New Bike Day - B-King Finally Arrives

Message

RhadamYgg · #41 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:55 pm

Wrider wrote:Very cool bud, congrats again, and beautiful bike! (I'm one of the few others who really like it lol)

Thanks! Looks like - if people like it or not - there will always be relatively few of them on the road! Hey I like it too - hehe. Just wish the exhausts were... bigger?

Of and I wish I could see the the gear indicator while I'm riding.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg · #42 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:58 pm

Dragon on Wheels wrote:Congratulations!

It doesn't look as ugly as I thought it would from what some others were saying.

Seriously though, nice bike!

Thanks! I think it is a techno-geeks bike. And if I'm anything - I'm a techno-geek.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg · #43 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:07 pm

Timmy S wrote:Yea, The B king does look better in person (I saw it at xtreme machines in milltown on rt 33) but obviously a bit avant guarde for most people seeing how long the model life ran. Especially in the US. All of us here know UJM Standards just do not sell here. I just hope that if you need any parts for that it does not become a PITA to obtain them.

Even my bike (919) which had a 5 year run in the US and paltry sales here it is tough for people to find the OEM bikini fairing and center-stand without delays. Thankfully Japanese bikes are pretty reliable.

I like the 919.

The bike definitely has... personality.

I'm definitely hoping that it is very reliable and I don't run in to problems getting parts. While it is still listed as a 2009 model on the Suzuki website, I don't think they are going to make any more for the states.

They did come out with an off-white colored B-King for outside the US.

I wanted a big bike, not a cruiser and I don't particularly like overly aggressive postures - so out goes Hayabusa. And I couldn't get a Hayabusa - because of my quirky personality. I don't like being part of the herd and everyone seems to go Hayabusa.

Speed isn't necessarily a requirement and honestly - B mode and sub 5K rpms may be all I need out of it.

I'll have to visit that shop over there sometime. I don't think it is really all that far from me. Hell, I traveled 65 miles just to buy the B-King, but I'm not going to travel that far for maintenance. Especially not with my wife following me to take me home.

RhadamYgg

Tennif Shoe · #44 Post by **Tennif Shoe** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:23 pm

the 919 is a cruser thats news to me

RhadamYgg · #45 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:48 pm

MZ33 wrote:I sat on a B-king yesterday at a local dealership. It didn't look all that big until I sat on it--what a moose!! That gas tank, combined with those air-thingies, looked like the neck of an elephant. I could almost get the balls of my feet to the ground. It wouldn't balance for me as easily as the V Strom 650 or the BMW F 650, which I also have to tippy-toe, but for anyone that at least makes 5'6", I'm sure that isn't an issue.

I've given up on ugly vs. sexy bikes. I have no clue what people are talking about, what makes one vs. the other.

It is most definitely big. Rather fortunately, it doesn't feel big once it is moving.

The funny thing about it is the air-thingies aren't functional. There is a mod out there to remove them, but it changes the bikes 'feel' too much for me.

The BMW 650 - I've sat on - is a bit taller, actually. But it is by far not as wide as the B-King.

The B-King's seat height is a bit lower than the Interceptor I was considering.

I sat on the V-Strom... Oddly enough most of the V-Strom is taller than the B-King; however, the seat height is lower. I really felt I was sitting 'in' the V-Strom when I tried it out (same dealer where I bought the B-King.

Now, that felt weird. Not in a bad way - just very different.

I'll tell you though, u-turns alone are challenging in the B-King. According to the manual, when downshifting, below 14 mph you should have the clutch fully engaged. Nevermind even attempting figure-8's yet.

Another part of the manual indicates you should NOT use the clutch to modulate speed.

Doesn't give a person a lot of tools to work with.

For me, I can flat-foot the bike - for the most part. My heels are a fraction of an inch off the ground. Its better than the Interceptor (at least in terms of that).

It is kinda funny though. I get on the bike and my right-foot is just hanging out in the air until I stand the bike upright.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg · #46 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:03 pm

MotoEdge wrote:Wow...what's crazy is I've seen plenty of custom bikes but honestly never run into any B-kings which is weird because I can see the potential of really doing some crazy mods on it

The front end is badass and those pipes seem crazy! How does it sound? Can't wait till you break it in and really stretch it's legs!

Congrats on the bike!

Hopefully it gets warmer soon...you guys are all hard core that ride with snow on the ground

That's why i live in Florida although we have been having frost alot lately....

There was a B-King I saw on the web - I posted the link to the picture... It was crazy looking. I'm not sure I have the funds to really mod the bike.

As badass as the pipes look - this bike is quiet. It is so quiet that it isn't any louder than my Ninja 250 was - but the tone is lower and menacing - when you can hear it - at least compared to a Ninja 250.

There might be a couple of warmer days next weekend. We'll see. I can't wait to get some miles on it.

The range of miles it can travel is a bit of a downer.

You'd think a bike that looks like it has a tank the size of Texas would have more than 4.4 gallons. At least it has a neat fuel gauge.

RhadamYgg

Tennif Shoe · #47 Post by **Tennif Shoe** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:08 pm

RhadamYgg wrote:
You'd think a bike that looks like it has a tank the size of Texas would have more than 4.4 gallons. At least it has a neat fuel gauge.

RhadamYgg

Look at my 1800 the tank on it looks like a 7 to 10 gal. tank. Imagine my suprise when i cold onl fit 3.7 gal into it when the light came on.......i wish i had a fuel gauge, the vulcan did but the honda has a light tat says you are lo on gas

Timmy S · #48 Post by **Timmy S** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:10 pm

Dude, That was kind of a joke I made in another thread..

Tennif Shoe wrote:the 919 is a cruser thats news to me

Timmy S · #49 Post by **Timmy S** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:22 pm

I am a sports bike kind of guy but even when I ride my mountain bike or road bike my neck and shoulders bother me and my wrists hands also hurt or fall asleep. I am the same way. If the lemmings go left to dash over the cliff, I go right...hence my 919.

RhadamYgg wrote: I wanted a big bike, not a cruiser and I don't particularly like overly aggressive postures - so out goes Hayabusa. And I couldn't get a Hayabusa - because of my quirky personality. I don't like being part of the herd and everyone seems to go Hayabusa.
RhadamYgg

I think once you get used to it you will leave the speed selector in "a" unless you get caught in snow or something.

RhadamYgg wrote: Speed isn't necessarily a requirement and honestly - B mode and sub 5K rpms may be all I need out of it.
RhadamYgg

They are maybe 10 miles from my house, have a huge showroom and carry suzuki, kawasaki. yamaha and other stuff. They have a big selection of gear upstairs too. I have never purchased anything from them though.

RhadamYgg wrote: I'll have to visit that shop over there sometime. I don't think it is really all that far from me. Hell, I traveled 65 miles just to buy the B-King, but I'm not going to travel that far for maintenance. Especially not with my wife following me to take me home.
RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg · #50 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:16 pm

....

Ah nevermind.