Maxi Scooters - Your choice for most practical

[smm]

I had a Honda reflex (16K miles) and a Burgman 650 (27K miles) both used for daily commuting, about 70% freeway.

The Reflex got 65mpg and was definitely maxed out on the freeway. It doesn't have enough brakes for 2-up riding. The quality of my Reflex was so-so: It had a bad alternator which ultimately caused it to die in the far left lane of a rush-hour freeway. A few other minor problems.

The Burg gets 45mpg and is completely comfortable on the freeway, even 2-up. I took my daughter to school a couple mornings a week, did a few weekend trips to the wine country, etc. The Burg has had no mechanical problems whatsoever.

The Burgman is definitely bigger and heavier but for all the extra weight still surprisingly nimble. 12' u-turns are pretty easy, and splitting through urban traffic is no problem. The only obvious problem with the larger scoot is the gas mileage.

So where I come down on the size issue is like this: if you have a bunch of freeway in your commute, or you fancy riding 2-up, the 650 is definitely worth it. If not, the burg 400 or the TMax might be a better choice.

If you're in the SF Bay Area, and beyond the burg-curious stage, mine is for sale, $3500. Resale on scooters, not so good. But I no longer have much of a commute and the adv bug has bitten...

-Scott

[lucky6600]

Originally Posted by advtek

It was the best damn scooter ever built that's NOT a scooter!

Did some search, PC800s are in 3k range. I guess it's collectable.

[The PacRat]

Originally Posted by lucky6600

Did some search, PC800s are in 3k range. I guess it's collectable.

They are getting harder to find, but the type of rider than generally owns a PC800 tends to keep it in good shape, so there are some pretty cherry PCs out there. They are rock-solid too.

If you could just put floorboards on them...

[windburn]

I have owned two scooters a Honda Helix and a Honda Silver Wing. 21,000 miles on my Silver Wing and Only scheduled Maintenance. I for one have no Experience with the other scoots but others speak highly of the Burgmans

[S/W]

I have had my Silverwing since 2002, and still love it.

[Cortez]

While from all of the above I'd probably get the Xciting 500, considering
you're concerned with MPG figures you should stay clear of it (250 too),
since they're rather thirsty, especially the older carb version.

Even the newer 500Ri (FI) sips more fuel then my 650cc Kawasaki.
Can't help with other choices though.

They're as reliable as it gets, but there's more comfy rides out there
and most of the mentioned have more under-seat storage.

[777arkrider]

I bought a 2009 silver Burgman 400 in July after test riding several maxi-scoots. The only bike I was unable to ride was a Honda Silverwing. The Yamaha Majesty was a nice ride, very similar to the Burgman in just about every way except the fuel mileage (45 to 55 mpg vs. 65 plus for the Burgman). The power and speed were almost identical as far as RPM vs. speed. I had owned a Kymco Peoples 200 and wanted to try the Xciting 500. The ergonomics did not fit me well ( I am 5'10 30" inseam weigh 165 to 170), the seat was to high, the handle bars to low, the seat was very hard and there was very little foot room. The instruments were almost impossible to see, the MPH were in tiny print and inside the ring and I had a hard time determining speed. It performed OK, the acceleration was good, and the engine was smooth. The fuel mileage was low at around 40mpg. It was also very heavy and difficult to maneuver it around in the parking lot. The T-Max was a great bike and I really enjoyed riding it, very motorcycle-like. My only negative was the high price and the lack of storage space, but other than that, I really liked the T-Max. I even got to drive the Burgman 650 and a 400 back to back, and liked the 400 better.
The 650 just felt too heavy and was difficult moving it around the parking lot.
So after comparing all my notes, and after re-riding some of my top choices I finally picked the Burgman 400. It feels lighter maneuvering, has great acceleration, cruises all day at 75 - 80 mph and gets 68.9 mpg at every fill-up. The Burgman 400 also has tremendous storage under the seat and an add on box is not necessary. I have put 1700 miles on my Burgman 400 and it is a joy to ride. The rpms vs. speed seem to be coming down. For example, yesterday I took a hundred mile ride and I noticed that at 70 mph my rpm was only 6,000 rpm whereas before right after 1,000 miles 70mph took 6300 rpm.
Also, I do not rely on the fuel mileage calculation the bikes computer comes up with. I always fill it up with the centerstand down and fill it up right to the bottom of the filler neck and divide miles driven by the gallons used and get 68.9 mpg every time. I don't baby it either but try to be smooth with the throttle and am amazed at the acceleration, very seductive and addictive!

[Roose Hurro]

Don't forget to check out SYM, from the HD200 to the Citycom 300i.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[fullmetalscooter]

gee I guess the helix in this vote is like the old grandfather that got stuff away and only visited at Christmas. My vote helix . cheap, reliable and if you have to shoot it to put it out of it s misry no ones going to call SPCM which is kind of like spca. Only it's hells angels that show up if you mistreat you bikes. .