I hate scooters! Being tall has it disadvantages too you see. The only scooter I liked was the now discontinued Kinetic Blaze. It was one scooter wherein my knees will miss the handle bar by a mm or so. Cut to the present and there is the Suzuki Burgman Street available. It has a maxi scooter big look. Will it be able to accommodate my frame and more importantly, will it make me fonder of scooters? Read on to find out.
Suzuki Burgman Street Looks
Suzuki says this one was inspired by its bigger scooters available in Japan and Europe. The Burgman 400 too was evaluated at one point of time, however the price was working out to be a bit too much for our conservative market. This didn’t stop Suzuki from experimenting with this body style. So while the big body may be present elsewhere in the globe, the 125cc engined Suzuki Burgman Street scooter you see here is exclusive to the Indian market at present.
The big body houses a pregnant looking front apron that brings in dazzling bright LED headlights. The indicators are mounted right on the side of the head lights, almost to the corner of the apron. There is a chrome detailing which runs from the headlight all the way to the top of the apron.
Here sits a small windscreen.
The fully digital instrument cluster is also a new thing for the Indian scooter market. It hosts a speedometer, twin trip meters, fuel gauge, oil change due interval as well as the other tell tale lights.
Unique to this body style is the apron mounted leg space. One can keep their feet parallel to the handle bar or at an angle now to increase comfort. This is what works for me. If I keep my legs on the inner side of the apron, then my knees don’t brush against the han
dlebar. Okay, they do but only if I am aggressive enough while making turns. And I barely do that. Phew! The seat too is a broad unit and has got 21.7 litres of storage capacity underneath. It can also store a full face size large LS2 helmet (Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DBSqysRliU). There are also two hooks as well as two storage slots next to the handle bar. One has a flap covering it too.
The tail light too is an LED unit. However, you will feel short changed if you looked at the Suzuki Burgman Street from the rear. The rear tyre seems a bit smaller than it should – the Suzuki Burgman runs 12-inch and 10-inch tyres at the front and back. Those chunky grab rails blend well with the overall design as well.
Suzuki Burgman Street Engine and performance
Suzuki has used the Access 125’s engine lock, stock and barrel in the Burgman Street. The Burgman Street thus makes do with 8.6PS and 10.2Nm. The claimed fuel efficiency is 53kmpl. All the styling details over the Access’ body has made the Suzuki Burgman Street heavier than the donor scooter by 6kg.
I haven’t ridden the Access but this one has adequate performance right from the word go. The scooter doesn’t even feel heavy once you get going. It is quite easy to see speeds up to 70kmph after which the going gets a bit laborious. There however is no harshness coming in from the power-train even at higher speeds. Even with a pillion, doing a steady 70kmph is quite possible without straining the engine. The top speed we saw was 83kmph. In terms of mileage, the Suzuki Burgman Street returned 48.7kmpl.
At idle, there are a bit of vibrations coming in through the handlebar and floor board. Speaking of idle, the easy start system that modern age Suzuki scooters employ is a trick. You have to gently press the starter and leave it. Be ready to twist the accelerator after that. People who are unaware of this system will end up pressing it one too many times.
Suzuki Burgman Street Ride and Handling
The Burgman Street is set up on the stiffer side. It however is quite easy to handle and the seat height too isn’t a spot of bother for someone who may be 5ft 4in tall. The pillion seat too is wide and super comfortable. The best part of that stiff suspension is the way the scooter handles. It belies its size and looks to tip into corners very easily. The grip from the tyres is also pretty good. It is only the ride quality that will take a beating. At low speeds, you can go along with the throttle pinned to the stop over road irregularities. At high speeds though, one has to take it easy.
The brakes are a front disc and a rear drum. They also get combined braking system. Use just the rear brake and 40 per cent of the front brake also comes into action. The brakes are super sharp and do a good job of slowing down the scooter
Verdict
The Suzuki Burgman Street retails for Rs 84,300 on-road Mumbai. The on-road price has gone up primarily due to the inclusion of the compulsory five year third party premium. If you ignore the price, you will realise that the Suzuki Burgman Street is one of the best scooters there is in the market today. It bowled me over and needless to say is the only scooter in India that I will like to buy today. Sceptic turned fan indeed!
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