Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 13, 2013 P95 WHAT THEY SAID: JASON PRIDMORE, 43, 2x AMA Pro Champion "I immediately got up to speed on it quickly. All the power in it is so useable." JAKE ZEMKE, 37, AMA Formula Xtreme Champ "You can pretty much turn that bike anywhere you want. It's definitely a race-inspired bike." BERTO WOOLDRIDGE, 38, AFM Club President and expert-level club racer "I almost felt like I was on my own race bike at times… it's that good stock." PAUL CARRUTHERS, 52, Long-time Test Rider and Cycle News Editor "There's a reason this bike dominates the podium in AMA racing – it works!" zones the R6 posted above average braking force numbers that help demonstrate how effective the sum of its braking components are. At Chuckwalla the R6 continued to impress in the motor department. Although its dyno power figures were nothing spectacular, its close ratio gearing paired with a rev-happy engine allowed the R6 to pull off corners with the kind of voracity we expect out of the larger displacement bikes. Despite not offering the seamless, lightning fast upshifts of the quickshifterequipped bikes, the gearbox shifts well under load and it has the best slipper action clutch in this test. It was for those reasons that it received the second-highest Drivetrain score. Dyno testing shows that the R6 is the most powerful Japanese 600. It pumps out nearly 107 horsepower at 13,700 rpm. That's two extra ponies on the GSX-R600 and over six up on the Honda. However, compared to the 636 Kawasaki it is at a 7.32 hp disadvantage. Over-rev is excellent with the engine still generating decent power for another 2200 rpm before the rev-limiter shuts down the fun. Despite the R6's maximum torque output at the bottom of the chart it's still within 0.5 lb-ft of the other 600s. Behind the windscreen the Yamaha felt peppier, especially once the tach needle points north of 10,000 revs. Still, the R6 had the lowest maximum acceleration force off turns 10 and 13 which helps demonstrate that it could benefit from more engine torque at a lower rpm. It's straightaway top speeds prove how effective it accelerates as long as you keep the engine spinning high in the revs. Yamaha YZF-R6 HIGHS •Strong top-end for a 600, excellent over-rev •Sharp handling •Strong, consistent-feeling brakes LOWS •Racy ergos not as versatile as others •Mid-range power could come on earlier •Requires a more assertive rider for best performance Yamaha YZF-R6 Settings Fork Preload: 2 (Turns in) Low-Speed Compression: 15 High-Speed Compression: 3 Rebound: 17 Shock Preload: 4 Low-Speed Compression: 16 High-Speed Compression: 3 Rebound: 16 The R6 rewards with a rawer, more visceral experience than its Japanese-built counterparts, yet it's more refined than the competition from Europe. With effective mid-range and a screaming top-end the R6 pulls hard off corners. Although not quite as nimble as some of the more recently updated platforms, it is still capable of laying down fast times with two of our testers logging their third-fastest Superpole time… Not bad for a five-year-old bike but not quite enough to run at the front in this class.

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