[Rubble]

I dropped in to a dealership on the weekend and they had the Burgman 650 and 400, Majesty and Silverwing all lined up side by side on the floor (all '05's). What a great opportunity to see how they stack up to each other.

My first impression: The digital dash of the 650 really is lacking. That is probably the weakest part of all the scooters combined (in my eyes).
Second impression: The Silverwing and Majesty feel very similar to me and both have gorgeous analogue instruments.
Third impression: The Burgman 400 feels too low - even for my shortish legs.
Fourth impression: The Burgman 650, although not physically that much bigger than the rest, just feels too ponderous to me.

The Majesty and Silverwing will have to go through some battles before one is declared the clear winner. That's to say nothing of the fact that I'm still considering some sort of a 'real' motorcycle as well. I won't be deciding anything till after the January motorcycle shows.

 

[RonStewart]

What dealer was that, Rubble?

 

[Rubble]

That was Harbour Motorsports in Nanaimo, Ron. Great place, great selection and good honest advice.

 

[texascycle]

I basically observed the same when seeing all the big scoots side by side. I chose the Yamaha because of the way the suspension felt and after reading about how it was designed. The frame is top notch, access to the engine top is simple, maintenance is minimal and the topper was the mpg. I already have an FZ1 that gets 45 mpg. The Majesty averages 55 while the Silverwing averages in the 40's. I just could not see getting a scooter with nearly half the displacement that gets the same mpg as a 143 hp motorcycle. After riding the Majesty around for a while I also came to the conclusion that it is probably the best all around scoot for its size, power, economy, versatility, handling and with 6k miles on the ticker ... reliability.

Now that being said, I don't have as much information on the details of riding the Silverwing, so I might be missing a detail or two.

 

[Rider1]

I too am shopping and, at the time, seem to be between the B400 and the Majesty. There were shopping trips when I was whisker close to making a purchase. I think Rubble was lucky having them all side by side. My mood often seems to belong to the one (and usually only one) model that is in the show room. I sat on an 06 S500 and really liked the bike (maintenence issues aside). Biggest problem for me was I could not flat foot the machine unless I scooted up on the seat--otherwise I was solidly on the balls of my feet but not what I want (also made the seat uncomfortable). I agree with Rubble that on the B400, for me, it seemed that the seat may have been a little too low and that I had to raise my foot too much to get it back on the floor board. But, certainly made me feel I had good control of the bike when stopped. Probably would have felt even lower if I had riding boots on but something you would just get used to. I suspect that a seat pad of some sort would solve the problem and perhaps make the lower seating-- perception (or reality)--a plus to consider. Now, on the Majesty it was like the story of the three bears.....S500 too high, B400 too low, Majesty just right. In any event still shopping for the Spring, a 12v outlet would probably put the Majesty over the top.

 

[texascycle]

Stereo, gps and a low output turbo wouldn't hurt either. :mrgreen:

 

[calgary2800]

I checked out all the big Scoots before I bougth my 05 Majesty

Here were my thoughts on them

silverwing-nice dash, doesnt have a sporting enough feel to it. Too heavy if its heavier than my old zx9 its just too much heft. Feels too long.

Burg 400- terrible service intervals, valves need t be check every 4k. Looks and feels very sporty. The best looking big scooter around imho.

Honda Relfex-249 cc is just not enough. Looks excellent

Burg650- I would need to hit the gym and lift some major weights to handle that thing, no way would I buy one.

I thought the Majesty was the best rounded bike out there right now and after checking the service intervals over the Burg400 I know I made the right choice.

 

[gruntled]

My first impression: The digital dash of the 650 really is lacking. That is probably the weakest part of all the scooters combined (in my eyes).
Second impression: The Silverwing and Majesty feel very similar to me and both have gorgeous analogue instruments.

I have to say that I feel the instrument panel on the Majesty is
one of it's weakest points. I have mentioned several times that I have difficulty seeing the instruments in bright sunlight. Another problem is that each segment of the guages moves an entire segment abruptly. This applies to the gas guage and the temperature guage as well. There is also no oil pressure guage. I'm far more concerned with getting correct and useful information than I am in how it looks.

 

[MinnMax]

The important thing in choosing a maxiscooter is evident from all of these posts, see it, sit on it, research it, then choose the one the best fits you and your needs.

Since personal preference differ, my thoughts varies from Rubble's findings. In many cases I have actually had the chance to ride the big scoots in question so that might also be a factor.

• Suzuki Burgman 650 - Amazingly powerful touring machine with a greater max load capability then a Honda Gold Wing. I love the digital dash and find it very easy to ride and maneuverable in motion, though it is a bit of a bear to push around in a garage. I own one and get 50~52 miles per gallon riding two-up, which is better fuel economy than most Silver Wing owners I know.
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• Honda Silver Wing 600 - Sharp looking machine with plenty of power, yet quite agile for a maxiscooter of its size. Max load rating is a bit low if you are looking to do two-up touring.
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• 500cc maxiscooters - Skipping this category for now. Lots of good ones out there. I know plenty of folks riding Aprilia and Piaggio maxiscooters and loving them. Still, their dealer / support network is a bit limited in the U.S. when compared to Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.
  [/*]
• Suzuki Burgman 400 - Quick, agile, easy to ride. Impressive fuel economy (a friend gets around 70 mpg with his) and nice looking. Good leg room and well laid out storage.
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• Yamaha Majesty 400 - pretty snazzy machine, solidly built and a good blend of size, economy, and power. A very versatile machine. If it meets your needs and feels comfortable to you, it really is an excellent choice.
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• 250cc maxiscooters - Too many to go into much detail. Good machines for around town, day rides, and even adequate for solo touring. I own a Honda Reflex which my wife now rides. Fun scoot, eye catching looks, a bit slow on acceleration, even compared to other 250cc machines, but rock solid reliability.[/*]