THE 600cc sportsbike market is the most competitive in motorcycling with Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki all pushing their own contenders for the coveted top spot.

This competitiveness is currently providing the motorcyclist with the best selection of bikes this market has ever had to offer.

Suzuki's offering within this class is the GSX-R600, revised last year; the new machine is not only lighter than its predecessor but more powerful too. Other major revisions include an entirely new chassis and a fuel injection system.

The first thing I noticed about the GSX-R600 was that it looks just like its big brother, the formidable GSX-R750; indeed the bodywork is almost identical, although slightly smaller. At a quick glance the only thing that seems to separate the two machines is the sticker on the rear bodywork.

Once on the bike it wasn't just the looks that reminded me of a 750 it feels the same too, the riding position sits you forward although it didn't feel too extreme.

Whether I would feel as comfortable after a couple of hours in the saddle would remain to be seen. I set off through the town centre traffic, the engine was running up to about 6,000rpm and I must admit there was almost no performance within this low range.

Unable to get out of second gear a glance at the rev counter told me this machine doesn't red line until 14,500rpm. This bike was not built for riding around the town. It was time to head for the open road!

Once out of town I experienced a completely different machine, the new fuel injection system allowed the bike to run smoothly in the low rev range but there was no performance to speak of.

This soon changed. Above 6,000rpm the bike begins to pull, at 9,000rpm it goes completely ballistic. It takes off like a rocket and continues to pull at the same amazing rate all the way through to the 14,500rpm limit.

Keep the power within this range and the throttle response is just as impressive. Through the bends the bike handles to precision, simply choose a line and it will take you round effortlessly.

Through the twisties keeping the bike within this powerband can be tricky if you really want to go fast you need to continuously shift to maintain those high revs. But get it right and it's an absolute joy.

The steering is light although not flighty helped I'm sure by the steering damper that comes as standard on these machines. The clutch is smooth and the suspension soaked up everything even through the bumpiest of corners.

All in all the GSX-R was proving quite a package. I did the best part of 300 miles over the couple of days I had it and must admit I've never had more fun on a bike.

As for comfort on longer journeys I was again impressed. The wind pressure helps provide good support for your body weight and I didn't feel any discomfort in my wrists even after a couple of hours in the saddle.

With the comfort factor in mind you could do some touring on it, but this is not what the GSX-R is about. This machine isn't for town riding or cruising across the continent but built with the racetrack in mind.

I would definitely urge any sportsbike rider who hasn't yet experienced a GSX-R to have a go.