FO OF AN SMT OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING CLB DUE TO THE AUTOPLT ALT PRESELECTION DID NOT LEVEL THE ACFT AS EXPECTED.

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WE (CAPT AND I) WERE FLYING VFR AT 12000 FT ON A DEADHEAD LEG (NO PAX) TO OUR DEST. WX WAS 'CAVU.' CAPT CALLED ZNY TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC TO OUR DEST. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY FILED; I (THE FO) WAS FLYING. AS PART OF THE CLRNC WE WERE ASSIGNED 14000 FT AS AN INITIAL. I SET THE ALT ALERTER TO 14000 FT AND SWITCHED ON THE AUTOPLT AND ARMED IT TO SELECT AND FLY TO THE ALT (14000 FT). THE CAPT AND THE CTLR BEGAN DISCUSSING THE ROUTING IN THE CLRNC; AND I MOVED MY ATTN TO OUR VORS AND GPS UNITS IN ORDER TO HELP DETERMINE THE PLOT OF THE ROUTING. I INITIALLY VERIFIED OUR CLB WAS CORRECT AND IN PROGRESS AND RECHKED AT 13000 FT ('1000 FT TO GO'). HOWEVER; I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY THE NAV UNITS AT THE EXPENSE OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 14600 FT (600 FT HIGH); THE CTLR ADVISED US TO CHK OUR ALT. WE QUICKLY DSNDED TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT AND THANKED THE CTLR. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE: I TRUSTED THE AUTOPLT TO FLY THE ACFT TO THE CORRECT ALT AND LEVEL OFF TO THE POINT OF GIVING IT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FLYING THE ACFT WHILE I FOCUSED ON NAVIGATIONAL ISSUES. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED FROM MY PRIMARY TASK: FLY THE ACFT. ALSO; I THINK THE SEVERE VMC CONDITIONS (BEAUTIFUL; BLUE SKY; 40 MI VISIBILITY) MIGHT HAVE MADE ME A BIT COMPLACENT.