Technical characteristics of the Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycle, review, and a little history

RU-MOTO rating
  • Reliability
  • Chassis
  • Appearance
  • Comfort

4.8

Verdict

The Yamaha YZF-R6 is a real wild beast on the road. Every movement on this motorcycle is particularly sharp. The motorcycle is able to instantly move to the point of your gaze, cutting through air currents. At the same time, it requires experience from the pilot trying to curb the difficult nature of the motorcycle.

The Yamaha YZF-R6 is a true wildcat in the motorcycle world. Born in 1999 to compete on the race track, he has captured the hearts of many bikers. Among the abundance of sport bikes, it was able to distinguish itself with its unique design and excellent dynamics.

Motorcycle Yamaha YZF-R6

For all these reasons, it is definitely worth paying attention to the motorcycle and disassembling it in more detail, which is what we will do now.

Specifications

Let's look at these technical characteristics using the latest generation as an example. The Yamaha has a 599cc inline-four engine. Each cylinder received four valves. A number of systems used make it possible to most effectively realize the efficiency of this engine.

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One of these is a system that regulates a balanced supply of fuel to the combustion chamber. Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake is a system whose task is to change the length of the intake duct depending on engine speed. Direct injection occurs through an injector and all this is supplemented by inertial supercharging.

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The intake also did not remain clumsy and received a valve, the operation of which is proportional to the opening of the throttle handle and allows you to maintain optimal pressure in the exhaust system.

With the above solutions, the engine showed 122 hp at 14,700 rpm and 67.5 Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm. Very not sour for a 600 cc engine.

The gearbox is six-speed, with a slipper clutch, and wheel drive is provided by a 525 chain.

The frame and suspension also have their own characteristics, and it must be said that the vector of development is aimed at achieving maximum handling with minimal weight of the structure. There is no need to talk about comfort - this task is shifted and not even to the background.

The frame is made of die-cast aluminum alloy. The head tube wall has been slightly thickened to increase strength while shifting mass to the front of the bike. The subframe is made of magnesium alloy, which has a positive effect on the overall weight and strength.

Technical characteristics of Yamaha YZF-R6

We have an inverted telescopic fork with a stroke of 115 mm to handle unevenness in the front. At the rear is a classic pendulum with a monoshock absorber, the stroke of which is 120 mm.

The brakes are represented by fairly large discs: two 310 mm discs at the front and one 220 mm disc at the rear.

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The dry weight of the motorcycle is 166 kg, which, despite its rather small dimensions and relatively low center of gravity, makes the motorcycle incredibly controllable on the road. The rigid suspension with low travel holds turns well. All this, complemented by a powerful engine, gives the feeling of a real predator, ready to jump out at the first call of the throttle in a split second to move towards the target.

Engine

Number of cycles4
Number of cylinders4
Number of valves per cylinder4
ConfigurationRow
Working volume599 cm³
Bore and stroke67×42.5 mm
Maximum power118 hp at 14500 rpm
Maximum torque61.7 N•m at 10500 rpm
Intake typeInjector
Recommended fuelAI-95
Cooling systemLiquid
Starting systemElectric starter

Transmission

Gearbox typeMechanical
Number of gears6
ClutchMulti-disc, oil bath
main gearChain

Dimensions and weight

Length2040 mm
Width695 mm
Height1150 mm
Seat height850 mm
Wheelbase1375 mm
Ground clearance130 mm
Curb weight190 kg
Fuel tank capacity17 l

Chassis and brakes

FrameAluminum diagonal
Suspension
FrontInverted telescopic fork
Front suspension travel120 mm
RearPendulum with monoshock absorber
Rear suspension travel120 mm
Brakes
AheadDouble disc hydraulic
Diameter320 mm
BehindDisc hydraulic
Diameter220 mm
Tires
Ahead120/70 ZR17 58W
Behind180/55 ZR17 78W

Performance characteristics

Fuel consumption
Mixed cycle6.6 l/100 km

Model history

Simple, compact, lightweight, powerful - a concept that the company adheres to to this day.
The YZF-R6 is no exception. At the time of its introduction (1998), it represented a collection of the best characteristics: it was a motorcycle unlike anything else, leaving its competitors far behind. Everyone is accustomed to small steps in improving performance compared to the previous year - by 3%, or, at most, by 5%. But no one has ever made such a sharp jump in performance on a motorcycle. And so a new revolution took place in the motor industry.

The R6 featured the first use of so-called electric remote engine control. Instead of traditional cables on the R6, the throttle and throttle are connected by a tiny computer capable of performing up to a thousand calculations per second. In addition, it also monitors the quality of the fuel-air mixture supplied to the cylinders and regulates its performance. This innovation allowed the pilot to better feel the motorcycle and control it more accurately.

The 600 cubic centimeter engine develops power up to 130 hp, and electronic control allows you to achieve this power almost instantly.

Instant throttle response, high power: The Yamaha YZF-R6 is one of the most powerful 600s that can be freely purchased for use on public roads. It's as sharp as a street bike can be.

Since Yamaha was the last Japanese company to get into motorcycles, it has always used racing to catch up with the rest of its competitors in the market. “Yamaha has used racing to improve its motorcycles from the very beginning.

Racing is a laboratory in real conditions. We develop new technologies, our engineers learn from racing,” said Yamaha Motors executive director Masahiro Inumaru.

The R6 frame was born from all the details that engineers were able to figure out in the realities of racing. It is durable, lightweight and unusually compact. When you put it all together, you get a bike that just loves to take corners. This composition is beautiful on the street, but on the race track special demands are placed on it.

The racing team from Russia in the ShKMG “Yakhnich Motorsport”, taking part in the Supersport mode at the World Championship, could not resist the Yamaha YZF-R6. The team has two WSS riders – Russian Vladimir Leonov and Englishman Sam Lowes.

According to the performance of the 2012 season, V. Leonov honestly took the “bronze” of the championship and had a spectacular race in the WildCard mode in the WSBK final, where he was included in the list of the ten fastest motorcycle racers in the world from the World Supersport category.

In its first season in 2012, the Russian team Yakhnich Motorsport took two podiums. One of them was won on a track in Holland, the second - at the first World Superbike stage in the entire history of motorcycle racing in Russia, held on the newly created track near Moscow, Moscow Raceway.

Yakhnich Motorsport was fully prepared for the 2013 season. The forces were increased by Sam Lowes, a British motorcycle racer who took the bronze medal in World Supersport in 2012. In addition, since the beginning of 2012, the guys have been actively working on designing a new, more powerful engine for the Yamaha R6.

The first results of this work were shown to the public at the first stage of WorldSuperbike 2013 at the PhillipIsland track in Australia (Sam Lowes came second in the first stage).

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Comparison with analogues

Competitors in this class are the well-known Kawasaki ZX6-R, Suzuki GSX 600 R, Honda CBR 600 RR. The main feature is the slight difference between these motorcycles. This fact is due to performance at racing competitions, the conditions of which strictly shape the characteristics of the equipment.

If we break it down into general impressions regarding our classmates, then the first thing Yamaha is praised for is its clear and predictable handling. A magnesium subframe distinguishes the structure of the frame, while the rest of the representatives have an aluminum alloy.

Video review of the model

This video presents the capabilities of the Yamaha R6 motorcycle. You can evaluate the excellent handling, instant acceleration and other advantages of this motorcycle for yourself.

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Comments (1)

  1. Armen:
    02/27/2015 at 17:44

    Well, if you don’t like this thing after what you’ve seen, how can this be. Not a motorcycle, but something more, those who like to ride it will definitely understand me, but for those who don’t understand, check out this resource and you’ll understand exactly what we’re talking about. I hope that in In the near future I will be able to save up money to purchase this particular model of motorcycle. Yamaha and that says it all.

    Answer

Repair and service

Sportbikes in the 600 class are quite popular motorcycles. Manufacturers have managed to polish their models over the years of production, so there are no major flaws in motorcycles. Yamaha, as one of the representatives of the class, is no exception.

However, the very specifics of the motorcycle have nuances. Sometimes those who like to put a motorcycle on the rear wheel, but do not have the necessary experience, manage to disrupt the geometry of the frame with sharp blows when lowering the motorcycle. The rigid suspension of a sportbike is not capable of handling such loads. But, as we understand, these are only operational features.

Replacing consumables does not distinguish a motorcycle from its analogues, and here a sportbike, when ridden aggressively, is capable of destroying everything that we so diligently installed at the beginning of the season at cosmic speed.

The disadvantages of many sport bikes include the absence of a central stand, which greatly simplifies procedures such as replacing tires, chains, oil, and brake pads. Therefore, you will be forced to purchase special tackles.

Price for Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycle

Today, the price of a Yamaha P6 motorcycle ranges from 12,000 to 13,000 dollars for a new motorcycle, and from 4,000 to 7,000 dollars for a used car, depending on the year of manufacture, condition and mileage.
You can see prices for new motorcycles on the manufacturer’s website at the link: https://www.yamaha-motor.ru/ru/products/motorcycles/supersport/yzf-r6.aspx.

There is a direct connection between the very first Yamaha motorcycle and the modern R6. This connection is Yamaha's dedication to the Kando tradition and unwavering design philosophy. Simple and lightweight, compact and powerful are the main criteria that guided the company when creating the YZF-R6. This machine was able to combine all the qualities necessary for lovers of fast motorcycles. And if it is not ideal, it is very close to ideal.

From music to motorcycles, for over 100 years, Yamaha has maintained its unique way of thinking, which combines ancient Japanese philosophy with human emotion, and continues to influence motorcycles and musical instruments with the Three Crossed Tuning Forks logo.

Owner reviews

Arcani

The bike is excellent - for those who love a beautiful and aggressive sporty design and good dynamics, as well as reliability and ease of fit (for sports - this is very rare) the YZF R6 03-05 model, as well as the R6S produced before 2008, are essentially one and the same too, only the 2005 model has an inverted fork... this sportbike was simply born for the urban jungle, and it’s also quite comfortable to ride long distances... there were never any problems in those areas, I’m the 3rd owner, I rode for 2 seasons, I only changed consumables, total mileage about 40 thousand... these models easily go up to 100 thousand and more... it all depends on the operation, it doesn’t consume oil at all, consumption = a full tank of 95 (with beep) for 220 km (including reserve)... in the city you can easily make any liter... because 200 liters don’t drive around the city and they are significantly inferior in maneuverability, the p6 steers like a bicycle = very comfortable, and up to 200 the acceleration is like a liter, the maximum speed is 260-270... it is very significant that the 2006-2011 models have much more sluggish traction from the bottom, but this is compensated for by better traction at the top, which is very good for the track, but not very good for the city... it tolerates our broken Russian roads very well... one piece of advice: install a cage right away - you will never regret it, the appearance with it is only wins, there are a sea of ​​offers for cells... Motsa protection is super... all p6s have only one minus - this is their subframe (what you sit on), this aluminum alloy is quite a fragile thing and can crack with strong falls... but first of all, offers for selling these devices There’s plenty on the internet, it costs only 10,000 rubles + the Americans came up with a cool replacement for it made of steel alloy = it’s not afraid of falls at all…. In general, when buying urban sports, focus on stand-up models, since they are time-tested: 1. strong frame, 2. solves the problem of oil starvation, 3. are not afraid of overheating (a big plus for traffic jams), 4. good traction from the bottom... maximum speeds for cities are not so important... my favorites are the Yamaha P6, Kawasaki 636 and Honda CBR F4ai, in addition, 600 cubes are really more profitable than a liter when paying taxes: p6 = 5 tr, p1 = 10 tr Arcani

Alex745

In the eighth grade I had Izh Planet Sports, then everything faded with my interest in motorcycling and pulled me into the world of cars. After 25 years, cars are no longer in first place as I had used them up, now I had to get back the adrenaline rides, probably in my old age I feel like I’m young) It’s been a long time I couldn’t figure out what to take, I wanted a light and maneuverable bike. In the end, I took the R 6 2009. At first I suffered through fear, every bastard tried to remember what terrible accident there was, and drivers on the roads also constantly showed their disrespect if you were on a bike like invisible. I rode all summer, I didn’t wear a helmet in the heat, only the cops They looked but didn’t stop. There were no breakdowns, but there were some inconveniences: the brakes didn’t make me very happy, the acceleration from a standstill is also so-so and you can stall, but when you do spin it, be careful. I quickly got used to driving between cars, great, big time saver. And I also want to say one not unimportant minus: landing, after half an hour my hands and fingers swell. At the end of the season, I sold it, I can’t say anything bad, just everyone should take the bike for themselves. But I know exactly what I need now: Kawasaki Z1000Aleks745

Alira13

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If we evaluate it objectively, the Yamaha YZF R6 motorcycle has quite diverse reviews. The sportbike has proven itself well on the race track, it is equipped with advanced technologies that provide excellent performance. But nevertheless, from the moment it went on general sale, experienced motorcyclists reacted ambiguously to this sportbike. On the one hand, the bike has excellent power and has a very good bid for victory in competitions in its class. But as a rule, he loses in races if a pilot who previously drove the same “first era” gets behind the wheel. The fact is that a sportbike in the 600 category requires certain driving skills. And even without an additional upgrade, the R6 is not able to provide a high result in competitions. For example, the Supersport category requires a bike to be light, agile and powerful. Looking at the factory specifications, the R6 seems like it was built for this competition. But in fact, it turns out that engine power up to 8000 rpm, in general, cannot produce what you want.Alira13

Lakota

I became infected with a passion for motorcycles in the usual way. I remember that everything was very interesting and exciting, but my naive and trusting body had not yet felt the heavy breath of the motorcycle infection at that moment. An unkind smile probably wandered on the face of the motorcyclist who decided to take me for a ride. But, alas, I could not see her under the tightly tinted glass of the helmet. The next 10 minutes of madness on the road seemed to me like an instant, completely turning my idea of ​​speed around. Literally emanating from the vibes of goodwill, the motorbike guru, be he wrong, put the device in the “candle”, and only when I mentally had time to draw up a will three times and even make the necessary additions and clarifications to it, did he deign to return the front wheel to the ground... My fate was decided, and the chances “jumping” into the past world is zero. Having made sure that he had done his dirty deed, the motorcycle preacher began to list the models of sport bikes that, from his point of view, were most suitable for a beginner. The list included the CBR600, GSX-750R and, of course, the Yamaha YZF R6. And so - Yamaha YZF R6. From your very first ride on the R6 you will understand that this motorcycle was born on the race track. In order to understand the full power potential of the Yamaha YZF R6, the maximum speed of which can reach 260 km/h, it is enough to spend just a few minutes in the saddle. Thanks to the successful combination of lightness and power, this sportbike is capable of producing record speeds at low cost. But this motorcycle also has disadvantages - the model’s insufficient controllability. The pilot will need certain skills to drive a 600 cc sportbike, which has a capricious character. Lakota

Brief overview of the model

The Yamaha YZF-R6 is a motorcycle that makes music. When you see the pilot of an R6 in motion and hear him let off the gas, it really is like music. And once again this reminds us: Yamaha is not only motorcycles, but also musical instruments .

The company's emblem is 3 crossed tuning forks. No one notices this connection until he gets on a motorcycle and realizes that music is Yamaha. Only then is the correspondence between the musical instrument and the two-wheeled car discovered.

From music to motorcycles. Yamaha has always prioritized beauty and design. The R6 motorcycle is very narrow, the fit is quite tight - it's an ergonomic design. The rider's body fits completely into the car - man and car become one.

Kando is an ancient Japanese philosophy that describes how music and beauty influence the human spirit. Kando still defines the design philosophy of the YZF-R6 today. The design of the R6 was able to combine all the ergonomic features of Japanese motorcycles, thanks to which it performs wonderfully on the race track, and when traveling along busy city streets and steep mountain serpentines, and even on off-road terrain.

The R6 copes well with the absence of roads, and shows itself in all its glory on a road with good asphalt: this is a motorcycle on which the designers from Yamaha have worked hard, combining into a single whole all the necessary qualities of a sportbike and a motorcycle for “every day”.

Company President Atsushi Ishiyama talks about how the sharp, yet beautiful design of the new motorcycle was created: the shape of the R6 resembles a bullet in the wind, a tiger and a lion, predators in their natural habitat...

The motorcycle has two eyes: a novelty at that time. And one cannot but agree with him: sharp corners, smooth lines, the colors of nature itself - its predatory side. Truly, the design of this car is unique.

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"Yamaha P6" - maximum adrenaline

The main purpose of a sports motorcycle is to be a leader in all its manifestations and leave far behind all competitors in the supersport category. A sports bike that has become a leader in many world championships is the Yamaha R6. Technical characteristics - acceleration to 100 km/h, 6-speed gearbox, fuel consumption on the highway, handling and maneuverability, a combination of high technology and the best characteristics of racing motorcycles - determine the popularity of Yamaha.

In 2013, the well-known Yamaha company presented an exclusive color and design version of the legendary motorcycle. The leader in the supersport category now comes in an exclusive color scheme called Race-Blu-Action. These colors will become a unique symbol of this series of racing motorcycles.

Design

During numerous upgrades, the Yamaha YZF R6 changed its appearance many times, although its general features remained recognizable. Predatorily narrowed, elongated headlights, a convex windshield, a compact and lean silhouette. Everything changed in 2022, when another restyling was carried out, and the bike became similar to its older brother, the YZF-R1. It must be admitted that, despite a certain loss of individuality, these cosmetic changes did him good, refreshing the design and making it more modern, which is clearly visible from the photo.

Design Features

The motorcycle has very good handling, due to which it is able to move with maximum comfort on any road surface, be it a race track, city or dirt road. If desired, you can ride it off-road, as well as along mountain serpentine roads.

The latest model of the 600 is very reminiscent of its liter relative.

When creating a sportbike, the developers took into account all the nuances, so if desired, it can still be used as a motorcycle “for every day . The developers themselves believe that the YZF R6 is similar to a real predator, a tiger that is getting ready to jump. The bike has the epitome of a predator and looks fast on the road.

In the extreme positions of the steering wheel, the wrists rest against the tank pads. For a sportbike this is not a problem, but in the city it causes discomfort.

Despite all the power, this model is lightweight and looks compact . The Japanese manufacturer decided to make the motorbike unique in its own way, and instead of one headlight, used two. This option looks incredibly attractive and aggressive. The optics resemble the slanted, squinted gaze of a predator.

Headlights.

Mirrors with turn signals.

Back light.

Brake system

The braking system is top notch, they have incredible rigidity and are able to stop the motorcycle very effectively.

Front brakes with two discs.

Single disc rear brakes.

The special rigid sports suspension has various adjustments. Excellent handling on long turns is ensured by a heavy-duty aluminum frame.

Landing

The riding position of the motorbike is completely sporty with a maximum forward tilt.

A driver of any height will be comfortable in the saddle, but passengers will have to choose smaller ones.

This arrangement provides good protection from the wind. The dashboard is simple but tasteful. The backlighting of the devices is quite bright, but when exposed to direct sunlight it can reflect, making it difficult to read information from it.

The instrument panel has a black and white tachometer, a battery of color indicator lights and a monochrome display that shows all the information you need, including the selected gear.

FAQ

  • How noticeable is the difference in dynamics compared to the R1? At speeds up to 150-170 km, the difference is near zero, and it can be attributed to the reaction time of the pilots themselves. At higher speeds, the YZF-R1 begins to confidently pull ahead.
  • I want to ride on the track and race at sea in the summer for a couple of thousand kilometers. Is this model right for me? Doubtful, unless you are a masochist. Some people even ride 50cc scooters across Russia, but this bike is not designed for long rides. Most drivers, after several hours behind the wheel, begin to ache in their back and arms, which are subjected to high loads due to a purely sporty riding position.
  • Is it possible to turn off assistance systems like traction control? I don’t like it when technology tries to think and make decisions for me. It is possible, but it is not recommended. Japanese engineers are by no means fools, and they installed all this for a reason.
Rating
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