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Madmx said:
Great review. I have been on the fence about a b200 for over a year. The twin head light strom look is a plus.
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I missed that earlier. I had a 2008 V-Strom, my "downsize bike" after a BMW. When I first got the V-Strom, I told the dealer friend of mine: "This is the first time I have bought an ugly bike - it looks like a Japanese robot bug."

He laughed and said, "When you're riding, you don't see the front."

I came to really enjoy that bike; even started to like the look of it. Might still be riding it if my hip hadn't gone to crap. But then, I wouldn't have learned about how much fun scooters are!

Maybe that was a subliminal appeal for me for the B200?
 
Dug this out: riding the V-Strom in Yellowstone...

BikeE.jpg


Oh, and that whole" not buying an ugly bike" thing - not entirely true. My first bike when I was 14 was a clapped out Honda 150 Dream. Yeah, it was ugly. It was all I could afford. Looked like this...

Honda150DreamE.jpg
 
Yup once I appreciated the gen1 strom twin headlight looks I found the b200 looking real cool. I tried this approach to convince my self I needed a scooter! I would have to find a matching silver burg...
 
Hermit said:
I remember those Dreams riding so softly. Ugly or not, I bet you had lots of good memories and sort of miss it. :D
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oilhed said:
People would kill for a clean Dream today.
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I was 14 with a learner's permit. That Dream was $90; calling it "rough" would be an understatement. It was my "escape vehicle" ... I rode it for a year and a half, then sold it and got some "big iron": a CB350. Never looked back.

There was an immaculate old Dream at the Honda dealer in Brownsville... white instead of black. It was smaller than I remembered. I was nostalgic for a few seconds, then came back to reality... "I'm here to look at the Rebel 1100 with DCT..."
 
I checked market place for a b200. I found all kinds of interesting deals. But not many b200s. 1965 honda benly..$800 and the most chopped up gb500 ever for 1500. What a shame. Found plenty of burg 650. Many pcx. How would a pcx compare to a b200. The little burg looks like a better touring bike. And 18hp is enough. I found a few majesty. I need to check specs because weight is a concern. Otherwise I would get a burg 400. Which there were a few. I know genuine has their 200i scoots. But for some reason a b200 seems ideal. And I trust Zook more than genuine.

My vino would be a complete dog at beat the heat. I would need to change the rollers. My top speed is 55mph plus but hill climbing stinks.My 50cc 2 stroke could climb better. I really wanted yamaha to build a vino250. I think that led to almost 15yrs of brainstorming another scooter purchase. Then I found chainsaw Bob's burg 200 channel a year ago

I wonder if a proper scoot would obsolete a few of my bikes. That could be a good thing.
 
Madmx said:
I checked market place for a b200. I found all kinds of interesting deals. But not many b200s. 1965 honda benly..$800 and the most chopped up gb500 ever for 1500. What a shame. Found plenty of burg 650. Many pcx. How would a pcx compare to a b200. The little burg looks like a better touring bike. And 18hp is enough. I found a few majesty. I need to check specs because weight is a concern. Otherwise I would get a burg 400. Which there were a few. I know genuine has their 200i scoots. But for some reason a b200 seems ideal. And I trust Zook more than genuine.

My vino would be a complete dog at beat the heat. I would need to change the rollers. My top speed is 55mph plus but hill climbing stinks.My 50cc 2 stroke could climb better. I really wanted yamaha to build a vino250. I think that led to almost 15yrs of brainstorming another scooter purchase. Then I found chainsaw Bob's burg 200 channel a year ago

I wonder if a proper scoot would obsolete a few of my bikes. That could be a good thing.
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A PCX is a bit slower than a B200 but would work fine at BTH as we will have a bunch of 150cc scooters there. There are a few dealers out there with a thousand knocked off MSRP on 2022 model B200ss. I called one of those dealers and they wanted 5,300 OTD and that didn't include tax! Still you might be able to find a good deal on a new 22 model. They do seem to be hard to find used.

Your Vino would struggle at BTH. Most 150s would be OK. I have led the fast group every year on a 150.
 
klaviator said:
A PCX is a bit slower than a B200 but would work fine at BTH as we will have a bunch of 150cc scooters there. There are a few dealers out there with a thousand knocked off MSRP on 2022 model B200ss. I called one of those dealers and they wanted 5,300 OTD and that didn't include tax! Still you might be able to find a good deal on a new 22 model. They do seem to be hard to find used.

Your Vino would struggle at BTH. Most 150s would be OK. I have led the fast group every year on a 150.
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What bike are using for all your pics. I kept thinking it was a kymco like. Then I zoomed in to see gts vespa. I know you have a red adv150. Is the adv150 the bth bike/scoot. I could talk for days about anything moto but my scooter knowledge is a little behind times. My wife got a gy6 150cc clone of a 50cc honda spree. The 0-30mph is a hoot. The stepson just bought a Zuma 150cc bug eye clone like barnone's scoot. I get a little bit of info overload on scooters. And I kinda look at as long term when the price goes up.
 
klaviator said:
A Vespa GTS will also do that but will cost more$$$ than the B200.
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Yup and with the classic looks! Ha I hope to see yall in the mountains with whatever I show up with. This thread spurred my target focus on the b200. And simple bikes or scooters with storage.
 
Madmx said:
I checked market place for a b200. I found all kinds of interesting deals. But not many b200s. 1965 honda benly..$800 and the most chopped up gb500 ever for 1500. What a shame. Found plenty of burg 650. Many pcx. How would a pcx compare to a b200. The little burg looks like a better touring bike. And 18hp is enough. I found a few majesty. I need to check specs because weight is a concern. Otherwise I would get a burg 400. Which there were a few. I know genuine has their 200i scoots. But for some reason a b200 seems ideal. And I trust Zook more than genuine.

My vino would be a complete dog at beat the heat. I would need to change the rollers. My top speed is 55mph plus but hill climbing stinks.My 50cc 2 stroke could climb better. I really wanted yamaha to build a vino250. I think that led to almost 15yrs of brainstorming another scooter purchase. Then I found chainsaw Bob's burg 200 channel a year ago

I wonder if a proper scoot would obsolete a few of my bikes. That could be a good thing.
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Answering specifically your question about a PCX in comparison to a B200: I have a soft spot in my heart for the PCX. I truly think it is the best all-around 150cc scoot (and now 160). It is the conveyance that kept me riding when a deteriorating hip made me think my riding days were done. I was quite impressed with how competent the PCX is. To appreciate this further, I had been riding motorcycles for 45 years... with a passion. I thought scooters were for people who couldn't handle a "real motorcycle" - because I was ignorant. My wife knew I needed to be riding and suggested a couple scooters. We had rented 50cc scooters a couple times when traveling in the Caribbean and Hawaii - I was not impressed. We looked a bunch, I did a lot of research, and came up with the Honda PCX as the choice if I had to do a couple scooters.

After getting those PCXes, I found out I wasn't ignorant, I was a moron. We had SO MUCH fun on them. I called them our "90%" bikes, because they would do 90% of what the bigger bikes we had been riding for decades would do, but were easier, lighter, and just maybe: more fun. They would do everything except freeway riding. Well, you could take 'em on a freeway, because that is "legal"... but it isn't smart. After 5 years with the PCXes, we came to the conclusion that we needed a bit more capability... to do highway riding, at times, to get to the other fun riding. I got a Vespa GTS, she got an Xmax.

What does ANY of this have to do with the PCX/B200 comparison? I'm getting there, but it is rarely a direct connection with me... I just wanted you to know how much we both liked the PCX.

Some life changes and a major move (from a beautiful sub-tropical climate) to the desert. A new hip for me 4 years ago, a couple different bikes, and a Honda CTX 700 DCT (not to be confused with the PCX) a couple years ago... and my wife encouraging me to get another scooter (perhaps for compromising my island boy principles and moving to the desert). I started to consider options, and decided I wanted something small and easy, but it had to handle some highway/freeway riding. As fond as I am for the PCX, it needed to be more.

Whew - are you ever going to get to the point??? Yeah, but like riding on a fun scoot, sometimes it isn't the most direct route. I had looked at the Burgman 200 right before getting that first Vespa... but, the dealer/salesman/sales-manager were all assholes (technical term, not a body part, because an asshole in you body is a necessity - these guys were a waste of skin... but, I digress). I found a good price on a B200 - yes, at a dealer, and set up a time to go check it out. So, here's the comparison: (damn, finally) the B200 is a bit bigger than the PCX, about 70 pounds heavier, about 30% more horsepower, and a significantly larger storage area under the seat. It seems just as easy for an old geezer like me (aw, Jim, you don't look that old... I can't believe I have to do my own sucking up) to move around in the garage or a parking lot. The B200 feels more "planted" on the highway; it has a higher top end. I feel the PCX is a bit faster off the line and gets better fuel mileage... but, I'm getting between 75 and 85 mpg with the B200 (the PCXes we had were generally in the 100+mpg range). I'm going to just say it and take the wrath of the PCX multitudes: if the PCX is a good 90% bike, the B200 is a good 98% bike.

The B200 didn't exist in the US when we bought those PCXes - 2013. If it had, it would have been hard to convince my wife to go for the B200... if Yamaha had still been making the Vino 125, she would have gone for that... and we would not have been anywhere as happy with a pair of those as we were with the PCXes. The PCX was the right scooter at the right time. But now, we've had scoots that could handle highway riding, so the PCX would be a step backwards in capability. IF you promise yourself that you will not want to go faster than 65 mph - ever - you could be 100% happy with a PCX. We were. Before someone says it, there is no doubt the newest versions of the PCX are better than the 2013s we had... but they are still maxed out at 65 mph. Not only will the B200 do at least 10 mph more, if feels better doing it.

So, if you had the entire evening to read through all this, you have my unabashed, absolutely free, opinion. The PCX and the B200 are both good bikes. Will an additional 10 mph make a difference for you? You pay your money, you make your choices.
 
I will give 1st place.on that scooter reply! It was epic! Now I definitely want to ride the mountains at bth! Thanx for the honesty...it reflects my own arguments....epic scooter post! Thanx... that was cool!
 
Madmx said:
I will give 1st place.on that scooter reply! It was epic! Now I definitely want to ride the mountains at bth! Thanx for the honesty...it reflects my own arguments....epic scooter post! Thanx... that was cool!
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Thanks, Madmx - just doing my part to keep scooter forums safe for democracy.
 
I think Captain Jim 's post was spot on. Let me add one thing. I have owned 4 150cc scooters and now 3 larger scooters. I had an Aprilia Sport City 250, have a Majesty 400 and just picked up a GTS300. I seriously considered the B200 before getting the Vespa.

Here's my take on the PCX (or any 150) vs the B200. For me 150 cc scooters, which almost all weigh in at under 300 pounds, are just insanely fun. They feel more like toys than serious bikes and we all know how much fun toys are. As Jim posted, they are fantastic if you don't need to go over 65 MPH (60MPH on some of them). They are just so light, easy to handle and super economical.

When you move up to something that weighs around 350 pounds or more you get a bike that is much heavier and feels much more substantial and just more of a serious machine. i think the bigger bikes lose just a bit of the playfullness and fun factor of the 150s. In return for that you gain a lot of capability. More storage is nice. The ability to keep up with traffic on most faster roads and jump on the interstate when needed is really nice.

So which size bike will be best for you? I can't answer that but I can say that my solution is to have at least one 150 and one larger scooter.

I'll just add one more thing as a warning. Scooters are like rabbits. Put one in your garage and they start multiplying!!
 
Both posts back my thoughts. A 150 would be fun but overlaps my tw on speed the tw barely has enough speed. Then I if I want to go to the OBX I have 10 miles of 70mph highway that is tought to route around. Round trip to Hatteras is about 340 miles. The closest traffic light to my house is 13 miles of 55mph roads. This is one reason for holding back on a decision. Add 2up and the b200 is even more ideal. I tried suzukis site for a quote and it froze up. I guess I can call a dealer or two.
 
The only thing I don't like about the Burgman 200 is the seat - that thing hits right in the tailbone thanks to that long slope up the back side of the rider's part of the seat. Finally remedied that:

Look what showed up today!

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https://captnjim.blogspot.com/2024/03/look-what-showed-up.html

The full story is at the link. Interesting timing. It showed up 9 days after I ordered it. I was told "3 to 4 weeks" so this was a pleasant surprise.

To get right to the heart of it: this new Corbin blows away the stock Burgman 200 seat in comfort and looks! Oh, she's still a "fat bottom girl," but a short ride (all I had time for today after installing it) is like night and day for comfort... no burning tailbone 15 minutes into the ride. This seat cradles your butt and upper thighs; like any other Corbin, they recommend 1,500 miles of riding to break in the seat. It was about 1,000 miles on the Corbin on my CTX when it started feeling "like home." Maybe because the Burgman 200 stock seat was such a bad fit for me, this new Corbin feels good right off the bat.

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I had two concerns about ordering this: the main one was "Will it fit?" Corbin lists the B200 up to 2021, so there was no assurance from them that it would fit. I did a lot of digging on the internet and finally found that the OEM part # for the 2021 and 2022 seat are the same, so I felt reasonably sure it would fit. It does... except the loop that locks into the seat latch is a bit short. I will remedy that with a shim under the loop; Corbin gives you a couple washers that they call "latch adjustment"... it isn't enough.

The other concern was if the seat intrudes into the storage area under the seat. No one at Corbin could tell me, and the only other person I could find who put this seat on a B200 doesn't use an XL modular helmet. When I first tried to close the seat with the helmet under there, it hit. I moved the helmet around to find a spot that does work... so, the answer to this question is: yes, it does intrude a bit more than the stock seat. Like all Corbins, this thing is built like a tank and weighs more than twice as much as the stock seat (heavier seat pan and significantly more dense foam). The workmanship on the seat seems excellent. The color choices I made of black carbon fiber leather, and smokey gray leather trim look good on the bike; the blue welt and stitching picks up on the blue on the bike.

First blush, I am very happy - this seat gives me more foot/leg room and it is bit taller than the stock seat. I have room to move around on the seat and can push back to put my upper butt against the raised portion of the seat with no pressure on my tailbone. Good support on my bottom.

The weather here in the desert is supposed to windy, rain (thunderstorms), and colder than typical for a couple days. I'm anxious to get this out for a longer ride!
 
Captain Jim said:
I was 14 with a learner's permit. That Dream was $90; calling it "rough" would be an understatement. It was my "escape vehicle" ... I rode it for a year and a half, then sold it and got some "big iron": a CB350. Never looked back.

There was an immaculate old Dream at the Honda dealer in Brownsville... white instead of black. It was smaller than I remembered. I was nostalgic for a few seconds, then came back to reality... "I'm here to look at the Rebel 1100 with DCT..."
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Sounds identical to my experience as a lad in Texas, only in Lubbock. Not a clapped out Honda but a sketchy Yamaha 80,keeping with the graduated license approach in force at the time. Graduated to a Hodaka, 100 or 110cc to run amok.
Neighbor had a CB 350, was an aspirational machine once we got our “real “ licenses. Then came the 750 4, a vision on a far horizon….
David
 
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