First Impressions: Suzuki Burgman Street 125EX

We’ve spent the day bombing around on Suzuki’s latest learner legal Burgman.

Revealed at EICMA in November as part of a trio of new 125s, the Street 125EX is the premium offering in the Suzuki scoot range. 

With a tried and tested 124cc air cooled four stroke single motor, that’s fitted with all new start/stop and silent start functions – there’s little doubt the new Burgman will be bulletproof. But how does it perform on the road? In short, pretty well. There’s plenty of punch to get the jump on town traffic and enough to hold its own on bigger, faster A-roads. You’re not going to be winning any races, but it more than stands up against the competition. 

Handling is good too. Light and nimble enough to weave through congested city streets, with enough presence to hold its own on the faster (and bumpier) stuff out of town – even with its 12inch wheels.

It’s stops well. The compact front disc and rear drum brake might not look light much, but they’re plenty capable of hauling the 112kg Burgman up in a hurry. It’s a combined system, which essentially means that you’re less likely to be caught out if you grab a handful of level. Great for less experienced riders.

Suzuki claim it’ll manage an impressive 148.6mpg. That means you’re looking at a whopping 180 miles from its 5.5 litre fuel tank. That’s maybe a little optimistic, unless you were really smooth with the throttle – but I suspect even the most throttle happy of riders would clock 150 miles before needing to take a trip to the petrol station.

The Burgman Street 125EX is a great option if you’re on the hunt for a learner legal scooter. It neatly balances handling and comfort, is kitted out with everything you’d need (including 21.5 litres of underseat storage, a USB slot, a couple of pockets and hooks) – and best of all, it undercuts the other Japanese competition (namely the Honda PCX 125 and Yamaha NMAX 125 by £500 and some). That’s not to be sniffed at. It’s also a good chunk cheaper than the previous generation Burgman – which is a clear indication of Suzuki’s intentions to snag a whole load more sales in the ever competitive and always buoyant 125cc auto market.

This is just a brief first impressions, written straight after jumping off it – so If you want the full lowdown on the stylish scoot (and a whole load more good stuff) pick up the upcoming issue of MoreBikes.