Suzuki Burgman Street Long-Term Report

So when I heard that Suzuki was giving the Burgman as a long-termer for a couple of months, I was really excited. The scooter has now been with me for more a month and I have been riding it around the streets of Mumbai.

Now the two-wheeler space in India is very vast. What better way is there to easily commute in heavy traffic conditions, other than a scooter? The Burgman is India's first maxi-scooter and looks completely different from the ocean of other scooters on the roads today.

Design & Features

Speaking about the design, the Burgman 125 borrows its styling cues from its elder sibling, the Suzuki Burgman 650, which is only available in international markets. Just like the Suzuki Intruder 150 is based on the Gixxer platform. Moreover, the Burgman Street shares its underpinnings from the most-popular 125cc scooter offering from the brand - the Suzuki Access 125.

Obviously, there is no doubt about the Burgman's appearance; its a big head-turner. People on the road, especially at stop lights have asked me about the Burgman and that's because there's been nothing like it in the Indian market till now. The other thing that makes it appealing to the eye is its sheer bulk and size.

Up front, the big apron with the small flyscreen is flanked on either side with chrome strips, give it a commanding presence on the road. The all-LED headlights with DRLs are placed just below the flyscreen and provide great visibility. The turn indicators are neatly integrated on to the sides of the front apron.

As you move to the side, you will notice that the Burgman features sculpted panels that give it a very distinctive character. The scooter also gets a chrome ‘Burgman Street' badge on the side; giving it a premium look.

At the rear, the neatly-carved LED tail light looks really good, however, the halogen indicators at the rear are a bit of a let down. The seat is long and offers enough cushioning for a comfortable ride for both the rider and the pillion. There is also a large grab rail at the end. The scooter gets a chunky and sporty-looking exhaust muffler which matches its overall appearance.

The only thing that I felt to be bit disproportionate to the rest of the scooter was the 10-inch alloy wheel with 100 mm tyre. Suzuki could have fitted the scooter with a fatter rear tyre, which would've complimented the large rear section.

The Burgman Street is also the first scooter from Suzuki to get a fully digital instrument cluster. The large screen with the white backlight, makes its easy to read even on a bright sunny day. The screen features the speedometer, odometer, two trip meters, a clock and the fuel gauge.

As far as practicality goes, the Burgman Street comes loaded with quite a few features. This includes two large storage compartments at the front - a bottle holder (with around two-litre capacity) and a smaller compartment with the optional 12W charging socket inside. It offers enough space to fit both your phone and wallet, however, it would have been better if the lid had a lock to it.

The scooter's footboard is really broad; Suzuki has given the Burgman Street a forward-biased footrest position, further providing a unique riding position. The scooter also features an aluminium footrest for the pillion.

The under seat storage is opened via the multi-function key slot and comes with a 21.5-litre capacity; the largest in its class. However, a full-face helmet stuggles to fit in, while a boot light is also missing.

Engine & Real-World Performance

Powering the Burgman Street is the same engine as on the Access 125 - a 124 cc, single-cylinder engine which makes 8.6bhp and 10.2Nm of peak torque. This engine has got a good mid-range and this makes overtaking easy in urban road conditions.

The engine is smooth while riding around the city, however, it does tend to make a harsh noise at high speeds. The Burgman Street is nonetheless a fun to ride scooter.

During the time the scooter was with me it also required an oil change, which was indicated on the speedometer. So, I called up Suzuki and told them about it and the very next day, I took the scooter to the nearest showroom and within 45 minutes everything was done.

Well, after the oil change was done, in the real-world conditions, the scooter returned us an average fuel efficiency figure of around 43km/l; not bad for a 125cc scooter. The tank capacity is 5.6 litres and after brimming it up, you can easily get a range of around 250 kilometers.

Promeet Ghosh Thinks!

The Suzuki Burgman Street looks good, rides smoothly and handles excellently. Till now, I have ridden close to 2400 kilometers and faced no issues at all. The scooter is low maintenance and the service provided by the Suzuki dealership is excellent.

The Burgman is Rs 8,000 more expensive compared to the Access. However, if you have some extra money to spare and want something fancy with a lot of utility, the Burgman Street 125 will be the perfect choice for you.