2005 Yamaha R6 Track Test - Motorcycle.com
It's getting warm, oh yeah I'm feeling the burn..... on my knee that is. You see, I'm indicating 123MPH and my right knee has been skimming along the asphalt all the way from the pit exit through the apex of Turn One. I wouldn't have noticed this issue on last year's R6, because I would have been preoccupied with thoughts of tucking the front, thanks to the vaguely "funky" turn-in feeling last year's R6 produced. Demons Be Gone! Praise Jesus! Evidently, that issue is a thing of the past, because the 2005 R6 is perfectly comfortable everywhere on the racetrack.
Lest we get ahead of ourselves, you can go back to the R6's U.S. Press In
Yamaha seems to have solved the turn-in feel problem, by equipping the 2005 R6 with a 70 series Dunlop D218 front tire, instead of the 60 series D208 that was standard on the '03 and '04 bikes. This change in tire profile is probably the single greatest contribution to the improved front-end feel of the 2005 R6. However, numerous other changes were made to enhance the R6's racetrack potential. The most notable of these changes is the new Kayaba 41mm upside-down fork (last year's bike was equipped with a 43mm conventional fork), and the addition of new radial-mount 4-piston Sumitomo calipers. The calipers are controlled by a Brembo designed radial master cylinder and squeeze a set of new 310mm rotors that are 7% lighter than the 298mm rotors on last year's R6.
The rest of the R6 remains true to form, as this new version continues the old R6 legacy of class leading comfort, light weight, and an ease of use that gives this bike a surprising harmony with its rider.
Engine revisions i
The rest of the R6 remains true to form, as this new version continues the old R6 legacy of class leading comfort, light weight, and an ease of use that gives this bike a surprising harmony with its rider. At the racetrack, the new tires and updated chassis come together with these traits to produce a bike that thrives on tight twisty sections.
Choose Your Color!
MSRP: $8,499
Shift Red:
MSRP: $8,399
Team Yamaha Blue/White:
MSRP: $8,399
In Part I of this test, I noticed a bit of instability on the freeway and recommended that potential R6 owners purchase a steering damper. However at the track, I never had any issues with head shake, even though I was aggressively counter-steering and transitioning over several different cambers and levels of surface smoothness. I suspect this has something to do with my keeping the front-end more (ahem!) "planted", while actually trying to go fast at the track, as opposed to playing around, pulling wheelies and other funky maneuvers on rough pavement, like I was doing in Part 1. I'd still recommend a steering damper for anybody who rides hard, but I will concede that the R6 is quite well behaved, for a 600 Supersport.
More by Sean Alexander
Comments
Join the conversation