Expanding on an already capable package, is the new Burgman worth the EXtra money?
The Suzuki Burgman Street has been around since 2018 and save for the occasional nip and tuck, has been bereft of updates. The premium scooter game has moved a lot ahead, especially on the tech front, and Suzuki is looking for redemption with the Burgman Street EX. The new Burgman Street EX is positioned not as a variant but as a new model. It intends to move the Burgman nameplate’s premium stake further by addressing a few shortcomings and adding more tech to the mix. Are these updates a case of too little too late or can the Burgman Street EX be Suzuki’s ticket to premium scooter redemption?
At first glance, the Burgman Street EX might look identical to the standard Burgman, but it gets a 25mm longer wheelbase and is 15mm narrower. The biggest visual bugbear for Burgman Street was the tiny 10-inch rear wheel which looked disproportionate to the large body panels. It gets a new, larger 12-inch rear wheel which alleviates the visual disconnect and the Burgman’s rear end looks a lot more cohesive now. While the bodywork remains unchanged, the bronze-finished wheels amp up the scooter’s premium quotient. The Suzuki Burgman still remains a good-looking scooter, its design has aged well and still exudes a up-market feel with its fit and finish levels and high-quality switchgear.
It continues to feature a Bluetooth-enabled digital display that allows navigation, calls and text message alerts. The display itself is easy to read with its large fonts and offers important data such as average fuel consumption. Besides, the scooter gets a USB socket in a two-litre closed glovebox underneath the handlebar. You still have to flip open the seat to access the fuel filler cap underneath. That's a big miss considering that nearly every ICE scooter currently sold gets an external fuel filler cap.
Besides the larger wheel, the Street EX now gets SEP-alpha tech that includes engine start-stop function. It switches the engine off after a few seconds of idling at a stop. To start it up, simply twist the throttle. The action is effortless, thanks to the silent starter which offers one of the smoothest operations out there. It also should offer good fuel economy especially if you ride a lot in heavy traffic.
The Burgman Street EX is powered by the familiar BS6-compliant 125cc motor. Interestingly it makes 8.6PS which is 0.1PS less than the standard Burgman though maximum torque remains identical at 10Nm. The EX is peppy enough to make quick strides through city traffic. In fact there is no perceptible difference in acceleration between the standard Burgman Street and the Street EX. The power delivery is linear while refinement levels remain impressive throughout the rev range. In fact, the motor feels unstressed even at speeds above 75kmph, making it effortless to ride on the highways as well.
The riding position is upright with ample space in the footrest for a relaxed ride, and it even gets additional space to stretch out your legs, allowing you to sit in a more cruiser-like position. The seat is wide and is well contoured to hold the rider in place.
While the previous Burgman Street had a pliant ride, the new one with the larger 12-inch wheel feels stiff at the rear at low speeds. That’s partly due to the new 100/80-12 tyres having a shorter sidewall than the 90/100-10 tyre on the standard Burgman which leads to lower cushioning from the tyres. The ride quality does improve as you go faster though. That said, the Burgman Street EX is a fantastic handler like its siblings owing to its light 111kg kerb weight (one kg more than the standard Burgman). With the larger wheels, the Street EX feels more composed at higher speeds and in corners. It also feels quite nimble while cutting through city traffic. The front disc and rear drum brake setup help shed speed confidently and with minimal drama.
At Rs 1.12 lakh ex-showroom, the Suzuki Burgman Street EX costs a whopping Rs 19,300 more than the standard Burgman and Rs 15,300 more than the Burgman Ride Connect variant. That's a bitter pill to swallow considering that the major updates like the start-stop and silent start tech and a larger rear wheel, while important, do not justify the high price tag. The price gap alienates the Burgman Street EX from not just its rivals but the standard Burgman lineup as well. That's a shame given how good the scooter is. Right now, the Burgman Ride Connect variant remains the best Burgman to buy.
We feel that instead of offering a new, high-priced Burgman Street EX model, Suzuki should have offered the new updates on the current Burgman lineup with an acceptable price hike. As it stands the pricing disconnect is the one factor holding the Suzuki Burgman Street EX back from redemption.
