You Can B-King
Suzuki didn't make any effort to hide the B-King's hefty build, and sitting on it only reinforces the fact that you're not astride some scrawny poseur bike. Although the reach to the handlebar is fairly short and the wide, flat seat provides good support with decent legroom, the B-King's midsection is pretty wide between the rider's knees. Accentuating the sensation of size is the top of the fuel tank, which splays out considerably due to the added width of the fake air scoops on each side (unfortunately, despite outward appearances, the B-King does not have ram-air induction).
Spec-chart mavens will assume that the B-King's relaxed steering geometry and additional wheelbase would make it much more ponderous than the 'Busa-but nothing could be further from the truth. Once underway, the B-King's hefty feel quickly disappears, replaced by a balanced, neutral-feeling chassis that is anything but cumbersome. While not exactly possessing the rapierlike agility of a middleweight sportbike, the B-King's steering is surprisingly responsive and sharp, with barely moderate effort required to initiate a turn; the leverage provided by the handlebar (which is wider than the usual clip-on bars) and the quick-steering Dunlop Qualifiers surely help here.
Twisting the throttle reveals that while some of the 'Busa's ability to teleport you into the next zip code may be missing, it's not by much; the B-King still has gobs of that locomotive lunge that make the 'Busa so addictive. Gearing is shorter than on the 'Busa but still rather tall-attempting to wind out first gear will quickly have you approaching most highway speed limits. Not that it matters much with the 1340cc four-cylinder's shiploads of torque that make the Suzuki quite capable of holeshotting or passing traffic anywhere with almost laughable ease. With a 'Busa powerplant there's no need to "retune the engine for midrange torque."
In a similar setup to the new-generation 'Busa, the B-King has two available engine power modes. Unlike the 'Busa, however, you cannot switch between modes on the fly, and the B mode is basically useless, turning the B-King into an asthmatic shell of its former self with no real practical point to its 114-horsepower powerband (it's no safer in low-traction conditions, as you can still easily spin the rear tire at low throttle openings).
Some of you out there are probably screaming, "If the engine is exactly the same as the new 'Busa and it has shorter gearing, why isn't it as quick?" The answer lies in the B-King's chassis forcing a smaller airbox, the lower volume of the underseat mufflers restricting exhaust flow and the B-King's additional 15 pounds of heft. Let's not make mountains out of molehills, however; the B-King is still one seriously powerful motorcycle that will stomp the daylights out of nearly every other naked bike in a straight line (the only bike that would come close is the BMW K1200R).
The fully adjustable suspension allows for fairly easily striking a nice compromise between sportbike-firm and commuter-plush, and the comfy ergos make the B-King a more-than-amiable everyday companion. Vibration is minimal even at highway cruising speeds, and although there's a little fuzziness in the mirrors at 4000 rpm, the B-King feels smoother than the 'Busa overall. In fact you could almost envision making the B-King into a nice sport-tourer, were it not for the lack of fairing, decent passenger accommodations and, most of all, range; the B-King's frame also enforces a smaller 4.4-gallon fuel tank. With the engine averaging 32-35 mpg, the B-King's low-fuel warning starts to blink on the fuel gauge at around 125 miles, and when the last bar on the gauge starts to blink at about 140 miles, you'd better find a gas station fast.
Even when the road turns twisty and the pace ramps up, the B-King acquits itself surprisingly well for a 578-pound (with a full tank) motorcycle. You won't be giving well-ridden sportbikes a scare, but the same neutral and balanced steering traits present in urban environs pay major dividends in the canyons. Only when you really start trying to fling the B-King around does the bike's major heft remind you of its presence. Up to that point (which is well outside of the Suzuki's intended usage anyway) there's none of the massive weight transfer to upset handling that you'd expect in such a big and heavy bike. Traction from the Dunlop Qualifiers is superb, and feedback through the suspension and chassis is good enough to permit touching footpeg to tarmac with confidence, even if ground clearance is less than with the 'Busa. Braking from radial-mount Tokico calipers and 310mm discs is excellent, with responsive power and nice, progressive feel.
Suzuki B-King
TEST NOTES
+ Monster power, surprisingly good handling
+ Comfy ergos, great brakes
+ Great stock tires
- Heavier than a Hayabusa
- Engine mode B useless
- Limited fuel range
SUGGESTED SUSPENSION SETTINGS
FRONT
Spring preload: 3 lines showing; Rebound damping: 8 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 8 clicks out from full stiff; Ride height: set top of fork tubes flush with triple clamp
REAR
Spring preload: 15mm thread showing; Rebound damping: 2 turns out from full stiff; Compression damping: 1.75 turns out from full stiff
Not A Pretender
We haven't touched on the B-King's styling, simply because it's such a subjective area. Opinions on its appearance seem to run about 50/50, which is far better than some other radically styled bikes we can think of from the past.
The B-King's $12,899 sticker price ($13,499 for the ABS version) is bit steeper than your average Japanese naked bike, but the new Suzuki is obviously anything but that. It's a pretty brazen statement, even from the company that surprised the industry (and put a major smackdown on the competition) by unleashing the original 190-plus-mph Hayabusa. But we like that in a company, especially when it comes to performance. And despite a couple of shortcomings the B-King delivers big-time in that area.
'08 Suzuki B-King
MSRP: $12,899
($13,499 ABS version)
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse inline, DOHC 4-cylinder 4-stroke
Valve arrangement: 4 valves/cyl., shim under bucket adjustment
Displacement: 1340cc
Bore x stroke: 61.0 x 65.0mm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Induction: SDTV, 44mm throttle bodies, 2 injectors/cyl.
Transmission: 6-speed
CHASSIS
Front suspension: 43mm KYB inverted fork, 4.7 in. travel; adjustments for spring preload, rebound and compression damping
Rear suspension: Single shock absorber, 5.4 in. travel; adjustments for spring preload, rebound and compression damping
Front wheel: 3.50 x 17 in., cast-aluminum alloy
Rear wheel: 6.00 x 17 in., cast-aluminum alloy
Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier
Rear tire: 200/50ZR-17 Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier
Rake/trail: 25.5 deg/4.2 in. (107mm)
Wheelbase: 60.0 in. (1525mm)
Seat height: 31.7 in. (805mm)
Fuel capacity: 4.4 gal (16.5L); 4.2 gal (16.0L) California version
Weight: 578 lb (262kg) wet; 551 lb (250kg) dry (49-state version)
Instruments: Analog tachometer, LCD display panel for coolant temp, engine-power mode, fuel gauge, digital speedometer, gear indicator, clock, odometer/dual tripmeter, maintenance intervals, running time, average speed; warning lights for oil pressure, coolant temperature, neutral, high-beam, fuel-injection malfunction, turn signals
PERFORMANCE
Roll-ons: 60-80 mph: 2.96 sec; 80-100 mph: 3.42 sec
Quarter-mile: 9.84 sec @ 140.4 mph
Top speed: NA
Fuel consumption: 30-34 mpg, 33 mpg avg.
'08 Suzuki B-King Opinions
Kent Kunitsugu
I have to admit that I've yet to become accustomed to the B-King's styling. All the emphasis on overstated dimensions doesn't really strike a chord with me. But plenty of people I've encountered have voiced approval of its looks, including the general public. We spent one lunch hour watching numerous passersby stop and give the B-King long stares, and people don't normally do that unless they find it appealing.
But the B-King's performance makes any of my doubts on its looks fade into the background very quickly. I knew it was going to have a good motor, but I was wholly unprepared for how well the chassis works, especially for such a heavy bike with a 60-inch wheelbase. It can handle both urban and canyon duty without coming unraveled, and with a beefy engine that puts every other naked-bike powerplant to shame, little effort is required to get serious forward motion happening in a hurry. Even the brakes are well up to the task of bleeding off all that mass and speed with power and control.
I can overlook the useless B power mode, the bike's limited range, its excessive heft and even my reservations on its styling. The B-King is simply one bike that flat rips.
Andrew Trevitt
When the concept B-King was first shown all those years ago, I didn't really pay much attention. The look-especially those huge exhaust cans-didn't appeal to me, and I figured that if the B-King ever made it to production, it sure wouldn't have the concept bike's intended performance. On that front I definitely miscalculated: The B-King has all the power-and more-you'd expect from a bruiser naked bike. The big surprises are that in town the huge Suzuki is nimble and docile, and on a twisty road it doesn't get left behind by the sportbikes. It's not the do-it-all bike that the Bandit is, but where that type of standard bike is fun in a useful way, the B-King is fun in a let's-get-into-trouble way. I was really surprised when I tried it out for the first time and still get a chuckle with every ride. Suzuki proved me wrong with the bike's performance; maybe I'll eventually appreciate those huge exhaust cans.