Suzuki GSX-R600

...reviews. This is mainly because Suzuki concentrated on the handling and power delivery of the bike, rather than looks and general town riding. It is because of this that the GSX-R gets a much more rugged appearance compared to the CBR, R6 or ZX6.

The ‘Gixxer’ as it is commonly known, comes with a steering damper and rear seat cowl as standard, which is an advantage over the other bikes. The steering damper makes the front end a lot ...
...£80 when buying individually, so Suzuki do their customers a favour by throwing it in as part of the bike.

The Suzuki has a huge amount of under-seat storage space. Once the pillion seat is removed, there is enough space to fit 2 cans of trade size WD40, a disposable camera, mobile phone, a tool kit and waterproof trousers. This is a particular scenario that I was once faced with, but you get the idea. The CBR had a lot of room, but ... more

The Licence

First of all, I would like to start off by explaining the licence laws and regulations, just so everyone understands how and why I am riding a GSX-R 600 at 18.

When taking your test, there are a few options available to you. If you are 21 or over, you may take the Direct Access test and ride any bike you like once you pass.

If you are 17 or over, you may take the "A" class 125 (restricted licence) test, which allows you to ride a 125cc motorcycle without L plates, or any other motorcycle providing it is restricted to 33BHP. The restricted licence lasts for 2 years, then becomes a full motorcycle licence and the person can ride any bike, with any power they can afford to insure.

Lastly, there is the ‘Accelerated Access’ test, for over 21 year olds who took the 125 test and want to upgrade to the full licence.

Having been 17 at the time I took my test, I had no option but to take the 125 restricted licence option.

The Bike

The day I passed my test, I bought a brand new CBR600F/sport, which was restricted by the shop. A few weeks later I had some unwanted attention from a Renault Clio and ended up getting another CBR through insurance. I won't go on about the CBR in too much detail, but I will use it to compare to the GSX-R 600.

In August 2003, I got rid of my CBR and bought a second hand GSX-R 600 K1 model. The person who sold me the bike had really looked after her and it had only done 2000 miles in 2 years.

The GSX-R was pronounced the 'track bike' of the 600 class in the magazine reviews. This is mainly because Suzuki concentrated on the handling and power delivery of the bike, rather than looks and general town riding. It is because of this that the GSX-R gets a much more rugged appearance compared to the CBR, R6 or ZX6.

The ‘Gixxer’ as it is commonly known, comes with a steering damper and rear seat cowl as standard, which is an advantage over the other bikes. The steering damper makes the front end a lot more stable at speed, especially if going over bumpy ground. It prevents the rider from going into what is known as a ‘tank-slapper’ where the front end of the bike shakes rigorously when applying power whilst banked over. The seat cowl has 2 purposes. The first being the GSX-R’s track bike reputation. It is there to provide more aerodynamics by giving the rear end a more streamlined flow and as reduced weight compared to the pillion seat. Secondly, it is there for cosmetic purposes, making the bike look that much more sporty from the outset. Seat cowls can cost as much as £80 when buying individually, so Suzuki do their customers a favour by throwing it in as part of the bike.

The Suzuki has a huge amount of under-seat storage space. Once the pillion seat is removed, there is enough space to fit 2 cans of trade size WD40, a disposable camera, mobile phone, a tool kit and waterproof trousers. This is a particular scenario that I was once faced with, but you get the idea. The CBR had a lot of room, but I was shocked with how much more boot space the GSX-R, the ‘track tool’ actually had.

The finish of the bike is also good. The panels fit together nicely and the stickers don’t peel off when you wash them. Even with all the salt that has been poured on the roads recently, I am yet to be disappointed with the way the GSX-R was built. By this time last year, the wet and the salt had corroded the CBR’s rear shock, whereas the Suzuki’s rubber flap has protected a majority of it.

The bike has a few safety features that stop the bike from being started accidentally or from being started when in gear. The bike won’t start unless the clutch is pulled in. Also, if the bike is in gear, then the stand has to be up. If the stand is down, then the bike has to be in neutral. If you start the bike in neutral with the stand down and then put it into gear, then the engine will just cut out. This is a very good safety feature, as it stops you from riding the bike with the stand down. It also stops you from starting the bike when it is in gear, which could throw you off.

Handling

Now the CBR was given the best ‘all rounder’ status by the magazines for having good power delivery and excellent handling at all speeds. I must say that the CBR was an excellent bike and the handling was astonishing. The only thing is that I didn’t notice much difference between the ride of the CBR and the GSX-R. I’ve ridden both bikes without restrictors in and they both pick up from very low revs and keep going up to the rev limiter. All the bikes in the 600 class are similar in the engine department, although the GSX-R and the R6 are high revving bikes and need to be in the upper range of the revs to get the best results, whereas the CBR was good throughout.

The GSX-R was fitted with Pirelli tyres as standard and these tyres were surprisingly good in the wet and dry. Compared to the Dunlop 207’s that I had on the CBR originally, I can safely say that the Pirelli’s were head and shoulders above the 207’s. The tyres complimented the bike in every respect and made it easy to dip the bike into the bend and have full confidence that they won’t slip out.

The steering damper comes into its own when the bike is being pushed. The front is much more stable than the CBR and the bike goes exactly where you want it to. I have found that it is also very forgiving, especially when you misjudge a bend.

The dual hydraulic brakes on the GSX-R are very good. I have found that stoppies come easily, even with standard pads on. The brakes do need to be warmed up a little before they become really effective, but unless you’re doing high speeds and quick stops everywhere; the brakes will be great all the time. Both the GSX-R and CBR had equally good brakes.

The Ride

The GSX-R 600 is great fun to ride. I regularly do journeys between London and Norwich and find that the bike does not cause me any problems. The occasional stretch stop is always welcomed, but I have gone for over two and a half hours without any aches or pains. I am 6’1 and I find that the bike fits me a lot better than the CBR. My initial concern was that the foot pegs were too high for comfort, but once I started riding the bike, I discovered that the position is much better than my position on the CBR. This does depend on the position of the seat, the height of the handlebars and the length of your arms/legs.

Comfort on a bike really does depend on the person’s build and height, so if you are worried about it, get a test ride first. Most sports bikes will give you aches in the wrists and neck in the first few days of adjusting to the position and getting used to the more forward stance on the bike. This is normal and will happen on all bikes, but you will get used to it and won’t even feel it after a couple of days.

If you are buying a sports bike, expect the petrol costs that come with it. On average, I can get about 120 miles to a tank. This is when riding non-stop. When using the bike round town it can go as low as 90 before the reserve light stays constant, meaning I’ve not got long till it runs dry. With a tank capacity of 18 litres, the reserve light normally starts flashing with about 6 litres left and then stays constant with approx 4. This may vary from bike to bike.

The display on the bike includes a tacho needle showing revs and an LCD display, showing your speed, engine temperature, some warning lights and mileage. It includes a handy clock and trip meter. There are two push buttons that are used to set the clock and reset the trip meter. They are also used to flick between the mileage and the clock on the display. This is the only disadvantage, as it doesn’t show both at the same time.

The Suzuki is a great bike and starts first time, every time. It has not let me down in any respect and I hope it will stay that way. I would highly recommend this bike for its capabilities and for its comforts and storage space. This is without doubt the best 4K I’ve ever spent!

UPDATE: Now is the best time to buy if you are after a new GSX-R, with some dealerships selling them as low as £4995 on the road.
 

...less