Yamaha X-MAX400, Suzuki Burgman 400 and MaxSym 400 [COMPARATIVE TEST VIDEO]

Three scooters, each of which has at least three souls: perfect for urban use and for the home-office route, lots of comfort combined with chassis and engines that make you want to travel and performance that also allows for somewhat sporty use on the roads right.

These are the top of the range among the single-cylinder scooters of the various manufacturers, often even absolute best sellers, due to the excellent compromise they represent. Brilliant performance, usability in urban and non-urban contexts, comfort, sportiness and not too demanding prices are their main advantages. We have placed 3 of the main players in this segment side by side, Yamaha X-MAX, suzuki burgman e MaxSym, all strictly 400.

Look and aesthetic appearance

With the new model recently launched, to summarize it with an effective concept, the Burgman 400 goes from a sedan to a coupé. A stylistic choice that aims to focus on a more youthful and sporty look. The finishes are good, with the plus of being "100% Made in Japan", a pride of Suzuki in terms of quality and durability. The only flaw, in our opinion, is the slightly dated look of the instrumentation.

We can also point out the same flaw for the Sym, whose launch is not exactly recent, but which in 2018 gains new colors, like this beautiful matte black. It remains pleasant in its appearance and well made. The MaxSym 400 in fact has a European look, the son of an Italian pencil, thanks to the partnership with Andreani Design.
The X-MAX of the three is perhaps the most modern and youthful, in all details. The instrumentation stands out, again based on the presence of two large circular elements, but with a very rich display and an attractive look. Of the three it is also the only one to offer handlebar buttons to navigate between the various functions.

Comfort and versatility

The look is attractive, but a scooter is also judged by its capacity, mainly that of the under-seat compartment, but not only. Starting from the Taiwanese, the MaxSym 400 can comfortably accommodate 2 "real" helmets, with the convenience of opening the compartment with a double system, mechanical from the ignition lock, electric with a dedicated button, which can only be "armed" by key on the 'hon. The back of the shield also offers three compartments of generous capacity, one of which has a key.

The

The Burgman has lost some of its underseat storage capacity in the last generation, but remains, at 42 litres, the best of the lot. 5 liters more than the

In the saddle they are all very comfortable and with well-studied ergonomics. The Burgman 400 perhaps has a slight advantage over its two opponents, even for those sitting in the back, thanks to a generously sized and better padded saddle. However, we are entering the sphere of a subjective judgment, because the differences are really minimal and all three scooters make comfort one of their best qualities, with large and equipped with a backrest for the driver. Excellent legroom, while all do not have a flat platform, but cut by the presence of a central element that separates the feet. From the ground Burgman and MaxSym stop at the same height of around 750 mm (755 for the Sym), compared to 800 for the X-MAX, however they all offer easy support for the feet on the ground even for the less tall.
A hint of windshield, contained in the dimensions for all three, but on the X-MAX it is adjustable, with 50 mm of difference between the two available positions. Yamaha's scooter is also the only one to be equipped with a Smart Key system.

Driving

The two Japanese can count on the most recent projects, based on new and lighter frames. They have lost weight by 5 and 7 kg, respectively for the Yamaha and Suzuki scooters, with the X-Max maintaining a 5 kg advantage. The Taiwanese is a little further away.

The differences can be appreciated in the driving dynamics offered by the respective chassis, all three however characterized by elements that go in the direction of sportiness. 13 and 15" wheels for the two Japanese, 14 at the back and 15 at the front for the Taiwanese, with double front discs for all. The X-MAX and MaxSym then offer a motorcycle fork, with the presence of the double crown. The Burgman makes a comeback with a more refined solution at the rear, where instead of the double shock absorber of the two rivals, it sports an adjustable mono shock with PRO-LINK type attachment. Three discs for everyone, even radial front calipers for the Taiwanese, who however of the three is the one who requires the greatest effort on the lever to brake. On the other hand it is equipped with CBS combined braking.

Driving, they turned out to be three excellent scooters, almost equivalent in the city context, where they are brilliant and very easy to handle, well balanced and with a low center of gravity. Among the fastest corners of extra-urban driving, the two Japanese take the advantage, with the X-Max offering the sportiest approach, even if then, especially on the fastest corners, the Burgman stands out thanks to its more planted rear end.

The engines are fairly balanced, all Euro 4 and have similar power, starting from 31 horsepower for the Burgman, 33.3 for the X-MAX and 35 horsepower for the MaxSym, which however costs a few extra kilos. All around 36 Nm for the maximum torque value, however the Suzuki engine obtains this figure at a much lower speed, which translates into a more full-bodied delivery in the medium range. On the other hand, in the long run the two rivals make up for it.

Price and consumption

Let's start with the prices, undoubtedly one of the most important details. Yamaha stands with the plus a guarantee, bringing it to the same level as the Sym and a quality given by 400% made in Japan, the Suzuki scooter is definitely the one with the most demanding pricing.

As for consumption, however, it is the most economical of the trio, given that we have detected values ​​that can bring the threshold of 30 km/l closer, beyond that promised by the declared value. The X-Max is in the middle, while the MaxSym brings up the rear, but still reaches values ​​close to 22-23 km/l. Similar autonomy, given that the tanks are 13 and 13.5 liters for the two Japanese ones, with half a liter more for the X-MAX, 14,2 for the Taiwanese scooter.

Our verdict

Two Japanese people had already tried them last year, albeit from a distance and with two different testers. The two reference 400s have been confirmed, refined by the two manufacturers and with chassis that are among the most refined in the segment. What is certain is that, having had the opportunity to test the three scooters at the same time, getting off one and getting on the other, the differences are perceived much better, even if they are not that important. Pulling the threads of our test, the opinions of the three testers are very similar, only partly linked to personal tastes. Without much doubt we can tell you that the Sym scooter is on the bottom step of the podium, above all because it is the least recent project and this is quite evident. The greater weight and less refined solutions keep it away from the two opponents, especially with regards to the chassis, while the engine, on paper the most powerful of the lot, does not come out on top, on the contrary. We grant him the fact that, given that the scooter was delivered to us new, without having traveled even a kilometre, the engine was still a little tied up and, after an adequate running-in, it will certainly improve. The general quality is good, but some subdued details and some "crispier" plastic of the two opponents can also be seen and felt by touch. It also offers less legroom, a detail that only Paolo (the tallest of the three) noticed, as it forced him to spread his legs to avoid touching the handlebars with his knees. Let's say that up to about 1.90 in height it is not a problem, however. However, the Max-Sym 400 compensates for the gap, at least in part, with a lower price (6.400 euros) and with a 4-year warranty.

On the second step of the podium we place the Burgman 400, which we found very close to the to home opponent Yamaha (7.899 euros). Last year it was offered by Suzuki with a launch price of 6.790 euros, now it offers 600 additional years of warranty, for a total of 2, but the difference is only partly justified by the contents. The engine is the roundest in power delivery and some of us prefer it to that of the X-Max. Comfort remains its greatest advantage and in this it is the best of the three, while the chassis wins in terms of balance and ease of use in the city, it pays something in terms of reactivity to the Yamaha scooter (perhaps too nervous even when braking , truly sporty if you pull the front lever without holding back a bit), which it draws on when driving on the motorway or in any case on very fast mixed terrain, where the refined rear PRO-LINK gives it superior stability. In short, it would have played on equal terms with the winner of our comparison, if it weren't for its price. The advantages of the ostentatious "4% made in Japan" are unfortunately not appreciable in a road test of a few days and, only after tens of thousands of kilometers and a few years of use, could we tell you whether the reliability and durability they are actually superior.

Yamaha In addition to this, it has a perceived quality which, when compared to the price, is superior to its opponents in this test. The saddle pad is excellent, and if it pays something in terms of absolute capacity to the Burgman, it is perhaps the most usable, thanks to the possibility of comfortably storing a backpack. The two areas dedicated to helmets are in fact joined on one side and is not excessively tapered, as we are used to seeing. When driving it is the sportiest of the trio, reactive and easy, it only goes into crisis at very high speeds, where the double rear shock absorber highlights its limits, albeit high. Braking is praiseworthy, to the point that the front lever requires a minimum of attention, otherwise it "breaks" almost too hard. The engine is the one with the sharpest delivery, at the traffic lights it wins the challenge with the Burgman, even if only slightly, while if we really wanted to find a flaw in it, it is precisely this desire to be aggressive and reactive, obtained with the calibration of the electronics and transmission, which penalizes it when driven in a more rounded way, where it lacks in terms of fluidity. The

Naturally, our verdict can be appealed, because the judgement, as mentioned, is always linked to personal factors and the tastes of the three testers, but above all it is the price that can shuffle the cards. Any substantial discounts, compared to the list prices considered by us, could therefore shift the balance in favor of one or the other. For example, a Suzuki promotion is currently underway, which lowers the price of the Burgman 7.290 to 400 euros, therefore around 600 less, while Sym discounts its 400 by a little more, on sale at the promotional price of 5.750 euros.

Gianluca Cuttitta and Paolo Di Clemente collaborated

Tester clothing Matteo “the businessman”:
Jacket: Tucano Urbano Urbis 5G
Gloves: Toucan Urban Tetris
Helmet: Scorpion Exo City Wind

Clothing of the tester Paolo “the motorbike tourist”:
Jacket: OJ Revolution J
Pants: OJ Revolution J
Helmet: AGV K5 Jet

Clothing of the tester Gianluca “the sportsman”:
Jacket: Alpinestars Marshall Drystar Jacket
Trousers: Alpinestars Crank Denim Pants
Gloves: Alpinestars C-30 DRYSTAR GLOVE
Shoes: Alpinestars Lunar
Helmet: Caberg Uptown Gear