First impression:
The flattening created by the 2D aspect of photos and video do it no favors. This bike suffers in photos of specific design features. The B-King in my opinion is much more attractive than the pictures relay. Once given the chance to view this example of Motorsport Design in person, all predetermined impression fade.

When appreciated as a whole, away from the clutter of most Motorcycle Showrooms the bike is truly a work of art. The styling is sharp and edgy, yet contoured and sleek all at the same time. The thoughtful design only improves under close scrutiny. The edges act as a frame to define the art. The contour is the cradle of function; it allows the bike to exceed most of my expectation.

When mounting the GSX-R1300BK. I take the time to familiarize myself with the controls and ergo’s. The mirrors at first appraisal appear to be all but useless. The emergency flasher is placed to close the vital controls; my big fat sausage fingers will be turning those on all winter. In my summer gloves it will probably be ok. The fit and finish of this bike is second to none. It will easily hold up to BMW’s. As the bike warms, I finish suiting up. I place my foot on the peg for the first time. The leg space is a little cramped. I am 6’0” (read as 5”11 ½”) I have about a 31” inseam I am wearing Thor 50/50 boots they are a hybrid off road with a thick sole. I could just squeeze my knee in next to the tank with my instep on the peg. Some type of peg mod will be a must for someone my size.

Thinking about it the problem with the mirrors is also du to my size. Being a barrel chested 240 pounder (or 480 B-King double Whoppers) as many have pointed out you get a great view of your shoulder/arm and any car easily view with a quick glance over your shoulder. You can’t see the most dangerous thing on the road to a motorcyclist. The traffic that is right behind you. This aspect will force me to cut lanes at lights to prevent being rear ended. This will be Mod# 1.

As I pull away and idle down my quiet lane. I shift to second and it pulls effortlessly. No chugging or hiccups just a smooth purrrrr. I peer at the tach and it is indicating 1100 rpm., So much for the low speed cruiseability. Its a few turns and a ¼ mile before I am on an open road. There is a light mist and the road is wet. I twist the throttle gingerly and approach the posted speed limit still in second. I allow the King to settle back to about 2500 and place her in third. I make a measured attenuation of the “Go Grip” and am rewarded with the slightest spin of the rear wheel.

I ping pong the rev’s from 3-5k in 3rd and 4th for the next 11 miles. The bike is lighter and more responsive than its appearance would indicate. With the conditions as they are, I can only conservatively apply steering input. I will have to wait till another day to feel out the handling. I return home with a satisfied grin. Life is very good at this moment. I truly believe I am the proud owner of a classic. The B-King will be looked back upon as a defining moment in Japanese Motorcycle evolution. If not at least in my motorcycle evolution

Very nice write up my friend.

I agree 100% on the Mirrors. Have a look at CRG's and Oberon's bar end Mirror offerings. (I personally have CRG Hindsight LS's, pricey, but fantastic - and they fold in so there is "no" added width to the bars). Bar end mirrors add a lot of character to the bike especially if you enjoy "streetfighter" styling. They immediately bring it much closer to the look of the concept from a few years back.

I'm about the same size as you (250lb, 32" inseam) and have no problem getting my knees under the scoops on either side - Play around a little with your position on the seat, it will help you. I have had similar thoughts of buying lower pegs, as many have done, but once i got used to the ergonomics and where the bike "wanted" me to sit, it's really not that bad.

Also, if you think 3-5k RPM is fun, wait until you pull up to 8-9k. I still smile a bit when I think about that 1st rush...

B King Bart
Just wanted to share with you some information on some modified pegs for the B-King. I copied and pasted this info. off of Hayabusa.org for you. Joe Satterwhite here in NC makes a nice Mod. I'm 6'3" and 235 and his mods helped me to get my knees behind the tank and not feel so cramped. I've had them for 10,000 miles and recommend them. His number is 919-724-5779 and tell him that Ron Alford in Raleigh, NC referred you. He can send you some pictures as to how they look. Well worth the $ in my opinion.
Ron Alford 919-571-6576



Buell Peg Mod for 99-09 Busa and B-King owners

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When you're out riding for a while on your Busa,.....do you ever?

(1) stand up and stretch your legs while going down the road at speed?
(2) find yourself kicking your leg out to relieve a little knee ache?
(3) have to stop and walk around to get the blood flowing again in your legs?

IF you answered YES to any (or all) of these questions,........you could benefit from the Buell Peg Mod. I am NOT the originator of this mod. I cannot take credit for this. I simply offer a complete, ready to bolt-on, no hassle package for individuals who do not have resources or patience to do machining work.

EVERY package includes a new set of Buell pegs that have been machined and polished on the machined areas.
EVERY package includes 2 E-clips in case the original clips get damaged or lost.
EVERY package includes 2 polished aluminum sleeves which have been machined from 6061 grade aluminum rod. These compliment the polishing on the pegs and insure good fitment of the stock peg pin.
EVERY package includes an 8 page illustrated manual which shows how to install the pegs and make necessary adjustments to the rear brake lever, rear brake switch, and shifter lever.

The package for the 2008-09 (Gen2) Busa has an additional page of instruction for the rear brake switch adjustment and 2 peg springs from the 99-07 Busa. The Gen 2 peg springs are too small in diameter to use with the sleeves in this package.

Domestic price includes USPS shipping and Signature Confirmation are as follows:

Gen 1 (99-07) $88
Gen 2 (08-09) $94

Canandian price includes USPS shipping and Registered Mail are as follows:

Gen 1 (99-07) $96
Gen 2 (08-09) $102

International price includes USPS shipping and Registered Mail are as follows:

Gen 1 (99-07) $101
Gen 2 (08-09) $107

I accept Paypal and money orders. (International orders must pay with Paypal)

PM me here on Hayabusa.org,......or send me an email to jotam2006@yahoo.com Joe Satterwhite (GSX1300R-T)
Attached Images


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Buell Peg Mod for the Busa or B-King!! Click this link>>>> http://www.hayabusa.org/forum/member...sa-owners.html





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BKING BART.....

Nice writing.

Hey I'm your size exactly and the King is perfect fit, now.

Oh, I added the 30 MM Bar Risers, Buell Pegs and added GEL seat.
I lowered the front 3/4" and lowered the back 1".

It rides better without sliding forward on the seat and by lowering
I was able to take off the Bar Risers and went back to stock handlebar height.

Enjoy

Hello everyone. Thought I would take a page out of Bart's book and give you some of my thoughts on the B-King.

I Just purchased it at end of January. I only have 250 miles so far because of the weather. I haven't yet experienced the full range of the tach but I must say from what I have experienced thus far the B-King is the best bike I've owned.

My previous bike was a SV1000. Not a bad bike and a pretty decent tourer but I was always left wanting a bit more. My brothers, my dad and I take one or two good, long trips each year and I was always wishing for a bigger top end on the SV (brothers have Z1000 and 1100XX, dad had/has GSX-R100/ZX-10R).

I'm really looking forward to the trips this year to see how the King stacks up against the other bikes. I'm confident it will do just fine.

Like I said, the B-King so far has proven to be the best bike I've owned. Over the years I've had: Honda VLX, Honda Shadow 1100, Yamaha V-Max and Suzuki SV1000. Thanks to my kin I've also had access to: Kawasaki Z1000, Suzuki Bandit, CBR1100XX, ZX-11, '01 Hayabusa, '01 GSX-R1000 and '05 ZX-10R. I can honestly say I like the B-King the best out of those. The Hayabusa came close (obviously!) but I think the B-King walks away with it.

I'm so ready for spring. I've been commuting to work when the roads aren't frozen but that's just a straight shot with quite a few cops so no real chance to see what the King can do. When it drys out and warms up I'll have to head to the canyons and wring the bike out.

Thanks for everyone who participates in the forum and for the guys that keep it running. I've already gotten some good ideas and look forward to participating in the future. Thanks!

Timbo,

Glad you liked HWY 12. It's one of my favorites as well. I've done it twice so far and it is incredible. Had the leaves changed when you went in September?

A ride you can do that is along 12 that is pretty good is to take the Burr trail right outside of Boulder (just off HWY 12). It connects to Lake Powell via a dirt road (I did it on the SV and brother/dad did it on the CBR1100/GSX-R100 so it's definitely passable). Very stark country but very pretty. You can then take the ferry across Lake Powell and head where ever you want.

I agree that there is pretty good riding in Utah but the one problem is the weather. If we had a longer riding season I think it would be perfect.

New owner of a black king. 400 miles now. Great bike. Enjoy it more each time I ride it. Have taken a lot of recommendations from this forum and have not been disappointed. Last bike was a '96 V-Max. No comparison. B-king is the king.
So far I have -

1. oes frame sliders

2. power commander V ( came pre-programmed, but still have popping on deceleration.
Soon have it dyno'd and marble one of the pair hoses.)

3. stock grips - I get the hand numbing after 20-30 mins., so a change will come soon.

4. national cycle Vstream - For some reason it doesn't look as big in person as some
of the pictures on the forum. Good protection. I had the
smaller national cycle clear shield for a short time and the
the wider dark Vstream has better shoulder protection. The
dark Vstream wind hits me at the neck on up, sitting upright.
(I'm 5' 10"). I also think the bigger Vstream looks more
factory than after-market compared to the smaller deflector.

5. Bar end mirrors - I can't remember the brand, but I got them at CYCLE GEAR cheap.
Around $50. No vibration. They are round. I can see behind me now.

6. 2 brothers exhaust and fender eliminator

7. Passenger pegs - I moved the left side bracket to the right and vise versa. Kept the
pegs on the same side though. This moved the pegs forward and
down for the rare passenger.

8. Soupy's lowering links - Front- 0 Back- 1.5" so far so good. Installation wasn't bad
at all.

9> kickstand - I ground down the heal of the stock stand and it has adequate lean.

I learned about all of the above items from this forum and it has given me a bike I really enjoy riding. As new things (or not so good) occur on the king, I'll be quick to share them with everyone.

I've owned mine since 2008 and it sure keeps me smiling!

Just got my black B-king two days ago. All I can say is that most of my expectations have been exceeded. My first bike was a 750 katana, and most recently an 02 vmax. There is no comparison.

I was nervous about a few things going in, namely turning at slow speeds and how touchy the clutch would be, especially from a dead stop. I hadn't ridden a fast bike in about 5 years (I don't count riding my father-in-law's harley davidson since it's not a real motorcycle) because of a deer running into me.

I used B mode just to take it from the dealer home, and now I've been in A. The clutch is exceptionally easy to use, no lugging or stalls at all. Certainly you need to respect the throttle, but if anyone is considering stepping up to a b-king and not sure if they can handle it, there is no need to worry.

As for turning, like it's been said before this bike handles beautifully at all speeds, much lighter than it looks.

Compared to my vmax, it's night and day the difference between the suspension and braking. I loved my vmax, but I would never go back after only two days on the king.

I'm still in the break-in phase, so haven't gone at it real hard, but the acceleration and smoothness of ride is unbelievable.

I'm 5'7", 218, and am not having too hard a time using the stock mirrors to see behind me. Lowered the factory suspension as much as it would go, and am able to balance and back up, although can't get both heels on the ground at the same time.

Only complaint is that the seat is pretty hard. Definitely going to swap that out soon.

I've only touched 100mph a couple times, but so far I haven't even noticed the wind.

Overall I am thoroughly impressed with the b-king, and looking forward to getting past the break-in phase.

Thanks to everybody posting here, made my decision pretty easy when I was deciding what to buy.