|
2006 Yamaha YZF R6: Has the Middleweight, Supersport Class Been Reinvented?
As far as I’m concerned, one of the most beautiful roads to ride a bike on is the Hutchinson River Parkway , colloquially called "The Hutch" by many Westchester and Bronx residents, like I used to be, running through Westchester County, New York and the Bronx in New York City.
Over the years I’ve used this path to evaluate and test ride many motorcycles. Some have done well and others not. But “The Hutch” finally met its match against the new Yamaha YZF-R6! To update it for 2006, the R6 gets a new, fully adjustable inverted fork and radial front brakes. To keep its successful styling theme going, 75% of the bodywork is almost identical to the R6 from last year.
 There is some magic that comes with this new R6. For instance, even though the inner workings of the engine did not change from last year -- still the same compact, lightweight 67 x 42.5mm 599cc DOHC 16-valve liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder that features titanium valves, 12.8:1 compression and compact combustion chambers to produce maximum power at 14,500 rpm—and a rev ceiling of 17,500 rpm, the bike produces three more horsepower… well, it’s not really magic; tuning the fuel injectors, the ECU and the throttle bodies (now 40mm wide with adjusted stack heights) make up for that difference.
The folks at Yamaha did some wonderful things with the R6 back in 2003. A machine that did very well for them, not only in performance but very well in sales, and was a big, dominant player on the Supersport racing circuit. The following year the R6 was just OK, but this new model can put a smile on anybody’s face very quickly.
 So back to the inverted fork and radial brakes, which almost required stiffening the steering head and swingarm pivot areas to handle the added braking and cornering loads. In fact, the new front tire and fork adds half a degree of rake and a drop of trail, but “kudos” in this area, as both changes added formidable stability. In addition, the position of the handlebar has been cleverly altered for increased leverage. These changes, together with the fact that the new brake rotors are larger, but also thinner, for a net decrease in gyroscopic effect, and radial calipers and radial master cylinder complete the package, thus making this new R6 handle like a dream; it steers quickly yet feels dead stable even though there is no steering damper.
The more I rode the new R6 through the winding curves of “The Hutch,” the more I confirmed this bike was stuff street riders dream of. Anytime I neared a sharp curve, I noticed that modifying cornering lines and even slowing down a bit from triple digit speeds was very smooth and felt very positive. The brakes felt strong and easy to modulate when trail-braking. The front brakes also have a convenient bleed nipple on the master cylinder.
The seat is relatively low and narrow and acceptable to sit on for perhaps a couple of hours without the usual wrist pain, and although I’m a short 5’8” rider, I was able to plant both my feet flat on the ground. I did feel the footpegs are a bit low, as well as the bars, though they’re mounted above the upper clamp. The light-action clutch and reasonable torque from 5000 rpm help make this new R6 a surprisingly practical machine, which on standard suspension settings the ride becomes firm, but on the Hutch, it gave me good feedback and it helped take away the fear of the flawed pavement I was zooming on. And although the folks at Yamaha say most of the changes and modifications they made on the new R6 are more track-focused, it felt to me like all the changes were giving me the ride of my life, full of control and confidence.
Luckily for me, since I grew up in this part of the country and know this piece of road so well, I knew exactly when I was cruising through a specific section of the Hutch with little or no traffic at all so that I could freely spin the engine to more than 15 grand and just to see what it would be like. What a feeling!
On a slower note, whenever my tach needle was between the 10 and 12K rpm range --you can short-shift and stay on the  level part of the torque curve. Up top, there are seamless, usable revs for those who feel the need for speed. I know I was there. I felt the need to try them!
Specs:
MSRP: $8,350
Engine type: 1-c inline-four
Valve Arrangement: DOHC – 16v
Displacement: 600cc
Transmission: 6-speed
Weight: 359 lbs. (claimed dry)
Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal. (19.8 liters)
Wheelbase: 54.5 inches (1,384 mm)
Seat height: 32.7 inches (830 mm)
|
|