SUZUKI GSX-R 600

DREAM SCREAMER

LIVING WITH SUZUKI'S SWEET 600

WORDS BY BORIS
PICS BY MICK AND STEVIE

Like most denizens of the Tar Pit, that warm and comforting wallow where long-term motorcyclists find succor and companionship just prior to being preserved in bitumen for future generations to excavate, I have tended to discount Supersport motorcycles as not being worthy of a proper man's attention. In fact, up until rather recently in my riding career, I'd never even ridden one in anger.

This all began to change when I spent a few months doing hundreds of laps of Eastern Creek on Triumph's now thankfully discontinued 600 to prepare for my inglorious racing debut. And while being moderately impressed with the quick steering and grateful for the lighter weight, I remained quietly convinced that a 600 would be a chore and trial to live with on a daily basis.

Some time later, I was fortunate enough to do about 1600kms on the 2007 Yamaha R6 to attend a Far Riders event, and my view of 600s began to change.

So when the Suzuki generously offered up their latest GSX-R600 K7 for me to "live with" for a month or so, I couldn't accept fast enough.

123 horsepower, 151 kilos: "an extremely rewarding bike to ride at all speeds"

To truly know a bike, a bloke has to live with it. Track tests and two-day road tests are all well and good, but a man has to "live" with a bike for a while before he can make an honest call regarding its beautness, or lack thereof.

I have now put more than 2500kms on the 600, and have used it almost every day to commute, scratch and do some medium distance blasts when time permitted. I figure I've got it worked out pretty well. And as a result, I have come to understand the unique siren song of the 600. Of course, not all the 600s are created equal, but the only one I haven't ridden is Kawasaki's offering. I have punted Honda's 600RR, toured on Yamaha's R6 and danced with Triumph's 675 (which is not really a 600 when you get down to it), but the longest relationship I've had is with Suzuki's mid-sized screamer.

And it's been a wonderfully gratifying relationship, which has surprised me no end.

I put this down to the simple fact that the GSX-R600 is, all bullshit aside, an extremely rewarding bike to ride at all speeds.

The wheelbase remains at 1400mm, while a bit of clever engineering has managed to shorten the engine by a whopping 54mm. It's also 16mm narrower and 20mm has been shaved off its height - leaving you with a a hell of a lot of motor occupying not a hell of a lot of space. The swingarm is 35mm longer, thanks to the more compact powerplant and this gives the bike a stability it's not had before.

But the one thing that endeared this bike to me, above all else, is the sound it makes and the way that noise panders to your inner psychopath. All 600 motors are angry. They like to rev and they like it when you take to them meaningfully, with savagery in your heart. The Suzuki gets angry a lot earlier than most (certainly earlier than the shrieking R6 and a little earlier than the milder-sounding Honda), and seems to maintain the rage all the way through to just under redline. Sure, it pays for the early onset of anger by tapering off a touch sooner than its competitors - but do remember we are talking about top-end here. And at 250km/h-plus on a 600, I'm not really interested in splitting hairs.

The GSX-R600 pandering to another inner psychopath

The aural joy it provides is life-affirming. It sounds like you've always wanted an in-line four to sound (only the MV takes this glorious noise to whole other level) - and if you want to find similar aural happiness with a thousand, then you'll be disappointed (and doing about 280km/h). Only the 600 gives you that shriek, that visceral howl of a well-tuned in-line four going about is business, at speeds that will only put you in gaol for a short time - not the multiple life-sentences that you'll get if you ride a 1000 in the same fashion.

Naturally, most of this noise is just for your ears. ADRs and EPA regs being what they are, more manufacturers have followed MV's lead from 10 years ago and made intake roar all the go. The wonderful symphony that's playing, as you saw your way through the gearbox, is playing just for you. And it's not a symphony any right-minded motorcyclist gets sick of hearing, though I can't help but wonder what would happen to the orchestra if you added a race can.

That aside, I found the GSX-R600 very easy to ride. There are some bikes out there that take an age for you to feel comfortable with. The Suzuki is not among them. Any bloke worth his boots would find himself at home very quickly behind its handlebars. This user-friendliness is apparent in every facet of the bike ? from its road-friendly power delivery to its love of cornering and utterly un-harsh suspension, the Suzuki has gone a long way to building an extremely competent road and track blaster.

My last two weeks with it have been a sequence of horribly wet and cold commutes and rides. Not once did it inspire anything but confidence in me and not once did it give me pause, or cause me to re-assess an entry speed or a braking distance. From a philosophical standpoint, I don't know how suitable I am for riding Supersports all the time. That said, the Suzuki has shown me that I'm not actually unsuited for them, either. I could well own this bike and not have any reason to grumble or whine for something more powerful. If you reckon a 600 (ridden in anger) is "not enough" for you, then I would suggest you're wasting your time waiting on tables, or doing admin work in a bank. Call Fortuna or Repsol now.
Suzuki has every right to expect a great sales success with their GSX-R600. They have built a bike that caters for a huge wedge of the riding population, and can even satisfy that tiny chunk who can actually back up their fireside bullshit on the track.

"Lord, how I love a slim bike in traffic".

It's a bike that seems to have two distinct natures, ie. A mild and tractable commuter on one side of the throttle ? and a howling, corner-eating rev-whore on the other side.

In this, it seems to adequately ape a good deal of the riding fraternity. And Suzuki deserves a pat on the back for managing to build such a universally competent and thoroughly enjoyable 600.

COMMUTING

Lord, how I love a slim bike in traffic. For added slimness, the mirrors fold back, which a) allows you to fit through gaps only a pushbike has ever dared attempt; and b) allows pursuit of theoretical pushbike until the rider crashes into the gutter. The genial power delivery down low allows you to putter along at peak-hour pace, and the EFI adapts beautifully to this laborious exercise. It warms up in heavy traffic and the temperature guage sees 105 degrees quite frequently. Does the bike stutter, hesitate or miss when it's hot? Not bloody likely. That seems to be an entirely European and American peccadillo and is absent from every Japanese bike I've ridden in the last few years.

It's very maneuverable in tight places, and you'll certainly come to appreciate its light weight and ease of turning ? especially when you spend five days riding in the rain in traffic that turns people into axe-murderers.

SCRATCHING

This is kinda what the Supersport class was really designed for. To be perfectly honest, I am faster around the Creek on this than I am on a 1000. This is because I am not an A-grader ? and as a relatively average rider, I am able to wring this thing's neck without it wringing my neck in return ? much like a 1000 would if I tried to ride it in the same way.

The Suzuki likes it when you get angry and try to play TT with it. It's better than you, but it won't belittle you like its big brother. Instead, it seems to coax you along as you go faster and faster, seeming to whisper, "See? You can go a little harder? I won't hurt you? just be confident?"

This in direct contrast to the 1000 which just keeps reminding you what a scrawny pea-testicled chicken-bitch you are, no matter what speed you're at.

Everybody should learn to ride fast on a 600. 'Cos you can ride very, very fast on one - much faster than you think - and if you're not the fastest bloke in the pack, you may very well change that sooner than you think.

"...feels rock-solid at manly speeds..."

Twin four-piston radial-mounted Tokico calipers, 310mm rotors, BT104

No trendy underseat exhaust: the GSX-R600 exhaust exits where God intended

"Any bloke worth his boots would find himself at home very quickly behind its handlebars"

HANDLING & SUSPENSION

It hasn't put a tyre-print wrong in almost 3000km. I have, but it hasn't. It does what I want, when I want it to - and pretty much how I want it to. It turns fast, but isn't flighty and uncertain, and feels rock-solid at manly speeds, especially in a straight line and on insane long sweepers. But having said that, it's a real pleasure to tuck into tight hairpins and evil switchbacks.

A plethora of adjustments are available both front and rear, but I found what I got it at (the standard factory settings) spot-on for road-use and a whole lot more gentle on the rebound than either the GSX750 or the 1000. It does seem very much more road-oriented than its bigger brothers and this is not a bad thing by any measure. Mid-corner corrugations tend to unsettle it a little when you're pushing hard, but only when you compare it to front-end-planted items like an Aprilia or an MV. In general use, the front Showas are excellent and compliant enhancements to a very sweet-handling bike.

The back Showa monoshock is also a rather matey unit. I found it to be very giving, and able to please while not compacting your spine at the same time.

Obviously, you'd play with the setting for the track, but on the road, my 100kgs was transported with a firm gentleness I quite liked.

BRAKES

The front radially mounted Tokicos are simply dandy - though it sounds a bit dumb to say that in an age where motorcycle brakes are only differentiated by their feel under extreme load. I found the Gixxer's to provide a measured response directly in proportion to my enthusiasm. The bike remains fabulously controlled even when the rider is praying to saints he hasn't spoken to in years and asking them to intercede on his behalf. Under normal non-praying conditions, the front stoppers are powerful and require a dainty two-finger tug to deliver adequate halting.

The back brake seemed to have a lot of lever movement - which was a pleasant surprise compared to the vast majority of back brakes that choose to re-define "wooden" each year. Used as a back up to the front set-up, they are fine and way strong enough to be up to any task. Lock-up is never far away, though, and you would be advised to rely on the slipper clutch and the front stoppers to correctly position yourself for that world-beating corner. Don't rely too much on engine braking, 'cos you'll be disappointed. This is a 600-four, remember? You want serious engine braking, buy a twin or a triple.

TYRES

Ahhh... Bridgestone BT104s. Not much wrong with that lot. At 4500kms, the rear is starting to wear a bit flat in the center (a normal consequence of commuting), while the front remains half-used. Both ends stick well once you warm them up (it tends to be a bit skatey of a chilly morning for the first five or so klicks, but then what isn't?) and punting it hard into a corner is as confidence-inspiring as it should be.

ERGONOMICS

A stubbier tank and a new seat have reduced the rider's stretch to the bars by 30mm - which is quite a substantial number. Contrary to prior beliefs, I do not look like a greyhound humping a golf ball astride this 600, and I have verified this by viewing myself (only when it is safe to do so) in shop windows. Of course, I am a svelte 100kgs and six-feet tall, so I reckon that view may change when bigger men climb aboard - though even Mick's Herculean size found accommodation on the bike.

Consequently, there is not a lot of weight on your arms, so slow-speed commuting is not the aching chore I imagined it would be. Your wrists do brush the tank at full lock, but not many riders would experience full-lock riding to work. The fact that I did, says more about my impatience with traffic, rather than any design fault in the bike.

The new seat is hardly plush, but it certainly doesn't hurt to spend a few hours on it. The padding is firm, with enough give under the thighs not to render bum "comfort" a meaningless dream. And there is enough room to wriggle back against the hump on top-speed runs in controlled conditions.

But the shining star here is the location of the stubby little exhaust. In exits near your foot ? as God has intended all exhausts to terminate. Sticking the baking tubes under the seat is fine for the track and long runs in the bush, but insufferable for the commute. Thankfully, Suzuki has opted to go with God on this and not follow temporary fashion trends.

The sidestand deploys comfortably, with no searching, and the mirrors split the difference with your elbows and the crap behind you, and are thus quite adequate. I found the screen to be low, but its relatively steep angle still ensures it does its job - unless you're actually quite tall. Pushing my head onto the tank at speed wasn't hard, but I'd feel a bit silly doing it anywhere but the main straight at the Creek (and maybe over the top of Gladesville Bridge after midnight).

I have no comment on the pillion seat, cos the bike I had was fitted with the plastic hump. But from careful observation, your girlfriend would need to be a size 8 or 10, flexible around the hips and thighs, fearless, and prepared to hang on for grim death. Once again, my wife laughed at me when I suggested I secure a pillion seat and test it out on her. She laughed because she wasn't in the least part interested, and she'd already told me my ability to pull teenage girls is less than it was when she first met me, so our marriage remains intact and the pillion perch remains unused. Of all bikes, this is certainly one where any consideration of pillion comfort on your part is just crazy.

GEARBOX & CLUTCH

Yep, there's a back-torque limiter, and if any bike is made better with a slipper clutch, then a 600 is certainly part of that tribe. Because there is so much pleasure to be had in revving the shitting buggery out of it, novices (and tattooed fools with grandiose views of their own abilities) may find themselves approaching corners with more vim and vigour (read a higher gear) than they're comfortable with. The slipper clutch and the now legendary Suzuki gearbox are there to help. Use them. You won't be sorry.

The gear ratios are nicely spaced, and much like Goldilocks' porridge preference, seem to be "just right" on the road. And that aforementioned gearbox?well, use the clutch if you want, don't if you don't. It don't matter. The changes are slick and seamless, and the throw on the arm is short. Not racing short, but short enough to pander to the aforementioned racing fantasies. Once again, the Suzuki gearbox stands tall and proud among its rivals.

ENGINE

Its bore and stroke dimensions (67 x 42.5) are identical to the Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha, and it happily revs this combo out to a bit below its indicated red-line of 16. It actually stops making "go" at a shade over 14,000rpm, but where it really shines is that it produces useable power from quite low in the rev-range. Three thousand rpm is enough to ensure it pulls easily in any gear (a surprising difference to the R6, which steadfastly refuses to pull from less than 6000rpm).

This means that while it gives very little away to its competition on the track (where the testicle size of the rider establishes who's who at the top of this food chain), it's very much more at home in traffic and on the open road.

At the lower end of the rev-range (but only when you're climbing up it like a drooling track-rat), the exhaust valve can cause a vague flutter in the power delivery, which is not there under normal riding conditions. A more robust application of your right fist to keep the bike over 5000rpm will fix this, while also causing more beaut noise to scream through your head.

The bike will also happily (and angrily) rush to more than 250km/h, but we would only recommend you seek those speeds under controlled conditions. Exploring velocities in excess of 100km/h will cause cancer, global warming and a shockingly low sperm count. So don't say we encourage you to speed, OK? It's naughty and you know it.

But "Yes" is the answer to your question. The GSX-R600 goes hard enough up top for the bulk of humanity.

As stated before, the sound of the motor, and the exhaust-and-intake note, is all-encompassing and immensely satisfying on a primal level. This is how bikes sound in your fevered dreams - it's a shrieking howl you want to hear over and over cos it makes your nipples ache and your brain spin with all kinds of fantastic delusions of racing glory, even in traffic, where boredom can often be terminal. This new powerplant is the direct antithesis of boring, equally at home on the road or the track, and a source of such intense aural joy, you'd not be disappointed if you bought it for that reason alone.

NIGHT TIME

More and better candle-power. Please.

Red-limned orangeness is the theme of the instruments when the sun goes down ? and that is a great colour. The shift light will sear out your eyeballs at night, but that's probably just as well. The headlight is adequate, but few manufacturers seem to give much of a damn about headlights, perhaps reasoning that only true believers, cheating boyfriends and nudie bar patrons ride at night, and they're all old enough to deal with barging about the countryside with only adequate lighting to guide them. This is an area where few manufacturers can claim competence, and a claim of adequacy is actually a cry for more and better candle-power. Please.

TECH STUFF

Engine: Liquid-cooled, four stroke, DOHC 16 valve inline-four
Claimed power: 93kW [123hp]
Bore x stroke: 67 x 42.5mm
Displacement: 599.4cc
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Ignition: Fully transistorised
Fuel delivery: EFI with dual 40mm throttle-bodies
Exhaust: titanium four-into-one with servo controlled exhaust valve
Gearbox: six-speed close-ratio
Clutch: wet multi-plate with cable actuation ? back torque limiter
Final drive: O-ring chain
Frame type: Twin-spar alloy with single-cast headstock and front spars, alloy swingarm
Wheelbase: 1400mm
Rake: 23.8 degrees
Trail: 97mm
Front suspension: Fully adjustable (compression, damping and pre-load) 41mm Showa inverted forks with 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Fully adjustable (compression, damping and pre-load) Showa shock, 130mm travel
Front brake: Twin four-piston radial-mounted Tokico calipers, radial master-cylinder and 310mm rotors
Rear Brake: Tokico single-piston caliper, 220mm rotor
Front wheel: Hollow-section cast alloy, 3.5 x 17in
Rear wheel: Hollow-section cast alloy, 5.50 x 17in
Front tyre: Bridgestone BT014 120/70 ? 17
Rear tyre: Bridgestone BT014 180/55 ? 17
Ground clearance: 130mm
Seat height: claimed 810mm
Overall height: 1125mm
Overall width: 715mm
Overall length: 2040mm
Dry weight: 161kg
Fuel capacity: 16.5 litres

PRICE & COLOURS

It comes in classic blue-and-white, black-and silver and matte black. There's a two-year unlimited klick warranty and it'll set you back $14,990 plus on-road.

NOTE ABOUT THE PICS

When it came time to photograph the bike and me, my neck seized up, so the ever-competent Mick was called on for photographic duties. Seems he liked the bike, too.