SHOOTOUT
P90
2013 MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORTBIKE SHOOTOUT PART II
with Kawasaki's monobloc Nissin
and Honda's Tokico units rating
higher this year. Riders hopping
onto the Gixxer without sampling
the others will find no fault from
the immediate, powerful braking
force. Only splitting hairs gives it
a mid-pack rating.
"The Brembo chompers add
extra bite, just not what is expected from the up-spec hardware,"
reckons Adey. "Steel-braided
lines and a Brembo master will
probably put it on par with the
848 EVO in stopping power."
The Suzuki ergonomic pack-
age continues to be a class leader. Its 31.9-inch seat height is the
lowest of the test, and one of the
more comfortable perches. A
relaxed riding triangle contrasts
some of the racier mounts, with
the adjustable footpegs allowing
for some fine-tuning of the riding
position.
"The Suzuki 600 is comfortable," confirms Adam. "I love that
you can adjust the height of the
footpegs. I prefer the low position
for running around on the street
and the high mount for track. The
seat on it is probably the most
comfortable in this test and the
GSX-R feels very light too. It's got
a big windscreen, and it's easy
for me to tuck in behind it out of
the elements."
Variable engine mapping is old
hat for Suzuki, which continues
its Suzuki Drive Mode Selector
(S-DMS) – offering two maps.
Switching between the two is intuitive, and the Gixxer instrumentation is rated one of the best.
The dash, in particular, sports a
simple layout and plenty of information, including gear position
indicator inlayed to the right of
