The Suzuki Burgman Street is one of the most popular 125cc scooters in the market, and with good reason. It is not only reliable and practical but is also a good looking scooter from a reputed name. To further broaden its appeal, Suzuki has launched the new EX variant, which gets some notable changes across the rest of the range. Let’s see what they are.
Apart from the new badging, you’ll be able to tell by the rear wheel that this is the new Bergmann EX, which gets a 12-inch rear wheel, instead of the 10-inch ones on the rest of the Bergmann (and Access/Avanis) range. This not only changes some of the ride characteristics but also helps in the aesthetics of the scooter. Whereas the Burgman with its 10-inch rear wheel appeared too short and thin in the rear, this new EX looks much more proportioned. There have also been minor differences in dimensions and weight due to the larger rear tyre. The EX weighs 1kg more (at 111kg) and has a 25mm longer wheelbase, although it is 5mm narrower than the standard Burgman.
Start riding and the first thing you notice is that this new scooter feels firmer at the rear than the rest of the Bergmann range. While Suzuki says it hasn’t made any changes to the suspension set-up, the scooter feels sturdier than it reminded us and I’ve probably been made to deal with the extra unsprung mass of the bigger wheel and tyre. The ride isn’t jarring by any stretch, but it’s less forgiving than we expected, especially if you ride on bad roads. The good news is that the ride improves as the speed increases and larger riders or those who regularly travel two-up probably won’t find this a problem.
While the bigger wheel may have compromised the ride somewhat, what it has helped is the handling. The Burgman Street EX feels more composed around corners, and it loses a little of the spry feel of the standard version. Braking has also been improved, with the EX taking 2 meters less than the standard Burgman and stopping at 60 kmph.
However, the performance of the EX remains more or less on par with the normal Burgman. It continues to be powered by the same 124cc, two-valve, single-cylinder engine that powers the rest of the range. The EX puts out 0.1hp less (8.6hp) at slightly lower RPM, while torque remains the same at 10Nm.
In our performance tests, the EX took 7.01 seconds to reach 60 kmph compared to 7.03 seconds for the 10-inch Burgman. In roll-on acceleration, the EX is noticeably quicker in the 20-50kph run, taking 3.76sec compared to the standard Burgman’s 4.2sec.
There isn’t a huge improvement in performance, and fuel economy is pretty much the same. Suzuki has equipped the Burgman Street EX with its new SEP-Alpha technology which, in conjunction with the new Auto Start/Stop feature, makes the EX a more refined feel than the rest of the range. The auto start/stop system works seamlessly, as it switches off the scooter within seconds of stopping, and immediately starts it as soon as you twist the throttle.
It’s also nice that you get the option to shut down the system, should you so choose. However, the start-stop button replaces the engine kill switch on the rest of the Bergmann range.
In our fuel efficiency test, the EX returned 62.6kpl on the highway while the figure dropped slightly to 60kpl in the city.
In addition to the new fuel-saving technology, the EX also gets a silent starter feature that is not yet available on the rest of the Burgman range. Other features the EX carries forward include an LCD display, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port in the glovebox and an LED headlamp.
Priced at Rs 1.12 lakh, the Burgman Street EX costs Rs 22,400 more than the standard Burgman and Rs 19,000 more than the Ride Connect variant. At this price, it comes across as being expensive for what it offers. Sure, it gets a few more features and the start-stop system works smoothly in traffic, but the performance remains almost the same and so does the overall design except for the rear wheel.
Unless you really want the quietness of the silent start system and the convenience of start-stop technology, you’ll see more value in choosing one of the other variants from the line-up and saving yourself some cash.