2005 Yamaha R6 Test

The supersport class has come a long way in just a few years and the R6 has, IMO, been a large part of the reason why. Wahoo!

sbp

excellent review, I see you deerly love the braking power, looks like a good total package for someone looking for a 600

Of interest to me was the dyno chart showing 30 hp and 30 ft/lbs of torque between 2 & 6k rpm. Doesn't seem like it would accelerate very hard at those ranges, I'll bet if you were just riding around town that would probably translate to 35 or 45 mph. Did you happen to try a hard roll-on escape maneuver from that speed?....I recall some controversy awhile back from some of our less-informed readers.......

You certainly are right the appearance of the black bike Sean. It is one nice looking machine. Although I respect your opinion as to the R6 being the most "comfortable" of the 600s, as some one that shares your vital statistics, excepting our nearly 20 year age difference, I find this type of bike to offer only slightly more real world practicality than the Big Dog Razorback. Both are interesting extremes of motorcycle design, but, for me, are to sharply focused for extended duties outside their narrow parameters. VWW

Nope, I didn't try trolling around in top gear. In fact on 600cc inline fours, I tend to maintain a lower gear to keep the revs between 5,500 and 9,500 RPM around town, for the precise reason that I want the bike to be more responsive to sudden throttle inputs. There is NO DOUBT that if I maintained the revs around 4,000RPM, I would get stomped by Buells etc... in impromptu roll-ons, not to mention the fact that evasive accelleration would require the added time of several downshifts. On the other hand, when ridden aggressively, the R6 will easily walk away from any Buell streetbike and most 750s aside from late model GSX-Rs. -Sean

I'm more interested in finding out whether or not Yammer is going to offer color coordinated T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. They'd sell a whole shytload of them around here.



A full line of squid gear could be a gold mine for the Big-4.

How do you maintain that riding style and also retain a driver's license?



It's simply too tempting to wring those supersports out. That's one reason I don't like those things on the street. My license wouldn't survive it.

Looks like a fantastic machine. I just wish it had/would like to know why yamaha didn't do the following:



1) Underseat exhaust

2) Steering stabilizer



It's good to see that some of the "Stock" bikes are able to handle us 6 footers and over 200 pounders.

I think it's a 50/50 combo of keeping my head-up w/ eyes open and pure unadulterated luck. -Sean

You sound like a candidate for a Rocket3.



Tested one yet?

Kudos to the Yamaha engineering team... it's fun to watch how all the big 4 keep pushing the envelope in the 600s and the liter bikes.



Who wins? Bike buyers!

I think Sean likes it...

How to talk your way out of it

And telling cops that they are butch and sooooo hunky if bribing them with a hug from a menopausal aunt doesn't do the trick.

Then there is the Dale/Mike E method - wave as you wheelie past them at 100+ on the 405.

I got tagged for doing 100 in a 55 zone outside Manila, UT a couple of summers ago when I was on my way down to meet Tim B. The guy who pulled me over (a local) was incredibly cool about it and let me off because it was in the middle of nowhere - as long as I promised to slow down (which I did!).

sbp

Clearly I don't have much experiance with 600's. I do know they wail when ridden aggressivly, I just didn't realise they ran around 7k in town speeds. That rpm on my bike translates to about 75 or 80, I try to keep it under that in built-up areas.

Amazing

Aside from the headshake and engine buzz, I would say that's an accurate statement. -Sean

indeed.

r6 is right up there with Buell. Wee small and frisky like favorite dog. Somehow it is supersport that feels more like standard in way u sit on it. Use to anyway. More fun to ride than literbike too cause you get to rev pee out of it every time u get on. and it likes it.

(SA, i hope no officers are reading. May not be best idea to publicly state one's speed in public and all when one's speed is not `zackly legal...)

"I sure do love a good 600 Supersport! " KPaul does too. The best buy in motorcycling just gets better. But I am sure their are cruisers which have far superior 15-30 mph rollon right Capt K-Y, longNazi, buzBoy (snicker snicker)

That would be about 75 or 80 on a 600 too, if you chose to ride around town in 6th gear. On a 600 you can go 45MPH at 15,000RPM in 1st gear, or 45MPH at 4,000RPM in 6th, it's totally up to you. There is no trouble going slow while keeping the revs-up, all the rider needs to do is use a low gear. Of course, you already knew that. -Sean

Re: indeed.

I was going 205MPH, honestly. Where exactly was I doing those speeds, what road, city, county, state? Which agency is going to prosecute me for going 125+ somewhere, sometime? It might have been I-15 just past State Line Nevada, or maybe not. -Sean

Wow! Great coffee! I'll have another cup.