For some time, it seemed like the growing small maxi-scooter battle would be just between Honda and Yamaha. However, that’s about to change with the arrival of Suzuki’s latest model, the Burgman Street.
The maxi-scooter you can afford
The Burgman Street carries all the hallmarks of a maxi-scooter with European styling, LED lighting, and underseat storage. It also hopes to undercut its competitors from Honda and Yamaha by offering it a far more affordable price.
Because it was launched virtually, and we had little opportunity to personally examine it, Suzuki Philippines invited us to their facility in Laguna to test the new Burgman Street in person.
Baby Burgman
Named after the Burgman maxi-scooter family that’s available in 200 and 400cc, the Burgman Street is the newest, most affordable of the family. Unlike its bigger brothers, the Street is a step-through scooter with a fully-flat floorboard. It’s designed for use in the city, and as such, comes with sophisticated styling and a number of practical features.
Made for the city
Despite the elaborate maxi-scooter styling, the Burgman Street is still pretty compact and lightweight in form. It tips the scales at just 110 kg and has a very low seat height of 780mm. It’s very easy to hop on, even for the shorter of stature. It’s also easy to walk with and maneuver the bike, making it perfect for the typically tight motorcycle parking spaces.
More storage
The bike still uses a conventional key to turn it on and unlock compartments. Before starting it up, we took the time to check out some of the compartments. The front shield has one open and one closed compartment. The closed compartment hides a power socket for a USB charger (charger sold separately).
The open compartment is pretty big and can easily fit a liter bottle of water. The closed compartment is huge too, easily swallowing up my long wallet and large phone with no trouble.
We tested the underseat storage. Unfortunately, it can’t fit an XL-size full face or modular helmet. Even my quarter face helmet wouldn’t fit. This space is best used for other more critical items rather than a helmet.
For added convenience, there’s a utility hook on the front shield and another foldable one right under the seat.
Getting comfortable
It’s fairly easy to adjust to the Burgman Street as the floorboard is very long and wide, allowing you to position your feet however you like. There’s even an inclined area near the front to put your feet up, cruiser style, for a more relaxing ride.
The mirrors are mounted slightly lower and further outward than most bikes. As such, adjust them with that in mind. It's very easy to snag them on something when riding in between cars.
With our items stored, it was time for the ride. With an electric starter button, the engine quickly came to life. Upon starting, all the LED lights automatically come on. It also lights up the full digital meter panel with 2 trip counters and digital speed display.
Rolling out
The real treat to the Burgman Street is the ride itself. It has lots of grunt from a standstill and quickly accelerates to 60 km/h. Acceleration from that point onward is a little slower as it makes its way to its top speed of about 95 km/h.
Another enjoyable aspect is its handling. With its 12-inch wheels, the Burgman Street is pretty agile. It changes direction very easily, and can make tighter U-turns than most bikes. It’s also quite stable at speed and easy to keep on course.
Coming to a stop is not a problem. With a disc in front and drum brake at the back, it's very easily to slow it down. Suzuki has also thrown in a combined braking system which activates both front and rear brakes when pressed harder.
As for the ride and suspension, the Burgman Street is clearly a city bike. As such, it can handle the usual small cracks and potholes you’ll encounter in the city, but may have trouble with bigger road irregularities.
Great pricing
All in all, the Burgman Street is a very unique offering. It combines maxi-scooter styling with a convenient step-through floor. It’s very easy to ride and is actually quite agile. The best part is really the price of PhP 76,900, some PhP40 – 50K less than the 150cc maxi-scooter models of its competitors.
Of course, this appealing price point comes with a few compromises like a smaller 125cc engine, no ABS, and a keyed ignition. However, for much of its target market, these aspects probably won’t be a problem. The Burgman Street brings the style and prestige of maxi-scooters to a market that found the current offerings expensive.
When it first launched, many riders were wondering why Suzuki opted to spec it with a 125cc engine. Yet when you consider its competition, it seems Suzuki has done its homework. Neither the Nmax or PCX offer a 125cc version. They're both quite expensive and come with a lot of tech that some riders wouldn't miss. Just look at how the non-ABS Nmax flew off the shelf when it was finally offered.
After a ride on it, it’s pretty clear that the Burgman Street is well worth the very reasonable price. It only includes the features that riders really look for, allowing Suzuki to bring the price way down and maybe even steal a few customers from Honda and Yamaha. Perhaps in a few months, we’ll see Suzuki catch up to its maxi-scooter competitors in terms of sales.
