My current ride is a 2005 Kymco Grandvista / Grand Dink 250cc. Owned for 4 years and put almost 14K miles on it and do all my own work.
Piaggio BV350 the best scooter ever made:
350cc is an ideal motor - enough power to maintain 75mph to keep up with cars on the highway (actual speed, not indicated as many speedometers lie by +6mph) great mpg,
Full-sized
STANDARD motorcycle tires (TIRED OF STUPID ODD SIZED SCOOTER TIRES=LIMITED CHOICE) - lots of Brands to choose from and easy to change - tubeless tires on small 13" rims are a LOT of work! Larger tires last longer than little doughnut tires and provide much better ground clearance AND better motorcycle like ride quality -
doesn't pop you out of the seat like most scooters do.
THIN PROFILE - so you can get between cars on California crammed highways or on side-streets anywhere to get to the front of the line or make a right on red. This is what hurts Burgman 400 and the like - TOO FAT to get between cars!!! Any scooter that is FAT and Bloated is an automatic non-starter.
TESTIMONY - the video below is my local scooter in San Diego. Listen to the owner as he states that the BV350 is
by far the best scooter he has ever owned and he as ridden just about everything.
http://youtu.be/S2z0hSu9gIkPrice & Parts & Service - much cheaper than the burgman 400 and there is a ton more piaggio / vespa's on the road than all the Japanese scooters combined. Also, much cheaper than Vespa even though both are made by Piaggio.
Smooth Vibration free - Burgman 400 has vibration issues in the handlebars.
Conclusion BV350 - best overall scooter ever made if you intend to use it like a car including highway riding.
CONS:
Might be too high for some and others might fear the power (which makes no sense to me - its not a racing motorcycle).
Maintenance?? - I would have to own one that is at least 7 years old and put 15K miles on it before I could really decide.
Kymco does an excellent job - belt drive, power, etc but vespa / piaggio is still better. Transmission / Drive belt Kymco = excellent, Vespa/Piaggio = perfect.