March Motor Cyclist Magizine V-Max vs B-King

[113s&s]

usually during winter theres factory discounts..on a lot of modles yamaha and honda had factory $2000 off....lot of times they tell you they can drop 1000 1500 off and they keep the other factory 1000...its slip in with all the other paper work many people sign it with no idea they gave away a thousand to the dealers

 

[RazoR333]

Just thought this thred needed some pictures.

Once I got past the initial babe glare , ..that ha to be the best pic of a B King I've seen.
And no,..cant see myself kickin either of these ladies outta bed for eatin crackers...

Q "what feature do you find most attractive on a women?"
A "Depends which way she's walking".

 

[113s&s]

Just thought this thred needed some pictures.

b king took a good picture there

 

[Buster Hymen]

I didn't know there was an '09 'B', why isn't it being sold in the states, poor sales record?

I don't have any sales numbers but I had heard it sold pretty well in Canada.

 

[gary2112]

I've got both bikes, the B-king and the 09 Vmax. The King outshines the V-max in every single area performance wise, bar absolutely none. Yamaha really dropped the ball in therms of the weight, fuel mileage and handling. While I appreciate brand loyalty, you simply can't express a valid opinion without sounding like an imbecile until you drive both extensively.

While I don't REGRET getting the V-max because of its aesthetic value and none too shabby pull, I am dissapointed with the hype Yamaha put out to justify the ridiculous price tag and attempts to hide the fact their muscle bike title has been soundly thrashed from them by Suzuki's kick at the can.

The B-king in my experience draws more conversation from people outside the motorcycling community wondering what it is, as it's new. The V-max also illicits many comments, but more from people who know what it is and asking how the new compares to the old, etc.

The V-max is a good poser machine for sure. It looks mean and has a nice sound to it, and outside of comparing it to the B-king it's a really great machine. Side by side though it's like comparing a fat beer-bellied bouncer whose got all kinds of muscle and looks intimidating but alot of weight and belly rolls to haul around and no distance endurance named V-max to a multi-combat trained marine drill sargent named B-king who is just as strong but is nimble, weighs less and goes farther.

The Sales in Canada for the B-king were phenominal in some regions, to the point where you can't get a bike even if you want one, less so in the major centres where they were over-allocated. In the USA they are NOT discontinued, they're just not supplying them in 09 until they clear out the 08's from generally dismal sales. You'll see the 2010 model in the dealerships late in the year, but in far fewer numbers.

In Europe and the UK the sales are off the charts, such that in many regions there are pre-orders and long waiting lists.

The reason the US had bad sales is just due to a really really odd marketplace. You see it in the automobile industry as well, with super fuel efficient cars not being offered there en-masse until the gasoline price crunch. The market there is completely out of sorts and holds different buying preferences than with the rest of the world. Even homegrown businesses see it, react to it and in some cases suffer from it. Harley Davidson and their new XR series 1200 cc bike is a perfect example. They won't even sell it in the US...just Europe where 'different' accompanied with good new sensible technology is better recieved by the masses, and not seen as interfering with 'tradition' or as a 'polluting' of the pure american made image of HD. I think the same is true with the V-max over the B-king. Comfort with the old brand and fear of the new/unknown model wins out.

Anyway, though it may sound like it ,I'm not trashing the V-max. I DID buy one after all. Like the article shows though, Suzuki hit on a real masterpiece with the King. And the V-max, while a stunner in its own right is a real let down when you compare it. It's best to leave it in it's own category and take it for what it is. That way it's shortcomings can be concealed as 'character' and ones enjoyment of the marque won't be lessened.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

They are two totally different bikes, and all hype aside I don't think their was any expectation that the Vmax was gonna outrun the B-king in the 1/4, it's just too heavy.....

From the 0-60 times I thought I had seen it was exactly .1 seconds behind the Busa and ZX14, 2.7 seconds compared to 2.6 seconds ......so don't tell me it's slow either,......... I'm not that stupid..
I rode one at the IMS show in Houston on a 20 mile ride and had it to 100 several times, did a couple of rolling 2nd gear tire burners that I INITIATED at 50 miles an hour and was pretty impressed, and I have spent time on Busa's and zX14's..

I'll also put it up against ANY bike out there in a stoplight to stoplight play session, the bottom end accelleration is phenomenal and easy to manage as well, you don't have to be genuis to squeeze that 0-60 time out of it, fighting wheel lift the whole time like you will on a sportbike, after all it's a 680lbs cruiser........

Some may want to say the Vmax is not a cruiser, ....
But really it is no matter how much power it has...there ARE NO 680lb sportbikes out there.....So for what it is..it's wonderful,

But no, it's not a 400-430lb sportbike with 175hp, and it's not gonna perform like one no matter how much we want it to........

My local dealer, a major player in the Houston-Metro area sell Suzuki, Yamaha and KTM, and moves a LOT of sportbikes, has sold one B-king and has had the 2nd one on the floor for 8 months now......He told me straight up he can't sell it cause the damn thing's so ugly.......

Personally I like the b-king, a lot, and they ARE a lot like the vmax in that it's a love-it or hate-it thing and nothing in between....Most people I have heard voice an opinion say they are ugly....

Me I wouldn't mind having one.....

By the way, since that was your very first post on the Forum......Me thinks perhaps you're a Troll until proven otherwise.........

 

[KJShover]

By the way, since that was your very first post on the Forum......Me thinks perhaps you're a Troll until proven otherwise.........

+1 Not defending Vmax, although I'm starting to like the gen II, I'm not completely sold on it. I like the looks and performance of a stripped down b-king as well.

I'm also finding it odd that the first post on the same day would be one like this.


See? you can make a B-King look better :rofl_200: NSFW.

 

[vmax1125]

From the sounds of it he will be selling his vmax soon being its a turd and he really dont like it much. if you found the best ride in the world why have a Inferior high dollar bike if its just to pick out all the negatives thats a waste of 18k. i still dont know why they are compairing the two they are different animals a naked sport bike and a hp cruiser.
Chris

 

[2stangs69-91]

lol how to win friends and influence people...start your first post by calling people discusing the bikes imbeciles....

I had the local Suzuki dealer call me win the first b-king came in I was excited to go see it. Wow was I disapointed it It is to ugly for me. I do like the different exhaust on there but it is so damm wide. I would buy a hyabusa before a B-king no question.

 

[113s&s]

well thats how yamaha markets it as the quickest baddest bike on the planet .. thats it reputation in the 80s 90s and 2000s..so you have the rep you stick with it yamaha could of had a new max with 130 hp to the rear wheel and it would sell the same or more with a lower price tag i agree its way over priced and the plug will be pulled on it soon

 

[cyclecog]

Seems we have a little difference of opinion, mostly what I've seen from this and other forums from people that have ridden both is the king is faster top end and slightly faster in the quarter but the King ain't no Maximum when it comes to stoplight to stoplight "where I live". This is a typical quote I have seen: "B King is a totally different animal, a really kool 1 at that, but light to light,
It's no Vmax

: this from someone that HAS ridden both, me, I absolutely love the Max, not disappointed that it won't go 185 top end and that it may beat the Max a few tenths of a second in the quarter??

 

[113s&s]

Seems we have a little difference of opinion, mostly what I've seen from this and other forums from people that have ridden both is the king is faster top end and slightly faster in the quarter but the King ain't no Maximum when it comes to stoplight to stoplight "where I live". This is a typical quote I have seen: "B King is a totally different animal, a really kool 1 at that, but light to light,
It's no Vmax

: this from someone that HAS ridden both, me, I absolutely love the Max, not disappointed that it won't go 185 top end and that it may beat the Max a few tenths of a second in the quarter??

it all comes down to the rider all bikes are cool bottom line

 

[gary2112]

Hey there fellows. I don't want to come across too harsh on my comparison. I did feel really let down on the V-max, probably because I let myself get taken in by the hype and what it was made out to be. I'll have it forever, as I keep the bikes I invest in. Any motorcycle that is striking to the eye and performs as well as it does is a keeper. In the muscle bike niche though, it doesn't hold a candle to the B-king as far as I'm concerned. I was expecting more for the moola. Physics are physics I suppose. It' a GREAT bike in it's own right, but it's just not in the ballpark when you compare them. You just have to separate them in your mind and say "This one is big and heavy and powerful like a cruiser" and "This one is just as powerful and alot more nimble/versitile".

 

[KJShover]

It' a GREAT bike in it's own right, but it's just not in the ballpark when you compare them. You just have to separate them in your mind and say "This one is big and heavy and powerful like a cruiser" and "This one is just as powerful and alot more nimble/versitile".

In the GenII threads, thats basically what was said about the both of them. One is a heavy beast and the other a naked sportbike.

If the GenII was as light at the Bking, there would be no comparison.

 

[vmax1125]

heres my opinion a true vmax enthusiast would not have bought the 09' on the hype they would have bought the gen2 because of the 23 year run of the gen1 the undisputed muscle cruiser. they would have bought it because it has what the gen1 don't 2009 technology and 10 years of research to find what the gen2 needed to be the next king of cruisers. not to mention all the input we gave yamaha of what the gen2 needs and they pretty much did what we asked handling,brakes,suspension,radial tires, and almost 200hp/ 120tq. but in making it they missed on the weight ,fuel cap.and the price all in all they did well.
i had a busa loved it great machine and i may get another in the future the vmax is what does it for me ever since i saw one in 85'. the b king will have people ask what it is but everyone knows what the vmax is and as people think yamaha fell short on the vmax i think suzuki fell short on the b king not performace or handling just the look and it cost/weighs more than the busa. i surely would not keep something i bought after i found out it was all hype regardless if it was treated as an investment or not unhappy is unhappy. as i said this is just my opinion take it with a grain.
Chris

 

[113s&s]

Hey there fellows. I don't want to come across too harsh on my comparison. I did feel really let down on the V-max, probably because I let myself get taken in by the hype and what it was made out to be. I'll have it forever, as I keep the bikes I invest in. Any motorcycle that is striking to the eye and performs as well as it does is a keeper. In the muscle bike niche though, it doesn't hold a candle to the B-king as far as I'm concerned. I was expecting more for the moola. Physics are physics I suppose. It' a GREAT bike in it's own right, but it's just not in the ballpark when you compare them. You just have to separate them in your mind and say "This one is big and heavy and powerful like a cruiser" and "This one is just as powerful and alot more nimble/versitile".

ok ill bit...i know you dont own a max thats cool..but i have never rode either bike ...on a cruiser you want on hand power (torque) on the highway...you dont want to have to down shift just roll it ok and take off...there is no way in hell at highway speed the bking will even come close you would have to down shift once or twice to catch up... by that time a half mile has passed and the max showed you what tq is all about.......what hype are you talking about all i read was it was a handling over the old max...and it is and has the most powerfull motorcycle engine ever made for the street...and with its extra weight it still comes down to the rider if he knows how to make a bike talk or not...post a pic of your two bikes :rofl_200:

 

[KJShover]

We all know the Gen II is a heavyweight. But to add a little more perspective of the weight difference

Gen I Vmax (Dry) = 581lbs ( 263Kg)
08' B-King (Dry) = 520lbs ( 235Kg)
Gen II VMax(Dry) = 658lbs ( 298Kg)

That much difference between a Gen II and the B King and it's still a close performance match. That is what impresses me.

 

[Redbone]

I think the Bking and the FZ1 are more in the same market. That is a closer comparison IMO.
The Vmax is really has it own market, and some may want to compare it to this bike or that bike. The fact is there is no comparable bike to the VMAX, it's in own class.
Maybe sportbikes want to compare themselves to it b/c of how many times they have been burned by the Vmax in the past, IMO of course! :confused2:

 

[KJShover]

I think the Bking and the FZ1 are more in the same market. That is a closer comparison IMO.

+1 The B-Bing, ZRX and FZ1 are more closely grouped than the Vmax.

 

[evoluzione]

..but i have never rode either bike ...on a cruiser you want on hand power (torque) on the highway...you dont want to have to down shift just roll it ok and take off...there is no way in hell at highway speed the bking will even come close you would have to down shift once or twice to catch up... by that time a half mile has passed and the max showed you what tq is all about.......

i guess since i recently bought both a 2009 vmax & a b-king, i am qualified to talk about both. your comment that you have never ridden either but "that there is no way in hell that at highway speed the bking(sp) will even come close" is a little misguided. both bikes are very strong but the weight of the vmax does hold it back. in the magazine article, they did test the bikes in 60-80 mph top gear roll-ons (such as you talk about without down shifting). the vmax does it in 2.66 seconds where the b-king took 2.49 seconds. and keep in mind that the vmax only has five gears where the b-king has six.

i'm not trying to bash one bike or play the other up, but just trying to present a fair evaluation.


regards,

ken zeller