WILL a new chassis and engine for Suzuki's supersport GSX-R600 keep it competitive in a sector where the Japanese big four up the ante each year? Jane Omorogbe reports from the south of France press launch.

AS soon as I received the invitation to ride Suzuki's new GSX-R600 in Montpellier, I battled with images of me dwarfing a too-slender, minuscule, lightweight 600.

How wrong can you be? This stunning new sports bike is far more comfortable than I could have anticipated and it has a wonderfully planted, secure feel to the ride.

Not all 161kg bikes have to be painfully thin it seems. You could hardly describe this new Gixer as big, but even with my chin resting on the deep blue 16.5-litre tank and my tippy toes perched on the adjustable footpegs, I felt at home. I know this is a brand new bike, but theres something very familiar about it. Perhaps it really just boils down to security. It's pretty darn difficult to unsettle the GSX-R600. It remained totally solid in every situation that I could throw at it.

The front end does feel kind of heavy, not as quick to turn as the Triumph Daytona or Yamaha R6. That's no bad thing for road riding. If anything, it just proves the steering damper and mass centralisation are doing their thing. It didn't shake its head or even mutter with attitude once and, no matter how much I provoked it, the GSX-R600 didnt bite me. Bad temper? I really don't think it has one.

That's not to say its too tame. There's no getting around the fact that the bottom end of the rev range is sluggish (possibly geared slightly too high) and, even on the road, I wanted more kick. Overtakes and lively manoeuvres need some forward planning and stirring of the six-speed, faultless gearbox. But if you're prepared to stay ahead of the game, that's when you see the GSX-Rs true colours.

Whether you're revving the nuts off it, or pottering around, the relatively long bike (1400mm wheelbase) feels safe and comfortable.

But take that little red needle above 6K, and things start to change. In the old werewolf films, you get an idea somethings afoot when the lead character has apparently more facial hair than in the last scene. Let the engine speed build to 8,000 rpm and its now got elongated fangs peering from beneath its swollen top lip. Tuck in and absorb the deep Suzuki howl from the neat, stubby exhaust system that you could miss at a glance and now were talking Hulk-style ripping of shirts and more chest hair than Burt Reynolds.

And finally, what we've been waiting for with bated breath, the crescendo at over 11,000rpm with yet more to come until the needle buries itself sometime later in the red. All hell breaks loose; there's a werewolf in town and hes gone berserk!

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this bike would excel on a track, and as the pace quickened on my test ride, I enjoyed it more and more. Arguably, the fuel-injected lump can seem stuffy lower down the rev range but at least the fuel injection is smooth and with such sedate power delivery under 6,000rpm, it's bound to please more tentative riders.

If appearance is everything, then the 6,799 GSX-R600 is gorgeous. The tapered seat is a result of redesigning the weight distribution, yet it's perfect for shorter riders, as they'd have less difficulty touching the floor. The mirrors aren't a bad size and they project a crystal clear picture ... of your elbow. But that's to be expected on a bike that's hoping to spend more time on the track than on the road, when the mirrors will either be removed or taped up anyway.

The new Suzuki blue is so visual; it'd be rude not to mention it. As the sun began to cool in Montpellier, it gently licked the deep paint; flicking shafts of light and making them dance around the paintwork. I let out a contented sigh and, yes, you're right, this really is the best job in the world.

FASTFACTS

Price: 6,799 (available spring)

Engine: four-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke of 599cc, producing 125bhp

Transmission: six-speed, chain-drive

Chassis: aluminium alloy twin-spar

Suspension: front inverted telescopic, 43mm forks, fully adjustable for pre-load, rebound and compression damping; rear single shock adjustable for pre-load, compression and rebound damping

Brakes: front twin 320mm discs with radially mounted, 4-piston callipers; rear 220mm disc with single-piston calliper

Tyres: front 120/70 x 17; rear 180/55 x 17

Weight (dry): 161kg (355lbs)

Fuel capacity: 16.5 litres (3.6 gallons)