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Top test Suzuki B-King

And yet so nice

Suzuki’s B-King comes across as a real brutal bike, and looks like it is eating small children. Your promised 184 hp required respect for the elemental forces of matter. But this king can also be very different …

The evening sky shines dramatically over the Palace of the Republic. No, not the one in Berlin. But a trendy bar in Stuttgart. People turn their heads, come to pay homage. You circle the huge motorcycle, admire the martial face with the minimalist front mask around the pointed headlight. Tea Suzuki B-King, a new king of the people? In any case, one without any genteel restraint.
Even the most powerful back in motorcycle history demands respect. Huge "air scoops" emerge from the short 16.5 liter tank, the barred openings of which are mere mockups. They reach forward like arms, embrace the nine-liter airbox, sit like a crown over the huge, curved water cooler. Anyone who clumsily at the front shouldn’t mess at the back. Opinions differ at the two oversized exhaust fanfares. Admiration, awe, disgust. Hypergalactic sound wave transducers, or giant rabbit ears?
Pure power. Tea B.-King celebrates the big entrance. Its enormous dimensions are intimidating, this amount of enclosed space. But the dominant exhausts are just for show. Under the triangular plastic pipes there is an unsightly single silencer with two clumsy outlet openings. Is the Citizen King just a bluff? Just no insult to majesty. 1340 cm displacement, four cylinders, declared 184 hp. And one purpose: to govern! The B-King daringly overturns the BMW K 1200 R from the throne of the most powerful of all naked bikes.
First hearing. It rained all night. The streets are wet, your hands are damp. Not ideal conditions for this brutal bike. That cannot deny its 259 kilograms when pushing and maneuvering. Or want to. On the other hand, it is amazing how wonderfully secure you feel in this mighty motorcycle with its comfortable, two-tone seat. It is enthroned with legs apart. Long-legged people have to put their feet far in front on the notches to bring their knees under the tank panels. In return, even short people can safely handle the king while standing. A pillion passenger, however, abdicates after a short time: the back seat is narrow, hard and has no handle. In addition, the sweeping rear fairing spreads the legs unduly.
One press of the button and the engine wakes up. Dull and yet subtle sounding. Slight grinding noises while idling disappear when the clutch is pulled. Actuated hydraulically via a radial pump, pulling the lever takes a lot of effort in the forearm. A B-King is just not a Bubi motorcycle. In addition, first gear doesn’t always slip in straight away. In the first few seconds after the cold start, the four-cylinder still takes on the gas somewhat hesitantly, despite the double throttle valves. But it soon reacts silky smooth and very predictable to changes to the throttle grip. It only responds harder to acceleration commands when in push mode.
Start strong and then continue at a high level, according to this motto the B-King offers endless pressure. The engine develops its power well and evenly, without any cunning or trickery. Magnificent and powerful. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to wheel, the front wheel stays nicely on the ground. And when the traffic light starts, the fat 200 mm rear roller doesn’t overtake you. The extremely long gear ratio protects against torque attacks.
Nobility obliges. At 100 km / h the crankshaft rotates only around 3300 times in the sixth. At this speed, the lightweight slipper pistons already weigh 115 Newton meters on the chrome-molybdenum steel connecting rods. It is a maximum of 140 Newton meters at 7300 revolutions. A real fuck king. The fifth and sixth gears are greatly reduced in the maximum speed so that the chase ends at 250 km / h. In the lower gears, on the other hand, the torque is well-concealed. In the fourth alone, the Big Block offers a full speed limit of up to 11,000 revolutions and full power of measured 174 PS. It’s great how cultivated the power plant equipped with a balancer shaft is.
Separation of powers. The Über-Bike zooms in on the horizon as if it were nothing. However, only if you want to: A B program with reduced power can be used when the vehicle is stationary. The "driving license retention mode" limits the maximum power to 120 hp, the torque curve only bobs from 5000 tours (see diagrams on page 46). Until then, that’s definitely enough steam, especially on a wet road. But at the top it gets dark in B-mode. In the fifth and sixth in particular, the engine starves to death, and 170 is the end. Ultimately, the B-King is just a shadow of itself.
Ancestral gallery. The first study for the B-King dates from 2001 (see page 8), the engine and frame are now based on the 2008 Hayabusa (see page 16 ff.). Without special throttling. The ten horsepower that the B-King has less is entirely due to the peripherals: different exhaust, modified airbox, no Ram-Air system. Yet she is much more than just a Hayabusa without a disguise.
And the colossus makes it unexpectedly easy. Once in motion, all fears evaporate. The B-King is very easy to conduct. Handy and precise, almost inconspicuous in city traffic. When competing around zebra crossings and lane markings, the fattest of all naked bikes follows every steering impulse very carefully and easily. It’s sensational how it drives. Like an oversized 600.
Predictable, stable and handy: The Über-Suzi turns easily and is absolutely unimpressed in an inclined position up to almost 230 km / h. Your smooth steering damper does a great job. You can only feel the pushing mass again when you swirl around in quick alternating curves. And at top speed it stirs a little.
Insignia of power. A solid aluminum bridge frame made of welded cast parts meets a powerful aluminum swing arm. This is neatly crafted, has beautiful chain tensioners and is crowned with stiffening upper cables. The rear frame is screwed on for easy repair. And the upside-down fork is a poem. It is extremely responsive, and the fully adjustable shock absorber is creamy and sensitive. Fantastic: perfect information about the road surface with high suspension comfort and plenty of reserves. The B-King combines the best of the realms of supersport and touring in an optimal balance.
The Dunlop qualifiers fall round and homogeneously in an inclined position. You give a good idea, stick to the point and stick to the race you have chosen. And remain astonishingly neutral with longitudinal channels. Only on bad mogul slopes does the fat-soled B-King get a little out of step. Then, and only then, does it develop a life of its own, look for its own radius. This also happens in bends when the brakes are applied, which is followed by a noticeable tilt. But without any external interference, the 1340 rolls stoically.
Royal bodyguard. Radially bolted Nissin four-piston calipers take the 310 discs with extreme precision from a radial pump. They bite extremely well dosed and brutal. But never malicious, offer great feedback over a wide range. Only when panic braking does the front wheel suddenly stop. Even the simple single-piston floating caliper aft does a good job.
You sit motionless on a bench. Motionless? No, you breathe in deeper than usual, you feel with every fiber of your body how your chest rises and falls, rises and falls again. 9000 revolutions per minute. In the head. You did it, challenged the king, let the engine go well over 6000 revs. She can be different, the B-King. What came was pure anger. Between straights just disappeared, curves came up out of nowhere. The world was crooked, the road sloped, magically dragging man and machine down.
Realm of knowledge. "Reading branches the mind," they say. Driving Suzuki B-King branches out the sensations. Intense, strong and sublime. She lets her driver ?? dignified upright ?? share in its shine, is regal not only through sheer power, but through excellent drivability. And what’s best: This surprisingly easy-to-drive over-motorcycle makes you extremely casual. You don’t have to prove anything. You could if you wanted to. At any time.

Top test Suzuki B-King

And yet so nice

Data Suzuki B-King

engine
Water-cooled four-cylinder, four-stroke in-line engine, a balance shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, ø 44 mm, regulated catalytic converter with secondary air system, 400 W alternator, 12 V / 10 Ah battery , hydraulically operated Multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain.
Bore x stroke 81.0 x 65.0 mm
Cubic capacity 1340 cm³
Compression ratio 12.5: 1
Rated output 135.0 kW (184 hp) at 9500 rpm
Max. Torque 146 Nm at 7200 rpm

landing gear
Bridge frame made of aluminum, upside-down fork, ø 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, steering damper, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, ø 310 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, Rear disc brake, ø 260 mm, single-piston floating caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17

Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 200/50 ZR 17

Tires in the test Dunlop Qualifier, front "MT",
back »NK«

mass and weight
Wheelbase 1525 mm, steering head angle 64.5 degrees, caster 107 mm, spring travel f / r 120/137 mm, permissible total weight 460 kg, tank capacity 16.5 liters.

Data service
Service intervals every 6000 km
Oil and filter change every 6000 km / 3.3 l
Engine oil SAE 10 W 40
Telescopic fork oil LO1
Spark Plugs NGK CR9EIA-9
Idle speed 1150 ± 100 / min
Tire pressure solo (with pillion passenger)
front / rear 2.5 / 2.9 (2.5 / 2.9) bar

Two year guarantee
Colors gray / silver, black
Price 13,490 euros
Additional costs 145 euros

Was there anything else?

more
Maintenance-free LED taillights (photo)
Cockpit with many functions: travel time, average speed, clock
Exhaust manifold and collector made of stainless steel, large volume catalytic converter
Immobilizer as standard
Suspension strut well protected from splash water by swing arm and inner fender

minus
The engine sometimes did not start after short breaks. A "fault in the ignition switch control circuit" was stored in the control unit of the engine electronics
The ABS version will unfortunately only be released in spring 2008
No main stand
Pillion seat puny, can only be fitted in exchange for a cover
A hook wrench is difficult to apply to the spring strut for spring preload

Noticeable
The supposedly elongated clear glass turn signals simulate LEDs on their sides (photo)
After switching off the ignition, the engine automatically goes into "A-mode"
Suspension settings
Fork spring base 4 rings visible; Rebound 7 of 15, compression 6 of 20 clicks open
Spring strut spring base screwed in nine threads; Rebound stage 1.25 from 3.5 revolutions, compression stage 1.5 from 5.75 revolutions open

Measurements

Performance
Top speed * 247 km / h

acceleration
0 – 100 km / h 3.1 sec
0 ?? 140 km / h 4.6 sec
0 200 km / h 8.1 sec

Draft
60 ?? 100 km / h 4.0 sec
100 ?? 140 km / h 3.6 sec
140 ?? 180 km / h 4.2 sec

Speedometer deviation
Effective (display 50/100) 47/94 km / h

Tachometer deviation
Red area display: 11200 rpm
Effective 11000 / min

Consumption in the test
at 130 km / h 5.6 l / 100 km
Country road 5.0 l / 100 km
Theor. Range 330 km
Fuel typeSuper

mass and weight
L / W / H 2226/840/1260 mm
Seat height 810 mm
Handlebar height 1020 mm
Turning circle 6000 mm
Weight with full tank 259 kg
Payload201 kg
Wheel load distribution v / h 49/51%
Driving dynamics 1
Brake measurement
Braking distance from 100 km / h 40.5 m
Average deceleration 9.5 m / s²

Comments: The brake is easy to adjust, but it lacks the last bite when it has to be fully decelerated. A few attempts are necessary to achieve maximum deceleration, as the front tire suddenly tends to lock.

Handling course I (fast slalom)
Lap time 19.8 sec
vmax at the measuring point 102.0 km / h
Comments: amazing how well the difficult B-King can be circled through the fast course. Top time. The chassis works sensitively and neutrally.

Handling course II (slow slalom)
Lap time28.4 sec
vmax at the measuring point 51.9 km / h

Comments: Due to the high weight, the Suzuki pushes over the front wheel. The line must be kept exactly.

Orbit ø 46 meters
Lap time 10.7 sec
vmax at the measuring point 51.4 km / h

Comments: The B-King draws a clean line with sensitivity and balance. Here, too, the motorcycle tends to slide over the front wheel and then draw wide arcs.

How to scoring

engine
Brute. The B-King accelerates like a tarantula! The draft values ​​are not quite as bearish, but in view of the lengthy overall translation they are worth all honors. The performance is extremely full and even. The smooth-running four-cylinder accelerates gently; load change reactions are only harder when the vehicle is coasting. The clutch needs a lot of manual force, the gearshift requires a bit of force.

landing gear
impressive. What a landing gear! It’s almost like a super sport. Once set in motion, the 259-kilogram bike can be easily and precisely circled along the country road. A mighty motorcycle that doesn’t give up when it comes to the smallest bends: stable and unexpectedly handy. The fully adjustable spring elements work sensitively and respond extremely cleanly. Even with a pillion passenger, the brummer is fed up and unimpressed.

everyday life
Modest in everyday life. For drivers who are not too long, the seating comfort is okay. However, a pillion passenger has nothing to laugh about. Man or coward? Motorway stages are exhausting, enthroned naked in the wind with a lot of power. Only the knees are well protected. Impossible: luggage transport. There are no hooks at the rear, the exhaust covers interfere, a tank bag would hide the ignition lock and power mode switch on the small 16.5-liter tank.

security
Inspiring. Finest controllability and good braking deceleration create trust. In addition, the B-King stays securely in the lane when the brakes are applied hard, and only straightens up significantly when leaning. Hopefully Suzuki will save the great transparency of these brakes in the ABS version coming from spring 2008!

costs
pitiful. B-King drivers should be part of the money nobility. Tires, insurance, gasoline, and inspections cost immensely. Annoying: short 6000 maintenance intervals on the new engine.

Overall rating
Suzuki can do more than bread and butter, Bandit & Co. The excellent B-King proves: Beefy instead of cheap! Because their 13,500 euros are not made of cardboard.

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