Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127657
mutes, but the initial stock settings on both the front and rear seemed a bit soft for the ~ace track. Again, that may be the ticket for the street. One thing is certain, the YZF600 will most definitely make a more comfortable street b ike than th e old FZR600 - thanks mainly to its more upright seatin g p ositi on. Yamaha a lso claims that the YZF offers belter wind protection th an the FZR - so mething w e'll fin d out in a com p lete test in a later issue. The la s t th ing you think want it to . Getting the bike slowed down from speed was also fairly effortless. While the brakes ma y give the rider a somewhat spongy feel , they still do their job well. James and Edwards' results at Daytona w ill be the true test of just h ow good the YZF600 is - that and a lot of commuting in and around our southern California offices. The YZF600 w ill make its debut in dealer's showrooms in April, and will a carry a sticker price of $6999. Yamaha YZF600R Specifications ", ; .$6999 MSRP ENClNE (Above) The cockpit is clean and functional. (Rig ht) The new 599cc fo ur-cy ll nder eng ine also now serves as a stress member of th e Oeltabox frame. (Below) The cat-eye styled head lig hts . The package weighs in at 406 pounds dry. according to Yamaha. .T e:. ooled, HC rward rra ngemen ......... " inclined parallel ~linder Disp lacement 599cc Bore x Stroke 62 x 49.6mm 12:1 Compression ratio Keihin CVKD34 Carburetion Transmission 6-speed S USPENSIO N!TJRESlB IlAICES Front suspens ion Front tra veI.. Rear suspension Telescopic fork 5.1 inches" .Rising-rate, .,link-type Rear travel 4.7 inches e Fron t !'roik .298mm dual 'disC·brake ,Rea r brake 245mm sirigl~disibrake Front tire :: ~ : ..120!60 ZR17 l60!60 ZR17 Rear tire about when you're rus hi ng a roun d Laguna Seca is wind protection. Stability with the ne w 600 is h igh. From the flat-out climb over tum on e, to the ultra -slow turn II, the Ya m a ha never even hinted at wanting to wobble or shake. Point and shoot. Th e YZF600 goes where you want it to, when you he new Yamaha YZF600 made its debut during the AMA/CCS weekend at Daytona. International $pet)c1w ay, though it was inostly for shaked own p urposes. , . Vance & H ines Ya maha's Jalllie J ames and c:()JiriEd~ards were entered in a numbe r of races;'!:liough they spent the time testinlr an d d id n' t compete. Since they've only had the bikes a short time, both riders feel tha tthere's a lot of work to be done. "We're just getting starte d with th em," James said after a practice session on March 6. "It's stout chassis-wise. It steersreally well The only characteristic it has of my superbike(YZF750) is that it turns in well mid-comer, We've been working on carburetion. Sometimes you go backwards, sometimes you go forward . We need the time on the bike. The other manu facturers have had the bikes for se veral ye ars. They've had time to get them dialed in." Like James, Edwards likes the bike's stability. "I've got a yzf superbike at my house and it feels as stable as that thing. It turns in okay. It's not a pain in the ass like the supetbikes can be." The biggest question mark right now is how much power the new Yamaha will make, and Edwards wouldn't make a prediction. . "I really haven:t gotten wgh anybody else," Ed~ards said."! hope it's ,fast . I'd like to believeit's fast. VVedidsh()~,realgood on thedrpo, but this i~ the ~eal world," h ]1 sa id." We' r,~ hoping toma~e.belter power than't~~. Hondas and~awasakis .lgot Pbenind (Sinokin' Joe's Racing's Honda CBR600-mounted) Mike Smith . I wa s f1bou two second s oehind and then got in some lappers and said screwit." , ' . , The Vance & Hines riders got a chance to ride the new Yamahas at Willow Springs in southern California a month prior to Daytona, though the test wa sn't substantive. The machines were basically stock. The bulk of the development would come at Daytona and with the AMA/CCS 600cc Superport race a week away, James wasn't worried. CHASSIS ' 0 /A length OIA width 0 1A height Wheelbase Ground clearance Dry weight... Fuel capacity 81.1 in. 28.5 in. 46.5 in. 55.7 in. 5.3 in. 406 lb. 5.0 gal. I Henny Ray Abrams