By PETER THOEMING
17 July 2006

When the GSR was unveiled, we were hoping to crown the successor to the B-King. This amazing concept bike from Suzuki has been shown for quite a while now, and there were rumours from the factory that this new 600 would largely be based on it.

Well, no such look, err… luck. The bike’s design pays homage to the hulking B-King in only the most general sort of way. But that’s not to say that its appearance is dull. If we hadn’t had such high expectations we would not have been disappointed at all. The styling is pleasantly modern without being extreme, and there are individual touches like the two-tone seat that are terrific.

The bike is powered by an engine based on that of the proven GSX-R600, so it’s no surprise that it goes especially well. The cylinder bores are coated with SCUM, err… sorry, SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material) whatever that is. Both acceleration and top speed are outstanding, and the brakes are a good match for the performance. They are also very controllable, but if you really slam them on the front forks may bottom out, which is not so good. Look on the ‘bright’ side – this is a relatively easy bike on which to do a stoppie, lofting the rear wheel. Of course I do not recommend you actually do this!

A couple of other unfortunate characteristics of the bike are the pronounced driveline lash and the way it will not accept power smoothly at low revs. Combined, they make for a less than entirely pleasant experience in traffic. On the other hand, both rider and pillion are pretty comfortable, except that the seat is a little hard.

I took the GSR out on one of my regular ‘comparison’ runs, where I invite a few of my friends to give their opinion of a bike. The response was interesting.

John, who normally punts a big Harley around, liked the acceleration and brakes and thought that the handling was ‘great’. He also thought the seating position was good, the mirrors were poor and the suspension and seat hard (This was deliberate, so we could get the best out of the performance). He thought it was ‘an excellent bike for around town or short trips’.

Rob rides a 250 twin, and also thought that the GSR is ‘a very sweet package, ideal for commuting or day outings’ although he thought the seat pushed him forward. He liked the exhaust note, finding it ‘very sweet’, but wasn’t sure about the sound of the engine: ‘The tacho redline at 14,000 seems ridiculous,’ he wrote, ‘it is screaming at 8000!’

Brendan’s regular mount is a Triumph Speedmaster, and he found the Suzuki ‘a pleasant culture shock’ with ‘impeccably responsive acceleration matched by a sporty exhaust note’ and ‘precise and very easy’ gear changing. Possibly thinking of himself he concluded that ‘for someone looking for an easy-to-ride fun bike as an alternative to the cruiser in the garage, it is a dream’. You have been warned, Mrs Brendan.

Steve, who stepped onto the Suzuki off a 1200 Harley Sportster, found it ‘very nimble; sitting over the front wheel made for a fun time.’ He liked the acceleration and handling, although there was some fine vibration that he wasn’t too keen on and he agreed with Rob about the seat pushing him forward.

Steve doesn’t like digital speedos, but I do. I also liked the upright riding position and wide, streetfighter-style bars. Handling, acceleration and stopping were excellent, I thought, and I liked the exhaust note – but have to agree that there is some fine vibration, the mirrors are pretty useless and the seat is hard. Where’s my Airhawk comfort seat? I also thought the bike was a little too heavy. There are some nice touches, such as the fabric luggage loops under the seat and the immobiliser.

For them as likes that sort of thing, the GSR600 has a digital gear indicator.

Design-wise I can’t help but feel that the bike is a little too much of a compromise. Front indicators, a la Benelli, are neat but the rear ones are naff, for example. Suzuki’s claim that the GSR is where ‘modern art meets race technology’ is nice but perhaps a little overenthusiastic. Now if I were to see a B-King replica after all, I might feel otherwise…

But let’s not load the little GSR up with too many expectations. For what it is, it’s terrific and it will interest a lot of different riders. I’d certainly be happy to buy one for my wife, for example. I presume it’s a Learner Approved Motorcycle where such things are legal.

AT A GLANCE
Model: Suzuki GSR600
Price: $10,990 (plus on-road charges)
Warranty: Two years, unlimited distance
Power: 72 kW at 12,000 rpm
Torque: 651 Nm at 9600 rpm
Engine: Liquid cooled inline 4 cylinder, 4 stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder electronic fuel injection and ignitionBore x stroke: 67 x 42.5 mm
Displacement: 599 cc
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Transmission: 6 speed, multi plate wet clutch, final drive by O-ring chain
Suspension: Front, 43 mm telescopic fork adjustable for preload, travel 130 mm. Rear, link-type monoshock, preload 7 way adjustable and rebound damping fully adjustable, travel 134 mm
Dimensions: Seat height 785 mm, dry weight 183 kg, fuel capacity 16.5 litres, wheelbase 1440 mm
Tyres: Front, 120/70 ZR17. Rear, 180/55 ZR17
Frame: Aluminium alloy twin spar
Brakes: Front, twin 310 mm discs with four piston calipers. Rear, single 240 mm disc with single piston caliper.
Top speed: 220 km/h
Acceleration:
0-100 km/h – 3.6 sec
60-100 km/h – 4.7 sec
Fuel consumption: Average on test 4.6 litres per 100 km, unleaded
Range: 343 km
Colour/s: Candy Blue.

BIKE NEWS SNIPPETS

EVERYBODY LIKES THEIR TRIUMPH
The company has once again topped the polls in the largest reader survey in Europe, MOTORRAD magazine’s Motorcycle of the Year 2006.

The Triumph Rocket III Classic continued the success of the Rocket III in 2005, with another first-place position in the Best Cruiser category. The Speedmaster also did outstandingly well in the customer satisfaction stakes for used bikes, with 61 per cent stating their satisfaction with the brand. That was at least 10 per cent ahead of the competition.