Hello all - Roy here, but most folks know me as 'buma' online. Been riding now for almost 20 years, and the B-King is only my 3rd bike, 2nd bike ever purchased brand new, too. Just picked it up this past weekend brand new - it sat unbuilt for 4 years and then assembled about a year ago where it sat on the dealers floor until I came along, test rode it, and out it went with me for a really good deal.
Previous ride was a 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200N that I also had since brand new. Took that in for a safety check a few weeks ago where the dealership discovered that I needed new front rotors on it. As I found out how much it would be to replace (about $250 per rotor, + an hours labor), it exceeded my previous threshold of how much money I wanted to sink into this 12 year old bike and decided that it wasn't worth it - besides, as the parts guy said "Well, a new bike comes with new rotors..." Pair that with the deal they had on the B-King, I was sold.
Been riding around just for a few days now and am starting to love / fear the great amount of power the King has coming from its racer cousin. The old Bandit would top out at about 5K before I had to shift gears to go faster, but the King seems to just pull and pull and pull... I need to learn a bit more throttle control now. Legs are also getting use to the new racer-like seat and different ergo on the King, but that first night I had cramps from all the different muscles being called into use to shift.
So far, it's stock - and I think for the most part it'll stay that way too. Maybe a few cosmetic changes are in the works such as:
1. a tail tidy as that big hunk of plastic back just doesn't seem right
2. new bar-end mirrors as I can't see anything but my elbows with the stock ones
3. engine protectors as I can personally attest to them saving much money on my bandit
4. either a tank protector or some 3m clear paint protector strips as I'm now noticing the diminutive crotch-to-tank space that I'm not as accustomed to...
Previous ride was a 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200N that I also had since brand new. Took that in for a safety check a few weeks ago where the dealership discovered that I needed new front rotors on it. As I found out how much it would be to replace (about $250 per rotor, + an hours labor), it exceeded my previous threshold of how much money I wanted to sink into this 12 year old bike and decided that it wasn't worth it - besides, as the parts guy said "Well, a new bike comes with new rotors..." Pair that with the deal they had on the B-King, I was sold.
Been riding around just for a few days now and am starting to love / fear the great amount of power the King has coming from its racer cousin. The old Bandit would top out at about 5K before I had to shift gears to go faster, but the King seems to just pull and pull and pull... I need to learn a bit more throttle control now. Legs are also getting use to the new racer-like seat and different ergo on the King, but that first night I had cramps from all the different muscles being called into use to shift.
So far, it's stock - and I think for the most part it'll stay that way too. Maybe a few cosmetic changes are in the works such as:
1. a tail tidy as that big hunk of plastic back just doesn't seem right
2. new bar-end mirrors as I can't see anything but my elbows with the stock ones
3. engine protectors as I can personally attest to them saving much money on my bandit
4. either a tank protector or some 3m clear paint protector strips as I'm now noticing the diminutive crotch-to-tank space that I'm not as accustomed to...
Buma 
enjoy
