In September 2005 Yamaha dropped the bombshell of a brand new R6 with space-age technology all over. It was a dream come true for the techno freaks; rev counter graded to 20.000 rpms, fly-by-wire throttle and MotoGP exhaust. Pamela Anderson posters were ripped off the walls and replaced with the new sex on two wheels. Yamaha R6 is here.
Never before has a conventional motorcycle been this close to developing turbine-like rpms and R6 does it at a true 16.000 rpm. So how does 16.000 rpm feel like then? First of all, you are not getting the best part of a second even at these rpms as this is where the rev limiter cuts in. The best power is between 12.500 and 14.500 rpms and the R6 screams like a maniac. Life gets very hectic at these speeds and there is not much time to look at the rev counter unless you are on the middle of a long straight. The wall of sound changes from a quite cool sounding induction roar to a supersonic sound that you almost need to be a dog for your ears to process. It’s so hysterical that you almost need to check that all you teeth fillings are in place before riding. It is nothing new that a 600cc in-line four sounds like the dog’s bollocks, but goes a bit slower. On the roads you will have to struggle through the daft midrange several times each time you ride. And it is only after 10.000rpm that the reward in terms of acceleration can be felt. From this rpm the sound from the super engine makes a higher and higher tone and if you are not looking at the rev counter you start wondering where the hell the rev limiter is. On the twisties more and more muscle is needed to turn and point the bike with increasing revs. Over a series of bumps the old ugly wobbling R6 front end starts rearing its head again. I don’t like it, I didn’t like it on the 1999 model, I didn’t like it on the 2000 model and I don’t like it on the 2006 model. I want Yamaha to put a steering damper on the R6. The 2006 Yamaha R6 is extreme, a race bike for the roads and all that. So why can’t we have that steering damper? Yamaha have done something to mend this problem. The 2006 model features a different steering geometry with more trail to work against both wheelies and instability at the front. The front end is more stable and where the old R6 would wheelie easily just off the power the 2006 model is much more sorted. But I still got wobbles when hard on the power on a fairly normal B road. After the handlebars had stopped shaking its head I shook mine. Even a cheap steering damper would do to stop this head shake. No sane road racer would ever race the R6 without a steering damper. Why should you risk it on the road?
The suspension is just over the top in the same way as the technological advances. Both front and back feels beautifully well adjusted when going fast. When I rode the first miles off the motorways every little bump and elevation on the roads could be picked up by the tiny nerves in my fingers-almost too much feedback for normal riding. The feel from standstill is of a very stiff and solid chassis. In standard setup the bike felt cold and unresponsive until I reached the ton. Suddenly the suspension felt perfect and the damping, just like the engine, finally started to excite me. The set up is more that of a race bike than a road bike. I’d almost be tempted to soften everything up a little bit until I feel totally at one with the ‘06 R6. But there is no time; I need to get under the skin of the R6 as quick as possible due to dodgy weather conditions during the test. I had a window of two and a half days of the five days I kept it to get to know it properly. The front is set up to handle hard braking from high speeds. The new radial calliper is slightly updated from last year’s calliper and initial bite is super controllable and the stopping power works progressively with massive feel and power halfway through the lever action. The R6 is a motorcycle fly-weight with plenty of stability, feel and great suspension and brakes. When riding the R6 you just can’t help but think that this chassis could handle much more horsepower than is available at the screaming top-end. The tyres Yamaha have chosen for the new R6 is the brand new Dunlop Qualifier tyre that replaces D208 RR as the top spec street/sport tyre. The tyres provide loads of grip, but it is debatable whether another front tyre would suit the R6 better. The Qualifiers are high speed stable, but over the uneven road surfaces, that you might have to deal with more often than smooth track surfaces, I can imagine both Pirelli and Michelin providing at least equally good feel and traction. Grip levels however are more than good enough for road riding.
I am not sure whether I have ever ridden a motorcycle with smoother more predictable fuelling. The Fly-by-wire set up can’t be faulted. The engine and final drive never misses a beat. I played around in sixth gear by opening and shutting the throttle as uncontrollably as I could at low speeds. I really tried to fault the throttle response, but smoothness was all I got. Almost perfect, I wonder how fly-by-wire would work on a big 1000cc in-line four and V-twin. From 6.000 rpm it is noticeable that you hit the torque curve and the secondary injectors start playing more of a part from here on. It is far from impressive, but still noticeable. Yamaha told us that the Exup exhaust valve system on later generation Yamahas only start operating when the engine needs it. Meaning you will not really feel when it happens. Yamaha calls the fly-by-wire system YCC-T. There is nothing you can do on the standard bike to change either the YCC-T or ECU mapping. If you want to modify power delivery and torque curves you need to purchase loads of parts from Yamaha’s race kit. If the YCC-T should ever fault the system will slowly shut down the throttle. There is also a mechanical link that can override the YCC-T. You can pull in the clutch, use the kill-switch or restart the bike with the key. Yamaha R6 also features an advanced ramp slipper clutch. Here is the explanation: “The back torque force of the rear wheel increases due to the engine breaking forces. At a certain point, the ramp of the two-piece clutch boss will push the splined part of the two-piece clutch boss away from the pressure plate part of the two-piece clutch boss. This will push the pressure plate away....and this will create space between the clutch plates and the back torque forces on the rear wheel will decrease. The springs of the two-piece clutch boss will move the clutch boss back to its original position as soon as engine torque increases.” The new 599cc engine now develops a claimed 133 hp @ 14.500rpm with ram-air. Since you will have enough speed and revs always when reaching the max power it is fair to assume all power is available in each gear. Yamaha’s new 600cc engine is probably the highest tuned standard sports bike ever. I believe both the YCC-T and slipper clutch takes care of the reliability of such a highly tuned engine and all in all this gives the R6 great value for money, especially for the techno freaks out there.
Conclusion
Yamaha has created a hyper modern sports bike that exceeds the R1 in technology, but not in fun. The YCC-T makes sure the already stable chassis stays that way no matter what you try to do to upset it. Except for high revs over uneven surfaces where the head starts to shake. The wobbles might not be as violent as before due to increased trail, but it’s still there. I want a steering damper. The midrange is not really there to help you. It is so gutless because all the power is moved up above 10.000rpm. This is not very good for a road bike-but necessary for a small engine made for the race track. Considering all the goodies featured in the engine department, ground braking style and second hand value I’d have no problem saying that Yamaha R6 is the king of the 600cc class. I still prefer one less cylinder and a few more cc’s for my road bike though.
