My thoughts on the comparison of the Majesty YP 250 to the Burgman AN 400 |
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My initial reaction to looking at the two machines side by side is that the Burgman has the edge on the Majesty in looks. However, to be fair I was able to choose the colour of the Burgman whereas with the Majesty I was not. I feel the build quality of the Majesty to be superior in some areas to the Burgman. Storage compartment doors fit better, the stands seem better cushioned when coming back up, the seat seems of better quality and is more comfortable. The door to get to the coolant tank on the Burgman is held in by plastic lugs that must be prised out with a screwdriver. I feel these will break in the not too distant future. The riding position is very similar although I do get the feeling the Burgman is a slightly longer stretch to to bars. The passenger footboards on the Burgman are not raised above the level of the rider's and therefore the distance between the pillion seat and the footboards is greater. This poses no problems at all for an adult but our eight year old (Jenny) can barely reach the footboards on the Burgman but can reach them on the Majesty quite comfortably (this issue will soon go away as she is growing at an alarming rate :-) ). However, after a week I received a call from the dealer saying my extended passenger footboards had arrived. I said I had not ordered these nor did I know of their existence. The dealer said they come with the Burgman as an extra.
The new footboards are bigger and more important fit over the top of the originals raising the boards by about 1" (25mm). They also extend a little further to the rear of the bike. Just what the doctor ordered for Jenny! Both engines sound almost identical and both start easily hot or cold although the Burgman needs a little throttle both when hot or cold which the handbook says you should not need. The Majesty beats the Burgman hands down for storage. Although the underseat compartment on the Burgman is a little larger this is more than made up for by the fact that the glove box on the Burgman is all but useless as the battery is in there, so stuff you would store in the glovebox of the Majesty (my wet gear) has to go under the seat of the Burgman. The third compartment on both bikes is too small to be of much use but at least the one in the Majesty locks. |
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I personally prefer the dash of the Majesty it is somewhat larger and I prefer the look of the instruments. I am sure there will be others who disagree. Surprisingly, the brakes on the Burgman do not feel as good as the Majesty's. Far more pressure is needed to stop the machine. I find this surprising as the Burgman has two linked disc brakes and the Majesty is a drum brake at the rear. They may of course improve with use. I feel the suspension on the Burgman has the edge on the Majesty. It seems to cope with potholes a little better (rather than all your teeth being jarred out one or two are left). The handling of both machines seems quite similar although the Burgman feels much heavier despite the fact the real difference in weight is only around 45-50lbs. The clutch operation of the Burgman is slightly different to the Majesty I can't put my finger on what it is but it seems to be easier to control at slower speeds. The "riding experience" of both machines is remarkably similar if I were to close my eyes (not advisable) on a straight road it would be difficult to tell the difference. With regard to performance, the Majesty now fully run-in seems "sweet" and well within it's stride cruising at 65mph. It would probably manage 70mph happily but for me 65mph is best. There is ample left at these speeds for overtaking. At 65mph the throttle is not over half way open, wind it back and it accelerates very quickly allowing quick, safe overtaking. As yet I have not had the Majesty "flat out" but it feels like the high 70s would be within it's reach. The performance of the Burgman with 900mls on the clock is little more difficult to define as the quite heavy traffic on the roads I have used up to present make it difficult to get enough space to really try it out. However I have cruised it at 75mph and the bike had no problems at all. It was a breezy day and the wind was making itself felt. Crosswinds do seem to affect the Burgman quite badly and a feeling of insecurity does tend to come over me (perhaps it's my age). The Majesty may well be affected the same but I have not been in cross winds on it up to present . Acceleration is very good and there always seems to be plenty of throttle left to do what ever you like. It feels like there is not that much difference in acceleration between the two machines between 20-65 mph. Perhaps the lower gearing and weight advantage of the Majesty accounts for this. I am sure that around 70-75mph the Burgman would begin to leave the Majesty. When I get the chance to really open up both machines I will put the results here.
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