Welcome Sir. I am not up there yet in years but as I hit the "double nickel" awhile back I pondered whether or not I could feel good on an Xciting 500. Even though I currently have a 2013 DT300i, which I just pushed over 10,000 miles a few days ago I am looking for a bigger scooter for the hiway as I am only about 140 lbs wringing wet. So me on the DT on the hiway in Texas is just not heavy enough. Last week and this week I have tested the following; Honda Silverwing, Yamaha Majesty, 650 Suzuki Burgman, Xciting 500 and luckily enough I had the opportunity to saddle a Beemer (BMW) 650 GT. So here's my take on them, and in the order I (for my own personal needs) rank them;
1. Yamaha Majesty (it has enough weight and goodies and a great track record) Its easy to handle and move, gets great milage, all the power I need and then some, and I found the seating to be most comfortable. Plenty of storage and it just looks well thought out. And you can get them in white! I loves me a white bike!!
2. Honda Silverwing. Plenty of power and weight, easy to handle though not as nimble as my DT300, I did think for such a large bike it was very nimble for it's size. Great leg room, much like the Majesty has (which my DT doesn't have, my only complaint with the 300i) Seat is rather hard for my liking but I guess after 300 miles it might just be the perfect seat. Nice bike! My downside to it....fuel usage rather small car like. Mainly see these in black, an occasional Burgundy, and a red one, once. Why scooter makers make a black one is beyond me. You need to be seen and a bright color is the way. The color of pavement makes no sense.
3. BMW 650 GT. Well, lets get one thing out of the way. The motor is made by Kymco. At this point the comparisons to the My Road 700i ends. The Beemer is a top notch high end luxury Maxi as only you would expect from BMW. In fact, the only 2 things that scared me away from getting one is the price (I think it's overpriced) and the fact that consumer reports indicate that it has far more computer modules than scooters in general, which makes sense seeing how it has so many options and gadgets galore. I mean heated seat and heated hand grips.....man. The cost of maintaining it will not be cheap. But like they say about the BMW car..."if you can afford to buy it, you can afford to fix it"...I cant do both, only one. But if I had unlimited funds and a money tree out back, I'd have a school of Beemers. It is, as far as I am concerned, the King Bee of maxi scooters.
4. Kymco Xciting 500. I wanted the 500i to be on the top of the list since I am biased for Kymcos. But......Too clumsy, not much more powerful than my DT 300, in fact I actually prefer my DT to the 500i. Doesnt "feel" nimble when turning slow or weaving in traffic. Like the DT, not much leg room, and consider I am only 5'6" and you get the drift. I dont know. As sad as I am to say, I am disappointed with the 500i as I expected so much more since my DT 300i delivered in spades. Aw well...
5. Suzuki Burgman 650......There's just something not right about it. Its like they put it together as they went along and had no real plan or idea. Not crazy about the look, too heavy by a long shot, goofy looking rear tail light section. I did like a 2003 Burgman 400 but I "heard things" about its clutch and shied away. But the 650, just aint right.
So in closing, this is just one old coot's opinion Sir. But if you want an easy to handle scooter, and one you can move easily, the Majesty wins hands down. And it's a really nice ride too! As much as I wanted to root for the X-500i, I cant. It just doesn't meet MY needs.
The needs of others......well....your mileage may vary. Good luck with your choice! And once again, welcome to the forum. Lots of great people with great tips and ideas.
