Established in 1887, Yamaha made their name with their musical instruments – hence their logo which features three interlocking tuning forks. Today, the Yamaha brand is globally renowned for a range of diverse and state of the art products – not least their magnificent and equally fine-tuned motorbikes.
The Yamaha YZF R6 is one such bike – with 599cc, 123.7PS, 189kg and razor sharp handling making this mid-size sports bike a force to be reckoned with in the riding world. And in our Yamaha R6 review, we’ll be taking a closer look at this beast of a bike.
- Positively track-worthy styling
- A host of equipment to rival racetrack mainstays
- Petite and powerful, the R6 may be small but it sure isn’t messing about
Design
The Yamaha R6 is a motorbike designed with the rider in mind – and that’s clear in every atom of this bike’s anatomy. The R6 feels less than large, as with any 600 supersport – but is surprisingly accommodating in spite of its smallness.
The stubby exhaust pipe screams MotoGP styling but does have quite a subdued note – and Yamaha have offered a full Akrapovic exhaust system in their accessory catalogue to compensate. The range of colour options is small but striking – with either blue and white or dark grey available – but we don’t see Yamaha missing the opportunity for a limited VR46 colour scheme / race replica.
Features
Yamaha have worked a number of race-inspired features into the Yamaha R6 and the bike is all the better for it. Adjustable inversely race-tuned front suspension, a YCC-T (Chip Controlled Throttle) direct from MotoGP, slipper clutch and super short engine stroke (just 42.5 mm) make for a very rev happy, track-style feel. With such a quick revving engine, you’ll need to stay on your toes to make sure you’re in the power and not bouncing off the rev limiter.
Performance
With nearly 125PS on tap in a fully wet weight of only 189kg, the R6 certainly packs a punch – enough to catch you out if you aren’t on top of your game.
Gone are the days of the 600cc class being ‘nippy’ – the modern 600s are more than capable of giving you the full-on thrill of a really fast bike. And let’s be honest – nothing comes close to that feeling of hard acceleration and watching the tach needle head for the redline.
With new prices listed at £9299, the Yamaha R6 is a bargain if your budget will allow. It’s certainly fast enough to give some of the larger sports bikes a fright – and with super sharp handling, brakes and suspension, the chances are that a well-ridden R6 could show its fat rear tyre off to many riders working with a less capable companion.
If you fancy getting your hands on a Yamaha R6 of your own, we can make it happen. At the Car Loan Warehouse, we’re experts in new and used motorbike finance – and we work with all the major dealers and lenders to find you the best finance deal, regardless of your credit score. Try our quick and easy motorbike finance calculator today for an instant quote.
