Suzuki Burgman Street 125: Let's Talk Maximum

You could ride around Rome without a crash helmet if your two-wheeler had less than 125 cc, however, not after 1999 when the Italian Helmet Law was passed.  The new helmet law unleashed angst and media attention because decades of carefree scooting came to an end. Maxi Scooters were then launched in hopes of pulling in riders who were otherwise pulled to four-wheelers. A scooter with a large seat and under-seat storage and good wind protection, and Suzuki was ahead in this race with Suzuki becoming the first manufacturer to benefit with its 1999 AN400 Burgman. The maxi-scooter was aimed squarely at the suave young professionals that spin around European cities in their business suits wanting to save time otherwise wasted in heavy traffic.For more than a decade, the Burgman has redefined the motorcycling experience as it has brought together performance and comfort in a single platform. Now make way for the Burgman Street 125, the biggest 125cc scooter in terms of size but the smallest Burgman in terms of the engine.The Suzuki Burgman Street steps up the oomph factor with its maxi-scooter appearance, but underneath it shares the same powertrain and underpinning from the successful Access 125. Does the Burgman deliver on all fronts? We find out…FIRST IMPRESSIONSThe Burgman Street from Suzuki’s stable presents the best of both worlds in terms of styling. Not only does the Burgman Street draws a design language from its bigger Burgman siblings, but also creates a new segment of scooters on the concept of elegance. It is handsome enough to tempt the crowd with its bulbous appearance and has an excellent road presence.[gallery size="full" ids="7629,7627,7630"]The Burgman’s fascia largely resembles its European kin, lean and toned LED headlamp cluster dominating the angular front apron with position lights and turn signals mounted beneath. A cosmetic fly screen sits on top. Along with this fly screen, a fixed all-digital instrument console is mounted on the body. The instrument console does not turn with the handlebar on the scooter.  The rather familiar easy-on-eyes multifunction fully-digital instrument panel comes with a digital clock, fuel gauge, oil change indicator, and a dual trip meter. From its nose to the rear, the baby Burgman enjoys svelte design touches.Unlike other scooters, the Burgman sports a wide bodywork which makes way for a horizontal tail unit at the rear which is flanked by a modernistic LED combination light setup in an elongated polygonal array and a large generous grab-rail. The baby Burgman gets a cubby glove box and rack for storage. The glove box gets a DC Socket for USB charging. The solitary bag hook is placed inconveniently low to the floorboard. Just like other Suzuki’s, Suzuki has provided a centralized ignition key slot with a safety shutter, and it is also where you open the under-seat compartment from.A spacious under-seat storage capacity of 21.5L is enough to carry all your belongings.The Burgman Street rides on tubeless tyres and steel rims.  The bold image of the Burgman is only setback by its 10-inch rear rims.  The scooter is available in three colours, Metallic Mat Fibroin Grey, Glass sparkle black and Pearl Mirage White.AT THE HEARTThe Burgman is powered by the same mechanical unit from the Access. The peppy engine makes 8.6 bhp at 7000 rpm and 10.2 Nm at 5000 rpm. And it comes with a push-button starter as well as a kick lever. It comes powered by SEP (Suzuki Eco Performance) technology, which according to Suzuki, offers an optimal fuel-efficiency without compromising on either power or performance.HOW IS IT ON THE ROAD?The Burgman Street shares the same underbone chassis from the Access 125. A set of telescopic forks glide the front end and at the rear, it uses a single shock absorber. The addition of an adjustable preload feature would have been beneficial to adjust as per the passenger and cargo loads.You can commute, take the highways, ride the twisties – the Burgman won’t disappoint. In spite of its sheer size, this is a comfortable scooter thanks to the saddle height of 780mm. The riding position is comfortable and upright with the handlebar at the perfect height.  The comfortable riding position is aided by the capacious footboard. The footboards are extended up the front apron which allows the rider to extend his or her legs for a laid-back riding position, practically like a cruiser. Pilot and pillion sit in a long single soft padded seat with no sacrifice on comfort for riders of various builds. The ease with which the scooter performs is lively.The Burgman is quite agile in traffic. Performance is adequate and the scooter is peppy enough for city riding.  Low-speed maneuvers are easy and it’s the kind of thing you should really consider when purchasing a maxi-scooter. With its easy acceleration and adequate throttle-response, the Burgman is an able performer even on narrow, twisty, or congested streets.Braking performance on the Burgman is progressive. A single 170mm, single disc slows the front wheel and a 130mm drum brakes the rear wheel. The brakes are very good, though the front lacks power. But use both firmly and you’ll engage the Combined Braking System. As the name suggests, CBS helps in engaging both brakes when the rear brake is applied. This comes in handy on our roads.While the front soaks up bumps really well, the rear remains a little stiff. However, due to the weighty rear, the scooter does bounce a bit less. Nevertheless, the ride quality is good as the Burgman is stable to ride.IS THIS FOR YOU?The USP of the Suzuki Burgman Street 125 is its styling. However, it does deliver on all fronts. It ticks all the right boxes in terms of styling, handling, and refinement. The baby Burgman will make you look premium, whether you are commuting to work or doing occasional highway runs.You wonder if the asking price is a bit too much. Well, if you want to stand out from the pack and are willing to spend a premium, Burgman Street will be a convincing addition to your garage. Burgman Street may not be the first maxi-scooter in the Nepalese market, but it looks promising for a lot of right reasons.