Dear Burg Man,

I was wondering if you could advise me.

If I were to import a Burgman 400 2008 from the USA into Israel where would you recommend that I purchase it from in the US?

Do you know of anyone who caters in exporting bikes there?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Sebastian

Sebastian, I’d certainly be able to assist you if I could in your quest for your Burgman but I’m sure there are others here who may have already had a similar experience. Let’s hope they comment on this article.

I have looked into importing vehicles into the U.S. and sending vehicles to the U.S. from abroad and I learned one valuable thing. It seems that very few, if any, countries have a problem with you sending a scooter, motorcycle or vehicle out of the country but the issue seems to be if the vehicle will meet the import requirements of the country it is going in to.

I would suggest that you first check with the department of transportation or motor vehicle agency to make sure that the year and model Burgman is eligible for import without any modifications. If it is, then making transportation arrangements is a fairly straightforward process.

Maybe one of our readers that lives near a major seaport would also be available to make sure the transaction goes through at a port local dealership and shipping arrangements are made for you.

Steve
AKA ‘The Burg Man’

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“I just sold a Burgman 400 and now I’m torn on what to get next. My friend has a nice Burgman 650 Exec (2006 with extended warranty and less than 2000 miles) but he wants $7500 for it. For that price I can get a small cruiser!

I’m new to riding and don’t know which way to go.

Is the Burgman 650 really something that I can drive on a 200 mile road trip? Will it really cruise on the interstate? Can I really go 2 up since I weigh 300 and my wife is pushing 200 pounds (don’t tell her I said that)?

I really enjoyed my 400 but bought it used and didn’t like the clicking noise.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.”

John,

Thank you for writing in.

If you went off and purchased another type of bike, because the 650 is really a motorcycle, that’s absolutely fine. I’d still welcome you are a former Burgmaner.

Ultimately the choice of what to ride will come down to personal choice, comfort and performance.

I’m confident that there is nothing that says officially that 500 pounds of riders is within limits on the Burgman 650, but I have every confidence in the world that it will haul you around. It think the most I have ever done two-up is 455 pounds but I didn’t notice much change in performance. Even at that load the Burgman 650 really moves. I could easily cruise comfortably for hours.

If you get a chance you might want to read the comparison I wrote between the 400 scooter and 650 motorcycle.

Probably the most important feature to look as you search for your next ride, maybe the most important for your wife, will be comfort. I am told that the back seat on the Burgman 650 is fairly comfortable especially since it has reasonable floorboards for the passenger and does not make them have their legs all jacked up on tiny pegs.

As a rider, I find it much more comfortable to carry passengers on my Burgman 650 Executive than I ever did on my massive BMW K1200LT. If the Burgman and the BMW were sitting side by side and I had to do a two-up ride, I’d take the Burgman without a doubt.

It might seem a bit silly but I’d suggest that you and your wife go and put the Burgman on the center stand and both sit on it for 15 minutes, then go and repeat that test on some small cruiser you might be considering. Ask her which is more comfortable.

As for the 200 road trip, riders have done road trips ten times as long without a problem. In fact tomorrow I’m off on a little 521 mile jaunt to the Mentone rally. And once I get there I’ll probably do another 400 miles and then 521 miles back home. The Burgman can take it without a problem. In fact some might say that 200 miles is just a trip to the store to get milk.

Thank you for sending in your question.

Steve
The Burg Man

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If you have a question you can ask for advice as well. I can’t promise Einstein level answers but I’ll do my best and I’m confident others will offer their feedback and opinion in the comments as well. There is a great group of people here.

If you have a question you want to ask, just use the form at the bottom of this post.

Terry Asks:

“Hey Steve,

I am SUCH a newbie – never driven a scooter or cycle before. Am looking hard at an 05 Burgman.

Concerns: I’m very short – even for a woman – 5′2″, and with my inexperience and ‘low center of gravity’ I just want to make sure I’m not looking at more bike than I can handle. I should tell you that I can walk a 15gal tree 50′ and have better upper body strength than most women my age (48 if you must know). I’m also considering a Piaggio BV250 but am really enamored with this Burgman. Any thoughts?“

Terry,

Thank you for writing in. First off, if I’m ever in a Burgman rumble and need a bit of backup to get out of a tough bar fight, my vote is that you’re by my side. I don’t know how big a 15gal tree is but I know for certain you’d carry it further than me. Wow!

As for the scooter, you can see my review of the 400 & 650 here. While that review gives you some comparisons between the models it does not really answer all your questions.

There are a couple of factors that lead me to strongly encourage you to consider the Burgman 400 rather than the Burgman 650. First off is your height. Trust me, there is nothing more unnerving for the newbie rider as not being able to firmly plant you feet on the ground when you stop. There is enough other stuff to worry about instead of being concerned if you are going to plop over.

The 400 is a little closer to the ground, it is lighter and it is a bit less of a sport bike off the line, all factors that make the 400 a more logical choice of the two Burgie models.

The low center of gravity with either Burgman model would only be a benefit to you. The low center of gravity makes the scooters easier to handle when you are getting on and off. After having ridden a top heavy motorcycle before, let me assure you, that’s not a whole lot of fun at times. Besides, your ‘low center of gravity’ would only be at home on the scooter.

The Piaggio BV250 is a nice scooter as well. (Piaggio’s for sale today.) I’m not going to knock any scooter becuase ultimately scooter choice come down to a number of factors and one of those is personal preference. If you have not read it, Norm Weaver did an awesome job of how to find a scooter that is right for you in my interview with him.

Not that it is a deciding factor but I was surprised to see that Piaggio says that 91 octane was the minimum you should use. Of course the reported mpg with the Piaggio BV250 is around 67 mpg so you’d still be spending a lot less than you would on a car or truck.

I think that before you can decide which is right for you, you first have to acknowledge that a significant part of the decision making process is emotional. And after all my years I’ve come to learn that emotions are a whole lot more powerful than logic.

No matter which scooter you decide on, I’m sure the majority of readers here would support my emphatic recommendation that you take and pass a Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner rider class first, before you purchase either scooter. It’s hard to do, because when we get the riding bug, the first thing we want to do is jump on and ride.

But if you decide to hang with the Piaggio crowd or join us in the Burgman camp, no matter what, I want you to be safe, not afraid to ride, and enjoy your scooter for many years to come. And if you decide to get the Piaggio, no worries, I’ll still ride with you.

The Burg Man
Steve

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