Yamaha NMax 125 vs Suzuki Burgman Street 125: Photo Comparison

How does Yamaha’s thoroughbred fare against Suzuki’s 125cc maxi-style offering?

Yamaha’s NMax lineup is lauded across the globe for its likeable and feature-packed scooters. At the bottom of this lineup lies the NMax 125, which now adheres to Euro 5 norms. While it isn’t available in India, we’re curious to know how it stacks up against India’s most successful maxi-styled scooter, the BS6 Suzuki Burgman Street. So, here are a series of images comparing the two: 

Both manufacturers have stuck to design languages that first arrived on their respective larger scooters. While the Burgman 125 borrows its design from the bigger Burgman 200, the NMax 125 looks identical to the NMax 155.

Similarities include the overall max-scooter stature, integrated indicators, and visors but the two scooters look quite distinct. 

For instance, the NMax 125 features a twin LED headlamp and a tall tinted visor whereas the Burgman Street gets a single LED unit and a short clear visor along with aggressive body cowls. 

From the side, the Burgman looks sportier in comparison to the rather blunt NMax, courtesy of its sharper lines and bodywork.

The NMax features a sleeker tail lamp and a well-finished exhaust. The Burgman, on the other hand, comes with a rather simple, conventional tail section.

Both scooters feature LED lighting, an LCD instrument cluster, front storage spaces, Bluetooth connectivity, power sockets, and a start-stop button. 

The NMax has an upper hand, though, since it gets a traction control system, a smart key, a hazard light switch, and ABS -- all of which are missing on the Burgman.

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The YZF R125-derived liquid-cooled 4-valve motor on the NMax makes 12.2PS and 11.2Nm, about 4PS and 1Nm more than the Burgman’s air-cooled 2-valve mill. It even gets a bigger 7.1-litre fuel tank, 1.5 litre more than the Burgman. 

The two scooters also share similar underpinnings: a telescopic fork and dual gas shocks. Braking on both scooters is via a single disc at the front, but the NMax gets a disc at the rear too. Additionally, the NMax rides on bigger 13-inch wheels while the Burgman gets a 12-inch front and 10-inch rear wheel setup.

All this extra equipment on the NMax has come at the cost of weight. Tipping the scale at 133kg, it is 23kg heavier than the Burgman. This should make the Burgman easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces. 

The chances of Yamaha bringing in the NMax here are bleak as it would make more sense for the Japanese manufacturer to launch the NMax 155. And while the Burgman Street would still have the edge in terms of pricing, the NMax would be our first proper exposure to an accessible maxi-scooter.