I have thinned the fleet, now ready to make what will probably be my last two wheel purchase. A new Suzuki Burgman 400 or Yamaha Majesty... thoughts and opinions? Thanks!
Truth be told, I don't think there's really a bad choice between the two. Let me say up front that I do not own and have not ridden either of them, although I sat on both. To me, the Burgman's seating position is more roomy and comfortable than the Majesty, but I'm a pretty big guy. Storage is also a bit better on the Burgman. Both have good reputations for reliability and general worthiness. Each has positives and negatives, as always. Two websites for you to do some research: http://burgmanusa.com/forums/index.php http://majestyusa.com/forums/index.php Also, be sure to check YouTube for additional information about maintenance on both. I personally would probably opt for the Burgman because now that I've retired, I can't afford to have the dealer do the basic maintenance on the bike, so I have to do that stuff myself. From my review of internet resources, it seems to me that the B400 has many more DIY videos and information on the net. Everything else being more or less equal, the Burgman seems to me to be easier to work on.
I have a 2007 Majesty - I'll gladly trade it off for a B400. Its a decent scooter but everything about it is just smaller than the Burgman. Which is why I ended up with a B650.
One of the main things I'd look into is valve adjustment. That is one place it seems all maxi scooters come up way short, virtually requiring the entire scooter to be dismantled to get to the valves. The Majesty does not require a valve adjustment until 26,000 miles. It does not require a valve check at break in service. But when it does, the entire engine must come out to do it. Dealer lists 6 hours labor. The Burgman has gotten better as far as frequency of valve adjustments go, since '07 or '08. But I don't know what the interval is, or what is involved in doing the job. A couple years ago, I test rode 4 maxi scooters, Silverwing, Majesty, Burgmnan 400, and Burgman 650. And that is the order I ranked them in. Silverwing was more comfortable and easiest to handle at parking lot speeds. Next was the Majesty, then the Burg 400. I found the 650 unacceptable. I was looking for an alternative to a Goldwing 1500, and the 650 was harder to handle at slow speeds and push around then the Goldwing. Other than maintenance, which like it or not is part of the deal, I would ride them as much as possible, and also see what they are like to get on and off of, and push around.
First, there is no comparison between reading about a bike, and sitting on one. What "fits" for me, may not "fit" for you. Ergonomics are so individual. And so are other tastes in what appeals when you look at the bike, and what doesn't. Also, I'd look at a used bike, not a new one. Other than the change in headlights from 2007 to 2008, and ABS in 2011, there are no substantial differences. But you would save a couple thousand in depreciation. So many of these are bought with the intention of riding them a lot...and they aren't. I've owned two Burgman 400s, a 2007 that I sold with 49,000 miles and a 2008 that I sold with 27,000 miles. Between the two, I'd choose the Burgman over the Majesty...actually, I did choose the Burgman over the Majesty. I had a smaller Kymco scooter that I rode to work for 11 months when my boss told me I was being transferred to another location 30 miles from home. I knew the Kymco could handle the freeway ride technically, but I also knew it would beat me to death. I'd already been looking at what I'd buy if I needed to replace the Kymco and my choices were the Burgman 400 and the Majesty. At the time (April 2007), the only comparisons were between the earlier design of the Burgman 400 and the Majesty. The Majesty came out on top in each review with the Burgman coming in second. I called both dealers up and the salesmen said they would check their inventory and call me back. The Yamaha dealer never called back. The Suzuki dealer did and I went over to see what the bike was like on my way home. I fell in love with it. What I didn't realize till later, was the 2007 400 was the first of a totally new design and that Suzuki had set its sights on the Majesty. Later, I got a chance to compare the two bikes with each other. Here's a bit of what I found. Seating position. This is an individual preference. I think the Burgman is lower and yet allows for more leg room, if desired. Seat back adjustment. Both bikes have a seat pad that can be adjusted, but the Burgman's doesn't require tools. 12 Volt Adapter. It seems like a small thing, but the Burgman has one, and the Majesty doesn't. Emergency brake. I like the way the Burgman did it, more than the Majesty's implementation. Storage. The older Majesty had the storage split into two areas. It may be the same still. The Burgman's storage at 62 liters is larger than any other maxi-scooter in the world. And it is usable space. More storage. Besides the area under the seat, there's some additional storage in two cubbyholes on top of the dash, and a large usable area under that in the dash. Dash. The Majesty's dash gets complaints about not being readable in bright sunlight. I seldom had a problem reading the gauges no matter how bright it was. Mirrors. The Majesty's mirror stalks are too short. You can see your elbows really well. The Burgman's aren't pretty...but they work. Gas mileage. I have no idea why this is, but the Majesty gets about 55 mpg. The Burgman gets about 10 mpg more. Yet the power is about the same now. Maintenance. The Burgman used to require frequent valve adjustments. Now they are called out at 14,500 miles. Many of us waited till we had about 25,000 miles before checking them. And then we found they were either fine or needed very little change. The CVT belt on the Burgman is to be inspected/changed at 14,500 miles also. But...many of us waited to around 22,000 miles to change it. And oil changes are simple with no tuperware to be removed. That's a quick list of things I found. As you walk around the bikes on the dealer floor, it'll give you some things to look for and compare. Both bikes will serve you well. One though will appeal to you more than the other. Chris
I had a 2006 Burgman 400 from new for about 14,000 miles. It was perfectly reliable and a great bit of fun. I used it primarily to commute between home and work and school. It had no problem cruising at highway speeds and had great acceleration in town, too. Very low maintenance, as Daboo also mentioned. I typically would get about 60mpg in town and 50mpg on the highway (high interstate speeds mean that the wind resistance can really kill your gas mileage). I once got a 78mpg tank going down the Blue Ridge Parkway, but 45mph twisty roads are a sweet spot for most bikes. It has a very useful amount of storage space under the seat, but sometimes you have to do things hillbilly style anyways. Of course, as with any bike, make sure the ergonomics work for you and be prepared to monkey with the windscreen to make the aerodynamics work to your taste.
I own both an 05 Yamaha Majesty 400 and an 08 Suzuki Burgman 400. Both great and reliable scooters but overall I give the edge to the Burgman 400. Its roomier with more useable under seat storage and ends up being more economical as well. On my last tank on the Majesty I averaged 52 MPG for some reason. My average on the Burgman so far is 61 MPG. Also fit and finish on the Burgman is really very good. The Majesty is not bad but the Burgman looks and feels more classy. I agree I would search for used. Plenty of low mileage used scooters out there with next to nothing for miles. I bought my 08 Burgman 400 in like new condition with 2,200 miles on it for around 3 grand last January. In 2012 I bought my 05 Majesty in like new condition but with 10,000 miles on it for slightly more. Lately I have thought about selling my Majesty since it really does not stack up against the Burgman and finding a Burgman 650. I have seen a few of those out there used for next to nothing as well. In fact the Burgman 650 seems to depreciate harder and faster then the Burgman 400. Its not that they are bad bikes its just that the scooter market (especially the maxi scoots) is always a bit depressed. In my opinion its one of motorcycling's greatest secrets.
I have a Majesty and can't say a bad thing about it. I haven't ridden a Burgman but have never heard a bad thing about the. I can only vouch for my ride, and if the Suzuki is equal or better, then you can't go wrong with either.
I had a 2009 Majesty. The only thing I didn't like about it, is the lag at a stoplight when I twisted the throttle. I had a J. Costa variator in it, but I still didn't like that lag. I sold it and got a Tmax instead. Much better . (just 22 lbs more than the Majesty but with twice as many cylinders and 100cc of more displacement).
Beautiful 2010 Majesty with under 150 miles on it $4500. Makes me wish I had sold the Vulcan instead if fixing it. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/mcy/4630892578.html
I've had two Majesties, first one I sold and regretted it, had to get another. It's been a great bike, driven it all over the place. Only work it has ever needed was new tires and scheduled replacement of the v-belt. Sat in storage for 6 months once and started up on the first push of the button. It's comfy for long rides and it has tons of storage space. I can't say anything about the Burg since I have not ridden one but their owners seem to be really happy with them. Only real negative thing about the Maj is that it doesn't get as good fuel economy as it should. My NM4 has nearly twice the engine and twice the power, and gets far better mileage. But I can't take the NM4 to go get groceries, while I can fit an entire cart load in the Maj.
From what I've been reading through the years (since 2006), both here and on majestyusa and burgmanusa, the Burgman seems to be a better choice. Last update on the Majesty is supposedly a a big one. I never rode any of them more then around the block so..
The latest update on the Majesty is supposed to be very good. Unfortunately we are not worthy here in US market. We are still on the old Majesty. I never understood the logic if updating a bike for the European market but never bringing that update here. I understand all the DOT and EPA regulations and this cost money but then these are big companies and it cost money to produce 2 versions. Hopefully we get the updated version soon.
I try to keep track of US market even if I'm not there, but I had no idea you're still on last gen Majesty. They dropped the 0-60mph time by 3 seconds on the new one, with same engine and power, made it smoother, faster, better looking (subjective), etc. If that's the case, it's Burman for you guys all the way IMHO. Not saying that there is anything wrong with the old Majesty but it's got 250cc performance up to 60mph.
Go to Ride Reports and see Mtl_rider's encounter with a Scooter while he did a road trip to the Trans-Labrador Highway! This one might sway your opinion! His report is Trans-Lab: Alone? At your age? Hope it helps! I ride a BMW G650GS and a Vespa PX150! One is a little faster then the other!
