What to replace my Fz6 with - Maybe this

Kamloops

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Insurance looked at my bike today and I am pretty sure it will be a total loss. So I am thinking of not getting another fz6. Maybe a used 2008 Suzuki B-King. Has anyone here ever rode one? I sure love the looks of them!

2008-Suzuki-B-King.jpg


2008_suz_B-king_side.jpg


007820_Suzuki_B-King_2008.jpg


suzuki_b-king_rgt_closeup.jpg
 
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Kazza

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Why not try an FZ8 or FZ1?

I'm not a big Suzuki fan, but then again, I've not ridden one. Could change my mind totally if I was for a ride on one.
 

Wolfman

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Have you seen the B-King in the "flesh", they are enormous! and about a metre and a half wide....not a fan, sorry.

Awesome motor though! :D
 

Bikebiz

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Ha you took my words Wolf, they are HUGE! Not that that's always a bad thing, just that it's no FZ. It's a whole different type of riding. Your corner speed ability would be dramatically diminished :) although you could make it up down the straight bits.

If it's your cuppa tea though, it sure has a street presence. Bit like the Vmax I had a chance to ride the other week. It's so ****e at corners, but all is forgiven because the thing just blows your mind under power.

You got anything else on the shortlist?
 

tomari

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only your as5 can tell you, get your as5 on that bike and try it!
you'll love the gearbox/clutch for sure!
 

rpereira

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Test ride everything, but Street Triple R FTW. Don't need to do nothing to it and has about 120hp! Weighs about 20kg less than FZ6 as well. Sounds awesome too :)
 

Hellgate

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I hate to admit it but I kinda like the B. I like it because it is a true, full sized, standard; just like my GS1100EX from years ago. The B motor is amazing, buckets of power, a full size wheel base, and a good suspension. I'd put some Akra carbon cans on it, an FE kit, and call it a day.

View attachment 29633
 

Erci

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Dry weight: 520 pounds. Never ridden one, but sat on one. Felt all 520 pounds of it just lifting it off the side stand.

If not FZ6/FZ1, I'd check out Speed Triple or Maybe Super Duke.
 

08fz6

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I agree with Wolf, the first time I saw one on a dealership floor I did a double take. They are a big sport bike!!!!! I'm not a fan of how they look, but they have their own look all in the same.....
 

champion221elite

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Give the B King a test ride... at least that way you'll have a basis to make an informed purchase decision.

Keep in mind, the B-King is basically a naked 'Busa. Physically, it's a very large motorcycle that will have entirely different manners than a FZ6 or any middleweight bike for that matter.

Insurance costs will also be significantly higher.
 

Kamloops

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I have read some reviews and they all say the B-king is a great handling bike, nothing like the vmax at all.

2008 Suzuki B-King Review - Motorcycle.com

"That’s not just my impression, either. “I thought that canyon roads would reveal the B-King to be a wallowing sow,” MO staffer Pete Brissette notes. “Not so. I was excited to discover that rolling the bike through a series of turns was as effortless and precise as the handling offered by any good sportbike available today. The chassis is stout, with well-sorted suspension, front and rear.”

The whole process of getting this big, powerful bike slowed, turned, and then accelerating through and out of a corner works. The transmission shifts perfectly; the clutch pull is light – very light, considering the power it has to transmit – and it is a slipper type so there’s no wheel hop if your throttle-blipping skills are uneven."
 

ozzieboy

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Not a big fan of the looks either, but I'm not you:thumbup:.

As for grunt and handling, the downside to having a naked bike, with nearly the power of a Busa is that once you really get it hummin' you'll notice that a naked bike isn't the best choice of bike for high speed riding.

The wheel base (longer than the Busa), and the fork angle will probably help keep it from losing stability at high speed which is more of a problem for the nakeds, since they've got everything on the front hanging off the bars, instead of mounted to the frame meaning any fluctuations in the air hitting the front of the bike are transmitted straight to the bars...lol...No screen to hide behind either.

They might feel nimble for their size but they still won't be flickable like an FZ in the tight stuff.

The fuel tank is much smaller than the Busa I believe (16.4?L/4.3 Gal?) but it uses fuel at the same rate, so fuel range will be down a bit too.

But after all is said and done, if you like the look, and want the grunt, see if you can score a decent test ride. You'll find out more in half an hour on the bike than you will listening to me gab on for a year:BLAA:....lol.
 

blitzcraig

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i saw one of those at the bike shop a few weeks ago when i was dropping the fizzer off to get new tires (btw, they had a brand new 09 FZ6 in faster blue in case anyone around here is looking for one :hijack:) i saw the tail end of it first and it reminded me of the back to the future delorian with those rear vents. holy cow, the cans are the size of watermelons!! i mean, it's kinda neat at first because you get the 'wtf is that thing? neat! um, i think? hang on. wow, i dunno, it's pretty damn big. yeah, wow, really big. hmm. umm, yeesh, what is going on with this thing?' not to crap on your interest, but check one out in person. it does look cool in pictures but in real life they are freaking wacky.
 
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