Suzuki has powered the Burgman Street EX with a 124cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that dishes out 8.58bhp and 10Nm. It is mated to a CVT gearbox and gets a kick and an electric start. The said power figures translate into an enthusiastic real-world experience. The scooter accelerates in a very linear manner and picks up speeds with ease. Even in slow-moving traffic, the engine can crawl at speeds as low as 10kmph, without any signs of struggle. And the same character is reflected as you gun for the top speed, which was a speedometer-indicated 103kmph. The overall engine performance of the Burgman EX is likeable and smooth. Moreover, its character is a good mix of youthful and conservative approaches.
Speaking of handling, the larger rear wheel should translate to a slight geometrical change in theory. This means the slight nose-up position in the previous model changes to a comparatively flatter and aligned profile. While that is the case, the rear suspension could be tweaked. It feels a little stiff when you ride without the pillion. It tends to unsettle the ride over potholes, bridge joints, or broken speedbumps. However, the same changes to plush once the pillion is onboard. That said, the front forks are softly sprung, resulting in a slight disconnect with the rear since the response from both ends isn’t uniform. The front end bounces off speed breakers and bad patches with ease while the rear sends jolts to your back.
Moreover, the Burgman feels very stable at high speeds and it’s a result of the long wheelbase and adequate weight distribution. The tyre grip is also decent and the scooter is easy to flick from front side to side.
While the front disc and rear drum brake setup offer good progression with a predictable bite, the latter could be better since the scooter takes a little time to cut the speed down. A better set of brake pads could come to the rescue. One bit that we found unusual was that Suzuki skimped on the parking brake for the Burgman EX. So, during an up or downhill, you’ll need to hold the front/rear brake to avoid a front/back roll-down. In comparison, the same holds true for the Access disc brake model, but the Avenis does get a parking brake as standard.