Page 15 - LHR DEC 2025.cdr

B-King goes
spar-king at
Anglesey in
August 2007

2007 at Anglesey Circuit. Suzuki explained the long development time as the challenge of delivering the
promised bike, but conveniently left out the key feature that initially sold the B-King: the supercharger. Instead,
Suzuki argued—convincingly—that 165bhp at the wheel and more than 80lb·ft of torque from 3000rpm to
10,500rpm was a worthy substitute. And while it lacked forced induction, the B-King was undeniably fun on the
track, laying down black lines, scraping homemade titanium hero blobs, and threatening to highside out of
every turn.
It was also surprisingly practical. The bike was comfortable, offered decent wind protection, and handled well.
However, the public, disappointed by the absence of the supercharger and perhaps embarrassed by their
earlier enthusiasm, turned their backs on the B-King. It flopped and was discontinued after just four years—two
fewer than the time it took to develop. Which, in itself, is an interesting concept.

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