2009 V-Max Vs. Suzuki B-King

[HotRodZilla]

I know, this thread is a little early, but I couldn't help it. The other day I was in a Suzuki dealership and was looking at some bikes. The sales guy was trying really hard to sell me a KTM SuperDuke-R. Gotta admit it was freaking sweet and this is one of those things, where if I had the extra money, I would put one in my garage. However...

Anyway, I saw two B-Kings in the show room, and the dealership had put TwoBrother's pipes on one of them. I know some here think they are way too ugly, but I think they are kind of cool; in a BatMan sort of way. Again...If I had the extra money just lying around, I'd give you all a ride report. So the sales guy and I are talking about he B-king and he's telling me it is the baddest street fighter ever made. I said I wasn't so sure how long that would last with the new V-Max coming out. He turns to me and says, "Oh, this will smoke that new V-Max. It has a Hyabusa engine." I asked him if he realized the V-Max will have an 1700CC V4 with Yamaha's V-boost, and he said, "Oh yeah, but this is a naked Busa, that V-Max won't touch it and this will handle better."

I gotta admit I have only ever been on a V-Max once and not for very long, so I have no idea how well they handle, but know that even with the 1200 they are torque gods. I know this new motor is gonna be a monster and have a feeling Yamaha isn't stupid enough to put it on the street with crappy handling. I would bet the new V-Max is gonna eat that B-King alive, but what the Hell do I know. I don't even know if they are going to be in the same class.

I am sure that as soon as one of the MC magazines gets their hands on the V-Max, they will do some type of comparo, but I still wanna know what the "people" think.

So...Whadda you think?

 

[rushes]

Anybody seriously thinking about either of the bikes is prolly thinkin' straight line only. I'm bettin' on the V.

I really don't care for the B-king looks.

Put that engine in a package that looks like an 80's GS and I might bite. (ZRX)

The V-max looks like a slap ya up side yur head bad boy. An' I guessin' it'll back it up.

But I'm not sure if this limited edition pre-order high $$$ deal's gonna work....

IMO

 

[Dale Franks]

I think the V-Max has a good engine, but cruiser-style (i.e. kind of lousy) handling. The B-king is essentially a naked (yet, oddly, heavier) 'Busa cousin, NOT a stripped down 'Busa. The only thing Suzuki has changed on the engine is, I believe, the intake and the exhaust routing. It's the exact same powerplant as the 'Busa, but tuned a bit differently for less peak HP and more torque than a 'Busa.

Personally, I like the looks of both of them, so that's a wash.

I think that the B-King, with a straight 4-banger, will be smoother than the V-4 of the new V-Max, due to the geometry of the cylinders. You can drop in counter-balances all you want, but you'll never completely eliminate the vibration of a V. Probably not a big deal, but worth a thought.

Suzuki doesn't give out HP figures for the B-King, but it's generally accepted to be at somewhere in the vicinity of 181HP, about 14 HP less than the 'Busa--probably due to the intake and exhaust changes--but greater torque. The V-Max is supposed to be 200HP, but I can't seem to find the torque figures on the 2009.

They're both monsters, but as to which is "faster"...I dunno. With both of the bikes having stratospheric HP numbers, I'm not sure that anyone, outside of professionals, will notice much of a performance difference, since the average rider will probably reach his limits before the bike's.

By all accounts, the B-King has superior handling, so in the real world, the B-King is probably "faster".

Moreover, if you drill down, the wet weight of the B-King is 572lbs, while the V-Max is 683 lbs. Assuming the HP figures are correct, that gives the B-King a HP:Weight ratio of 0.316, and the V-Max a ratio of 0.292. To me, that makes the B-King look faster in a straight-line drag, too.

At the end of the day, though, I suspect the limiting factor with both bikes is...how well you can hang on.

 

[TriggerT]

Since this is ALL speculation on the V-Max, I will speculate that the new max will stomp the King. If it doesn't, the boys at Yamaha shouldn't even bother releasing it in whatever form they currently have. It needs to once again be the fastest power cruiser out there.

 

[SR-71]

If we're talking top end speed comparisons here, for speeds approaching and exceeding 150 mph, aerodynamics plays a major role towards the 200 mph mark. Seeing as street fighters typically lack a fairing they have limited top end speeds due to aerodynamic drag. So I assume the comparisons would involve zero to 100 mph or 1/4 mile comparisons? If that's the case, better consider weight differences!

SR-71

 

[rnees]

yes, but could you seriously ride a bike named for a fast food chain? :bad:

 

[SR-71]

yes, but could you seriously ride a bike named for a fast food chain? :bad:

He has a point! I'd much rather ride the model that's named after a 300 km/h falcon!

SR-71

 

[Dale Franks]

Since this is ALL speculation on the V-Max, I will speculate that the new max will stomp the King. If it doesn't, the boys at Yamaha shouldn't even bother releasing it in whatever form they currently have. It needs to once again be the fastest power cruiser out there.

Uh...it's already been released. The press has seen it and test-driven it. It's even the current V-Max on the Star motorcycles web site. It's not speculation when the actual product is on the street.

 

[FJamR]

I had a 98' V Max and before purchasing it, only had seen a glimpse of the cult following they have. Did a couple of owner inputs down @ Cypress for momma Yama in 99'(The production run was @ the 10 year mark @ this time?). Now in 09', they're finally coming out with it? WTF. I think they missed the boat with other makes able to fill the niche that gave rise to the gen 1 Max's, especially @ the $$$$ they're going to want for them. My 98' was the worst handling street bike I ever owned (the list includes a 79' CB750). The more I think about it, this gen 2 is doomed.

I haven't looked up the numbers, but if yours are correct Dale, you've answered your own question.

 

[mmonroe]

I personally think the B-King is pretty ugly. I have sat on them, seen them going down the road and seen all the photos in the mags as well. It is just not my cup of tea visually.

I love the old V-Max. From the photos, I think that visually I will also like the new one. That engine sounds very nice as well. Not only does it have huge horsepower in line with the Busa/ZX-14 but the torque numbers totally blow away both the Busa/ZX-14. My big concern is the weight listed as 680+lbs. I'm not sure that the torque numbers will be enough to edge it past the Busa and ZX-14 with the extra 100lbs it carries over them.

I guess we will have to see what the dyno and scales actually show when it arrives along with road tests and and whatnot. I think it would be great if it took the new power and acceleration titles for 2009.

Personally, I think it is great to see Yamaha making new cool bikes with big power. More options and competition just makes the motorcycle world better for all of us in the long run. Maybe they will up the power in the FJR.



Mark

 

[otrfjr]

Errr, if we have a wagering pool going....V-Max--with some mods--is going to pull a Jack "The Manassa Mauler" Dempsey: walk into a bar, ask for the biggest, baddest, toughest opponent available, then whale on the poor SOB until the chump crawls away.

 

[protondecay123]

I think the V-Max has a good engine, but cruiser-style (i.e. kind of lousy) handling. The B-king is essentially a naked (yet, oddly, heavier) 'Busa cousin, NOT a stripped down 'Busa. The only thing Suzuki has changed on the engine is, I believe, the intake and the exhaust routing. It's the exact same powerplant as the 'Busa, but tuned a bit differently for less peak HP and more torque than a 'Busa.
Personally, I like the looks of both of them, so that's a wash.

I think that the B-King, with a straight 4-banger, will be smoother than the V-4 of the new V-Max, due to the geometry of the cylinders. You can drop in counter-balances all you want, but you'll never completely eliminate the vibration of a V. Probably not a big deal, but worth a thought.

Suzuki doesn't give out HP figures for the B-King, but it's generally accepted to be at somewhere in the vicinity of 181HP, about 14 HP less than the 'Busa--probably due to the intake and exhaust changes--but greater torque. The V-Max is supposed to be 200HP, but I can't seem to find the torque figures on the 2009.

They're both monsters, but as to which is "faster"...I dunno. With both of the bikes having stratospheric HP numbers, I'm not sure that anyone, outside of professionals, will notice much of a performance difference, since the average rider will probably reach his limits before the bike's.

By all accounts, the B-King has superior handling, so in the real world, the B-King is probably "faster".

Moreover, if you drill down, the wet weight of the B-King is 572lbs, while the V-Max is 683 lbs. Assuming the HP figures are correct, that gives the B-King a HP:Weight ratio of 0.316, and the V-Max a ratio of 0.292. To me, that makes the B-King look faster in a straight-line drag, too.

At the end of the day, though, I suspect the limiting factor with both bikes is...how well you can hang on.

Here's a great write up on the new VMax

Looks like the "cruiser" handling is gone with the wind.

Fully adjustable for rebound, compression and preload front and rear suspension. Rear monoshok

Redesigned engine moved forward in chassis for better handling. Built into the frame and counter balanced like the bike we enjoy so much.

Ride by wire, EXUP exhaust, variable intakes

ABS, Slipper clutch, wave rotor Brembo brakes

Fat 200 rear tire.

I don't know if it will take the B-Thing or not, but it sure sounds like a hell of a ride! :yahoo:

 

[CRMH Eagle]

Went to a biker bar last month. Ok, it was really a harley bar and I was probably the only person there w/ a helmet. Besides the hd's there were a bunch of v-max bikes next to each other suggesting the riders are in a secret v-max cult. It was cool to see these bikes farkled and chopped beyond the showroom photo.

I'm not into naked bikes but I am into naked women .

If your choosing for a torque god then the v-max should be in your top 3. I can't comment on the Suzuki except if you want to ride something which 90% of other bike riders won't have a clue what it is your riding then by all means pick the b-king.

 

[spalkin]

We're gonna see tons of comparo's between these two in months ahead.

My prediction: 'Yamaha takes 'em again - that's how we do it'