Showdown: 2022 Piaggio BV400 Vs. Suzuki Burgman 400

This is how you tour Los Angeles without all the stress.

Ah, Los Angeles. The city of angels and Dodger dogs, beaches and mountains. It’s the land where everyone is famous – or trying to be. People from all over call LA home, and the result is a really amazing place, steeped with rich traditions and cultures from all over the world.

But all most people think of when someone says Los Angeles is the snarling traffic and congestion. LA is a big place, and the car culture runs thick here. That means traffic, unfortunately, is just a way of life.

Piaggio BV 400 vs Suzuki Burgman 400

Or is it? There’s a lot to see and do in LA, and one of the best ways to do it is on a scooter. Scooters like the new Piaggio BV 400 and Suzuki Burgman 400. Both scoots occupy that middle ground in scooterdom above the teeny scoots you might see bopping around metropolitan European cities, but also aren’t as gargantuan as the 650cc-plus scoots that could classify as the full-touring dressers of the scooter world. These, we think, strike that Goldilocks area of power, size, and storage capacity to make them perfect for getting around LA without all the stress.

In fact, getting around LA on these scoots is exactly what we’re going to do. The plan is for Johnny Burns and I to scoot to some iconic, and some not-so-iconic, Los Angeles landmarks – most of which would be absolutely maddening to get to by car. Along the way, you’ll get to know more about the Burgman and BV 400, plus you’ll get to learn about some cool LA spots, too. We’re calling it the Tour of Los Angeles, scooter style. First up, the famous Hollywood sign.

Hollywood

Today, the Hollywood sign is one of the most iconic images of Los Angeles. Symbolizing fame, ritz, and glamor, the famous sign – the largest in the world – has a storied history. Constructed in 1923 at a cost of $21,000 (nearly $350,000 in 2022 money), the original “HOLLYWOODLAND” sign ushered in the burgeoning film industry as several studios, actors, and actresses made their way to Los Angeles in search of fame and fortune.

The sign has had quite a storied history since then, going through several states of disrepair and rebuilding. In 1949, the LAND in HOLLYWOODLAND was removed as part of a deal to repair the sign, resulting in the sign we know today. There’s much more to the sign’s story, but it’s all a huge sidebar to the topic at hand – scooters. You can read more about the history of the sign here.

Today, getting to the Hollywood sign on four wheels isn’t any fun. Since the sign is located on a hillside, narrow, twisty roads are what lead you to it. Factor in all the tourists trying to get a selfie, and its physical location away from any freeways, and actually getting close to the sign is a pain.

Unless you’re on a scooter, of course. Both the Burgman and BV slither up the narrow roads without a problem, and dodging the throngs of tourists like a game of Frogger is a breeze on these scooters. The ever-present parking problem is a real concern for the cagers, but the Piaggio and Suzuki are slender enough to slip in between cars. Easy-peezy. It makes enjoying the famous landmark much more palatable. After admiring the sign, a 180-degree turn reveals the Hollywood reservoir, and on a clear day, a view of some nice, ritzy homes.

When you’re done with Hollywood, the tour continues on to the Griffith Observatory, just a hop, skip and jump away.

Griffith Observatory

Los Angeles is known as the land of stars, but at the Griffith Observatory you can see actual stars up in the sky. First opened in 1935, the Griffith Observatory was the last request of Griffith J. Griffith, the benefactor of both the observatory and the park the land sits on which also bears his name. In his will, Griffith requested that admission to the observatory be free, and since its completion in 1935, it’s estimated that over 7 million people have looked up at the cosmos through the 12-inch Zeiss refractor telescope – making it the most viewed telescope on Earth.

Movie buffs might recognize the Observatory in its starring role in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause,” alongside young heart throb James Dean. The grounds have been featured in other movies since then, but the movie that helped launch Dean’s career is still the one the Observatory is best known for.

The grounds of the observatory, and the greater Griffith Park beneath it, also make for an exceptional place to enjoy a nature hike, have a picnic, or yes, get another view of the Hollywood sign. Still, navigating through the Griffith complex is tricky for much of the same reasons getting around the Hollywood sign is. Also, since the observatory is on a hill, the roads leading to it have some twists and turns. Not ones worth charging on your average sportbike, but when taken on some scoots, suddenly our inner Rossi comes out.

Both scoots actually flick over rather quickly due to their wheel sizes (16-inch front, 14-inch rear for the BV, 15-inch and 13-inch for the ‘Burg), but the Piaggio “is a tad sportier than the Suzuki thanks to its higher CG and feels like less weight – but it’s also taller and more nervous at top speed,” says JB. It tips in quickly and feels sportbike-ish because you’re sitting high and close to the bars. The Suzuki can carry some decent lean before hitting hard parts, and it’s even more comical that you can do it while keeping your feet out in front of you, cruiser style. The Burgman also sports some “modern” suspension tech by virtue of having a single shock with a linkage (it’s hidden under the bike). The Piaggio goes old school with twin, preload-adjustable shocks that John notes are a little choppy over bumps. If we’re splitting hairs, the ride is a little harsher on the BV 400, but you’re only going to know if you ride them back-to-back. And even then….

After winding your way up and down the hill to tour the Observatory, there’s still one more spot on the outskirts of Griffith Park worth visiting.

The Old LA Zoo

Unlike the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory, the Old LA Zoo is less a tourist attraction and more a locals spot where people picnic, hike, or generally just enjoy a nice SoCal day (though I’ve also been there in broad daylight when troubled teens thought others would like to see their graffiti “art”).

The history of the Old Zoo goes back to 1912 when it had just 15 animals. The zoo was expanded in the 1930s to include larger enclosures, but over the years as the city grew, the zoo was becoming too small for its own good. Conditions were becoming inhumane for the animals, and the zoo was struggling to keep up. It closed its doors in 1966, and the current LA Zoo opened just two miles away.

But instead of tearing down the enclosures, the Old Zoo is still largely intact, the land converted to park space with picnic benches for the people to enjoy. Today, you can walk the grounds surrounding the zoo and explore what’s left of the enclosures (including the doors and steps zookepers used to tend to the animals back in the day), or you can rest, relax, and imagine what the zoo would have been like all those years ago.

Getting to the parking lot of the Old Zoo is no less tricky than getting to the other spots above. If anything, it might be easier since you don’t have to deal with the winding roads that take you to the observatory. However, parking is at a premium once you arrive. Being able to squeeze into spots between cars shows off how convenient a scoot can be.

Once you arrive, you can throw a lot of your things in the under seat storage – the Burgman easily has enough space to swallow John’s size L modular helmet with room left over. JB’s lid almost fit under the Piaggio’s seat, but Burnsie couldn’t quite get the saddle to close. Piaggio claims there’s space for two half helmets and we believe it. As it were, we stuffed the Piaggio with several bags full of cameras and lenses for our video guy, Sean. Water bottles and extra layers of clothing were also stuffed to fill in any gaps.

The Suzuki also has cubbies on either side of the bars to hold smaller items like a phone or water bottle. An old-school cigarette lighter-type 12v power source is waiting in the right cubby. “I like the two glove boxes up front,” says Burns. “It’s a shame the one that charges your phone doesn’t lock. And it’s a shame they’re both angled so that you can’t leave a drink handy. But they beat the Beverly’s no-glovebox at all. I suppose you’d have to buy one of those swivel drink holders for boats.”

No, the Piaggio doesn’t have a glove box, per se, but it does have a hidden compartment resting low in the leg shield. There’s a little pocket with a USB port and just enough space for a phone. The point is both have enough space for a picnic in the park. Just leave the blanket at home.

Speaking of food, if you’d rather have someone else cook your lunch, then it’s time to take the scoots into the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.

Grand Central Market