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2008 Yamaha R6 - First Ride
 

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2008 Yamaha R6 - First Ride

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The trouble with the 600's now is that some people still think of them as beginners bikes. I think that was true 15 years ago, but these bikes are more than a handful for an experienced rider. Nice test on the new R6.

Yeah...
 

... they are the premiere class for race replicas IMHO. They are more fun to ride or watch racing than the liter bikes. And frankly the liter bikes have grown far beyond the average skill level extant except amongst real serious track racers. They are just too much of a handful.

Really sweet review. A part of me wants to trade my old R6 in for the new one. But I guess the lack of low end torque makes me want a twin, triple or a 750. 1000 is just way too much for me. Thanks Kevin.

Have I missed the point
 

There was a time where street bikes and track bikes were marketed to different buyers. The original Katana and CBR F bikes were the "every man's" sportbike. If you have even modest experience you were never really over your head when riding those. Now, 600cc bikes make so much power that marketing them for "entry" level, wanna-be, boy racers is proving to be deadly. These are great machines, but in Yamaha's case and now with the latest CBR RR they are really track machines with lights. Remember a few years ago when Ducati sold a bunch of 1000ss with race plastic for about $1500 less than the street version? Why not do the same with the current supersport line-up. Send them out the door in race trim and market them that way. Sell them for $8000 or so and you now have a new marketing gimmick. Just a thought....

That's a pretty broad generalization. I think it depends on the specific bike. I think there's a lot more at work in how forgiving/streetable a bike is for the "average skilled" than just the displacement.

On a side note: Kroooooooow!

I think your point is pretty clearly made when they have to put fuel mapping switches on the handlebar or "Ignition Management Systems" to control the superbikes.

Maybe
 

160hp bikes with Kawaski Mach III style power bands. I stand by my belief.

Look, they are phenomenal machines. They are just so blazingly fast that you can't ride one at anywhere near 100% capability without being arrested or killing yourself so I don't see much point. Except for the poser value. You are gonna have a really hard time learning to use one effectively unless you spend your weekends at the track. Try it almost anywhere else and you are dead.

That's why I think the most significant new bike is the Ninja 250. You get all the pose value of its bigger brothers without the newbie-killer HP.

The sound is like
 

...someone scratching fingernails across a chalkboard. And who was that squid hitting the rev limiter? Jeez, had to reach for the bottle of ativans...

I know the bike has no low-end to speak of, but by the way it was being wrung out, sounds like it has no mid range either. Powerband like the blade of an exacto knife? Just what some kid needs when stuck in traffic on the Hollywood freeway.

But hey, I'm just an old has-been wheelchair bound cranky phart. If I could actually ride one it would probably be a real hoot. Like a big 125 mxer.

And why no spec chart? Are spec charts passe' anymore? Cripes and phooey. Time for my nap.