2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Scooter – Review

Price: £2999 | Power: 8.5bhp | Weight: 112kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: 5/5

The Suzuki Burgman Street EX, to give it its full title, completes the 3-bike assault on the UK 125cc scooter market alongside the classically styled Address and the sporty Avenis.

Aimed at the more luxury-focused city commuter, the Burgman is the most expensive of the three bikes, but at just £2999 (plus the usual OTR costs) it hardly breaks the bank.

Where does that extra money go, and is it worth the extra over the other bikes in the range? We spent a day 'commuting' from Cambridge to Ely, on Suzuki's Burgman 125 to find out.

Review – In Detail

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Price

The Suzuki Burgman was always touted as the luxury option in the three-bike Suzuki scooter range and that’s not only reflected in the spec, but also, as you would imagine, in the price with the 2033 Suzuki Burgman coming in at £2999 plus OTR costs (£3078 on the road) compared to £2699 for the sportier Avenis and £2499 for the classically styled Address.

For the UK market, the Burgman comes in three suitably sombre business-like colours – Pearl Moon Stone Grey (as tested), Metallic Matt Black No.2, and Pearl Mirage White – all at the same price. All bikes are available in dealers now.

Despite the premium over the other bikes in the range, this price still pits the Burgman at an advantage against top selling bikes such as Honda's PCX125 at £3,599 and Yamaha's NMAX at £3,777 and while the Burgman doesn’t quite meet the same performance specs of the other bikes (more on that later), it's not a saving to be ignored.

Despite the budget price tag, its still a lot of money to fork out in one go and PCP deals are not available on the scooter range, so Suzuki have a 9.9% APR finance deal in place for the Burgman (and Avenis and Address if they are more to your liking).

A typical example, detailed below, means that you can be on road for as little as £500 upfront and a monthly commitment of just over £80 per month.

When it comes to the end of the three years, if existing used prices are anything to go buy, you could well be able to recoup a large proportion of your outlay.

With the popularity of food delivery services, second-hand scooter prices have never been higher and the Burgman would be an ideal candidate for such a role.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Power and Licence Eligibility

As with all A1 bikes and scooters, you can ride the Suzuki Burgman on a provisional licence (or car licence) so long as you are over 17 and have taken your Compulsory Basic Training (CBT). This will give you 2 years on the road before needing to repeat your CBT.

With a peak power output of 8.5bhp (6.3kW) at 6,500rpm, the Burgman 125 comes in well under the power and power-to-weight requirements of the A1 category which sets a limit at 14.7bhp or 0.1kW/Kg (the Burgman comes in at 0.056kW/Kg).

While 8.5bhp may not sound much, especially when the likes of Honda's PCX and Yamaha's NMAX are nearer 11bhp, the figures don't really tell the whole story. Don’t get me wrong, the Burgman is no neck-snapping powerhouse, but with just 112Kg to haul around, it's capable of a decent turn of speed and only really loses out at the very top end of its capabilities (around 64mph, if you were wondering).

Stay away from Motorways (which you would have to anyway if on L plates), and the bike is more than capable of staying in front on any A-road traffic while still delivering the thrills on twisty B-roads and urban environments.

Peak torque of 7.4 ft/lbs or 10Nm is delivered at just 5,500rpm and Suzuki have tuned the CVT system to take maximum advantage of this, evidenced by the bike delivering strong acceleration away from the lights and providing a much-needed advantage over, and keeping you ahead of, the other traffic.

The sight of nearly a dozen members of the motoring press holding an impromptu traffic light grand prix during the test ride was enough to show how enjoyable the bike is from the off.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Engine and Transmission

Like the Avenis and Address bikes we tested earlier this year, the 2023 Burgman 125 is equipped with Suzuki's excellent 124cc SOHC low-friction SEP engine. Unlike the other bikes though, the Burgman get the 'α' (alpha) designation. The SEP-α engine comes equipped with Suzuki's easy start system, stop-start eco system and a combined generator/starter which Suzuki call their Silent start system.

Taking these in turn, the Easy Start system (SESS) means that you press the engine start button just once to bring the engine to life (you don't need to hold the button down until it starts like you do on almost everything else). It sounds a bit of a gimmick – how long do you spend holding down the starter button anyway – but in practice, it really does add a touch of luxury and ease to the bike. I've used it on other Suzuki's from the SV650 to the V-Strom and no matter which bike it's on, it’s a pleasure to use and makes a real difference to starting process.

The stop start system on the Burgman works just how you would expect – once the engine is up to temperature and the bike has been stationary for a set time, the engine will shut-down, saving precious fuel at idle (when you are effectively getting 0mpg) and also reducing urban noise and emissions pollution. Once the lights change, simply twist the throttle and the engine will spring to life and off you shoot! It’s the restarting of the engine though that showcases the final feature of the SEP-α engine – the silent start system.

The Burgman is the first Suzuki to be fitted with the silent start system which does away with the starter motor and uses the generator to start the engine.

Anyone who has been bored enough to play around with small electric motors knows that if you connect a bulb to a motor and spin the rotor, the light lights – it works just as a dynamo might on your push bike (am I showing my age yet?).

So Suzuki have taken this principle and used the windings of the generator (a dynamo driven directly from the engine which powers the bikes electrics) and used this as a motor to start the engine.

The net result is an almost instantaneously starting engine with no gear whine that is all too familiar with starter motors. Not only that, but the overall engine package is lighter, has fewer moving parts and costs less to produce.

It's not unique to Suzuki as Yamaha use a similar system on the NMAX, but it’s the first time we've seen it on a bike in this price bracket and I'm sure that we will see this feature spread throughout the range.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Economy and Storage

We all know that scooters are some of the most frugal forms of transport – 17.8million sales in per year in Asia can't all be wrong, but Suzuki claim some impressive figures for the Burgman 125.

The official press release quotes a figure of just over 148mpg which, when combined with the 5.5 litre tank, gives a maximum theoretical range of 180 miles between fills.

On testing, we weren’t expecting anything like these figures (many of which are achieved on a rolling road to cut out wind resistance), but we were impressed to see averages for the day in the range of 110 to 115 mpg (I managed 112 despite spending some considerable time with the throttle pinned wide open).

In real world use (i.e. without a bunch of hooligan journos to keep up with), we would expect to see figures well above 120mpg and a range of around 150 miles. That’s still a daily commute of 30 miles and only needing to fill up once a week. With petrol prices still falling as I write, you'd be struggling to spend much more than £8 or £9 to fill up from empty. Does commuting get much cheaper than this?

Combine that economy with the ability to carry enough luggage for a day in the office and the Burgman soon makes a convincing argument to get on two-wheels.

Under seat storage is plentiful as you would expect – not quite deep enough to fit a full-face vented helmet like the Shark Spartan GT Pro I wore on the test, but if you choose your lid carefully you should be able to stash an open face or jet helmet in there. If that’s not enough for you, there's a 26-litre topbox in the accessories catalogue which will fit a full helmet (I tested it on one the bikes on display).

Up front, there's an open cubby on the right of the leg shield which is plenty deep enough for a 500ml water bottle or flask, and a covered cubby (sadly not lockable) with a USB-A power socket for charging your phone or powering satnav on the other side. In the middle, you'll find a handy hook for hanging your takeaway on and there's another on the squab of the seat unit. Besides these, the footboards and step-through are spacious enough for a couple of bags of shopping, and the standard grab rail includes a flat platform which, while designed to interface with the optional topbox and fitting kit, is also a suitable tie down point for holdall.

As the bike has a maximum permissible all up weight of 285Kg, the bike comes in at 112Kg kerb, so even if you are carrying a pillion, you should have a good 20-odd kilos left for luggage.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Handling, Wheels and Weight

Apart from the styling, one of the key differences of the Burgman when compared to its siblings the Avenis and Address, is that while the others use a 10" rear wheel, the Burgman sits on 12" wheels front and rear. It's a small change that makes quite a difference to the handling of the bike.

While the other bikes were far from skittish, the increased wheel size on the Burgman adds a little more refinement and stability to the ride. On the test ride, I was trying my hardest to run over as many potholes, speed humps and broken road surfaces as possible (not too tricky given the appalling state of the UK roads), and not once did the little Suzuki feel out of control or unstable.

Once out on better surfaces and fast sweeping roads, we were able to maintain some pretty impressive speeds, keeping the bike pinned through all but the tightest turns, and the Burgman took it all in its stride.

At just 112Kg, the Burgman is light and agile through towns too, with minimal effort required to make tight turns round mini roundabouts.

The Burgman comes equipped with Dunlop D307 RunScoot tyres as standard and for the varied riding we did on the day, they performed without fault. Even on the sometimes-cobbled streets around Ely, the bike felt well planted and confidence inspiring allowing you to keep your mind on the traffic ahead rather than the road underfoot.

My only slight criticism of the bike would be the brakes, and this is a purely subjective observation. The bike is equipped with a single 190mm disc up front and a 130mm drum at the back, linked via the left-hand brake lever, so a squeeze on this side will apply both brakes. The right lever does the front only. My only gripe is that the braking felt a little lack-lustre. Don't get me wrong, it was plenty firm enough to bring the bike to stop even at short notice, but it just lacked the initial bite that you might expect. My suspicion in that this is an intentional design as the bike is primarily aimed at new-to-biking customers where predictability, stability and ease of use are all primary considerations.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Comfort and Protection

As per the intro, the Burgman is pitched as the luxury option in the lineup, and this is reflected in the riding position. While the sporty Avenis and classic sit-up-and-beg Address have a more upright riding position with higher bars, the Burgman provides a much more relaxed position with a nice plump seat and slightly back swept bars which suits the style of the bike well.

The seat is plenty big enough to allow some movement to ease aching bums, but I did find that the step up for the pillion limited backwards movement somewhat. There's still plenty of leg room though with the footboards extending up the leg shield to allow for some fully stretched out riding positions, while also improving the aero (every little helps at top speeds).

A nice feature which really benefits the bike are the cutouts in the baseboards, just where your legs go when your feet are down. While only cutting into the bodywork by 20 or 30 mm, they made a huge difference to the stand over ergonomics and, when combined with the 780mm seat height, mean that the bike should be accessible by even the shortest riders.

While we didn't get to experience the Burgman in the wet, its clear from the air flow over the bike that you could stand a good chance of missing most of the rain at speed as the wide and contoured front directs it around your lower body. The small screen did its best to direct airflow up and over the rider but to be honest felt like more of a styling feature than a useful addition. While no 'touring' screen is yet available from Suzuki, I'm sure the aftermarket will soon have offerings of various shapes and heights.

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Rivals

While there are many rivals in the 125cc scooter class, the market is dominated by two, so it would be remiss not to use these as the benchmark.

Over the last countless years, the bestselling bikes in the UK have been the Honda PCX125  and the Yamaha NMAX - both offer more powerful engines than the Burgman and you pay a premium for it.

With increasing dealer networks and parts availability thanks to offshoot company CMPO, Chinese brands such as Lexmoto are now, more than ever, offering some great value and convincing alternatives to the mainstream manufacturers.

Honda PCX 125 | Price: £3599

Year after year, the UKs best selling bike, and for good reason. Great build quality, legendary reliability and low purchase price all make the PCX the top choice.

Power/Torque: 12.3bhp/8.7lb-ft | Weight: 130kg

Yamaha NMAX | Price: £3777

Battling with the PCX for the No 1 slot, the revised NMAX offers a stylish alternative. With combined starter/generator tech and VVT, the NMAX crams high tech into an affordable package.

Power/Torque: 12.1bhp/8.3lb-ft | Weight: 131kg

Lexmoto Aura | Price: £2559

With disc brakes front and rear, keyless ignition, Euro 5 compliance and LED lights, the Aura packs some punch for such a low price.

Power/Torque: 9.6bhp/NA | Weight: 134kg

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 Verdict

Granted we only spent a day with the Burgman, so it's hard to talk about long-term reliability, corrosion resistance or ownership costs, but you only get one chance to make a first impression and the baby Burgman absolutely nailed it.

While the styling won't set the world on fire for innovation, it's far from offensive and has some superb design flourishes once you take in all the details.

Sit on the bike and you instantly feel at ease. All the controls fall to hand easily, the riding position feels natural and all-day comfortable and the engine more than makes up for any lack of power with its off-the-line pick up and willingness to rev.

All of this clearly reflects Suzuki's hard-earned experience in the scooter market and may well make the difference between choosing this bike over some of the less time-served Chinese offerings.

Combine the ease of use, good looks, incredible frugality and that almost unbelievable purchase price and you get a bike that deserves to sell by the container-load. Watch out PCX and NMAX, there's a new bike in town and it's got your crown clearly in its sights!

2023 Suzuki Burgman 125 - Technical Specification

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