I've been intrigued by the B-King ever since it was announced last year with the new Hayabusa. I like the naked, no nonsense look of it. I love the fact that it is a standard with a Hayabusa engine. I considered getting one when I heard about it last year, but opted instead for the 2008 Hayabusa. I already owned a Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special that I felt met my needs for longer distance comfort riding.
I finally saw a B-King up close the other day and had a chance to sit on it. First impression was that the bike was huge. You also have to be somewhat limber to swing your leg over the high back end. The tank and side scoops are huge and it seemed a little top heavy when gently rocking it off of the side stand. I had an instant disliking of the mirrors because all I could see was my arms, but didn't spend much time trying to adjust them to see how adequate they would be.
I grabbed both handlebars and put one leg up on a peg. Wow, that's a comfortable position I thought. I'm 5'9" with a 31" inseam and my leg fit comfortably cradled under the side scoop. I didn't have to bend forward to reach the handlebars and they felt to be a good height. I imagined myself moving forward at Hayabusa accelerations in such a comfortable position and wondered if the wind would be a nuisance.
A few other concerns crossed my mind like the small 4.4 gallon fuel tank. I'm sure I'm not the first to wonder why Suzuki put in such a small tank when the motorcycle had such a huge front end. Range would be a little limited, though not unreasonable for less spirited riding. I also wondered about luggage options. These didn't seem to be large problems so I began to imagine myself buying one, though i would have to trade in the Harley-Davidson or Hayabusa in order to afford it.
My H-D Night Rod Special has a lot going for it that I like. It has an alarm that disables the ignition and I only need to have the key and fob on me in order to start the bike. It also has a garage door opener, wind screen, automatic turn signal cancellation, stylish looks and an adequate riding position. I have ridden it all day in relative comfort. However, it is lacking in acceleration compared to the Hayabusa (I know, what isn't?).
I love my Hayabusa. Riding it is so effortless. Just twist the throttle and you're there. The only drawback for me is the riding position. My hands can start to tingle after a while, though this can be dealt with by shaking my hand or loosening my grip momentarily. I've thought about installing helibars to improve the riding position.
What advice can you give me? Should I buy the B-King? Is riding the B-King different enough from the Hayabusa to make it worth owning both? If you've ridden both, can you please describe the differences in handling and comfort? Should I trade in my H-D Night Rod Special? Should I just keep what I have and forget about the B-King?
Thanks in advance.
I finally saw a B-King up close the other day and had a chance to sit on it. First impression was that the bike was huge. You also have to be somewhat limber to swing your leg over the high back end. The tank and side scoops are huge and it seemed a little top heavy when gently rocking it off of the side stand. I had an instant disliking of the mirrors because all I could see was my arms, but didn't spend much time trying to adjust them to see how adequate they would be.
I grabbed both handlebars and put one leg up on a peg. Wow, that's a comfortable position I thought. I'm 5'9" with a 31" inseam and my leg fit comfortably cradled under the side scoop. I didn't have to bend forward to reach the handlebars and they felt to be a good height. I imagined myself moving forward at Hayabusa accelerations in such a comfortable position and wondered if the wind would be a nuisance.
A few other concerns crossed my mind like the small 4.4 gallon fuel tank. I'm sure I'm not the first to wonder why Suzuki put in such a small tank when the motorcycle had such a huge front end. Range would be a little limited, though not unreasonable for less spirited riding. I also wondered about luggage options. These didn't seem to be large problems so I began to imagine myself buying one, though i would have to trade in the Harley-Davidson or Hayabusa in order to afford it.
My H-D Night Rod Special has a lot going for it that I like. It has an alarm that disables the ignition and I only need to have the key and fob on me in order to start the bike. It also has a garage door opener, wind screen, automatic turn signal cancellation, stylish looks and an adequate riding position. I have ridden it all day in relative comfort. However, it is lacking in acceleration compared to the Hayabusa (I know, what isn't?).
I love my Hayabusa. Riding it is so effortless. Just twist the throttle and you're there. The only drawback for me is the riding position. My hands can start to tingle after a while, though this can be dealt with by shaking my hand or loosening my grip momentarily. I've thought about installing helibars to improve the riding position.
What advice can you give me? Should I buy the B-King? Is riding the B-King different enough from the Hayabusa to make it worth owning both? If you've ridden both, can you please describe the differences in handling and comfort? Should I trade in my H-D Night Rod Special? Should I just keep what I have and forget about the B-King?
Thanks in advance.
