On the track the results are stunning. You can easily maintain a stream of power leaning into corners, correct your trajectory before gunning it on 2nd and 3rd gear and firmly apply the brakes at the end of the straightaway, to the point where you feel the rear wheel lifting off the ground, without ever ruffling the stability of the new Gixxer. What's more, the shorter moment of inertia compared to the previous model improves the bike's sharpness in switchbacks, and the GSX-R600 inclines as easily as a little 250.

If at first the technical and aesthetic evolution of the new Gixxer is hard to discern, it nonetheless revolutionizes the class it with is dynamic handling. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Moto123.com)

The Brembo kit does a good job too, proving more biting but just as persistent and easily modulated as the old Tokico system used in the 2008-2010 GSX-R. Suspension-wise, the Big Piston front-Fork (BPF) with adjustable compression and rebound at the top, ensures a more stable seat when braking and a sharper front end that's also easier to send into corners.

If at first the technical and aesthetic evolution of the new Gixxer is hard to discern, it nonetheless revolutionizes the class it with is dynamic handling, to the point of surpassing most of its competitors and equalling the winner of last year's supersport showdown. Nimble, stable, precise and light, the latest iteration of the GSX-R600 raises the bar even higher, becoming the most user-friendly 600 ever built - nothing less.

Pros
Even more thrilling engine
Exemplary transmission
Fearsome frame
Reviewed ergonomics offering a decent road/track compromise
Super powerful, easy-to-modulate brakes

Cons
Timid restyling
Footpegs are too high for the road