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/127824
(Left) Part of the program to Increase midrange power included a revised exhaust and muffler. (Right) The resin-lens multi-reflector headlight replaces the cat-eyes used on last year's bike. Below it is the fresh air intake for the revised induction system. (Below) Cockpit layout is simple with easy-toread, if plain gauges. headlight' on the shark-nosed bodywork. From the single inlet, the air travels to the airbox through two ducts on either side of the fairing and through new holes in the YZF's principally unchanged, twin-spar steel Deltabox frame. Awaiting this charge of fresh air is a qu.artet of 36mm Keihin carburetors, 2mrn larger than those fitted the previ. ous year. A side benefit to the altered "notram-air" fresh-air intake is that the intake howl associated with previous iterations of the YZF600 is gone, making its own small contribution to rider comfort among the many others. And this is one comfortable 600cc motorcycle. A principal reason for this is a recast seating position that is not only more natural-feeling for the rider, but also takes better care of the passenger as well. Climbing aboard, one is greeted by a refreshingly rational riding position and light, easy-to-use controls. This is not a supersport-aggressive riding position that sees your wrists loaded up on low, dip-on bars and your legs folded in half from high, ground-clearance-friendly footpegs. No, the best thing that can be said about the riding position on the YZF600 is that it feels a lot like Honda's universally praised VFR750. Contributing to the excellent ergonomic package is a redesigned sub- . frame that resulted in a slightly higher seat height, which also allows for more storage space under the new sea t. The passenger also gets more leg room, in addition to new rear grab handles. Burning a full tank of gas (200 miles ridden conservatively) is a no-pain proposition. The seat is broad and comfortable and allows you to move around to avoid the numbness associated with long stints in the saddle, while the handlebars are high enough to make freeway cruising likewise comfortable. And while the riding position is upright enough to make trips like these possible, even pleasing, it still places you forward enougl1 that bla t up your favorite mountain road can be undertaken with confidence and aggression. This is, after all, a supersport 600, and your 200 miles would be much better spent taking the long, preferably curvy, way. It is on this type of road that the YZF600 truly shines. Its compliant, fully adjustable suspension keeps the chassis well under control and absorbs sharp bumps and potholes with little drama. The 41mm KYB conventional cartridge fork that replaces th.e inverted unit used last year communicates clearly what is happening between the Bridgestone BT50 radial and the road surface. Rebound damping at the rear was initially too soft, causing the bike to pogo up and down over gradual undulations in the pavement, particularly at high speed. This, however, was eliminated by tightening the rebound-damping adjustment. Fortunately we didn't need to make rebound damping much firmer. Of the 36 clicks we counted as available, there were only six left to fujI hard. Tight comers are good fun with the YZF, though in quick transitions its . heaviest-of-its-cla s weight shows itself in the form of increased rider effort and some slowness in reacting to sharp inputs. The best fun is had in mediumspeed sweepers, where the YZF exhibits excellent stability and balance. And while small corrections take only light pressure on the bars, it isn't oversensitive to rider input. That makes the YZF stable enough to inspire confidence and nimble enough to be a lot of fun. Despite aU this, perhaps the most confidence-inspiring thing about the 600 is the brakes. The YZF is graced with new front calipers - "integrated," Yamaha calls them - which are of a single piece, bored straight through from the outside to accept the four pistons. Holding the outer pistons in place are caps and blue-anodized screws. The benefit of the new, one-piece calipers is increased rigidity, and thus better feel, as well as reduced weight, says Yamaha. The disc diameter is the same as last year at 298mm, though the hole pattern and thickness have been altered. Response from these is immediate. Initial bite is strong and consistent and hard stops take minimal effort on the four-position adjustable lever. Applying the brakes midcorner to scrub of a little excess speed did little to upset the cornering aspect of the bike and lots for rider confidence - go ahead, carry just that much more speed entering turns. The two-piston rear brake with 245mm . steel disc also had good feel. The most obvious of all the changes to the YZF600 is to the styling. Gone is the cat-eyed family resemblance to its superbike big brother and in its place is a unique bullet-shaped nose and luscious contou!s like nothing else on the road. In order to achieve this sleek shape, the dual headlights used in prior years were replaced by a single, multireflector unit that is both lighter and brighter than what it replaces. In addition to the new fairing, the fuel tank's shape has been altered to provide better knee grip. . The new fairing is effective at punching an efficient and smooth hole through the air and the windscreen is low enough that your helmet travels through turbulence-free air. Our test bike came in Yamaha's racing colors of blue and white, and we feel this combination is far better looking than the red / whi te or silver / black versions available. Finishing touches include a repositioned choke lever that is on the lefthand grip, where it belongs, and darkgray textured plastic that surrounds the dear, easy-to-read analogue gauges and extends down between the frame and fairing, giving an overa II finished appearance to the cockpit. . Will Yamaha get the race track success with the new YZF600R so important in the middleweight sportbike class? It's hard to say, but preseason tests in the hands of Rich Oliver and Tom Kipp at Daytona and Laguna Seea bode fairly well. The times from Laguna in particular were quite good, with the YZF turning competitive lap times with Suzuki's factory GSXR600s. So, what Yamaha has built is an excellent all-around motorcycle that is as at home blazing the back roads as it is cruising the interstate and also happens to appear competitive on the track. Add to that the fact that its list price of $7399 is the cheapest of its competitors by $300 and it may even be the best middleweight sportbike you can get in 1997. But that's another story. L""I 1997 Yamaha VZF600R Specifications Engine •...... Uquid-cooled in-line DOHC four-cytinder four-stroke wi four valves per cylinder Bore "stroke 62 x 49.6mm Displace_ 599cc Com Ion ratio , _ 12.0: 1 (4) Keihin CVKD36 Digital TCI 94.6 bhp @11.000 rpm Torq_ CclalmecD , .47.72 ft.-lbs. @95oo rpm T..nsmieslon Six-speed. constant mesh Clutch ...............•......•..........•......•.................Multiplate wet ChII _ Twin-spar steel Deltabox Cartou ." Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . HOI .. powe, CcI.imecD Rake/_il : W lba Su n.lon Front ., Aee, _ , 25°/96.5mm 55.7 inches , .Conventionai KYB 41 mm telescopic fork wi spring·preload. compression· and rebound-damping adjustments, 5.1 inches travel Steel swingarrn wi single Yamaha remote-reservoir shock wi spring-preload. compression- and rebound-damping adjustments. 4.7 inches travel Wheel./ti... Front 120/60ZR17 Bridgestone Battlax BT50 on 3.50·inch-wide cast·aluminum wheel A••, 160/60ZR17 Bridgestone Battlax BT50 on 5.oo-inch-wide cast-aluminum wheel B..k•• Front Dual 298mm steel discs wi integrated four-piston differential-bore calipers Aee, . Single 245mm steel disc wi two-piston caliper Seet height 31.7 inches F_I ca city . . . . • . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.0 gallons List price . . . . . . . .. . _ $7399