When Suzuki first showed off the B-King at the Tokyo motorcycle show in 2001, no-one ever really expected the firm to actually build one. Back then, the idea of a naked, Hayabusa-powered musclebike seemed utterly insane, even without the supercharger featured on the concept machine.

Fast forward five years though, and there was clearly a space for the B-King to slot into. Naked bikes had become massively popular, and bikes like Kawasaki's Z1000 and the BMW K1200R showed that the public had fallen back in love with mighty muscle machines.

So it was no real surprise when Suzuki finally pulled the covers off a production version of the bike back in 2007. The 'real' B-King had lost the concept bike's supercharger, but it had gained an all-new, 2008-spec Hayabusa engine, with around 180bhp at the crank.
Suzuki hadn't bottled the B-King's styling either. Indeed, the road bike was remarkably close to the original, including the huge, rocket-launcher underseat exhausts, Transformer-style headlight surround and massive fuel tank cowlings. The chassis was also top-spec, with Hayabusa-based frame, suspension and brakes.

The last surprise came when we finally got to ride the B-King on the road. Because the new bike was an incredible performer, both in a straight line, and through the twisties. On the move, the bike lost any hint of ungainliness you might expect from its bulk, and offers sharp, predictable, easy handling. There's excellent stopping power from the radial front brakes, the Dunlop Qualifier tyres give great grip, and even the riding position is comfy, yet puts the rider in control.

The engine's performance is no surprise: the B-King has earth-shaking stomp, in all gears and at all speeds. The advanced fuel injection gives glitch-free fuelling everywhere, and the smooth, torquey power delivery is a model for all big bikes. Wheelies are a breeze, and the only problem you'll have is finding somewhere you can use all that power.