SUZUKI GSR600

In the mid-noughties Suzuki confused us still further with yet another middleweight budget naked…

It’s nearly 15 years old…

Suzuki often set the bar high for cheap and cheerful naked roadsters: think the mid1990s and the Bandit 600, which was later joined by the V-twin SV650. You’d think that would have been enough, but they muddied the waters still further in the noughties.

With the likes of the Gladius replacing the SV (but effectively being the same thing) at the end of 2005, Suzuki also brought out the GSR600, which seemed to be taking on the Bandit 650 at its own game. But not so, according to Suzuki.

That’s because the GSR600 was what they called a ‘hyper-naked’, as in a bike which really was a cut above the Bandit 650 of the time and the SV. The price told you where Suzuki were aiming the GSR… While the Bandit 650 cost £4239 and the SV £4339, the GSR cost you £5139. But did it really deliver a grand’s more fun than the other two bikes?

Probably not. The GSR was powered by the 2004 GSX-R600 lump, suitably de-tuned (ignition, cam-timing and lower gearing) to around 90bhp at 12,000rpm. So, yes, this was a revvy little beast. You needed to use all of those gears to get the best out of the motor, but the chassis was up to the task – just. You’d expect better from the suspension for a ‘hyper-naked’, but in reality you have way too soft forks and a rear shock that – while it has seven-way adjustment for pre-load and rebound – it’s just lacking any real finesse, which is where you’d want the money to be spent in R&D over the more humble Bandit/sv. The brakes, too, are sadly lacking and the overall practicality of the GSR isn’t that great either.

So why should you even entertain the thought of a GSR600 today, as they edge towards 15 years of age? Well, they look rather funky. The faired-in indicators, chunky die-cast frame rails, LED rear lights and under-seat exhausts (yup, you can get Yoshimura replacements) give the bike a style that no Bandit 650 can match.

Also, that £1000 premium you paid for a GSR over a GSF has long since evaporated. Today, used GSRS sit around the same price as a used Bandit from the same era. Yes, you can have a relatively low-mile GSR in your garage for anything between £2000-£3000.

Are they a coming classic? Well, maybe, maybe not, but for something a little bit different, maybe the GSR600 is worth a second look?