2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 Quick Thoughts

Rennie Scaysbrook | March 22, 2017

Here’s a few thoughts after riding the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6

The new Yamaha YZF-R6 has finally arrived and we just spent a day thrashing it around the motorcycle wonderland that is Thunderhill Raceway in Northern California.

Ahead of our full First Ride due out very soon, we thought we’d share with you a few insights on the new R6, the only new Supersport machine out for a long time.

It’s not a new bike. The chassis, swingarm, and engine are all the same as last year. That means this is an evolution of the old R6, rather than a full ground up redesign.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing! The old bike was great, and this new bike gives the rider more room to move with revised ergonomics, wind protection and the addition of traction control and ABS.
The extra room makes the bike easier to maneuver in corners and makes for a more comfortable ride, despite the fact there’s no adjustable rearsets, something we think a track-focused bike like this should have.
The new 43mm fork and bigger front axle make for a bike far more stable under brakes. The new R6 has a feeling of solidity the old bike lacked to a degree, and feels much more like a shrunk R1 than a 600 supersport.
The bike still wails around a racetrack. That inline four-cylinder engine is still an absolute blast to ride, and the addition of an optional quickshifter made for more fun on the track.
There’s now ABS on the R6, although we didn’t feel it kick in once, and checking the data saw it only activated a couple of times on the rear.
It’s 2lbs heavier than the old bike, but with the addition of ABS (claimed to add about 14lbs) and TC.
The R6 now falls in line with the R1 and R3 aesthetics instead of being the ugly step sister. The air scoop at the front looks straight off Rossi’s R1, although it still has a massive side mounted muffler, like the old bike.
Below 800rpm, nothing really happens (it’s still an in-line four, after all), but once it’s spinning above 9000rpm, the motor takes off. It’s an addictive little engine.
The price point of $12,199 is a bit high, but you do get some electronics for that, which the other bike didn’t have.

Stay tuned to Cycle News for the First Ride on the new 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 coming soon.