SUZUKI'S GSX-R600 has been celebrated as the hooligan of the supersport class since its 1997 launch.
It owes its reputation to a lightweight chassis propelled by a screaming rev-monster of an engine.
The GSX-R600 has been regularly overhauled over the years to keep up with rapidly developing technology.
It had been suffering of late, lagging behind the fierce competition in a class increasingly dominated by race technology.
The GSX-R600 had become too soft. The front forks bottomed out as soon as you touched the brake lever, it wallowed through corners and the engine felt wheezy at low revs even for a production supersport.
The mighty GSX-R was beginning to feel like an all-rounder with its relatively spacious chassis and upright riding position, instead of the aggressive and sharp racetrack refugee it was born to be.
And if this doesn’t sound like a bad thing, if what you’re hankering after is a comfortable road bike then step away from the supersport 600 category.
But Suzuki has launched an offensive with its latest 2011 GSX-R600. And the new baby GSX-R may well be on the verge of blowing the competition into the weeds.
Suzuki has focused on making its baby GSX-R leaner and meaner, starting with the chassis that has undergone massive weight saving, and what remains of the weight strategically positioned for optimum mass centralisation.
The GSX-R600 is more agile than ever, changing direction on a whim and flicking through corners with sublime ease. But the real improvement is in the front end.
Suzuki fitted Big Piston Fork technology to the baby GSX-R, along with state of the art monobloc Brembo radial calipers as the braking set-up.
Squeeze the front brake lever as hard as you dare and the bike remains perfectly controlled, practically begging you to brake later and harder than you ever thought possible. The entire motorcycle feels planted, giving the rider so much feedback.
All this is helped by the electronically controlled steering damper that allows light steering at low speeds and maximum control at high speeds, and the slipper clutch that gives greater stability on corner entry by preventing the rear wheel from locking under harsh downshifts.
The chassis responds instantly to minute throttle openings, letting you tighten or widen a turn at will.
Spot-on fuel injection helps; crack the throttle and power comes in smoothly with not a hint of a jerk, keeping the bike settled even at the lowest of speeds. Not that you want to go slow on this bike.
The engine has also been breathed on, and now responds more eagerly, the power building progressively alongside the revs all the way up to the 15,000rpm ceiling.
Where last year’s GSX-R600 forced you to maintain sky-high revs to keep it in the powerband, this year’s model is much easier to ride, with more meat from 2,000rpm to the midrange.
But don’t fret, the crazy 10,000rpm rush is still alive and well, threatening a 170mph top speed on the clocks.
There’s plenty to keep you amused on Suzuki’s new GSX-R600.
The bike inspires so much confidence from the awesome new chassis to the power that feels just right, not like you’re about to be thrown into orbit as is often the case with the monstrous power of today’s 1,000cc superbikes.
Despite the GSX-R600 now being a much improved racetrack tool, it’s also better on the roads thanks to the chassis’s improved feel and control, and the stronger midrange power that makes it easier to use.
The 2011 GSX-R600 is a much more sophisticated hooligan.
This begs the question – do we really need the GSX-R750, especially since the power mode buttons on the GSX-R1000 lets the rider reduce power to that of a 750 if they so choose anyway?
We’ll find out soon as Suzuki is in the throes of launching its all-new 2011 GSX-R750 too. In the meantime, Suzuki’s done a proper job with its stunning new GSXR-600.
FAST FACTS
Suzuki GSX-R600
Price: £8,799
Engine: 599cc, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Front suspension: 120mm inverted Showa forks, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: 130mm
Front brakes: 310mm, Brembo four-piston monobloc calipers
Rear brake: 220mm, Nissin single-piston caliper
Seat height: 810mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres
Colour options: Blue/white, Black/white, Black