Author Topic: B-King TEST RIDE  (Read 20071 times)

Offline China Greg

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #90 on: January 06, 2008, 01:02:32 PM »
I was in the final throws of college when the first GS750 hit the shops like a bomb.

I'd been dribbling around on a clunky, 1973 TX500 Yamaha twin sporting clubman bars and an oh-so-trick Bell helmet with a weak Kenny Roberts (the REAL one) bumble-bee paint job. I cajoled poor old Mom into "lending me" the extra 500 clams needed to collect a eyeball-spinningly new GS750B.. one of the first available in the New York area.. $1995, out the door, Pal.
Do you REMEMBER?? It was an INCREDIBLE machine in it's time, in an era full of rattly, awkward two strokes and clumsy parallel twins.

The shine of that bike... the smell.. the glassy and staggeringly powerful LUNGE it made when you twisted it.. those orange-lit gages. Man, Suzuki NAILED that one, I'll tell ya. I squealed like a schoolgirl just to flip the key in my garage and hear that zip-zip-zip of four well-oiled cylinders buzzing to life.

I've bought three or four new bikes in my time, but nothing has ever sent me over the mental edge like that shiny, blue, dream-toy ever did.

« Last Edit: January 06, 2008, 01:05:27 PM by China Greg »
Black '98 B12S, JE 1216cc bore kit, port work, Yosh RS3, Ivan jetting, drag bars, modified Corbin Gunfighter, Hyperpro shock, Racetech Gold valve kit, stainless lines, Wave rotors, polished wheels, fender eliminator, bar-end mirrors, NEP throttle lock, Adaptiv TPX radar detector...140K miles

Offline Red01

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #91 on: January 08, 2008, 12:26:15 PM »
IIRC, I paid $2100 for mine... whatever MSRP was.  No one was making any deals on them since they were selling them as fast as they could get them.  Here's a pic of a younger and slimmer me, back in the day when the GS was new:



Sad thing is, it was stolen from me when it was just 9 months old (and had >17,000 miles on the clock).
Paul
2001 GSF1200S
(04/2001-03/2012)
2010 Concours 14ABS
(07/2010-current)


Offline China Greg

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #92 on: January 08, 2008, 01:21:25 PM »
Wow... nice bike... but that SISSY BAR! I tried that route too for a while.. that last time was on a 1969 Suzuki T250 Hustler. gag ...that was the last for that ..

Yeah, maybe it WAS about $2100, now that you mention it.. I sort of forget... lots of US Bong hits floating around that time, you know... errr...pass the Doritos, dude..
Black '98 B12S, JE 1216cc bore kit, port work, Yosh RS3, Ivan jetting, drag bars, modified Corbin Gunfighter, Hyperpro shock, Racetech Gold valve kit, stainless lines, Wave rotors, polished wheels, fender eliminator, bar-end mirrors, NEP throttle lock, Adaptiv TPX radar detector...140K miles

Offline Red01

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #93 on: January 08, 2008, 01:26:38 PM »
The sissy bar was on there for the purpose of moving from CA to VA, via WA. It provided a place to lean back while droning the interstate and gave a place to secure my cargo. The pic was taken while I was at my parents place in WA, so the bar was still on. Once I got to the other side of the country, I took it off.
Paul
2001 GSF1200S
(04/2001-03/2012)
2010 Concours 14ABS
(07/2010-current)


Offline China Greg

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #94 on: January 08, 2008, 08:24:56 PM »
Once I got to the other side of the country, I took it off.

Yeah, yeah yeah... that's what the ALL say!
 :grin:
Black '98 B12S, JE 1216cc bore kit, port work, Yosh RS3, Ivan jetting, drag bars, modified Corbin Gunfighter, Hyperpro shock, Racetech Gold valve kit, stainless lines, Wave rotors, polished wheels, fender eliminator, bar-end mirrors, NEP throttle lock, Adaptiv TPX radar detector...140K miles

Offline Red01

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #95 on: January 09, 2008, 11:13:17 AM »
Once I got to the other side of the country, I took it off.

Yeah, yeah yeah... that's what the ALL say!
 :grin:

Well, it would have looked pretty dorky with a sissy bar and Clubman bars, dontcha think?  :lol:
Paul
2001 GSF1200S
(04/2001-03/2012)
2010 Concours 14ABS
(07/2010-current)


Offline Pillage

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #96 on: February 05, 2008, 07:48:36 AM »
Once I got to the other side of the country, I took it off.

Yeah, yeah yeah... that's what the ALL say!
 :grin:

Well, it would have looked pretty dorky with a sissy bar and Clubman bars, dontcha think?  :lol:

IMO it would still look better than a B-King!  :wink:
FZ1000S,  GSF1200SV,  CB750F
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Offline Rocketjock

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #97 on: February 05, 2008, 10:05:28 AM »
I might change my mind if they also come up with aftermarket replacement body parts for that tank crap. I like how that pic strategically shows an angle that has a minimum view of the tail pipes and the tank width. When I look down over the front of one I still see some god aweful combo of a Transformer and a Harley cop bike.
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Offline solman

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #98 on: February 05, 2008, 11:33:06 AM »
I might change my mind if they also come up with aftermarket replacement body parts for that tank crap. I like how that pic strategically shows an angle that has a minimum view of the tail pipes and the tank width. When I look down over the front of one I still see some god aweful combo of a Transformer and a Harley cop bike.

Like I've said before, once you start moving the bulk looking down all goes away when you ride it.  It is strange, but true.  One thing that you have to remember, that it is a huge motor, 1340 cc.  Also the frame is a twin spar aluminum frame, so it has to come out wide to support it.  If you saw it without those plastic covers, you would see how it actually smoothes out the lines.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2008, 11:35:38 AM by solman »
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Offline Johnnykat

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Re: B-King TEST RIDE
« Reply #99 on: February 08, 2008, 03:39:02 PM »
Coming from a supersport background I ended up liking my B12 more than I thought I would.  The B-King looks bad as hell but I don't have the dough, dang  :annoy: