It works very well indeed. From 6000rpm engine response is excellent and a vast improvement over the previous model. Below 6000rpm the bike can flutter a little through the transition brought about by the valve in the Suzuki's exhaust that apparently helps with the bottom end power delivery.  It is not all that noticeable while cruising around, but when lent over as far as your comfort zone allows around a corner like Phillip Island's tight turn four it can be a little disconcerting. I found a cure though. I stopped being such a pussy on the way in so I could make sure I had more than 6000rpm spinning at the slowest point of the turn in second gear.

The engine then builds into an impressive mid-range before it starts to sign off a little over 14,000rpm.  That might sound a low number but perhaps Suzuki's tachometer actually reflects circumstances a little closer to reality than some of its Supersport competitors.

Down the main straight it was enough to allow me to repeatedly hit more than 250kph before wimping out early for turn one. (In comparison I managed 275kph on the GSX-R750, while three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles was managing those sort of numbers on the GSX-R600 thanks to a much greater entry speed onto the main straight and a larger pair of coconuts for turn one).

The shortened engine has allowed Suzuki to fit a 35mm longer swingarm in a further quest for maximum traction while retaining the 1400mm wheelbase seen on recent models. And it works as the new Bridgestone BT014 rear tyre held up to a full day of abuse at Phillip Island with only the slightest squirms of protest towards the end of each 20 minute track session.

Thanks to the narrower powerplant, Suzuki have also been able to trim fat off the machines girth for a slimmer feel with the frame width reduced by a significant 35mm over the previous model. The shorter fuel tank and redesigned seat give the rider a hip to bar measurement a noticeable 30mm shorter than before. Making the slim perch an even more attractive prospect is a 15mm lower seat height and new foot pegs that can be moved both vertically and horizontally through a 14mm plane, further enhancing rider comfort. I never saw reason to adjust a thing and could tuck in behind the screen of the new GSX-R600 perfectly with never a hint of wind buffeting around the helmet, even at over 250kph down Phillip Island’s main straight.  In fact, I found the tuck position while in attack mode just about perfect for my 180cm frame.