I've got my eye on a mint condition standard Suzuki b King,it's on a 2010 plate,,anybody had one or got one,,just looking for a bit of feedback,review ,etc ,thanks daytona
Had mine for ten years.
They are a shit load of fun, but not perfect.
Most folk are shallow enough to not go beyond the odd ball looks.
The brakes and motor really do put the 14 to shame.
160+hp and take all the Busa go-faster kit,
radial calipers and master that work great.
Even an old bloke out of practice can knock out 10.3's at the strip on a stock one.
Down sides for me are the 16.5ltr tank size,
Seat is pretty average, not that comfy,
Poor for pillions.
As a solo riders hooligan bike they make the 14 look tame.
As a bike to live with they aren't the most practical.
A 14 and a B-King make great stable mates, but if I could only have one it'd be the B-King.
i had one didn't like it .
a fantastic bike but small tank and no use for what i do touring and camping in europe.
i did 800 miles in 2 years the 14 that replaced it has done 12000 miles in the same time. but it was an itch that needed scratching and it wasn't for me .
give one a test ride and see for yourself as each to there own.
:cheers:
http://gsx1400owners.org/forum_test/index.php?topic=1127.0
If your on facebook.....
Tony Jones (Mustbesuzuki)
Thanks for that chaps,I don't really do much distance riding these days so the tank range isn't a problem for me,I bought the little gsr 600 earlier this year which is similar styling to the Bking but the small motor I found to be hard work,any how hopefully I should be going to view the Bking this sat, .thanks.
if your liking the gsr then the Bking is very similar but with more power than you can belive you need to try it but i think you might just like it . :cheers:
Yes Seth-Bris . . . :stir:
Later model had Blue / White paint and Gold Wheels but is otherwise the same as the early Black or Black / Grey version.
Only real difference between models is ABS v non-ABS, and US models getting a extra pollution filter canister.
Bike has really only had 2 issues. A few early models had the clutch basket bolts work lose. Normally rare and orted many years back. Along with many other Suzuki's there was a Reg/Rec recall, then a recall on the part that was fitted at the first recall !!!
Motor is 100% Gen-2 Hayabusa. No soft or detuned internals. Its down a few ponys on power due to the ECU mapping and no ram air etc. Due to its using the Busa motor there are a LOT of go-faster mods. Cosmetic bits aren't super common buy there are options.
Really tall folk find their knees touch under the tank pods. Some folk fit lower Buell pegs to get around this, same as Busa riders do.
ECU remapping / flashing is quite common on B-Kings. A few folk still go for PowerCommanders but the ECU offered so much more including an easy removal of the top speed restricted etc.
Apart from the engine, its not really a naked Busa. Only the wheels, forks etc swap between the 2. Busa wheels fit but you need the right cush drive.
Dispite the King being a fraction heavier than the Busa it gets slightly softer fork internals. If your an aggressive rider then a slightly firmer front end might be on your list.
The King isn't a better or worse bike than the 14, its just different.
If you like classic looks, comfort, pillions etc the 14 is superior.
If your a solo rider who loves performance and wants something different, go the King.
I find a lot of Suzuki riders have swapped between the Busa, GSX1400 and B-King. Some still have a combination of the 3. All good, all different.
Mine is reasonably stock by my standards.
It has a spare set of wheels, original black ones and later gold ones.
Has "Radguard" brand radiator guards.
Renthal 789 bars with aftermarket bar ends and mirrors.
Staintune brand cans, not my favourites but they were very cheap.
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi63.tinypic.com%2Ff03ql1.jpg&hash=8284ab3aae25bb0b3d16cf1366a0333228952615)
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EDIT: Check if the throttle cable has been tied back. I put a very lose zip-tie around the throttle cable to pull it back to the front brake hose. LOSE!!! This works fine, but some bikes had the throttle cable rubbing the bottom of the clocks and it leaves a mark over time with constant movement as well as blocking the view of the gear indicator.
This is a review by a friend (Dave from Motoaus) who took the pic that's in my avatar.
He is a fan, Yes, he's an owner but he's very experienced and knows his stuff....
http://motoaus.com/road/road-bike-features-and-reviews/suzuki-b-king-ridden-and-raced-review/
Quote from: KiwiCol on Wednesday, 15 November 2017, 03:28 AM
Yes Seth-Bris . . . :stir:
I'll only have 14's from now on learned my leason and will stick to what i love 😎
Blooming eco,that's why we have the forum eh,really grateful for all the info Tony,I will mention that I'm keeping my 14s, k6 and k7 ,both blue a white so must be as fast as the Bking .cheers chaps, :
great write up on bking, never read b4 or realised how good they are. one on bike sales with 200hp, 8 grand i think. seems a good deal. what time would a stock 14 with light rider get over 1/4. i could google but know one of you will have real answer. thanks Tony, i like learning new stuff, even if im 10 yrs behind.
I tried a BKing when they first came out but what an uncomfortable bike it was for me, felt like I was sitting on the crapper, knees upand spread wide by the fat tank (that holds no fuel). Engine brakes and suspension were fine but it's obviously built for the vertically incompetant :stir:
the other side of the story, love it.
Quote from: mjgt on Wednesday, 15 November 2017, 07:05 PM
I tried a BKing when they first came out but what an uncomfortable bike it was for me, felt like I was sitting on the crapper, knees upand spread wide by the fat tank (that holds no fuel). Engine brakes and suspension were fine but it's obviously built for the vertically incompetant :stir:
Yes. Its certainly a little different. The tank is wide and you hug it with you legs.
Feels a bit odd after other bikes. Put some miles / years in on one and then 14 actually feels skinny. Riding position suits throwing it around for me, more contact from inside of my legs. (I'm 6 foot)
The 16.5ltr tank is something I dislike, but other than sports tourers like the Busa, the I've is now the norm. Many bikes now have smaller tanks (much to my dislike!) and 16 or 17ltr is standard.
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They are shite loads of fun!! Much harder ride that the 1400 but more ground clearance - take-off on them is sooo much fun. Not good for long distance riding or pillions but it wasn't designed for either really. I'm 6'3" and found it to be comfy with the offset Buell pegs fitted.
I ended up selling mine after 5 years of ownership as I lost my license twice on it and thought I should calm it down a bit - eventually went back to my second & current 1400.
Definitley worth the experience though - no regrets at all.
Beaker had chrome Busa wheels on his,
I had Beaker's gold rims on mine instead of the stock back ones.
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi66.tinypic.com%2F11t7qzl.jpg&hash=f12cbc2539fe5d92d4e2f87d797ef37a9bad211c)
I'm liking the blue a white colour scheme but they don't come up very often over here,I think it was the last edition they did,the one I'm viewing at the weekend is black a silver,I've looked at an all black one which was absolutely stunning but seriously overpriced and had been taken away from standard and didn't come with original parts,they also had a gsx 1400 in the shop k6 model,9000 miles nice condition £7,500 and dealer says he'll sell at that ?.?hey ho.
This thread is annoying me because now I want to add a B-King to the stable but certainly cant afford to...
I know a lot of people hated the looks of the original Suzuki exhausts, but I kinda like the quirkiness.
Any 'mods' or replacement cans that look the same but allow free flow / better sound etc ?
Quote from: VladTepes on Friday, 17 November 2017, 09:34 PM
This thread is annoying me because now I want to add a B-King to the stable but certainly cant afford to...
I know a lot of people hated the looks of the original Suzuki exhausts, but I kinda like the quirkiness.
Any 'mods' or replacement cans that look the same but allow free flow / better sound etc ?
The huge cannons stuck out the back aren't cans, they are just fake plastic covers. The actual silencer is an ugly car type box under the seat....
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi63.tinypic.com%2F2ah8qrs.jpg&hash=ae902c2aad2d0d355fa13c748280e1696d3af6ab)
There are two options for folk that like the original look. There is one pair of cans (not sure it might be Yoshi's) that the covers fit back over, or... Folk just stick a hole saw on a drill up the two outlets of the original and make it a bit more free flowing.
You get next to no performance gains from free flowing cans. The huge stock box doesn't flow badly, and has little effect after the cat/converter and the EXUP value. What does seem to help is going bigger bore aftermarket Hayabusa front pipes, similar to a front section helping a GSX1400 flow.
There are heaps of different under seat can options, but several folk are now changing back to more traditional low pipes. You get a shorter, louder system, more performance (with big bore front sections), less weight, and it gives the tail a higher cleaner look.
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F54umbc.jpg&hash=436bef5ec1b6c38a6b08c4baf7b260198d97c178)
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Quote from: Daytona on Friday, 17 November 2017, 12:06 AM
I'm liking the blue a white colour scheme but they don't come up very often over here,I think it was the last edition they did,the one I'm viewing at the weekend is black a silver,I've looked at an all black one.
Yes. The original models were either all back or black / silver. Not just bodywork. The black silver also had a silver seat front and swingarm etc, but got black calipers, the all black bike got silver calipers.
The later blue / white later model is exactly the same bike except for the paint job and wheel colours. Nothing mechanical.
thank goodness for that - there isnt one within 140 miles from me for sale :)
Along with the stupid giant fake cannons the huge tank side pods aren't to everyone's taste. There are a couple of options to fit slimmer ones if they really annoy you. Certainly no worse than the blunderbuss exhaust on the last of the 1400's... LOL
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi67.tinypic.com%2F1znn9qo.jpg&hash=50f23872082dacc2708ab55825c78efb8d776a60)
I did have the stupid idea of getting another as my next bike and trying to fix some of its "issues" to be an ideal (for me) bike.
Change the exhaust, comfy seat, slim tank pods, try and lose some of its weight isn't rocket science. I could live without a decent pillion seat or my favourite tank bag. Downside is most bikes are now approaching 10 years old and aren't cheap or plentiful, and its always going to be a real expensive drama getting a larger tank made.
Thank for all the info chaps,been down to view the bike and bought it,it's actually on an 11 plate.wife says why do you want one of these and I said : a bloke from Australia called Tony told me I had to have one,.
Quote from: Daytona on Sunday, 19 November 2017, 04:32 AM
wife says why do you want one of these and I said : a bloke from Australia called Tony told me I had to have one,.
:rofl2: :happy1: :rofl2: :happy1: :rofl2:
Quote from: Daytona on Sunday, 19 November 2017, 04:32 AM
"wife says why do you want one of these and I said : a bloke from Australia called Tony told me I had to have one,.
I might buy a scantilly clad busty brunette to come live in my shed ?? :drool: lol
There you have it guys..... anytime you need or want something and you get that questioning look from she who must be obeyed..... "A bloke from Australia called Tony told me I had to have it!"
:rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:
Offset Buell foot pegs,any info on these please,,
Bumping a post 🧐
I do miss the B-King however it was a very naughty motorcycle 😈😈
This pic is of a heavily modified one next to standard 😵�💫
I'm 4 months off owning mine for 18 years.
I still have mixed feelings about it.
It's far from perfect, but it is a lot of fun.
It's a good toy, different if not very practical.
I don't think I'd want one as an only bike, but I can't see me selling it. I use it in rotation with other bikes, sometimes it sits for a while, then I think I better give it a run to keep it healthy, and I come home with a big grin.
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I had a bking and it was an amazing bike but after 2 years and only 1000 miles I couldn't get on with it .
We just didn't click .
I rode my gsx1400 8k miles in the same time .
Just my thoughts :cheers:
I've had a b-king for about 6 years sold my hayabusa to get it, don't miss the hayabusa at all.
It did a best of 10.4 across the quater only dragged it a couple of times, I managed a 10.0 on the hayabusa.
Yes they have short comings but overall a great bike and you don't see many about.
Quote from: seth on Thursday, 26 June 2025, 06:11 PMI had a bking and it was an amazing bike but after 2 years and only 1000 miles I couldn't get on with it .
We just didn't click .
I rode my gsx1400 8k miles in the same time .
Just my thoughts :cheers:
Was 8k miles each year the bking did 2k in the 2 years
I did an unconfirmed 9.9 1/4 mile drag at Willowbank Race Your Mates and was basically told I'd broken the rules and needed an ANDRA license to continue.
I couldn't keep rear tyres up to it either ($$ expensive) no traction control in the bike.
It wheelied every where 😈😈😈
I got a ticket for 127kmh in a 70kmh zone on Mt.Glorious so that was $1250 fine plus 6 months loss of licence. So lost my job as a truck driver so the B-King left the garage.
Fark!! $1250 for 127km? Jeez that's tough. So what would ya get for a proper spirited run, like 175 - 195 sorta mark? Over here we loose our license for 50k over the posted speed limit.
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