2021 Suzuki GSX-R600ZM1

Suzuki GSX-R600

One of the best-handling sportbikes ever thanks to its light weight and superbly balanced performance

Features may include:

• Engine

The GSX-R600's 599cc DOHC inline-four engine was updated for better midrange performance (lighter pistons with higher compression, new cams, pentagonal crankcase vent holes, etc.), and it definitely delivers without affecting top-end power. Gear selection entering corners isn’t as critical, and the added midrange permits easier and better drives off the corner exits. Speaking of top-end, when Sport Rider magazine ran the 2013 GSX-R600 on its dyno, the result was 104.6 hp at 13,700 rpm with a peak torque reading of 44.4 pound-feet at 11,500 rpm. A new lighter transmission with closer-ratio gears makes it easier to keep the engine on the boil.

• Suspension

new frame and swingarm, along with a Showa BPF Big Piston Fork and revised shock settings. This adds up to a bike with quick yet sure-footed turn-in and excellent feedback from both ends at all phases of cornering on the street and track.

• Radial-mount Brembo four-piston calipers (the first time a Japanese manufacturer used the respected Italian brand on a production bike) and 310mm discs were also part of the makeover. Braking performance is as you’d expect: excellent.

The GSX-R600 is a supersport machine, so the ergonomics are decidedly more race-oriented than other bikes, with clip-on bars and rearset footpegs putting the rider in an aggressive riding posture. Three-way position footpeg brackets allow some changes for legroom. Passenger accommodations are the usual supersport fare, i.e., not much more than an afterthought.

• Design

The 2021 Suzuki GSX-R600 is one of the few “old school” sportbikes available, in that there are no fancy electronic rider aids (other than the S-DMS drive modes, which are little more than different overall power levels), no ABS, and no ride-by-wire throttle system (the throttle is still cable-operated). The dash still includes a round analog tachometer that is easier to see at a glance than any flat display.