Suzuki Burgman 400 test: Introduction, positioning and rivals of the Suzuki Burgman 400
When Suzuki presented the Burgman family in the late 1990s, the Japanese brand not only presented a scooter, but also began its own interpretation of the urban and suburban maxi-scooter: comfortable, with great carrying capacity and behavior anchored in practicality.
The Burgman range arrived in Spain in different displacements (125, 200, 250, 400 and 650 cm3), but it was the 400 cc version – commonly known as Burgman 400 or AN400 – that over time would become the flagship of those who had to go to work from the outskirts to the city center with, incidentally, a chic touch.
Since its first generations, the Burgman 400 has played with a clear balance: ease of handling and comfort on the one hand; Enough power and stability to ride on the road for another. This balance forced Suzuki to evolve the engine and the chassis with each renewal: revisions of the cylinder head, injection and electronic management to reduce consumption and emissions and ergonomic improvements to increase capacity and habitability for pilot and passenger.
The result has been a scooter that, generation after generation, is better adapted to mixed use – city and surrounding areas – without becoming a “pure roadster” or a mere urban scooter, although for this it has paid the toll of losing part of its legendary carrying capacity along the way.
The most recent update was the one aimed at the Euro 5 and later Euro 5+ regulations: in addition to adjustments in the combustion and the adoption of elements such as double spark plugs or new injections, Suzuki incorporated modern electronic aids (traction control, Suzuki Easy Start) to place the Burgman 400 in line with what customers expect today from a megascooter, that is, active safety, low consumption and a more technological presentation.
This update reaffirmed the vocation of the Burgman: a robust platform, with contained weight and size for its displacement and with a level of comfort that makes it valid for both daily travel and even weekend getaways.
In terms of market, the Burgman 400 (29 HP, €6,499) has managed to retain a loyal clientele within the upper-medium segment of GT scooters, although its price was above average. With the new price of €6,499, it can finally compete directly with models such as the BMW C 400 GT (34 HP, €8,940), Honda Forza 350 (29 HP, €6,550), Kymco Xciting VS 400 (33.3 HP, €6,590). Peugeot XP 400 Allure (37 HP, €6,999), QJ Motor 4.0 (34 HP, 4,999), Piaggio Beverly 400 (35 HP, €6,350), SYM Maxsym 400 (34 HP, €5,799), Voge SR4 Radar (34 HP, €5,892) or Zontes 368 E (34 HP, €5,087).
Among all of these, the Burgman 400 does not seek to be the most “radical”, nor the most powerful, nor the one with the most gadgets; Its historical and current virtue is practicality and manageability in a very stable set, of very good quality and a pleasant and proportional aesthetic.
Suzuki Burgman 400 test: Technical characteristics of the Suzuki Burgman 400
The Burgman 400 has a 400 cc water-cooled single-cylinder engine, with a four-valve cylinder head and DOHC system, equipped with electronic injection that complies with the Euro 5+ standard. The declared power is around 29 HP; The engine update includes elements such as double spark plugs and changes in injection management to optimize combustion and consumption.
Thanks to engine optimization and electronic management, the Burgman 400 reports consumption of around 4.3l/100 which, combined with its tank capacity, offers a range of more than 300 km between refuelings. With the renewal to Euro 5+, Suzuki incorporates traction control in the Burgman 400.
It is not a scooter oriented towards electronic “overdose”, such as a giant screen or multiple engine modes, but it does integrate the essentials: quality ABS, traction control and modernized ignition/starting systems (Suzuki Easy Start).
In the cycle part, Suzuki maintains a tubular frame, designed for a compromise between rigidity and comfort; The suspension measures are conservative, but effective: conventional front fork (41 mm diameter bars) and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock.
The set seeks to offer stability at cruising speed and maneuverability in the city, with a low center of gravity that helps in low-speed turns and parking maneuvers. The brake system combines 260 mm discs at the front and a 210 mm disc at the rear, both assisted by a slightly more reactive ABS.
One of the legendary assets of the Burgman 400 had been its space under the seat. This latest generation has lost part of that capacity in order to be narrower and more contained in its volumes. Now it has capacity for a full-face helmet and then some, but it no longer leaves you speechless. If, for example, you go with your partner to a concert or to the cinema, you will need an additional trunk if you want to leave both (full-face) helmets safe.
The seat is very comfortable (it has lumbar support) and is only 755 mm high above the ground, affordable for any height and making paddling with your legs or standing maneuvers much easier. Getting it onto the easel doesn’t cost much. The care for storage and practicality is also reflected in the front glove boxes which, however, do not have a key closure. The handbrake between the glove boxes, at the height of the clausor, is very appreciated and is easy to activate and release. The seat remains open thanks to a pneumatic piston.
The Burgman 400 proposal focuses on making your life easy in the most comfortable way, without giving up dynamic effectiveness. Far from overwhelming in dimensions and equipment, it seems that it wants to tell you: “I’m going to convince you quickly of what you need.” In less than a week he has achieved it with me.
Suzuki Burgman 400 test: How the Suzuki Burgman 400 goes
When I went to pick up the test unit to enjoy it for a week, I was pleasantly surprised by the bottle green of the body, in combination with the shiny gold wheels. I was expecting the usual black Burgman, a color that never looks bad, but it doesn’t help to see the real volumes of motorcycles and scooters. I was immediately able to appreciate the stylized and elegant lines that the Burgman’s design emanates and that do not betray the spirit of previous generations.
It is clear that the Burgman 400 does not follow current trends, but rather sticks to what has always worked well for it. Far from resorting to the race for ridiculous equipment, it relies on impeccable behavior in the city and on the highway, finesse of operation and precision of the throttle grip. All of this can be achieved without power maps, directing the existing technology towards safety and the systems that are used daily: traction control, ABS and the easy start system (as long as you use it, you will start the motorcycle).
The price to pay is a simple instrumentation, bordering on the Spartan. Two large needle clocks indicate speed and rpm and between them a small LCD screen presents the rest of the information (trips, consumption, temperature, autonomy), but never at the same time. Releasing your hands from the grips to touch two buttons (set/adj) as on wrist Casios does not seem the most appropriate to search for information on the screen of a 400 scooter in 2026.
Once you assume that this is the case and that it is part of the scooter’s approach, you abandon yourself to its benefits, which begin with a very relaxed driving position. The low seat helps move the motorcycle, whether you are on it or not, and makes all types of maneuvers easier. The handlebars are at the right height and distance and the turning angle is excellent.
With those wickers, all that remains is to start. The engine sound is discreet, but it reacts smoothly and precisely to the request for gas. You immediately feel like you’ve been driving it your whole life. In demand of the big city, I am preparing to join a highway, where it quickly adapts to the speed of traffic (120 km/h) with a reserve of more than 2,000 rpm up to maximum speed.
It may not be the most powerful engine, but with an adjustment of the variator development to short, it allows it to operate very easily from idle to the maximum authorized speeds, with a reserve of power above. The aerodynamic protection is also very good (if it rains, there are such traffic jams that the scooter makes even more sense) at cruising speed.
Speaking of cruising, it is a shame that it does not incorporate an idem control, to be used in the section radar or limitation areas of the ring road, let’s hope it arrives in the next renewal.
Upon reaching the city and in severe traffic, it surprises with its ability to wriggle. It is narrow, low and turns a lot, while the engine takes you out of all situations with sufficiency, since its thrust torque is, in addition to being vigorous, joyful. The same thing happens when hitting the road. Its wheelbase accentuates its extraordinary stability in medium and long radius curves, following the trajectory with exquisite precision.
The feel of the suspensions and brakes is magnificent; The Burgman 400 brakes very well, but be careful not to press the lever hard, it stops the ABS from coming into action. For this reason, it is much more pleasant (due to predictability) to circulate fluidly between curves. Due to the design of the scooter, it does not make sense to enter “to the kitchen”, braking to turn on a tile and leave at the same time as the gas. After all, it is more than 220 kg in running order. Properly carried, they are barely noticeable, but if you struggle with how to carry a long wheelbase scooter, they come out to greet you, like the annoying neighbors.
The Burgman 400 enjoys driving through curves, with your feet resting on the platform and with a relaxed posture, while you perceive the quality and harmony that the Burgman 400 exudes. I’m going to have a hard time returning it when the week is over.
