What is the "B" for?

[Oscar]

So I takes my KTM into Boyds yesterday for a new tyre (and to fix the bent rim - railway sleeper at 120km/h ~ ouch).

I asked Graham if I could borrow summat to get me home, and he gave me a B King...

Wow. My initial reaction was that the styling must have been worked out by a coupla Design Students whilst they were watching the Transformers Movie and snorting cocaine.

There is a certain humour to it however, for anyone you pass will treated to the sight of a pair of the ugliest mufflers in Christendom. Therefore other road users are subjected to not only the indignity of being passed at a warp factor that Scotty couldn't achieve with a three galaxy run up, but are forced to look at the worst piece of industrial design since the Austin Princess.

Once on the bike, the ugliness goes away. Due to it's motardish handlebars, and no fairing, it gives the illusion of being small (or smaller, anyway), and God help, me - it's quite nimble. A touch of oversteer at low speeds, but once the National Speed Limit is achieved, the thing can be punted about with aplomb.

There was initially a bit of a good news / bad news element to the thing though, as it was raining when I rode off. On the way in, on my 950, I had been very careful as I was riding a 100hp dirtbike with bald knobblies on a wet road. On the way back, I was very very very careful and cognisant of the fact that not only did this thing have 160+ horsepower, it was also equipped with a $1,500 excess (ironically imposed by Yours Truly in his day job as an Insurance Underwriter).

More thoughts on a dry road, later...

[Cajun]

the b stood for - boost, since the concept bike had a super charger.

[Sully60]

What is the "B" for?

Oh, Bugger I've shit my pants!

[The Pastor]

And they let us down, yet again

[madbikeboy]

RM, are you off your meds again?

[slofox]

.........the worst piece of industrial design since the Austin Princess.

What was wrong with the Austin Princess????????????????

[Oscar]

What was wrong with the Austin Princess????????????????

To be fair, I initially wrote AMC Gremlin, but decided that I needed a local example. Even then it was a toss-up between the Princess and an Austin Allegro...

[Tank]

The B stands for Burger.

Its a viral marketing campaign for some burger joint.

[Big Dave]

B for bad - because a 1400 should accommodate a large man.

[vifferman]

B for bad - because a 1400 should accommodate a large man.

I'm not sure they have those in Japan (outside of sumo wrestlers, and I doubt many of them ride...)

[racerhead]

Nice bike to be given as a loaner

[Oscar]

I'm not sure they have those in Japan (outside of sumo wrestlers, and I doubt many of them ride...)

It has a weird seat, kinda heart shaped. I didnae think it was too bad actually, the only problem would be if you were taller than me (6'), you might have trouble getting your knees in the tank cut outs. As it was I banged my gammy knee a coupla times.

The upright seating position would become a problem at speed for any length of time. It was very similar to the KTM Super Enduro I had - you'd need to jimmy up some wind protection if you were going a long way at (hem) extra-legal speeds.

When it stopped raining I took it out around Te Kowhai and found a quiet stretch of straight road. You could punt this thing all day in 5th and 6th gear at 100-120km/h and not go over 4,000rpm (which is what I'd been doing). So in the interests of science, I selected third and gave her the berries at about 70km/h. Next thing I knew, I was doing 170 and the thing was nowhere near red line...

Now, as a humble dirt rider, I get my thrills going at comparatively fast speeds over rough surfaces and gravel. I say "comparatively fast speeds" because the actual velocity would make you he-man leather clad road race types scoff ( 100km/h on gravel feels like twice that speed on seal).

I once was heard to say that nothing would ever give me the same sensation of speed as riding the Super Enduro at 180km/h on gravel (and watching Collie on his Cagiva disappear into the middle distance, I might add). Well, I was wrong (again) - the B-King feels faster. Actually the word "faster" doesn't describe the comparison adequately - we need a new word describe this sort of acceleration, perhaps summat like faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark.....

[Big Dave]

No trouble. Impossible.

[Swoop]

I must be mad. I kind of like the exhausts.

[Cajun]

I must be mad. I kind of like the exhausts.

i like them also

i also came across a set of yoshi aftermarket ones which change the insides, but leave the outside covers to keep with the original style