2008 Suzuki GSX-R600 Review

There are only 18 racetracks in the world
which are deemed worthy of MotoGP competition. So when Suzuki invited Motorcycle.com
to Italy’s Misano World Circuit to test its revamped GSX-R600, we were
chomping at the bit.


But why send a bunch of scribblers overseas to ride what may be
perceived as simply a warmed over and restyled middleweight Gixxer?
Well, the GSX-R600 is a veritable lynchpin of Suzuki’s lineup. It not
only outsells every sportbike on the American market (about 20,000 in
2006), it’s the best-selling Suzuki among all of Team S’s extensive
catalog, according to Garrett Kai, American Suzuki’s Senior
Communications Specialist.

New
GSX-R600, Misano and sunny skies. Well, for us, two out of three ain’t
bad



So, 16 hours of traveling had us situated at the seaside resort town
of Riccione, just down the street from the 2.6-mile Misano circuit where
we’d have two days to wring out the tweaked Gixxer Sixxer in its new
set of clothes. (Or we would’ve if persistent fog not spoiled each
morning’s track sessions.)

As is typical with Japanese sportbikes, Suzuki generally adheres to a
four-year model cycle in which they follow up a clean-sheet design with
a freshened up version in its third year. This 2008 GSX-R600 is an
updated riff on the 2006 version.

Anyway, the major theme with this revision is a boost in midrange
power to go along with its new exterior duds. As 600cc sportbikes have
been endowed with bigger top-end horsepower numbers, it’s come at the
expense of accessible power at lower revs. Suzuki has addressed this
problem with a host of changes to the Gixxer’s engine. Tech heads will
want to check out the accompanying sidebar for more info on how they did
it.

Tuning for Torque: Not always a dirty phrase The expression “tuned for torque” is often vilified by those who have seen exciting sportbike motors neutered in the search of more bounteous midrange power. But the demand for higher peak outputs from middleweight sportbikes have come at the expense of low- and mid-range performance. As such, whacking open the throttle below 8000 rpm on a contemporary 600 is most often met by response so flaccid that a Camry might beat you across an intersection. Suzuki’s rejoinder to this conundrum is a plethora of revisions to the GSX-R600’s existing motor. Typical tuning tricks employed to gain more power down low include: Can you see the extra torque? - Increased compression ratio, from 12.3 to 12.5:1 - Newly tapered intake ports to increase velocity - Intake camshafts with slightly reduced valve lift - Exhaust pipe diameter shrunk by 3mm for boosted power at peak torque revs - Overall muffler volume increased Fuel atomization is improved by changing the fuel injectors from 4-hole units to 8-holers. The addition of iridium-tipped spark plugs helps ensure a fuller burn. Internally, the ventilation holes between cylinders again go up a couple of millimeters to reduce parasitic pumping losses. Suzuki makes no claim for higher peak output from this engine, but a Suzuki-supplied dyno graph shows greater horsepower and torque across the bulk of the rev range. Our seat-of-the-pants dyno confirms this assertion.

Although the Gixxer is just in its mid-cycle revision year, it looks
like a ground-up redo when it’s seen in its fleshier new flesh. “We
created this to be more than the fastest machine on the racetrack,” said
Suzuki’s aptly named product planning guru, Norihiru Suzuki. “In short,
we wanted it to be beautiful.”


Beautiful?
Perhaps. But we think Yoshimura is going to sell a lot of slip-ons...


Bodywork from front to rear is completely new, giving the G6 a more
contemporary countenance. A nose job is the most obvious change. A
centrally located low-beam projector light is flanked by dual high-beams
for a purported increase in side-area illumination. A “position lamp”
is placed above the main headlight. Situated below are dual scoops for
ram-air induction. Turnsignals remain neatly integrated into the
rearview mirrors.

A little further back is a new gas tank that ups fuel capacity by 0.5
liter to 4.5 gallons. Below are curvy new side fairings with an X
shape, while a more flamboyant tailsection includes integrated
turnsignals with clear lenses. Four colors schemes are available in the
U.S. The white/silver version might be my fave, and yellow/black and
all-black iterations join the traditional Gixxer blue/white combo which
includes a blue seat. Kudos go to Suzuki for providing a passenger seat
cowl at no extra charge, unlike the other OEMs.

An item borrowed from the liter-sized GSX-R is the electronically
controlled steering damper, and this makes itself known while rolling
out onto Misano’s foggy pit lane during our first session. While the
previous unintelligent damper made low-speed steering a bit awkward,
this smarter version has seemingly no affect at parking-lot velocities.
“Movement has become more neutral,” says Suzuki’s aforementioned Suzuki.

To be honest, that’s about all I could glean from the new bike during
our first session that was shrouded by thick mist. Vision was greatly
impaired, which is doubly troubling when it’s your first time riding a
new race circuit. Compound this with a fogged up faceshield, and even a
GS500 with a plug wire pulled off would be exciting.

Is the next corner a right-hander or a left...?

Thanks to Suzuki Germany’s Axel Siegmund for the great bike setup.

This might’ve been a good time to experiment with the Suzuki Drive
Mode Selector that is a new addition to the smallest GSX-R, but I didn’t
need any new distractions. More on the S-DMS later. In the meantime,
the cold track temps yielded low grip for the newest Bridgestone sport
tires, BT016 Hypersports, resulting in a few slides as I wobbled my way
through the mist.

The second session of the day was thankfully blessed with a moderate
amount of sunshine, upping grip levels and extending visibility greatly.
Now that I could get a handle on the track and see where I was going,
the Gixxer revealed itself to be the excellent sporting tool GSX-Rs are
known for.

Nothing new in the geometry department, as rake, trail and wheelbase
remain the same as previous: 23.45 degrees, 3.82 inches (97mm) and 55.1
inches, respectively. As such, the G6 is as trustworthy as ever. Turn-in
is obedient, and the bike’s slim and compact stature makes its rider
feel like a master. One of the great challenges of Misano is the
Curvone, a fifth-gear sweeper that tests a rider’s courage a
motorcycle’s stability. The GSX-Rs new steering damper helped make it a
knee-down corner at a-buck-thirty-five.

Sensations new to the little Gixxer arrive with the throttle open and
closed. As before, the Gixxer uses the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve
system which consists of dual butterfly valves in each throttle body.
The primary is directly connected to the throttle cable, while the
secondary is controlled by the ECU based on rpm, gear position and
primary valve position. The secondary also is adjusted by a new, faster
computer to maintain intake velocity. These work in conjunction with the
new 8-hole twin fuel injectors per cylinder. Suzuki’s exhaust butterfly
valve is also controlled by the ECU to optimize power at all rpm,
working in conjunction with slightly increased muffler volume for the
’08 model.

The above is a mouthful that, together with the midrange-enhancing
tweaks for ’08, results in throttle response free of stumbles and
lurches. More impressive is how the middleweight mill pulls from the
smaller numbers on the legible tachometer. Midrange squirt now likely
exceeds the Kawi ZX-6R and even the trick new R6, though my butt dyno
still says the CBR600RR is the 599cc bike to beat in this respect.

When it’s time to bleed speed, the Gixxer has a couple of
enhancements to do it easier. Reacting to the front brake lever is a
master cylinder with a 2mm smaller bore for increased pressure at the
caliper. A 2mm smaller leading piston in the front calipers maintains
the same effort required at the lever, according the Suzuki’s Kai. The
radial-mount Tokico calipers bite on new 310mm discs with four more
buttons, now 12, for better heat dissipation. The extra weight from the
added buttons is offset by 0.5mm thinner rotors, now at 5.0mm.
Foggy
track? Check. More midrange poke? Check.



That’s a lot of tech details to describe brake feel that, to my hand,
don’t feel much different than before. They have a softish initial bite
but are plenty powerful. Journos faster than me had praise for them,
and it’s feasible that they would better be able to handle the rigors of
racing than the previous binders. If it makes you feel better, you
might appreciate knowing that they are said to be the same brakes as
used on the heavier and faster Hayabusa.

Notice the thinner brake rotors and extra mounting buttons.

What this photo doesn’t show is BJN hanging out the back of a hatchback a foot off the ground and inhaling plumes of sooty diesel exhaust.

Sure-footed and willing – typical GSX-R.

While we’re in the braking zone, let’s touch on another notable
tweak: a better slipper clutch. Suzuki has added an additional clutch
plate with revised friction material and a modified drive cam shape.
Tech stuff aside, I can say Suzuki has taken a good back-torque-limiting
clutch and made it better, able to suck up sloppy and/or rapid
downshifts without upsetting the chassis.

As speeds grew faster throughout the day, it revealed the Misano
circuit to be the bumpiest GP track on the schedule. But the Gixxer
responded very well at sucking up the imperfections. Suzuki reports only
mild internal revisions to the 41mm Showa fork and the Showa shock for
’08.

With the first day of riding sessions completed, the spoiled and
smart-assy journalists and I looked forward to the next day when we’d
have a full day of riding in the sunshine. Well, it turns out that
Misano would be a fickle lover. Fog thicker than the day before kept us
off the track until well after lunch. Oh, feel our pain!

This gave us time to literally and figuratively kick some tires, of
which the BT016 Hypersport Bridgestones will come on all Gixxer 6s and
750s for ’08. That rubber is mounted on new, cooler wheels that are said
to be lighter, though Suzuki didn’t say by how much, so it’s obviously
not a lot.

Eventually the fog abated somewhat and we suited up for another
couple of sessions. This time the murkiness enticed me to try out the
Drive Mode Selector first seen on the 2007 GSX-R1000. Mode A is the
full-power setting. Mode B offers softer throttle response at all rpm
ranges, while mode C is knocks back power even further.

Cat begins with the letter C, and another name for cat is pussy. All
I’m saying is that I could only tolerate one lap in C mode before
frustration set in. It might make sense on a 160-horse literbike, in the
rain, but it mutes a 600’s power too much.

Mode B, on the other hand, was quite entertaining. It felt like the
thrust of an early-‘90s 600, so the power wasn’t as clipped as I
anticipated. It was actually enjoyable to dial on the throttle to the
stops exiting corners without much fear of launching myself to the moon.
Still, riding in any setting but A mode is like having sex with a
porn star in the missionary position – it may be fun, but it’s not all
it can be. The acrobatics really bust loose after 10,000 rpm when the
Gixxer shrieks to its power peak around 14 grand, with 2000 revs of
overrev headroom before its 16K redline.
Duke
racing to his rendezvous with author Jenna Jameson for some pointers.




The S-DMS is just one part of what Suzuki refers to as
“rider-friendly performance.” The instruments include a handy
gear-position indicator, and the shift light is programmable for rpm and
brightness. (Oddly, there is no lap-timer function.) Adjustable
footpegs are again part of the ergo package, still the only bike in the
class to offer this desirable feature. And the shift lever is easily
adjustable for the best fit for feet and can be simply converted to a
GP-style shift pattern if that’s your preference.

So as I wiped the Adriatic mist from my faceshield for the last time,
I was sure I was stepping off the best GSX-R600 yet. Its most desirable
changes are its punchier midrange and its sharper styling, with bonus
points for a more compliant slipper clutch.

It’s the
best-ever Gixxer 600. Only a shootout will be able to determine if it’s
the best 600. Maybe we should book Misano?




On the negative side of the ledger are two areas in which bigger
numbers are less pleasing. The G6’s claimed dry weight is now 363 lbs,
an increase of 9 due largely to the revised exhaust system. And its MSRP
takes a $500 jump to $9399. That’s $300 more than the Kawi, but it’s
$200 cheaper than the Honda and Yamaha.

Which one would we most want to park in our garage? In the spirit of
the election season, we’d better congregate ’em and hold a caucus!

The Perfect Bike For…
Gixxer fans and racetrack devotees who want the latest and greatest and coolest.
Highs:		Sighs:
More power where you can use it Dashing new wardrobe Adjustability		Half a grand pricier Limp baloney muffler C mode on a 600?

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