All Essays – Kind, serious and angry! – Used SUZUKI

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Kind, serious and angry !

All Essays - Kind, serious and angry! - Used SUZUKI

It was finally dead last, years after the Hornet and the Fazer, that Suzuki joined the club of sporty 600 roadsters of (around) 100 hp. Has the manufacturer put this time to work to offer the ideal roadster? Test.

Despite its recent re-styling and re-boring to 650 cc, the Bandit is beginning to take on the weight of years and see its sales run out of steam after a brilliant career (read .

Suzuki, tired of seeing the Z 750 and other Fazers prancing at the head of sales, had to react.

We therefore had to wait for the Paris Motor Show in September 2005 to discover the GSR 600.

This little sporty roadster at the heart of the GSX-R 600 does not have the ambition to revolutionize the category, as its illustrious ancestor, the Bandit, did in its time..

The GSR is content to use proven technical solutions widely available today: die-cast aluminum frame, 4 liquid-cooled cylinders, injection, etc..
Paris, 08/29/2006 – Suzuki’s new 600 roadster: small but tough ! Video Site.

The only peculiarity that its direct competitors do not have: the new Suzuki roadster sports a magnificent aluminum reinforced swingarm, until then reserved for sports cars and a few large-displacement roadsters..

Lack of boldness ?

Aesthetically, the disappointment was at the rendezvous for those who expected a B-King in 600 cc (read and).

Because if we find the general lines of the famous concept bike based on Hayabusa, it is clear that the result is quite bland…

This is especially true for the front end of the bike, which loses that enticing squat and looks very "plastoc" with its turn signals integrated into the tank. As for the headlight, it is far from being as sharp as that of the FZ6 for example.

Fortunately, the rear is more harmonious with its double exhaust outlet under the saddle which frames two round LED lights. The GSR is not aesthetically "failed": it is just against it the fact of arriving after the others…

Ergonomic and comfortable

The rider was particularly well received on the GSR with a pleasant and natural driving position which means there is very little pressure on the wrists and a very reasonable saddle height of 785 mm which will reassure the smallest riders..

As well as being pretty, the saddle offers remarkable comfort and it will take a really long time to ride to start to suffer from it. This will prevent heavy riders from investing in a more comfortable personal saddle, necessary on many other roadsters! As for the controls, they are soft and fall naturally to the hands.

Only negative point to deplore in this idyllic picture: the tank is a little too large and tends to spread the driver’s thighs too far. If it is not particularly disturbing on a daily basis, it becomes so in sporty driving by preventing you from forming one body with the motorcycle.

Equipment: beautiful and annoying !

The new little Suzuki GSR is generally well equipped but annoys by certain details. First of all, the bike is a bit too upright when placed on its side stand. It will therefore be necessary to be wary of the slightest slope, otherwise you will find the beauty on the ground. !

The turning radius is not extraordinary either and can be quite a disadvantage when squeezing through traffic. As for the mirrors, they seem to have been fitted only to comply with the legislation: they vibrate a lot whatever the engine speed and are perfectly illegible….

In terms of practical aspects, the GSR is satisfied with the minimum union. Because of the double exhaust outlet placed under the saddle, it offers just a place to accommodate a U of standard size. Nothing else will fit !

When it comes to transporting a bag, no anchor point: you will have to use the four retractable Cordura buckles placed under the passenger seat.

The GSR makes do with a modest 16.5-liter fuel tank. However, the range is not ridiculous because the bike, even driven at a good pace, consumes relatively little with an average of 6.2 l / 100 km during our test. This will make it possible to cover approximately 200 km before the passage in reserve.

But the Suzuki GSR also has some very good sides. First of all, it is equipped as standard with a very practical and reassuring coded key immobilizer.

And it also sports a meter block that is as readable and complete as it is pleasant to look at. Day and night, its appearance is pleasant and really contributes to driving pleasure, in particular with its engaged gear indicator.

Easy and accessible

If the GSR 600 is therefore not the star of cafe terraces, it is undoubtedly that it reserves its demonstration for the road … Barely in the saddle, the rider – whatever his level – already feels at home, with the impression of finding an old accomplice.

The natural position, the correct saddle height and the reasonable weight of 183 kg contribute to this warm welcome. A little pressure on the starter motor and the liquid-cooled 4-cylinder rattle with a muffled noise.

Choke point, idling is managed by electronic fuel injection. Small burst of gas: the Suzuki block instantly rushes into the towers, without any inertia and giving off an angry sound …

The clutch / gearbox assembly also greatly contributes to driving pleasure. The gears shift smoothly and precisely, which is particularly important on a small sporty 4-cylinder because we tend to knit a lot from the box..

Imperial in town

Despite a few small flaws – such as its rather tight turning radius – which it can quickly forget, the GSR 600 is an easy and efficient tool in town. From the first laps of the wheels, you feel confident.

The front brake offers a completely reassuring bite without being brutal, which is a guarantee of safety in the wet for the less experienced pilots. The rear brake is a little more discreet but honestly does its job. Finally, the suspensions perfectly erase cobbles, holes and other donkeys, ensuring a perfectly healthy course. !

For its part, the engine surprises with its flexibility and low torque … for a 600 cc 4-cylinder engine! From 3,500 / 4,000 rpm, it offers very convincing pick-ups and more than enough to drive in traffic.

Where other 600 roadsters require one or even two gears to set off decently, the GSR will simply relaunch valiantly with a muffled noise. But beware, the little Suzuki also knows how to play moths! You don’t need to titillate her for long to get her angry. And there, we find a GSX-R 600 engine …

The queen of the attack !

After 8000 rpm, the thoroughbreds land accompanied by the hoarse rumble of the air box and the howl of the exhausts. Dr Jeckyll then turns into Mister Hyde and tears off your arms and neck … Up to more than 14,000 rpm, speed at which the switch intervenes…

Whatever the gear engaged, the speeds reached are then shameful but the bike remains perfectly homogeneous and only the lack of protection just encourages you to lower your head a little..

You can feel the bike perfectly riveted to the ground, helped by the excellent Bridgestone BT 14. These tires are originally fitted on the GSR, further proof of the claims – and skills! – sports cars of the new Suzuki roadster. A clear advantage over the original mounts of its competitors, often unworthy of the performance of the motorcycles they equip.

The stability of the motorcycle, on good as on bad surfaces, is particularly difficult to fault. On the corner, the GSR inspires so much confidence that you find yourself going around in places where you are used to cutting them normally !

So much so that even the access ramps to the motorways, where you stay on the corner for a long time, are sources of great motorcycling pleasures … In this respect, the GSR would become almost dangerous because it inspires confidence in its rider. If he has little experience and does not keep a cool head, he may reach his limits a little suddenly …

Nobody is perfect…

The more athletic can blame the GSR for its slightly heavy front end lacking liveliness in the city and in the pif-paf taken at good speed. But the GSR remains a small 600 cc roadster overall easy and light to take.

Electronic fuel injection, for its part, generates a few jerks when switching off and going around. An evil that unfortunately seems inevitable – antipollution standards oblige – so much it affects most recent motorcycles: few manufacturers offer perfectly controlled injections.

But the GSR is doing honorably because it compensates for these jolts with an overall smoothness of operation (clutch, gearbox, final transmission) above average.

Last false note in the sweet melody sung by the Suzuki, its engine generates some vibrations in the toe clips and the handlebars at mid and high revs. But we will have to lengthen the stages enormously to start to really suffer from it..

A wise choice

In the ultra competitive market for sporty roadsters, Suzuki will therefore have taken its time to make its copy. But the result proves him right: the GSR is flawlessly homogeneous! It manages to reconcile comfort, ease and sporting efficiency without being penalized by a serious defect … Except perhaps its gloomy aesthetic. But that’s up to you !

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