Commuting

[RTJudson]

I've been looking at a bike of some sort for a commute that is 60 miles one way and ran across a Burgman in the parking lot the other day and got fascinated by maxi-scooters and have been doing a lot of reading. My question: The feasibility of using a Burgman or other maxi-scooter for a commute of 60 miles (120 round trip) on a daily basis? The comfort, storage and gas mileage are all appealing, any experience with a commute of this distance out there?

--Richard

[choirguy]

I have a 650 that I use to commute 42 miles each way here in Florida. It's a great ride, though you may want to get a gel pad for the seat to add to the comfort. Not sure of your geographic location, but I used my 650 in WA State for a couple of years to commute. Up there, I had to get some insulated Gore-Tex to stay warm and dry, but it was fine. Let us know what you decide. Stay safe out there.
Tim

[alloo]

I commuted 55 miles per day, it was good. Just have good gear for all weather condtions. Lots of storage and weather protection on a scooter.

[Colchicine]

As far as *commuting*, it's hard to beat a Burgman. Storage, weather protection, no shifting, and dependability are things that are ideal for a commuter bike and are all found in the Burgman. Mileage is not a problem with these bikes.
Which version are you looking at? The 650 would ideal for interstate/highway driving.

[Daboo]

Again, which version are you looking at? I've ridden the 400 on a 60 mile daily commute (roundtrip) for about 59,000 miles so far. It has performed flawlessly. Comfortable. Good weather protection. Plenty of power for freeway commuting.

Two pluses for the 400... First, it has more storage space than any other maxi-scooter in the world. And second, it will get about mid-60s gas mileage.

Since most of my mileage is commuting and I'd be taking a car if I didn't have my Burgman 400, I've kept tabs on the gas saved. So far it has been $7800. That has paid for the bike.

Chris

[mikeyMarine]

consider the body protection from wind and weater, the uprigt seating for comfort and ease of fatigue, (after you get rid of that P.O.S. stock shield and put on anything else like a pine 2x4 or a givi shield or a wet cat, live or dead ) the light weight as compared to some cruisers the auto transmission the no blistering heat cooking your legs and crotch, no loud noise grating on your nerves on the days when you really would rather not have it. unfreaking believable storage that doesn't require tons of saddle soap and maintenance and a bike that also doesn't require spit polishing and stupid looking skulls heads and an oil leak just to be ordinary among it's peers. you may find a Burgman has a few positive traits. It may not have any inherent "cool points" the rider must provide them
another highly valuable benefit to the Burgman is this forum!

[RTJudson]

I live in NC, Raleigh area, and commute down to Fayetteville (Fort Bragg) so it's all freeways driving (I-40 & I-95) except <10 miles of street. I would be keeping my car for snow/ice days but would seriously consider riding it even during the winter, especially since I saw an add for heated hand grips and because of the protection from wind. I was looking at the 650.

[paulcbrowne]

For two years I commuted 55 miles each way in all kinds of weather. Rain, snow, or ice were the only things that made me take the car.

[Jon_C]

Like Chris said, with the gas savings it will eventually pay for it self. Good selling point for the 'other' half...

I think if you got one, you might look forward to going to work now.

[ErikDK]

I hope not to get flamed.

It also depends a lot on the highway speeds on your commute. I have a 650 with the tall Giwi, and maintaining 80 mph requires a second handful of throttle, and stability leaves something to be desired.

My old BMW R100RS and my even older moto Guzzi 850 California where much better stability-wise.

A true cruise control, not a simple throttlelock, would probably help a lot, obviously to keep up speed, but also allowing a more relaxed grip on the handlebars, letting the bike do its own job of going straight.

[NormanB]

Erik - Have you tried a throttle rocker?
I optimise the position of mine ( which only takes a minute ) so that it is benign (cruising at upto 60mph ish), or aggressive (making progress higher speed work at say 80mph+).

[Garnet]

...would seriously consider riding it even during the winter, especially since I saw an add for heated hand grips and because of the protection from wind. I was looking at the 650.

Heated grips will make a big difference in keeping you comfortable on the chilly days' rides. Some folks use heated gloves, as well. And if you're really into staying comfy, a heated jacket will make those rides even better. With the heated grips and heated jacket, I ride and stay warm down into the low 30's, (so long as I can stay dry).

[billmeek]

If the purchase is solely for commuting, I'd advise getting a fuel efficient car instead.

High and low temperatures, rain, snow, ice often make the commute uncomfortable. Few people actually end up riding year around. Cost of maintenance can offset a good portion of the fuel savings. Of course, riding gear and all the farkles (accessories) add to the cost of ownership.

That said, I ride all year around and rarely use my truck. But the main reason I ride the Burgman is because I enjoy riding.

[RandyT]

I may have to lean with Erik, he's planning on going 30,000 miles per year, now I know Paul said he did about that for 2 years, but what's the most mileage people have on their 650's~? This is an honest question, because most people seem to replace them after so many miles. I mean if it can go 100k+ then no problem. 110 miles of his ride is going to be freeway, so your looking at 80+ mph, I think he needs more displacement, so it's easier on the motor, and he can get the 100k+ mileage on it.

[billmeek]

154,000 miles is the highest documented mileage on the forums:

viewtopic.php?p=478145#p478145

[Daboo]

Like Chris said, with the gas savings it will eventually pay for it self. Good selling point for the 'other' half...

I think if you got one, you might look forward to going to work now.

The gas mileage savings depends on which model you buy. The 400 generally gets mid-60s. The 650 will generally get around 50 mpg.

John Grinsel rides about that many miles in a year. He also trades the old bike in for a new bike each year. He's jumped from a Burgman 400 to a T-Max to a Silverwing to a Honda NT700. I'm not sure what he'll go for next. I think he likes the NT700 for the economy, the wind protection and the reliability. I believe his reasoning for swapping out bikes each year, is simply that there is a lot of maintenance coming up due by the end of a year and he'd rather put the money towards a new bike than for maintenance.

Chris

[RandyT]

154,000 miles is the highest documented mileage on the forums:

viewtopic.php?p=478145#p478145

That's an amazing amount of mileage~!!

But I'd still have to say go with larger displacement. There are many on the V-Strom forums with 70 to 100+K mostly DL1000's, but over years and years. I believe there's a person with over 200K, and no rebuilt. The downside is going to be the maintenance, as you say, unless he does it all himself. Maybe if he just uses it several times a week in order to defray fuel costs, and enjoyment~! Also I agree, unless you're willing to accept the elements, a fuel efficient vehicle might be a better choice. Being from So Cal..there are only a few days in the past few years that I choose to drive my truck..and those were the days it was pouring and the streets were flooded.

[ErikDK]

For long distance commuting, you need something that feels like it's idling at 80 mph.

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki Concours, 1200 cc BMW, Honda ST 1300 or GoldWing.

A car tire on the rear wheel will keep the costs within reason, otherwise you will be changing rear tire every 6 weeks.

BTW I just don't get it when you US folks compare fuel economy with a truck. For heavens sake, buy a regular sedan, it's safer (an F-series Ford is basically a 1930's Ford A with a bigger engine in a chassis wit no calculated collision zones), more comfortable and uses about the same amount of fuel as a 650 Burgman.

A motorcycle makes sense in commuting if you can pass a lot of cars at each red light, lane split and park much more convenient.

To save fuel on a non-biased scale, you must drive something as small as a 250, and thats not attractive for a long commute.

[Chet_Benson]

BTW I just don't get it when you US folks compare fuel economy with a truck. For heavens sake, buy a regular sedan, it's safer (an F-series Ford is basically a 1930's Ford A with a bigger engine in a chassis wit no calculated collision zones), more comfortable and uses about the same amount of fuel as a 650 Burgman.

I love that comment. I reckon you cannot be a Redneck if you do not own a pickup truck.

When I compare the mpg of a 650 with an old Impala that gets 30 mpg I am not sure I would want to ride the scooter. And with that kind of miles being put on the scooter at some point you just may be in an accident. What price do I put on that?

Most of us ride a scooter simply because we want to.

[Ralph M]

My car a Renault Clio Diesel does 70 UK mpg about 58 US mg tyres last 40000 miles +
and it needs a service at 15000 miles that's only a oil and filter change, it is the cheapest
thing I ever ran, but we pay roughly $8.3 per USD, but at the end of the day I don't love it,
though the 400 costs more to run and is nowhere near as practical I much prefer the Scooter.
I would never think of just going for a ride in the car but any excuse will do to ride a bike or scooter,
and anyway the car leans the wrong way in corners.

[RandyT]

BTW I just don't get it when you US folks compare fuel economy with a truck. For heavens sake, buy a regular sedan, it's safer (an F-series Ford is basically a 1930's Ford A with a bigger engine in a chassis wit no calculated collision zones), more comfortable and uses about the same amount of fuel as a 650 Burgman.

I have a 150 scooter, the Burgman 400, DL650, and my Toyota Tundra..only car/truck I have....hahahaha, use to have Honda Accord, but had to give it away to a relative.

[Scootereno]

I have commuted for 2 years on my 400 all year around (except in ice or snow) putting on 10,000 commuting miles or so. It has been a very economical and fun too. Of course you do hit those days where an afternoon thunder shower can intrude on your ride home. If you love to ride you will ride it often but if you do not have a passion for it you may only take the bike on the bluebird days. In my case I was being paid for mileage at work so in 10 months my used 400 was paid for by the company. Freeway riding on any bike takes some getting used to but is really no problem with either Burgman with some experience and caution. The 400 generally costs less to ride, maintain, or repair but both are great bikes. I love the research triangle area up there and the great country roads to ride too. Good luck with whatever bike you choose.

[Daboo]

For long distance commuting, you need something that feels like it's idling at 80 mph.

Yamaha FJR, Kawasaki Concours, 1200 cc BMW, Honda ST 1300 or GoldWing.

Of course they would feel like they are idling at 80 mph. They have a car-sized engine on two wheels with a total vehicle weight that is 25% of the car's weight.

A car tire on the rear wheel will keep the costs within reason, otherwise you will be changing rear tire every 6 weeks.

This is one reason I like my Burgman 400. My tires have lasted about 15,000 miles and cost half to a quarter of the tire cost of the suggested motorcycle tires.

BTW I just don't get it when you US folks compare fuel economy with a truck. For heavens sake, buy a regular sedan, it's safer (an F-series Ford is basically a 1930's Ford A with a bigger engine in a chassis wit no calculated collision zones), more comfortable and uses about the same amount of fuel as a 650 Burgman.

Many motorcycles, like the ones suggested, get the same gas mileage as a decent economy car. If you only get the gas mileage of an economy car, then you have to find something that gets even less...like a pickem-up truck. Besides, a pickem-up truck lets you put your dog in the back and take it along. Oh! ...that's right...with the right dog, like Sandy, you can take the dog along even on a motorcycle.

A motorcycle makes sense in commuting if you can pass a lot of cars at each red light, lane split and park much more convenient.

I can't do the first two in Washington state, but I can travel in our HOV or carpool lane which cuts my commute time by half. It is so much fun to pass Porsches and Corvettes like they are standing still...oh, I guess they were!

To save fuel on a non-biased scale, you must drive something as small as a 250, and thats not attractive for a long commute.

I find my Burgman 400 gives me virtually the same gas mileage as the Kymco Bet&Win 250 that I had earlier. Suzuki has done their homework on the bike to squeeze decent power out of an engine with that kind of gas mileage...expecially when you compare that to the Yamaha Majesty, which is also a 400cc and gets 5-10 mpg less gas mileage. I didn't save $7800 with a motorcycle that has a car engine and gets the gas mileage of a car.

For a commuter bike, I've found the 400 is hard to beat. And on the weekends, I can take it places like the North Cascade Highway, around Mt. Rainier, up to Mt. Baker etc. where I'm riding for 10-12 hours. Or simply across the pass on a 4 hour, 215 mile one-way "commute" to the Coyote Ridge prison...and back later that day.

Chris

[convertfromVespa]

I commute on a Concours. Most of my commute is highway miles and yes, it is running at about 2750 rpm to go 65 MPH in OD. My trouble is keeping it at that speed as I could easily get 55+ MPG at that rate. I have averaged 46 MPG this year and will have ridden more than 17,000 miles by the end of the year.

My car get ~40 MPG requires less maintenance (100,000 miles on one set of tires alone). In the 127,000 miles on the car, it has required a set of shocks and a set of front and rear brakes outside of normal maintenace.

[Daboo]

John Grinsel is a fellow who rides a lot. Each year, he buys a new bike, so when he mentioned he was shopping for a new ride now over on the Silverwing forum http://www.silverwing600.com/t4214-maki ... w-purchase and narrowed the choice to the Silverwing and Burgman 400, I asked him why he didn't just buy another NT700 like he's riding now. Here's his reply. I think it fits directly with the question the OP is asking with a perspective from someone who rides more than most of us, and purchased more bikes than most of us will.

Chris

Might try to answer some questions----why not another NT, which is probably about the best out of the crate bike you can buy....not in US program for 2012. Hasn't sold well here as many idiots feel anything 1300cc and under is girl's bike. NT was purchased as stroke recovery tool--stroke is brain injury and one must re-train brain to do things.....like use clutch, shift, handle and balance weight, move around garage, put on lift. This program has worked for me.

As motorcyclist since 1955----and everyday rider, no trailer biking for me, at this stage like scooter. 73 is next birthday, step thru nice, enclosed carry space, fine. And after over 1.5 million miles, they are pretty fine transportation and touring tool-----secret don't rush them. And don't forget dry feet, if you keep them up.

I make no drive line mods. Since I have ridden in 49 states/Mexico/Canada/All of Europe (from North Cap to Rome) Japan/Korea-----I prefer stock if something breaks and I need dealer help.
Annual mileage now 20-30,000 miles---2012 have some el cheapo trips in mind.

As to new scooter development---BMW, probably some real junk---I have been BMW owner since 1958---worst bike I ever had, new R-27, 4 engines and 2 transmissions in the first 10,000 miles. Still sits in ex-girlfriend's basement near Basel. One thing about BMW, customer is seldom right.....on my then new R80RT----lots of problems, including frame breaking----they saId, I rode too much!-------Italian stuff no thanks---think spare parts backup. But I did have 2 stroke Vespas and good luck with them and a Guzzi, parts?

Weight=Silverwing falls in between 650 Burgman and 400. I think they all handle good as scooters. I am not afraid of Burgman 400, but it is old scooter type design with engine and driveline going up and down together. White is safe color.

I think bikes/scooters/cars with J as first letter in VIN (screwed together in Japan) give good service.

Gas Mileage---as I recall SilverWing always 55-60 mpg=ok Burgman400 probably 60 mpg under same conditions---Burgman 650, no experience, but I have heard they suck up gas ridden hard...and small tank. I had TMAX and it was not very ecomomical in the Gas department.

Only changes I make, add-on to bikes are GIVI rack, throttle stop, mud flap in front......and of course do something about the horrible air management---right now GIVI adjustable windshield seems to be best solution....and sometimes lower "scoops" for calm air at feet and ankles.


Going to Honda this AM to see where we are on trade/pricing/availability
I think 2011 and 2012 SilverWings (US) are same---only Black. My dealer did have leftover 2011's, but only $50 less than 2012.