Okay, so, I’ve been working on this 2000 Suzuki GSX-R 600 for a while now, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. I wanted to share my experience, what I’ve done, and how it all turned out. It’s not exactly a how-to guide, just my personal story with this bike.
First off, I got this bike used. It wasn’t in terrible shape, but it definitely needed some love. The first thing I noticed was the exhaust. It had this weird rattle, like something was loose inside. Turns out it was just a Micron bolt-on, but it sounded awful. So, naturally, replacing the exhaust was my first move. I did some digging around and found that a lot of people swap out the SRAD headers for the titanium ones from a GSX-R 1000 K1-K3. The swap was not so easy, but I got it done with some help from my friend.
Brakes Time
Next up were the brakes. They felt a bit spongy, and I wanted something with more bite. I read somewhere that the Nissin calipers from an early Bandit 1200 or a ZX9R would fit. I managed to find a set from a Bandit 1200, and yeah, they bolted right on. While I was at it, I also swapped out the master cylinder for a radial one from a later GSX-R. The difference was night and day. These brakes were so much more responsive. It took time to get used to it.
Suspension Work
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The suspension was another area I wanted to improve. The bike felt a bit high for my liking, and I wanted a more aggressive stance. I looked into lowering link kits and ended up going with one from Xitomer. I got it installed, and the result was a lot better, although I am still experimenting with the settings.
After that, I started thinking about the engine. I wasn’t looking to do anything crazy, just wanted to see if I could squeeze out a little more power. I played around with a few things, but honestly, I didn’t notice a huge difference. Maybe I need to spend more time on this, but for now, I’m happy with how it runs. According to my test, the engine can reach 102.9 hp at 13,520 rpm and 44.0 lb.-ft. of torque at 11,580 rpm.
Other Mods
One thing I highly recommend is a good set of rearsets. I put some on, and not only did they give me more ground clearance, but they also look way better than the stock ones. Plus, they offer a bit more protection if the bike goes down. You know what I mean? It’s just like a safety feature. I really like it.
So, that’s pretty much where I’m at with the bike right now. It’s been a fun project, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. I mainly focus on the performance of this bike. There’s always more to do, of course, but for now, I’m just enjoying riding it. It’s a completely different machine from when I first got it. If you’re thinking about working on an older GSX-R 600, go for it. Just be prepared to get your hands dirty and maybe spend a little money. It’s worth it, though.
