Scooter news

Suzuki's Burgman series has been in the country for some time, but it's only recently that the middleweight 400 has been added to the line-up. While we've been slow to get it, versions of the machine have been on offer in the European market for several years and seem to have gathered a reputation for offering solid performance and value.

Having just spent a week or two on one, I can see why. In fact, this is my pick of the Burgman line-up and it rates as one of my favourite scooters of all time.

Why? Pure and simple – the middleweight is the right compromise for someone who wants to have something that will handle city traffic, but still has more than enough performance to cope with highway use. It's much more nimble than the 650, and has that useful extra performance on tap the 250 just can't quite summon. We're talking a top speed of around 140km/h, which means you have good reserves on the freeway at legal speeds.

It's still very much a maxi scooter, but the weight (199 kilos dry is claimed) is manageable and the substantial size of the machine pays off to some extent because it offers stability and an enormous amount of luggage space. You can lock up all the riding gear under the seat, with room to spare, and walk off to that meeting.

Performance is strong. There's enough acceleration to keep even fairly enthusiastic traffic at bay, while the throttle response is entirely predictable. Steering is on the slow side – again predictable - while the suspension response is plush, without letting it get out of shape through a bumpy corner.

Braking is very good, with the long wheelbase making the whole plot very secure and the levers offering good feedback.

The fuel injected single cylinder powerplant makes its presence felt with a little vibration at various points of the rev range, but it's not intrusive enough to be regarded as harsh. Rider info includes twin trip meters, a clock, plus a multi-function display that includes fuel consumption, which seemed to be fairly accurate. We were regularly hovering around the 20km/lt mark, which should give a decent range from the claimed 13.5 litre fuel capacity.

Priced at $9490 (including a two-year warranty) plus ORC, it offers a lot of flexibility for the money.

RETRO VESPAS
Vespa's retro GT60° has sold out – 50 of the limited edition machines were imported to Australia.

However a mass-produced version, the GTV250ie, goes on sale in March. The machine borrows its mechanicals from the GTS 250, which includes a fuel-injected four-stroke powerplant.

The styling is borrowed from the very first Vespa. According to the company, two 98cc versions of the 1946 model originally went on sale: 55,000 liras for the "normal" version and 61,000 liras for the "full biscuit" incarnation, which included a speedometer, lateral stand and stylish white-trim tyres.