compared to the Yamaha and Piaggio which featured all LED, Wireless Key Fob Ignition, and bluetooth connectivity, the Suzuki was already two years behind technologically. In 2023, you will pay an extra $100 for the Burgman and still not have any of the modern scooter or motorcycle features, putting you three years behind. But you'll get a solid performing comfortable ride, and Suzuki dealers tend to be supportive and friendly.If you like ugly! Then go with the Suzuki which in 2023 adopts the same ugly color as the 2022 Yamaha Xmax, which Suzuki calls "Solid Iron Gray" and they painted the rims blue. Considering the lack of new features and ugly paint on the 2023, just save $100 and buy a Suzuki old new stock 2022 which is painted in Metallic Matte Sword Silver. It looks way better. The 2023 looks like a gray rain cloud puked all over it.
The 2023 Suzuki Burgman 400 "Iron Gray" is similar
to the 2022 Yamaha XMAX 300. It looks like a gray
cloud puked all over the bike.
The 2022 Suzuki Burgman 400 "Metallic Matte Sword Silver"
looks so much better than the 2023 "Iron Gray".
If you want color, style, Euro 5 standard green emissions and new technology, then look at the Piaggio BV400S which is available in several different colors and costs only $7199 MSRP. (Read more about the Piaggio BV400 Here)
On their 2023 website, Suzuki says, "Known as the Elegant Athlete of the scooter world, the 2023 Suzuki Burgman 400 has a unmatched collection of styling, technical, and rider features that affirms its dominance over its competitors." Something only a manufacture might claim, but highly over stated.
In their 2022 Suzuki Burgman 400 vs Piaggio BV400 scooter review, Motorcycle [dot] com did an actual on hands riding test here in Los Angeles. (In fact the Piaggio in their YouTube video was in the Los Angeles Vespa Dealership when I purchased my BV400. I considered buying it, just because it was in a now famous video, but I decided to stick with my plan to buy the orange version and new, it was black and already had about 600 miles on it from the riding tests).
Motorcycle [dot] com decided they liked the more relaxed riding position of the Burgman for freeway use, but liked the BV400 better for its power on the freeway. The Burgman settled in at around 65 miles an hour and when they punched it, it lagged in acceleration beyond 65MPH to get moving. The BV400 however punched into gear and went, just like you would want in a car, motorcycle or anything else you might take on the freeway when you need more power. That was one of the reasons I went with the BV400, I intended to do some freeway riding and the last thing I wanted on a scooter was to have any lag or delay when I punched it to get out of the way beyond 65MPH.
This is not a Suzuki Burgman 400 VS Piaggio BV400 Comparison
So this is not a Suzuki Burgman vs Piaggio BV400 comparison, but I think it is fair to compare the top performing US Maxi Scooters and only offerings in the 400cc engine size.
If you want a more laid back ride then maybe a Burgman is worth it. You get a tiny bit more room under the Suzuki seat for storage. You get a long tested engine since they make little changes to it year after year, you may like riding a scooter that looks like a rain cloud puked on it, it's laid out a little longer so a passenger might be more comfortable, in 2023 you'll even have all LED lighting, and you'll have the same old classic looks that the Burgman has always had forever.
If you want something a bit more powerful, a more upright riding position, modern features, a more "Green" emissions ride, better color options, lower price, longer warranty, modern Euro look, a solid build from the makers of Vespa in a touring scooter, then look at the Piaggio BV400.
Final thought I have is about the maintenance costs and the warranty.
The Suzuki Burgman 400, similar to the Yamaha XMAX 300 has an over all higher required maintenance cost year after year, than the Piaggio BV400. Suzuki and Yamaha only offer a 1 year warranty, the Piaggio offers a 2 year warranty and for around $700 you can extend it an additional two years. So for $700 you'll have a 4 year warranty on the Piaggio. To me that speaks volumes about the confidence these two different companies have about their products. Yamaha and Suzuki only have enough confidence to give you 1 year of warranty, and their required maintenance is frequent and a not cheap. This means, over time the cost of owning and maintaining a Suzuki, Yamaha or even a smaller Honda is going to be higher.
I really wanted to be impressed by Suzuki in 2023, but I should have known better.
I had in all honesty, really sincerely, hoped that Suzuki would put some real effort into its 2023 Burgman instead of just turning out the same thing again with mainly only a color change to help justify its price. If the Burgman delivered some modern features and technology, a couple of color options, brought it into a better "Green" emissions standard, and fixed that 65MPH power lag, I'd consider buying one. Even more so if they updated its appearance a little.
Ultimately, the decision is of course up to you. Find which dealer is closest to you, because that can make a big difference when it comes time to service your scooter and even more if it needs warranty repairs.
Make sure you buy from an authorized dealership so you do not have any warranty repair issues.
Buy from a dealer you like, who at least seems like they like you and want your business.
If you currently ride a motorcycle or scooter, you may be interested in my recommended Amazon products for riders. Most of these products I currently use, a few of them I have researched and am confident in recommending.
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