And for those of you who think all that wind-tunnel testing and aerodynamics crap are for techno-geek nancy-boys, Suzuki has released a completely new motorcycle, a brutish, naked expression of raw power - the B-King.
The bike first showed up in 2001 at the Tokyo Motor Show, but six calendar years later the reality of this machine is essentially a stripped-down Hayabusa. Suzuki wouldn’t offer horsepower figures, but the head honchos did say that it makes less peak ponies than the ‘Busa but more torque - despite using the same 1340cc motor. Ignition and fuel injection mapping are the primary culprits, but like its genetic donor, the B-King shares the SDTV fuel injectors and S-DMS, albeit with only two modes instead of three.
The chassis is slightly different than the Hayabusa and the exhaust exits under-tail in a bulbous, gargantuan display of tailpipe. The front end looks much better with a small cowling wrapped around the 60-watt headlight. Turn signals are integrated into mini-fairings that flare out from the fuel tank with mesh scoops to direct airflow. Black inverted fork tubes head south, but unfortunately no DLC on the lowers. Both suspension components offer compression and rebound damping and spring preload adjustment. Brake rotors and three-spoke wheels are the same, but the calipers are tailored for the B-King.
America isn’t known for its love of naked streetfighters, but with the heart and soul of the Hayabusa that may not hold true for Suzuki’s new flagship model. We’ll see if it really is good to B-King.
Expect to see both of these power-mongering machines in dealers sometime in October. The ‘Busa will carry a MSRP of $11,999 while the all-new B-King is $12,899.
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