Suzuki B-King

CYCLE WORLD TEST

SUZUKI B-KING

Ridin’ with the King

DON CANET

TIME WAS STANDARD-STYLE bikes were regarded as motorcycling's plainvanilla machines. Sensible, lowglamour, general-purpose alternatives to sportbikes and cruisers. But the standard category has undergone a renaissance in recent years, branching into sub-categories populated with supermotos and adventure bikes and retros and

streetfighters. Then there’s the B-King.

One of our all-time favorite large-displacement sporting platforms, the mighty Suzuki Hayabusa, provided the foundation upon which the B-King was built. While the B-King faithfully delivers ’Busa-like brutish power, it’s endowed with a relaxed, upright riding position and resultant ease of handling. A day spent hunkered down reaching for the ’Busa’s clip-on bars can take its toll on your back, while covering the same distance seated on the King’s throne is relative royal treatment.

A concept of the current bike debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show back in 2001, the curious name representing it being the King of B’s: Boost, Beauty and Brains. While much of the original Beauty (eye of the beholder, granted) has been incorporated into the production model, Suzuki says the Brains component (super-advanced computer-controlled systems) requires further thought and research before being booted up for the buying public. Gone, too, is the Boosted component of the powertrain-Suzuki’s liability lawyers no doubt looking unkindly on a supercharger for the 1340cc Hayabusa-spec inline-Four.

While its bold styling may not be for everyone, the King’s high-quality fit-and-finish is something anyone can appreciate. For those sitting on the fence, one twist of the throttle anywhere in the 11,000-rpm rev range is all that’s required to win allegiance. The counterbalanced engine runs silky smooth at freeway speeds and maintains an impressive degree of vibration control at high revs. Buttery-smooth shift action through the six-speed gearbox, little drivetrain

lash, well-mapped fuel-injection and a super-linear power delivery create propulsion perfection. The incredible flexibility this engine offers was best illustrated in my ride along a 15-mile stretch of twisty mountain road while remaining in third gear the entire time. Strong acceleration off corners was always at hand, even when slowing to an indicated 40 mph at 3000 rpm. The middle cog offers a ton of headroom, too, with the digital LCD speedometer displaying 147 mph at redline-even if actual speed was somewhat lower due to speedometer error.

Curious to learn if the B-King truly mimics the power output of its 2008 ’Busa brother, we strapped each to our rear-wheel dyno for back-to-back pulls. The power graphs match up quite closely, with the Hayabusa enjoying a mod-

est advantage across the upper end of the power curve-not surprising considering the difference in airbox and exhaust systems. The B-King has no ram-air inlet, so it’s worth noting the dyno doesn’t account for any added power a force-fed ’Busa will muster on the road at speed.

Another item of interest revealed on our dyno was Suzuki’s method used to restrict top speed. While fourth gear provides a full pull to redline, fifth and sixth gear each track the same full-power curve; the rev-limiter, however, cuts in at 9300 rpm in fifth and 8600 rpm in sixth. Corporate attorney intervention again?

At our high-desert test site, a flat-out, rev-limiter-tapping run in sixth registered 169 mph on the speedometer and a true 153 mph on our radar gun. Performing a fourth-gear blast paid dividends with a 158-mph radar reading. In either case, the bike accelerates to its terminal velocity with ferocity as the 150-mph windblast attempts to peel you from the

unfaired machine. But if you should find yourself engaged in a balls-to-the-wall battle for pinks, best do it in fourth!

Where the B-King reigns supreme among performance standards is on the dragstrip. Although getting off the line without lighting the 200/50-series Dunlop radial took a few tries, I managed a 9.93-second run without lowering rear tire pressure, as more grip would have equated to more

low-gear wheelie action. If you’re into power-wheelies, simply pin the throttle at low revs in first gear and hang on tight as the front tire takes flight when the tachometer needle sweeps past 7000 rpm. Tire-smoking burnouts? Let’s just say this bike is King!

If this all sounds a little too unruly, there’s the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, which allows the rider to toggle into a reduced power mode. The B-setting tempers throttle response and power to more pedestrian levels, knocking 53 ponies and 37 foot-pounds off peak output-in this case B doesn’t stand for Boost! Unlike the tri-mode, barmounted toggle switch of the ’Busa and GSX-R sportbikes, which allow on-the-fly adjustment, the B-King’s dualmode, tank-top switch requires the engine be at idle and the gearbox in neutral for a change to be made. We suspect wet-weather riding is the only reason an owner would choose to utilize the relaxed power mode.

Sportbike-quality KYB fork and single rear shock offer adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping to enhance the bike’s versatility. The factory settings provided a nice balance for freeway cruising and canyon carving alike with my 170-pound carcass in the saddle. Suspension compliance is A-grade in soaking up slab joints, allowing lengthy freeway stints in comfort. At legal speeds, wind protection is adequate, offering good coverage from the chest down while allowing an undisturbed flow at the head and shoulder level. Limited fuel range from the 4.4-gallon tank may be the single element hampering the B-King’s grand-touring potential. On one occasion, I literally sputtered into a service station after only 155 miles of mostly freeway riding.

The chassis is easily up to the task of backroad burning, providing plenty of cornering clearance and fore-aft pitch control for a machine weighing in at 582 pounds fully fueled. While leverage through its low-rise tubular handlebar gives a lighter steering feel than the stub-barred ’Busa, the B-King’s size and weight are readily apparent, particularly so at lower speeds. This is no ballerina.

Simply removing our testbike’s non-adjustable steering damper, however, had a dramatic effect on feel and overall handling. It was as though the bike had shed 50 pounds. With the damper installed, it feels like the tires are underinflated when maneuvering at parking-lot speeds; when removed, the bike gains a sense of finesse. Proceed at your own risk, but we never encountered stability issues over the course of several hundred miles of varied riding that included dragstrip and top-speed testing.

Radial-mount Nissin four-piston front brake calipers pinching 310mm floating rotors offer strong and consistent stopping performance without overly aggressive initial bite. As with a number of models in Suzuki’s current line, the B-King is also offered with a $600 ABS option.

The bar-mounted switchgear is well laid out and possesses a refined look and feel. The feature-rich instrument cluster is also highquality in appearance and has attractive blue backlight illumination at night. There’s very little not to like about the B-King. There are little annoyances, like fuel splash when topping the tank or the bar-mount mirrors being susceptible to vibration, whether from the road surface or the tiny amount radiated by the engine. Like many other bikes featuring underseat exhausts, the B-King’s storage space is next to nil, although there is a well-stocked toolkit tucked away behind a removable panel on the left side of the bike. Perhaps this Suzuki’s biggest shortcoming will apply to riders who are 6-foot-2 or taller, as the stylish fuel tank sidecovers compromise knee room.

Still, there’s never been a better time to become a B student. Spend time aboard the B-King and you’ll come to understand its odd name, although you may come up with your own interpretation. Ours would be Big Bad Ballistic Bomber.

SUZUKI B-KING

$12,899