2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: AWESOME

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jaskc78
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#11 Unread post by jaskc78 »

I voted cool because as stated above, the Gixxer6 just doesn't really have anything going for it that really separates it from the other 600s...except that it lacks any defining characteristic. Kawi's have that bare-knuckle brawler feel, Honda's are just so butter smooth and their power is so streetable, and the Yamaha's are tuned for the track from the factory. Gixxer, just sorta there. Also agree with the 750 comment--I'd much rather have a 750 than a 600. Still strikes me as odd that the other guys don't really have anything to split the difference between the 600 and liter bikes when the 750 is just such a great engine with enough down low grunt to have some serious "poo poo" and get without having to sacrifice the screaming fast top end and not being total overkill on the street like a liter bike tends to be.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#12 Unread post by HYPERR »

The Suzuki engine sounds the most generic too. The Kawasaki always has that instantaneously recognizeable mean dry raspy sound, the Yamaha now with the big bang engine sounds like a V4, and the Honda has the echoing wail that sounds like a F1 car. The GSXR always sounded generic.....well the original oil cooled Hypersport GSXR did have a nice crazy wail...
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#13 Unread post by QuietMonkey »

I'm sure it's a nice sportbike in a racing sense --excellent chassis and suspension components out of the box, usually offering good base settings and tuneability; whereas kawi has sucked at times, but did offer a stellar front end on the last redesign. Anyway, with the GSXR I hate the styling, esp. the upper fairing -- so too ugly to be a cool street bike.

regarding Yam big-bang... that is only on the R1, not 600 (little advantage with smaller bore sizes).

I would say that Yam and Kawi have had the nicest looking 600 sport bikes for quite a few years... the Honda's are a bit too conservatively styled, but usually better street engines (i.e more mid-range)... i think the Triumph 675 would be a nice bike for this "class", perhaps the nicest, esp for power characteristics and exhaust note. Regarding comments on the various sounds of the in-line fours, often the intake howl makes a real presence, especially when tucked in and rev'd out. Airbox mods, ign/fi boxes and lots of nice pipes to change sound-effects too... i.e. titanium, and depending upon cross-over and things like yosh's duplex tubes, and various exhaust cans - i dont like the sound from carbon mufflers so much.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#14 Unread post by sunshine229 »

Awesome!

It's such an iconic sportsbike and personally I think 600cc is all most people need in a sportsbike anyways.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#15 Unread post by Wrider »

Just read that it won the Motorcycle USA middleweight shootout. Apparently the Ducati 848 got more "10" ratings in the objective tests, but tied the 600 in total performance points, and when it came down to it the testers preferred the GSX-R600. They did also rate the 750 but didn't include it in the test conclusion. The 750 came first, followed by the 600, followed by the Triumph 675, then the Ducati 848, CBR 600RR, ZX-6R, and finally R6.

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2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 Street Comparison

By Bart Madson
Be it bike tests, feature stories or racing reports Madson has been scribbling at Motorcycle USA for almost a half decade. He rides whatever’s in the MCUSA garage - just don’t ask him to wheelie.


Wednesday, May 23, 2012


Suzuki enters our ninth Supersport test with a big ol’ goose-egg in overall wins. The Gixxer has enjoyed a reputation as a solid all-rounder, and while close a time or two that coveted comparison win has proven elusive. The hard luck Suzuki rebounds on this next go ‘round, however, standing out as the only full redesign of the 2011 600 class. The little Gixxer, and its 750 sibling, come to this year’s shootout with a trimmer, revitalized chassis and higher spec components.



The only redesigned for 2011 600 in our shootout. See how the new Gixxer fares in our 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 Street Comparison Video.

The Suzuki’s 599cc Inline Four does set itself apart, however, as producing the most robust bottom end of the 600s. It has a decided advantage up to 6K in torque production, the power curve waffling momentarily before jetting up top again and registering the highest peak numbers of it 599cc competitors at 44.6 lb-ft (11,600 rpm). Measuring horsepower on the dyno sees the Suzuki peter out at 104.17, with the Kawasaki necking it out by three ponies thanks a better top-end hit.

Rolled off the dyno and the Suzuki provides pleasing, street-friendly engine performance. The Kawasaki may get it up at the very top, and the Honda gives it a run for its money in the mid-range, but the bottom end is the Gixxer’s domain – at least in the traditional 600 class. Keeping these bikes screaming up in the meat of the powerband is a challenge on the street, so it’s no wonder the forgiving bottom-end of the GSX-R600 earned it the highest engine ratings of the Japanese bikes.



Never a winner in our Supersport Shootouts, the Suzuki finally gets a victory with its revitalized 2011 GSX-R600.
This easy-to-ride nature is supplemented by the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS). Tweaked for 2011, instead of the familiar A, B and C modes, there are now only two engine maps to control power output. A bonus for riders, the S-DMS is the only multi-map option found in this year’s crop of supersports. The truth, however, is we didn’t make much use of the S-DMS, as the standard A-mode is a fine blend of smooth power delivery and exhilarating acceleration.

A 10.7 quarter-mile during performance testing, as well as a 3.32 in the 0-60 evaluation, prove the Suzuki has some beans in that motor. It rated behind the Ducati and Triumph, but up front in the Japanese stable (though the Kawasaki just beat it in 0-60 at 3.3 seconds). Says Waheed, “Launching the Suzuki 600 is a little easier than the other Japanese bikes because of its slightly stronger bottom-end engine power. You still have to make sure you have the engine rpms up at launch, but since the powerband is a little more robust you have some lee-way and can still get off the line fairly well without as much of a chance of it bogging.”



Peak horsepower (104.17) and torque (44.6) rate mid-pack but the GSX-R600 delivers the best bottom-end of the 600s.

It certainly feels fast from behind the Gixxer Six controls, and a big part of that sensory experience comes from the stout engine and exhaust sounds. “GSX-Rs have always been known for their charismatic induction howl and this is no different,” noted Adam at the press launch earlier this year. And we couldn’t agree more after hearing it back to back with the competition. The little GSX-R’s robust exhaust note hurt it some in the points, the loudest at idle (84 dB) and half redline (97 dB), but the spirited tones gave the Suzuki more mojo than its 600 rivals. “I loved the way that thing sounds. It’s fun to get on the pipe and ride it,” agrees Simon.

A top-rated drivetrain divvies out power to the rear wheel. Uber smooth and sorted, the Suzuki six-speed is complemented by an idiot-proof slipper clutch. We needled around to find some complaints, there’s just nothing to whine about with the impressive package.

The same can be said of the excellent braking package. Like the Triumph and Ducati, the addition of Brembo monoblocs is a headlining upgrade. The Brembos exhibit immediate stopping power, which is authoritative without


The ergonomics of the GSX-R600 are excellent, making it a very comfortable sportbike on the street. The Gixxer's handling and braking performance make for an all-around easy-to-ride mount on the public roads.
being grabby. Combined with precise input at the lever, the components deliver another class-leading rank on our scoresheet. This mark is further bolstered by our Road Test Editor on the 60 to zero performance test – the Gixxer Six casting a slim shadow over the field with a 122-foot reading.

The Suzuki chassis got the biggest facelift in the 2011 redesign. A new 43mm three-way-adjustable Showa Big Piston Fork debuts, with the rear shock reconfigured to work with the new front end. The suspension is mated to an all-new twin spar aluminum frame, which alters the 54.5-inch wheelbase by a scant 15mm. Our scales indicated a curb weight of 415 pounds, which does indeed trim some fat off the 421 pounds measured in our 2009 test (though not close to the 20-pound claim).

Hustling about on the street, the Gixxer delivers a planted feel in the corners and comforting stability. The front end felt particularly impressive, our Road Test Editor noting its stability under hard braking – which likely boosted the Gixxer’s performance in that category as well. The Bridgestone BT-016 tires seemed to make a perfect fit for the street-bound GSXR too. While it does rate behind the Honda and Triumph in the overall handling marks, this is a compliment to those rides, not a dig on the Suzuki. The 600 and 750 both exhibit all the tell-tale signs of an easy-to-ride bike: point and shoot, effortless turn it, the bike seems to turn itself, I looked down and couldn’t believe how fast I was going… all were talking points made by various testers in regards to the Suzukis.

The Suzuki’s class-leading street ergonomics no doubt contribute to this easy-riding sensation. The 31.9-inch seat, while fractionally lowest to the ground in this comparison, is far and away the plushest perch. Riding position is more upright on the GSX-Rs, as much as a SS can be termed upright. The clip on bars feel higher placed, and wider. This provides comfort with less pressure exerted on the wrists, as well as a skosh extra leverage when maneuvering.

The windscreen delivers decent wind protection, that is to say a steady, buffet-less airflow to the riders upper chest. Behind it is a functional, informative dash, with analog tach and right side digital speedo. The gear position indicator is prominent, a welcome feature on a street bike. The advantage of the S-DMS option, however, is what gets the Suzuki a top mark in the instrumentation/electronics category.

At 35.2 mpg, only the two-cylinder Ducati sipped fuel with more efficiency than the GSX-R600. Its 4.5 gallon tank equates to a 158.5-mile range, just eeking ahead of the Honda by less than half a mile. These fractional wins are offset by the Suzuki’s $11,599 MSRP. Ringing in as the costliest of the 600s, the Suzuki is just $300 more than the Honda but nearly a thousand more than Yamaha and an even $1600 above the budget-minded Kawasaki. Another stab at the Suzuki was its OEM replacement parts costs, which were more than double the Yamaha and easily the costliest of the



Highs & Lows

Highs
•The best street ergonomics of the class, with comfortable seat and bar placement
•Superb tranmission and slipper clutch
•Top rated brakes courtesy of new Brembo monobloc calipers
•Chassis delivers excellent stability with Showa Big Piston Fork

Lows
•$11,599 MSRP costliest of the 600s
•Loses something on the top end
•Appearance rated best of Japanese bikes but no match for European

Big Four entries. But those extra bucks do reflect the most updated round of SS technology, making us wonder what the next generation 600s will cost from Suzuki’s rivals.

Even with the high-ish pricetag, the GSX-R600 comes out a winner on the street. It’s a notable first-ever win for the Gixxer, and while Suzuki execs might not be pinning this review up on their walls in adoration, this has to be a morale-booster for the Gixxer clan. After a decade of utter dominance in AMA racing, Suzuki’s powerhouse sportbike status has dimmed of late. While the Japanese manufacturers all got hit hard by the market downturn, Suzuki seemed to get it the worst. This was punctuated by the humiliating and dire move to import zero GSX-R sportbikes to the States in 2010. But 2011 is another year – another opportunity to succeed or fail. And in our 2011 Supersport Street Shootout the GSX-R600 is a success – the clear favorite as comparison winner.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#16 Unread post by HYPERR »

Wrider wrote:Apparently the Ducati 848 got more "10" ratings in the objective tests
Ducati is a joke that they need a 250cc handicap to compete with the japanese 600s. Affirmative action motorcycle. :baby:
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#17 Unread post by totalmotorcycle »

I voted Cool.

It was a hard choice between awesome (for the Suzuki R&D they put into the GSXR) and cool (because they "all" so look "alike" but still stand out a little).

Suzuki and Kawasaki have been at each others throat forever to grab the "fastest bike crown". Kawasaki in the 80 and 90's was slightly ahead of everyone with their GPz, ZX and Ninja series. Then Suzuki really rallied hard in the late 90's with their GSX-R series and ever since it's been a two way race. If I was going all for speed then it would be either these 2 makes, but I would go with the Honda, Yamaha or Triumph for reliability and give up a few HP that really doesn't matter in the real world... but back to the GSX-R600...

I have to hand it to Suzuki for pushing the 600cc supersport bike bar that much higher again. Light, powerful and rail like handling. Sure it looks "600cc bike generic" IMO but there is a reason 600cc bikes looks like 600cc bikes, aerodynamics.

The biggest issue facing 600cc bikes is their marketing to young (and first time) riders as the 600cc sportbike is seen as an "entry level real bike" which is just marketing. These 600cc bikes will beat anything from the 90's

The 600cc sportbike is also very focus oriented. Acceleration, top speed and corners. Comfort, MPG and useable broad powerbands are 2nd thoughts...reliability and longevity also suffer. If you are not using them for what they were designed for* then it's a waste. (* That wouldn't be stunts, wheelies, drifts, stoppies or doing squidly stuff on them.)

They even have a few common negative motorcycle words/terms that were created just for the bad rap associated with them.

So while they bike it Cool, it just don't think it's awesome.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#18 Unread post by Grey Thumper »

Just cool here as well. It's an awesome engineering achievement to be sure, but as an object of desire, Gixxers don't do it for me. I guess it's mostly a design thing; in the GSXR 600's own class, I lust after the Ducati 848 and the Triumph Daytona 675R, even though the Gixxer quite likely outperforms them. The numbers don't mean much to me, since I'm not a good enough rider to achieve them. Sometimes it's enough that a bike makes you turn around and take one last look before you go inside your front door.
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#19 Unread post by HYPERR »

Grey Thumper wrote:Just cool here as well. It's an awesome engineering achievement to be sure, but as an object of desire, Gixxers don't do it for me. I guess it's mostly a design thing; in the GSXR 600's own class, I lust after the Ducati 848 and the Triumph Daytona 675R, even though the Gixxer quite likely outperforms them. The numbers don't mean much to me, since I'm not a good enough rider to achieve them. Sometimes it's enough that a bike makes you turn around and take one last look before you go inside your front door.
It's supposedly not the bike that the current CBR600RR is but I just love the way my gen 1 CBR600RR look so much better. I never get tired of looking at it. :motorcyclelove: Triumph must've liked it too as the Daytona 675 is virtually a carbon copy of the first generation CBR600RR. :ninja:
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Re: 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 - COOL WALL VOTE: In Progress

#20 Unread post by spydercanopus »

I biasedly voted awesome.

While the gixxer certainly is not as comfortable as other bikes I've ridden, it's got umph I fear I'd miss with other bikes.

I think the weight reduction on the new model is reason enough to upgrade. Light bikes are really affected by weight, so 20lb off is quite an upgrade. And it gives me an excuse to loosen my belt a bit.

I wouldn't have wanted one for my first bike, in retrospect. Still haven't crossed 13-14k rpm. On-ramps in first gear far surpass the speed limit before reaching red-line.

Currently I'm torn between buying a second bike (cruiser) and upgrading to a brand-new sports bike. Probably this one.

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