Here's another comparison from Motorcylist magazine:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/122_0903_suzuki_b_king_vs_star_v_max/viewall.html
Getting off the V-Max, the B-King is a joy to ride at the strip, mostly because it acts more like a big, fast motorcycle should when you pull the trigger. "The front gets light under heavy throttle," says Thomason, "but you can get your weight on top of it to help hold the wheel down. Catch third gear just right and the front end comes up. The Suzuki's clutch makes launching a bit easier, and all it takes is a blip of throttle between gears to make it shift. The transmission is way better. But weight is the biggest difference, along with a shorter wheelbase that shifts weight to the rear wheel for better grip at the start."
The B-King likes the same quick hand on the clutch, but more grip and less torque right off the bottom let Gene come off the line at 5000 rpm. Bottom line? Punting a 700-lb. motorcycle down the quarter-mile takes a balance of power and traction. The V-Max has plenty of the former, but on this track, on this day, it couldn't come up with enough of the latter, managing a 10.41-second best at 137.4 mph to the 'King's 10.13 at 139.31. More grip would likely shave upward of a half-second off those times, but it wouldn't change the order: Suzuki's B-King still rules the strip."
Read entire article here:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/r...king_vs_star_v_max/viewall.html#ixzz1ktjB8DRq
I've got less than 8K into my King, and it's got several nice enhancements. Two Brothers exhaust and tail tidy (what were they thinking with that stock exhaust?) TRE switch (disables the factory limiter), frame sliders, bar risers, custom plate mount, better windshield, vibranators (both Busa's and B-Kings are notorious for buzzy handlebars, the vibranators kills 90% of it). All in all, I think it's about the best bang for the buck out there. I still want a 2nd gen VMAX though, it will happen sooner or later. Here's some pics of mine, it's the faster black one, of course!