Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128637
ECM, to maintain maxim um int ake velocity at any rpm . The secondary valve is operated by a servo (Suzuki calls it a "t o rq u e motor " ) that is attached to the throttle-body assem bly , re ceiving information based on engine rpm and gear sele cti on to determine the proper opening. The injectors themselves are still important. obviously , and the GSX· R600's are mounted at a 60-degree angle so that 50 percent of the fuel is aimed directly at the primary throttle val ve at full throttle . This ricochet effect all ow s th e mixture to be br oken -down into fine r s pray -p a rt ic le s , which in turn mixes with the incoming air more efficiently, a llo wing better fuel atomization and a clea ner burn. The ECM is also responsib le for co ntrolling the ign ition , which is just another com ponent of the engine management system. The same ROM memory that stores the FI system's mapping also sto res four different ig nition maps to help o p ti m ize the air /fuel burn. A prerequisite of the m odern sportbike is ram-air , and Suzuki has redesigned the GSX-R600's ram-air system using te chn ol ogy borrowed from its big brother , the GSX-R750. The intake ducts ha ve been moved inward on the nose of the fairing , into a higher -pressure zone that has less turbulence. The air is then crammed into the new airbox , which has been enlarged from 10 liters to 1 1.3 lite rs , and features a new flat air filter. ENGINE ANC ILLAR IES There are a few other items releting to the mo tor that you need to know about. The GSX-R600 will fea tur e a ne w PAIR (P u lsed Secon dary Air Injectio n) system for all m a rk ets a n e m issio ns feat ure that was pre vious ly fitted only to Californi a models. The PAIR system reduces emissions by inje cting air into the exha ust ports to ig n ite unb urned hydroca rbons , which reduces carbon-monoxide gas emissions without sacrificing horsepower. Cooling is handled by a new 20mm -taller ra d ia t o r , which has increa sed cooling capacity by eight percent, and a new alumi num oil cooler tha t no t only dissipates he at faster but weighs less as well. The transmission and clutch are virt ually identical to those on the old GS X-R. The only differences are that the interna l ratios of the transmission have been altered to harmonize with the bike 's new power characteristics t he c lutch's friction ma te rial is also new . C H ASS IS Everyt hi ng abo ut the 200 1 GSXR600 's chassis is new. The frame has been a ltered substantially in an effort to improve handling and reduce weig ht. Th e fra me itself is 4.4-pounds lig hter, but is supposed ly 10 percent (Above) The new GSX·R600 is almost 25 pounds light e r than last year's bike, making the bike transition from side to side with ease. (Right ) To tell the difference between the new GSX·R600 and th e GSX-R750, Just look at the f ort< whic h are right s, sid e u p; a nd th e swingarm , which isn 't braced. But the strong fa mily re sem blance is obvious as th e bodywort< and styling are alm ost ide ntical to its older siblin g. more torsionally rigid than the o ld frame . But the biggest change to the frame involved altering the geometry. The frame is 10mm shorter from the steering head to the swingarm pivot, wh ich a llows th e new, more-compact e ng ine to be moved fu rthe r forward in the c hass is . Th is was done in an effort to put more weight on the front whee l. Th e old Gixxe r had a 50/50 we ight distribution between the front and rear ends of the bike, but the new 600 now carries 51.4 percent of its weight on the front wheel. Rake and trail figures remain the same as on the 2000 bike, but the wheelbase has been extended by 20mm by fitting a longe r swingarm. T h e longer swingarm , combi ned with the shorter chassis , allows the bike to retain quick turn-in characteristics , while improving mid-corner stability. In addition, the actual down slope of the swingarm has been reduced , which , in turn , is supposed give the rear tire more grip and a more linear suspen sion stroke. S USPENSION AND BRAKES T he brand new and lighter Showa cartridge fork is 45mm in dia meter and is phys ica lly shorter tha n the previo us generations , yet it has 5mm mo re s t roke . The fork is also ful ly a djustable for preloa d, compression, an d re b oun d dam pening . The rea r shock is also brand new for 2001 . th e front, and 180/55ZR 17 on the re a r. it 's a lig h te r , alu mi nu m-bod ied Showa (the old shock was made of steel) with a piggyback reservoir. The shock is 25mm s horter from eyelet to eye let, but it now has a 46mm·diameter pis ton , up 6mm from the previous version . This allows the shock to not only take up less space, but the larger piston is supposed to keep the shock from overheating and fading . The four -pi ston front calipers are brand new for 200 I , with larger pistons that are now made of aluminum allo y as opposed t o steel , saving almost half a pound between the two. The front ro t o rs remain 320mm in diameter, bu t are now lighter, in a n effort to reduce unsp rung weight and improve handling . The re a r brake mimics the front with new lig hte r aluminum p istons , but remains virtually unchanged beyond th a t. The 200 1 GS X· R has b ra nd ne w cast-al umin u m-al loy whee ls in t he s a me dimens ions as the 2000 mod el - 3 .5 X 17 -inc h up fro nt, and 5 .5 X 17 -in ch o ut back . T he b ike will be shod with Du nlop D207 S portmax tires, with the same 120j70ZR17 on cue. e n STYLING The s ty ling of the new GSX ·R600 is virtually identica l to the 750 and the new 1000. The fairings are no w thinner and lighter , and have le s s pieces making up the bodywork. The bike's actua l dimens ions are smaller all around, with the overall height reduced by 30mm and the width redu ced by 5mm compared to the 2000 model. The headlights are very similar to the 750 's , with a new one piece multi-reflect or system . Like most of the new sportbikes in Suzu ki 's range . the low beam posi t ion only illumina tes one halogen bulb , while the high position illum inates both. The dash a nd gauges a re a ll-ne w as we ll, with a new LCD speedo meter d isp lay , wh ich also dis pla ys te m per a ture , odometer, twin tripm ete rs , a nd eve n a clock. The tac ho mete r s t ill fea tures analog dis p lay , b u t it is much thinner and lig hter th an th e previous genera tio ns. Idiot lights now e _ s • NOVEM B ER 1 , 2000 23