Author Topic: B400 History (Read 2879 times)

Garyola · « **on:** September 01, 2005, 01:17:49 AM »

What was the 1st year the B4 was manufactured? Was it 89?

Thanks

G

PitterB4 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2005, 08:28:10 AM »

Some of the facts this guy has put together are a little shaky but the B4 page on suzukicycles.org says '89.

billybandit · « **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2005, 11:12:09 AM »

Yeah the B250 and 400's came out years before the 600 and 1200, and some jerk off another bike forum (who has been riding on L plates for years and owned an Aprilia RS125 at the time) told me my 250 was a wannabe of the 600! Jerk.

Vidrazor · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2005, 11:16:43 AM »

>>...some jerk...told me my 250 was a wannabe of the 600!<<

I've noticed the '400 looks very similar to the earlier Ducati Monsters. I'm not sure whether this was intentional or incidental, but it does look very similar.

jcmjrt · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2005, 12:39:21 PM »

I agree that the Ducati Monster and B400 look similar. I love the frame and think that Suzuki should have kept the look for the larger B600 and B1200. I've never investigated which came first - the Monster or B400 - but it looks as if one designer influenced the other.

Desolation Angel · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2005, 02:25:41 PM »

Quote from: "PitterB4"

Some of the facts this guy has put together are a little shaky but the B4 page on suzukicycles.org says '89.

That's right. It's a useful site, but it is skewed toward information as it applies to Norway or wherever it is he's from. Of course, understandable. Still a good site, though.

Red01 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2005, 09:05:15 PM »

Quote from: "jcmjrt"

I agree that the Ducati Monster and B400 look similar. I love the frame and think that Suzuki should have kept the look for the larger B600 and B1200. I've never investigated which came first - the Monster or B400 - but it looks as if one designer influenced the other.

The B4 was first!

The concept drawings for the B12 had it with a B4-like frame, but my guess is this was dropped since the engines used for the 600 & 1200 had no provisions to be hung by their heads as stressed members like the B4/2.5 and since they were parts bin bikes, they didn't redesign the heads and just went with a cradle frame.