As longtime RideApart readers may know, I've had a soft spot in my heart for scooters since forever. In particular, living where I do, I've rocked a maxi-scoot for well over a decade now. Is it the most fun thing in the world? No, but it's hella practical, and it's still way more fun and nimbler than a car.
The way I figure it is, there are plenty of other bikes for fun. But my trusty ancient Suzuki Burgman 400 is an absolute workhorse.
I've put thousands of miles on it, replaced the belt and the totally consumable transmission a few times now (movable drive face, fixed drive face, variator, and more!), rebuilt the top end including cylinder honing; you name it. And despite the abuse I've put it through, it's come through an absolute champ. It's not the prettiest, with mismatched bodywork and plenty of scuffs, but it's also got a multiplicity of stickers and even more character to go with it.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
But still, I've thought about getting a different maxi scoot in recent time, especially after I spent a bunch of time on a Honda ADV150 a couple of years ago. I've toyed with the idea of joining the Scooter Cannonball madness more than once, you see. Maybe I will one day, but there are displacement restrictions, and the Burgman 400 wouldn't exactly qualify.
Neither would the Honda ADV 350, but that isn't likely to matter to me any time soon, since it's not offered in the US anyway. But do I wish it was? Of course. Especially now that the 2025 ADV 350 gets a few key updates to make it an even more enticing maxi-scooter option than ever before.
