R&G Racing tail tidy... easy 'ish fit

R&G Racing tail tidy.


Follow the instructions in the pack.

The original tailpiece and mudguard, which weighs several pounds comes off cleanly.

You might as well keep all the connectors in the old tailpiece should you wish to put it back on.

Remove the indicators complete with their wire plugs, they remove easily.

But: The stock indicators do not fit unless you bend the locating pin on the indicators.
Trim the new tail light locating bolts really tight after fitting to the tidy.And you do NOT need to take off bodywork as suggested in the instructions.

Be brave with the wires, you can cut three inches from the tail light wires, it makes it all easier to fit later. and keep neat under the tailpiece.

Bullet connectors are a pet hate and I prefer to solder but the kit is good and includes the electric mini boxes that make LED indicators flash at the proper rate, if you're replacing those too.

Looks nice enough... little bit disappointed with the tail light, I'll put a better pic on soon. Simple oval with a few LEDs, and the number plate LEDs are pretty dim.

(Note added May 25. In fact the taillight is pretty cool. It's bright and mates following say it's almost hypnotic. The number plate light is still not bright enough though.)

7/10 overal, neat kit, actually all well produced and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

I still reckon someone should make a tidy that incorporates the B-King original lamp, which really is a neat piece of work anyway. But if you are replacing the twin pipes, there are a host of light alternatives that can be incorporated into the tailpiece.

See the R&G tail tidy for sale at their site, right click HERE









Before: Heavy, ugly... but the original light is actually quite a good bit of kit, you can see how much it lightens the back end once removed and AFTER: the LED tail light is simple, but actually quite bright.

Gold B-King that changed the mould

Original design concept... saving up for gold paint job. Love it
Here's what they said when the bike was shown in Tokyo in 2001. Right click HERE

Suzuki's stroke of unfaired genius

My six-month old Suzuki B-King picked up a week ago. Genuinely awesome machine which I bought after a 45-minute test ride during a press day in Bedfordshire.
After a Goldwing, then Harley Street Glide and a Suzuki M1800, the B-King felt like a middleweight ... with enormous controllable a power.
When you wound open the throttle, it really did feel as though you spun the world on its axis. It was the second in a series of big grins that day (the M1800 was immense and the V Max, see below, is also incredible)
And in the words of Captain Steven Hiller: (Will Smith in Independence Day as he tried the alien ship for the first time):"I have got to get me one of these."
I tried the V Max on the same day. Different, similar straight line performance (though the Yam felt heavier and somehow even more substantial) but the B-King's tyres are sports tyres and that was the clincher (OK and the fact that there is no way I can find the 16 grand).
Within a fortnight I was an owner of this 2008 B-King, for about three grand less than the original list price when the bike was launched 18 months ago.
And now a week later after around 400 miles, I can honestly say that initial impression was a little misguided – this is a big bike, it weighs getting on for 600lbs BUT it is an incredible machine, brilliantly balanced and it's a hoot to ride.
But here's the biggie: holiday time and sit on the runway in your jet, ready for take off. The pilot holds it on the brakes, winds up the jet engines. The roar intensifies and then he releases the brakes. And you are accelerating hard.
I love that feeling, no matter how cheap the flight, the feeling is I thought something special.
Well the B King is better. Much better, one twist of the grip and I swear your organs move back in your body. Surely the most addictive part of the BK. Any gear, any time... probably best in a straight line though.
I really don't care about the divided opinions on the looks, it has a mountain of attitude and is a true future classic, it's a great bike, more power than you could ever need. I've been riding 30 years and have NEVER ridden a bike like it.
Brilliant poise, phenomenal grip, instant acceleration in any gear, fantastic brakes....
OK, you can see I like it and it has completely restored my love of motorcycling. What surprises me is how few people have had a go.
Sports bikes are cool, no argument but the B-King will be the bike that people will hanker for in future, when the petrol's running out and we have a 100bhp limit (like our French cousins suffer already), maybe less.
My advice is get one, while we still have unleaded fuel at a price we can all afford, get one while it is still legal to have 181bhp on two wheels (well something like that, most people agree it's 170 at the rear wheel anyway), get one while you can still buy a machine that will reach 170mph, do 0-60 in 2.8 secs... You get the idea, you know it makes sense.
AND if they've got one in stock, dealers will deal. Brand new £7,400 OTR at Robinson's in Canterbury (£8,1121 list and that's down from £9,000 at the launch in 2007)
My only tip so far, up the standard spring pre-load on the front forks from 4 to 3 and maybe a quarter of a turn more rebound damping on the rear... and that's it... well it is if you weigh 13 stone (no idea what that is in kilos, work it out yourself)
Oh yeah, the lad on the bike's my son, fresh out of hospital after an eye op. He said the stretch to the ground is too much for his 11-year-old legs.

See this review at www.reviewcentre.com right click HERE (it's almost identical)