Not that long ago the term "big scooter" was right up there on the oxymoron list with jumbo shrimp. The previously unobtrusive scooters at the dealership always seemed to be tucked away in the corner with the mini-bikes and the mopeds. You know, in the kids and drunks section where "no license required" was the only selling point you needed. Don't look now, but times have changed. Sure, you can still go down to the shop and pick on the little scooters, but you better be careful. That little scooter's big brother Burgman may be waiting to bust your hump at the next stoplight, with a load of groceries under the seat.

Hey! Has That Thing Got a Hemi?
If you're riding Suzuki's Burgman 650, that's a perfectly logical question to ask any cager giving you that snide "nice, uh...scooter" look. Because, unless they have something as burly as a Hemi, they're likely to see nothing but diminishing scooter taillights when the green comes down. Beneath the rather ample yet traditional, unassuming scooter design sits the heart of a dragon, fire and flying and all.

The 638cc DOHC parallel twin sports four valves per side and liquid cooling. Couple these goodies with an electronic fuel injection system boasting a 32-bit ECM and conventional wisdom dictates that you've got something going on down there. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't add this gem from Suzuki's website: "Direct-type valve actuation system and downdraft intake (similar to GSX-R models) for strong engine performance." Did you catch that GSX-R reference? OK, so on paper and on the street, this thing's got power to spare, but twin cylinder engines can have a tendency to vibrate. No worries on the big Burg. The vibes are kept to a cool minimum thanks to a dual gear driven countershaft system. That's right, there's road thumping power without the thump.

Yep, we've established that the Burgman has the goods in the motor department, but how does that juice make it to the road? That is an excellent question, and the answer is the truly unique feature that separates the Suzuki from the rest of the players in the large scooter market. The secret lies in the SECVT. No, that's not the small college conference that sends the 64th seed to the NCAA basketball tournament every year. It stands for Suzuki Electronically-Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission. Similar to the CVT scooter transmission we all know and love, it's just been taken to the next level. The CVT ratio is tweaked via electronic sensors that change the diameter of the drive pulley based on vehicle speed and throttle position as opposed to the standard system that adjusts the ratio only in relation to rpm. The rider's choice in how hard he or she wants to accelerate actually becomes part of the equation as the SECVT makes its calculations.