Suzuki Burgman 400 v Kymco AK550

Suzuki's Burgman 400 was a big innovation when it launched in Europe in 1998, being the first of the big-capacity scoots and even pre-dating Yamaha's original TMAX 500, commonly regarded as the first maxi-scooter when it arrived in 2001.

Now the Burgman 400 has been updated, the model sporting a new look, a larger 15-inch front wheel and a redesigned underseat storage space. It's also slimmed down, the engineers trimming some 7kg from the overall package.

Is that enough, however, for it to weather a new attack in the form of Kymco's AK550? The model lobbed Down Under just recently and it sports a load of high-tech gear, including Bluetooth connectivity, a USB charger, LED lighting, tyre pressure monitoring and a complementary smartphone app.

The two models both fall under the maxi-scooter umbrella, and while this amounts to a relatively small niche in Australia compared to Europe, these big scoots are in fact a very comfortable, convenient and practical means of transport.

Yes, scooter folk are different to motorcycle folk, and maxi-scooter folk are a niche within a niche, but let's take a closer look at these two seemingly similar steeds.

SUZUKI AN400 BURGMAN PRICING AND SPECS
KYMCO AK550 PRICING AND SPECS

Performance gap
Obviously there's a capacity deficit here, with the Kymco's 550cc parallel-twin a fair leap up from the Suzuki's 399cc single. Kymco quotes maximum outputs of 53.4hp and 55.6Nm for its AK550 versus 31.3hp and 36Nm for the Burgman. That's a big hurdle to overcome, even despite the Burgman's claimed weight advantage of 11kg (215kg versus 226kg).

That's a fair bit of bulk on both accounts, but the format's inherently low centre of gravity means each feels lighter and easier to manage than the specs suggest.

Those outputs translate to a clear winner on the road: the Kymco surges ahead of the Suzuki throughout the rev-range, and while the Suzuki will still leap ahead of any four-wheeled vehicle and many lower-capacity bikes from a stationary start, it's outgunned here by the Kymco in both acceleration and outright speed. You can expect around 130km/h from the Burgman and upwards of 170km/h on the AK550, or so we're told…

The Kymco also has a better suspension and chassis package; it feels just that little be more planted on the road than the Suzuki, although it can be said both bikes feel far more like motorcycles than their smaller step-through siblings in this respect, thanks to decent shocks, forks and chassis.

For the uninitiated, it's a real eye-opener to see just how well these things can carve through a corner. They each hold their line well and their 15-inch rims and long wheelbases afford a reassuring degree of stability, even at higher speeds and over less-than-ideal surfaces.

Braking? Both have twin-disc front ends but the AK550's four-piston Brembo setup is markedly better than the Suzuki's Tokico twin-piston equivalent, the Kymco having more power and better feel. Still, the Suzuki pulls up well too, and both are backed by ABS.

Comfort, storage, and technology
The Kymco is the roomier of the two. At 188cm tall, I found I could have my feet forward or flat on the floorboards on the AK550, while on the Burgman having them forward was the only option – I was just too cramped on the Suzuki to have my feet flat.

The Kymco's screen offers more protection than the Suzuki's but both these scoots have excellent weather protection in general.

Secure underseat storage is a big bonus with scooters and, while both have sizeable boots, the Suzuki wins out here. It's possible to store a full-face lid in the Suzuki's front-hinged boot plus other bits and pieces, but the Kymco's rear hinged boot is a bit of an odd shape, with room for an open-face lid only. The Kymco does, however, have a handy boot light.

Then we come to technology, where the Suzuki – recently updated though it is – simply can't match the latest from Taiwan. The AK550 has Bluetooth connectivity, and a number of features can be accessed through the accompanying 'Noodoe' smartphone app.

This means that – with the AK550 at a standstill – riders can cycle through their smartphone notifications, while on the move it's possible to cycle through up to six of your favourite photos, which are displayed on the centre oval TFT display of the AK's impressive instruments.

Answers to questions no-one asked? Perhaps – or perhaps that's showing my age. Hopping on the bike for the first time and being visually assaulted by a variety of 'suggestive' photos of Editor Fattore was good for a giggle, I must admit…

Oh, and there's also a navigation function of sorts, where you can enter some of your most common destinations so it can guide you to them using a 'radar', of sorts – or to other Noodoe app users you've invited to join your group, so you keep track of your AK550-riding gang.

Alternatively, you can tailor that centre display to show an analogue-style clock or a digital speedo, the latter with a (small) clock.

To be honest, the Noodoe app is a little clunky and possibly superfluous, but the broader importance here, for me, was the hint it provides of just how networked and integrated our motorcycles and scooters will be in years to come.

The Internet of Things is growing ever greater, and bikes – like all road transport – will inevitably become a part of it. Smart navigation with live traffic updates – that's more the sort of thing I'd like to see in this model, ahead of photos of the kids…

I digress… The rest of the Kymco's instrumentation is super bright and easy to read, but while there's a trip computer giving most of the usual data, oddly it doesn't have a range-to-empty function. Neither does the Suzuki, which has far more limited instrumentation in comparison that nevertheless still looks classy and has all the basic functions.

Fuel economy
Speaking of fuel, it was no surprise to see the Suzuki top the Kymco for economy. With its extra performance, the Kymco recorded an average figure of 4.5lt/100km, versus 3.6lt/100km for the Suzuki. That spells a safe fuel range of over 300km for each model, but an extra 40 or so kays from the Suzuki.

The tyre pressure monitoring is a welcome bonus on the Kymco, as is the full LED lighting. In practical terms the model is really only let down by the smaller storage space, a cable park brake lever that's too easy to leave on when you ride off, and an odd starter button that doubles as the hazard light switch (it's way too easy to accidentally activate the hazards).

Australia importer Mojo Motorcycles offers the Kymco AK550 with two years of roadside assistance and a two-year factory warranty – potentially three if you have the scoot serviced at an authorised Kymco dealer as per the recommended schedule – while the Burgman comes with Suzuki's usual two-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Kymco's national dealer network is smaller than Suzuki's, but both brands have outlets in every Australian state and territory.

Summing up
The Kymco AK550 is the clear winner here, even if it's $1500 more to purchase ($11,990 plus on-roads versus $10,490 plus on-roads) and to fuel.

If you're shopping around in this market don't forget to look at Yamaha's TMAX 530 ABS, too. Its parallel-twin is more of a match for the AK550 than the Burgman's single, but we focused here on the two cheaper maxis – the TMAX is priced from $13,999 plus on-roads, which puts it more in the company of BMW's C 650 Sport ($14,390 plus on-roads) and C 650 GT ($15,290 plus on-roads).

The Suzuki Burgman 400 is still as capable and enjoyable to ride as ever, but Kymco's AK550 has effectively moved the goalposts and left what arguably started the genre in its wheel tracks…