How in the world can I write about this bike without it sounding like a factory brochure? The thing is about as perfect as anything I have ever ridden on a racetrack and, outside of some minor suspension and lever adjustments, all I have to do is sit on it and twist the throttle. No fuelling glitches, no brake fade, no instability…nothing. Just a lightening-quick, featherweight 600cc supersport machine that has been designed with one goal in mind, “to own the racetrack.”

Prior to putting the bike though its paces, we enjoyed a lengthy and detailed press conference to learn about the many, complex changes the GSX-R600 has received this year. In an effort to find class winning horsepower, the fuel-injected engine has undergone a total redesign.

Factory literature shows four per cent more power, and with the assistance of ram air this figure is quoted as 126PS. Peak torque is now listed as three percent stronger. This is achieved in part by the use of a new fuel injection system, which is 370 grams lighter than last year’s.

Where the 03 used four single-barrel throttle bodies, the 04’s are dual double-barrel units with SDTV (Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve). Basically containing two butterfly valves inside the throttle body, the primary is controlled by the rider, the secondary by the bike’s smaller, lighter ECM.

Reading information from sensors located on the crankshaft, the gearbox and the throttle, the ECM uses a stepping motor. This opens and closes this secondary butterfly, depending on the engine rpm, the gear position, or how much throttle the rider is dialing in. The result is a feel that is very similar to that of CV carburetors allowing the bike to pull strongly from as low as 6,000rpm. Pretty amazing when you think it revs to 15,500rpm!

The whole fuel injection system is a lot simpler, requiring less connecting poles and tuning links. Throttle body pitch has been changed, and this allows the air box to be 10mm shorter and 20mm narrower. It also means the fuel tank can be narrower. Intake efficiency is further improved with this year’s injectors being a multi-hole type, instead of the single pintle type used last year. Better fuel atomization, quicker throttle response and improved atomization are responsible for one percent of the GSX-R’s torque increase.

Inside the engine, reciprocating mass is reduced by five percent thanks to titanium valves, lighter pistons, camshafts, valve buckets and more. Displacement, bore and stroke are unchanged, but compression ratio has increased to 12.5:1 from 12.2:1 with the use of flat top pistons. Normally this would be achieved by raising the piston dome, but Suzuki’s engineers didn’t want any chance of the pistons hitting the valves. So, they achieved the compression hike by using a more compact combustion chamber.

Providing the titanium valves a home, the new cylinder head has been through the total re-design process, now weighing in 80 grams lighter. As part of this diet, the cylinder head bolts have been reduced 3.5 grams in weight for a total saving of 35 grams, and the cam housing bolts 1.4 grams for a further 28-gram loss. Below the flat top pistons, the connecting rods are 3mm shorter and attach to a new crankshaft that features slimmer journal diameters, 30mm instead of 32mm. This is to optimize crankshaft balance and to reduce mechanical loss.

No stone has been left un-turned, and looking into the gearbox shows closer gear ratios and a totally redesigned shift fork. I have no complaints about the shifting, only using the clutch for down shifting as the next ratio is effortlessly selected whenever needed. The non-adjustable cable clutch is very light, with a 25 per cent reduction in the spring rate. Initial load has been raised by four percent though to deal with the engine’s extra power.