Yamaha YZF-R6

Detailed Review by Maxabout Team

Overview

Yamaha YZF-R6 is a middleweight supersport motorcycle from the Japanese manufacturer. It has a razor-sharp aggressive design and a powerful engine. It has a forward-inclined engine with thrilling performance. This is one of the most popular supersport bikes in its class, with premium features and high-end components.

Yamaha's supersport is primarily sold in Europe and the United States. The latest model of the new YZF-R6 has already been released in the United States and certain European countries. Yamaha is not available in India due to higher taxes on middleweight motorcycles. But given the ZX-6R's success in the Indian market, Yamaha may consider launching the R6 here soon.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Design and Style

2023 Yamaha R6 is designed to be sleek and aerodynamically efficient. It has dual-LED headlamps, dual-LED position lamps, and a MotoGP-inspired air intake between the headlamps, giving it a threatening appearance. The new model features a redesigned aluminium fuel tank that is both muscular and lightweight. It has minimalistic body farings that give it a neat appearance. The new Yamaha YZF-R6 appears to be razor-sharp and premium from head to toe.

2023 Yamaha YZF-R6 is one of the lightest supersport bikes in the middleweight segment, weighing only 190 kg at the kerb. It has a 1375 mm wheelbase and an overall length of 2040 mm. The R6's seat height is 850mm, which is slightly higher than that of its competitors. It has a 17-litre fuel tank, which gives it a reasonable range. It has a ground clearance of at least 130 mm.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Engine and Gearbox

It is powered by a 599cc, four-stroke, four-cylinder forward inclined liquid-cooled and fuel-injected engine. The Yamaha YZF-R6 is equipped with a 6-speed transmission and a quick shifter system that allows clutchless upshifts. It has a Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake system, which provides a wider and more tractable powerband. It also gets a race-derived slipper clutch, which limits the engine's back torque during aggressive downshifts. At 14,500 RPM, the Yamaha YZF-R6 produces 118.4 HP of maximum power and 61.7 Nm of peak torque. The ride-by-wire Yamaha chip-controlled throttle provides crisp acceleration.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

The R6 is built on the same lightweight aluminium delta box frame as its bigger brother, the Yamaha MT-10. It features 43mm KYB inverted front forks with three-way adjustability. It has a KYB piggyback mono-shock with four-way adjustability at the rear. The Yamaha YZF-R6 uses dual 320mm radially-mounted 4-pot opposed piston callipers disc brakes at the front wheel and a single 220mm hydraulic disc brake at the rear wheel for braking.

Key Features of Yamaha YZF-R6

2023 Yamaha R6 is well-equipped with riding aids and electronics. The onboard ride-by-wire chip-controlled throttle calculates the ideal throttle valve opening and provides the rider with precise acceleration control. It has selectable drive modes and allows the rider to select between three different throttle valve control maps with the push of a button. The new Yamaha YZF-R6 also has traction control with six settings and a quick shifter system.

The sleek dual LED headlamps with LED position lights are standard on the new model. The recessed LED headlight is both stylish and functional, providing excellent illumination and visibility. The front set of turn indicators on the Yamaha YZF-R6 is mounted on the mirror, which looks stylish and gives the bike an aerodynamic advantage. It gets an LED taillight unit that looks identical to the Yamaha R7.

A digital-analogue instrument cluster is standard on the Yamaha YZF-R6. It has an analogue tachometer, while the rest of the information is displayed on the LCD unit. The LCD console displays a variety of data such as speed, fuel gauge, trip metres, engine temperature, gear position, and more. It has a programmable shift light as well as a digital clock. It also has riding aid indicators and electronics on board.

Top Speed and Mileage of Yamaha YZF-R6

It has a top speed of nearly 262 km/h and a certified mileage of 15.15 km/l (reported by Yamaha UK). The R6's high-revving engine can speed up from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Colour Options

Yamaha offers the new YZF-R6 in three colour options: Intensity White, Icon Blue, and Midnight Black.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Price

Yamaha's supersport is primarily sold in Europe and the United States. The latest model of the new YZF-R6 has already been released in the United States and certain European countries. Yamaha is not available in India due to higher taxes on middleweight motorcycles. But given the ZX-6R's success in the Indian market, Yamaha may consider launching the R6 here soon.

If Yamaha's stylish supersport makes its way to Indian shores, it will come at a high price. Because of the high taxes, it will cost nearly the same as some litre-class supersport bikes in the Indian market. In India, the Yamaha R6 is expected to cost around 15 lakh rupees (Ex-Showroom Price). If Yamaha can localise the production of some parts, the price of the YZF-R6 in India could be reduced.

Yamaha YZF-R6 Competitors

In the middleweight supersport segment, the new Yamaha YZF-R6 competes with the Honda CBR 600RR, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, and Suzuki GSX-R600. All of these motorcycles have a four-cylinder engine with liquid cooling. The Ninja ZX-6R has the largest engine and is also the most powerful of the four bikes in this comparison. In terms of power output, the GSX-R600 comes in second and the CBR600RR comes in third.

2023 Yamaha R6 is the least powerful of these four supersport motorcycles. However, there is no discernible difference in their performance in real-world scenarios. These bikes are all loaded with premium equipment and features. The Yamaha YZF-R6 and Ninja ZX-6R have a sleek design, high-end parts, and premium build quality, giving them the upper hand in this comparison.

Conclusion

The new model is absolutely stunning. Its razor-sharp design and aggressive appearance highlight its R-series DNA, and it features a clean-looking body faring and a sleek upswept tail section. The Yamaha YZF-R6 has a stunning design and a high level of build quality and fit and finish.

The onboard Yamaha chip-controlled throttle ensures crisp and smooth power delivery across the rev range. The R6's high-revving engine produces surreal top-end performance. The Yamaha YZF-R6 is outfitted with riding aids and electronics that allow the rider to extract every last bit of performance from the machine.

It is agile, with excellent handling characteristics on both the racetrack and the street. The brakes are effective, and you have the added security of a 6-position traction control system and ABS.

For good reason, the R6 is one of the most sought-after supersport bikes in the middleweight segment. It has a very stylish design and is outfitted with high-quality equipment. Its four-cylinder engine is powerful and delivers excellent performance. The Yamaha YZF-R6 is one of the best 600cc supersport bikes on the market.