While we knew this would be a close fight, we didn't anticipate just how tightly grouped the remaining four bikes would be at the track. Just three-quarters of a second separate the four, and our testers' subjective comments were in many cases at odds with the lap times and our traditional ratings charts. Many sleepless nights ensued....
Posting a 1:09.25 lap time, which we'll say is the fourth-fastest rather than the second-slowest, the Suzuki GSX-R600 still put in a strong showing at the track, and in fact scored second after all the racetrack ratings sheets were tallied. As the opening line says, the GSX-R just doesn't do anything wrong. Familiarity plays a big part, and several of our testers pointed out they felt the most comfortable on the Suzuki and that it had the best chassis of the bunch. In the Suzuki's favor is seamless throttle response, corner exits that rival O'Connor's lunge for the morning donuts and light steering with good stability. Our one complaint is the motor's top-end, which is now lacking compared to the updated bikes.
Just a smidgen quicker than the Suzuki with a 1:09.15 lap time was the Yamaha YZF-R6. Helping the littlest R-model is its ultra-nimble chassis. Even with more relaxed geometry, the Yamaha still carves an apex like no other, and the stronger brakes and updated fork just add to the package. The company claims the R6 is more track-oriented than previously, and that was certainly borne out in our testing; the screaming top-end added for '05 makes the midrange seem a bit poochy, and the engine definitely needs to be on the boil to make time. Along with the bigger throttle bodies comes an annoying off/on throttle abruptness that-while it didn't affect lap times all that much at Buttonwillow- decidedly takes away from confidence and early corner exits, mostly in second-gear corners. Of note also, the R6 has significantly more engine braking than the other middle-weights, exacerbating the throttle response problem and requiring you to stay on the throttle and keep the motor spinning even more.
The second-quickest of this group and the fastest true 600 was the Honda CBR600RR with a 1:08.75 lap. Certainly the most improved middleweight, the Honda's handling is now almost without fault. The nimble chassis has fantastic suspension and great front-end feedback-the engineers at Honda certainly did their homework, cutting weight from the CBR and adding steam across the rev range. Where the Honda still comes up a bit short compared to the Kawasaki is-as you'd expect-outright power, and the engine needs to be spun hard to keep pace. As well, without a radial-mount master cylinder the CBR's brakes are somewhat higher-effort than the other bikes' binders, and a bit wooden when close to lock-up. A curious benefit of the standard master cylinder, however, is that it allows for more lever height adjustment than any of the radial units on the other bikes; it's almost worth the trade-off, as the other bikes' levers just can't be adjusted to a comfortable position. One last detail: While we pointed out that ground clearance was an issue at the press introduction for the Honda, it was no problem at the same track with the Michelin Power Race tires fitted.