Graffiti GSX1300

Banksy B-King... well almost
Double click to download full size image

How fast does it go then mister?

Top video...

B-King tinted flyscreen

Suzuki B-King with flyscreen. It was cheaper to buy this in the USA and have it shipped to the UK. Full marks to Race Shop Inc (look for fastwayfirebird400 on eBay) who charged $25 to send it and the screen cost just under 50 quid.
The cheapest I've found it in the UK is £71... plus delivery.


Fitting: You have to drill four holes in headlight cover. I considered silicone glueing it on to preserve the original but, hey, sometimes you just gotta do it, even though the bike's only just covered 2,000 miles.
And it turned out really well.
I covered the area with electrical tape, marked it, then drilled. Easy. Job will take you 20 minutes.
It took me the thick end of two hours because I decided to take the cover apart to check where the drill bit was going. It's a bit of a jigsaw but really well made and everything clips back together tightly.
But the fact was that there is just space behind so drill away then push in the rubber t-plug with brass bolt inside.
There's no risk and the plastic's about 4mm thick.
Four holes and two supplied sticky pads to ensure a consistent gap.

Like any flyscreen, keeping it propely clean on the inside will mean taking it off when the bike's washed which is made easy by the allen bolts. The polycarbonate appears reasonably scratch resistant and smooths the nose which is second only to the rocket exhausts that people who hate the looks seem to get most upset about.

And does it make any difference at speed?
Nah not really... but it looks cool. Love it

Motor Cyclist USA on VMAX v B-King

From the mag's excellent shoot out (click HERE to view)

Ari Henning Associate Editor
Off The Record
"These Goliaths have been at Motorcyclist for a month now, but I've intentionally avoided landing on one during our daily round of musical chairs. They're big and mean-looking, and I'm not too proud to say I was more than a little intimidated by them. Hence I was a tad uneasy when ace triggerman Gene Thomason ordered me to suit up and try my hand at firing them down the quarter-mile. Talk about a shocking introduction!
"After launching each bike, roping tire through four gears and accelerating to over 130 mph, I'd conquered my fear-and solidified my opinion. These things are big and mean. And fast!
"Yamaha and Suzuki have produced two devastatingly powerful musclebikes, either of which will make you the big dog on the block. Any block."
Age: 23 Height: 5'10" Weight: 165 lbs. Inseam: 33 in

Brian Catterson Editor-in-Chief
Off The Record
"I'm not gonna cop to being intimidated by these two musclebikes like our FNG did. I've ridden MotoGP bikes, fercrissake! But I have tended to shy away from them, preferring something smaller/lighter/more maneuverable for my cross-town commute. Until one evening, when everything else was checked out, I rode the B-King home-and didn't get off it for two weeks.
"Yes, it's mean-looking, but I wouldn't call it mean. In fact, it's a pussycat-as is the V-Max-so long as you exercise some right-wrist restraint. Grab a handful and you risk punting a pedestrian-or something far more solid. ABS is nice in that regard.
"Personally, I prefer the B-King because it feels more like a regular motorcycle. But if you're seriously considering buying one of these behemoths, that's probably the last thing you want.
Age: 46 Height: 6'1" Weight: 215 lbs. Inseam: 34 in.

Right click HERE for awesome full report

Suzuki's B-King and VZR1800

As a day job I work for a newspaper and here is a test I wrote for it following my visit to the Bedfordshire test day knees up (brilliant, see earlier post)

These two bikes are about fun, about machinery that makes the rider feel special… and yes, despite our Gatso-controlled roads, it is about travelling swiftly too.

Suzuki is a specialist in offering desirable, high-performance bikes for a range of different tastes.

It produces the best mass-produced all-round sports bike in the world with GSXR1000, it also turns out the immense Hayabusa - the original 200mph bike (well almost), it’s 10 years but just relaunched with an all-new 1340cc, 181bhp engine.

And Suzuki also makes a couple of ‘budget’ big bikes too, the SV1000 and the 1200cc Bandit.

So, you can conclude Suzuki engineers like making big bikes…

And here are the two most outrageous: The VZR1800, a 125bhp power cruiser - which out poses them all - and the B-King, a rocket exhaust wearing naked bike with the same all-conquering Hayabusa engine, designed to look like a sinister Transformer toy.

Both are incredible. The fact they exist at all is something of a miracle in today’s over-legislated climate and the chance to ride both on the same day, was not to be missed.

Think cruiser and you immediately think Harley-Davidson. They sound right and still manage to dish up character from their lumpy V-twin engines. But they’re not fast.

The VZR1800 is outrageous, a giant hunk of gleaming metal and chrome that will turn more heads than any Harley.

Piloting it makes you feel almost insignificant, it is huge, almost comedy. Your legs are forced wide around a petrol tank that feels the size of a small car, then they jut out before you onto typical cruiser pegs as you stretch forward to the straight bars. The bike probably weighs as much as a Ford Escort** but release the oh-so-light clutch and as soon as you are rolling, you know you are on something special.

The stock exhaust still has a decent rumble and if you want to pose around town with your glittering chrome, this’ll do nicely. But get her onto the open road, wind on that throttle, in any gear, and the horizon accelerates toward you faster than any car… and most bikes. Your feet actually lift off the pegs. This is a quick, imposing beast which is a hoot to ride and surprisingly nimble around the twisties.

I got off after a 45-minute cross-country blast wanting one, simple as that.

And then I tried the B-King.

It looks crazy, it feels huge and weighs the same as three, full-grown men. All the brochures remind you that this was born from a crazy show bike. The looks have divided opinion.

Simply, it’s better in the flesh than any picture and here are some figures: 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and some nutter on Youtube has filmed the speedo showing 170mph. It’s a bit fast then.

It handles, brakes amazingly well and after another 45-minute ride, I decided I had to have one. Two weeks later there was one in my garage.

This bike has restored my passion for motorcycles and I reckon everyone should try one. It is a bargain too. When the B-King launched 18 months ago Suzuki wanted £9,000, now they want £8,000… most dealers will knock a few quid off too.

Second hand you can pick one up (and remember it won't be more than 18 months old) for under six grand. Yes, that's right, six grand, cheaper than a sports 600 and there's no way a B-King will have been thrashed... will it?

But the new prices won’t last, the pound has been getting weaker and bike prices have crept up.

So, take my advice: buy one now before it becomes more expensive, buy one now before we are all restricted to 100bhp like French riders – buy one now before the petrol runs out. It's an experience every biker should have.

Facts and figures

Suzuki GSX1300 B-King
Engine: 1,340cc, liquid-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke with 16 valves; 181bhp at 9,500rpm, 108lb ft of torque at 7,200rpm. Six-speed gearbox, chain drive. 0-60mph 2.8secs, 165mph (est), average fuel consumption 40mpg.
List price £8,121.

Suzuki VZR1800 (M1800)
Engine: 1783cc liquid cooled V twin, with 8 valves. 125 bhp, 118lb ft of torque, five-speed, shaft drive. 0-60mph 3.5secs, top speed 140mph (est), fuel consumption 40mpg.
List price £9,000

** In fact the VZR1800 weights 770lbs, about 200 MORE than the B-King. Somehow it feels easier to manoeuvre than the BK as the weight is all lower down.