07 YZF-R6 Tiring me out!

[Leyton]

LOL @ motorbyclist

After all the experienced reviews I have gotten from people over the last 24hrs, including chatting to Greg at Waikato Yamuma. It is not a sports bike, it is a track bike! And its fairly much either find better roads.. or find a track and it will blitz other sports bikes that are more orientated for the road hehe

Horse's for courses being the consensus vote.

Oh on Piha road I managed to slip out by about a foot, nearly lost the front going in almost a straight line over a tar strip!, must have had diesel on it as well. That road is ARSE!, Scenic drive is no better :P Got the back out a bit going over some grit.. was not even trying.. . Hehe our Waikato roads are much better!

[PirateJafa]

After all the experienced reviews I have gotten from people over the last 24hrs, including chatting to Greg at Waikato Yamuma. It is not a sports bike, it is a track bike! And its fairly much either find better roads.. or find a track and it will blitz other sports bikes that are more orientated for the road hehe

Oh on Piha road I managed to slip out by about a foot, nearly lost the front going in almost a straight line over a tar strip!, must have had diesel on it as well. That road is ARSE!, Scenic drive is no better :P Got the back out a bit going over some grit.. was not even trying.. . Hehe our Waikato roads are much better!

Nah, it's just a sports bike that is more "orientated" for straight lines.

Me'n Motorbyclist will stick to the twisty stuff like Piha, and you can take your leviathan on SH1, where it's at home.

[Odakyu-sen]

Ahhh IC, You have the older R6, I think they are a little kinder on the road then the new wizbang track bikes from 05 onwards

Yep. The older ones have a seat height that is about 2 cm lower than the 2007 (a real "head down, bum up" riding position).

Back in 2001, I read reports about how "radical" the R6, but with hindsight it has been a really good tourer. (Probably not really suitable for 2-up, though). Sure, it lacks the fat mid-range of any over-900cc bike and you need to drop down to 3rd for overtaking on hilly roads, but it handles like a fly and its lightness means you can throw it around on roads like SH67 from Westport to Karamea while the heavy-tourer boys are going "shit, shit, f&@$#*k!" on the decreasing-radius corners in the wet.

[Leyton]

Nah, it's just a sports bike that is more "orientated" for straight lines.

Are you comparing my R6 to a harley, How dear you! lol

[Leyton]

Yep. The older ones have a seat height that is about 2 cm lower than the 2007 (a real "head down, bum up" riding position).

I was close to getting a 2002 R6 , And yeah sounds like the bike to have over the 05+ models for the road.

[Odakyu-sen]

I was close to getting a 2002 R6 , And yeah sounds like the bike to have over the 05+ models for the road.

The 2001 (1st one with the LED taillight) runs a 120/60 front tire, but I have found it steers better with a 120/70 (there's still about 5 mm clearance between the tire and the front mudguard). I compensated for the taller front tire by lengthening the rear (aftermarket Ohlins) shock by about 3 mm. It made all the difference in the world.
The 120/60 tire would make the bike feel like it was going to fall over on its side in the hairpins, but the 120/70 gives a much nicer "neutral" feel. I run a Metzler M3 sport (2.2 bar) on the front, and a Metzler Z6 sport-touring (2.7 bar) on the rear. There's no cupping of the tires, so I know I'm not under-inflating them (although I wouldn't want to run them any lower). The combination of sport on the front and sport-touring on the rear means that both the front and rear wear out after the same distance (10,000 km) and I can replace them as a set. I'm on my third set.

The original suspension on the 2001 model is crap, and the bike needs a steering dampener really badly. I had the front forks revalved, fitted an Ohlins rear (with a 7.0 Nmm spring) and an Ohlins steering dampener. Engine and exhaust are stock.

I personally prefer the styling of the '01-'03 models with their "flowing" lines. IMHO the '07 model is over-styled, so it will date really quickly. It looks like something out of "Transformers" and has too many sharp edges.

[James Deuce]

I was close to getting a 2002 R6 , And yeah sounds like the bike to have over the 05+ models for the road.

06+. The 05 was the 03/04 model with upside down forks and a 120/70x17 front tyre.

[James Deuce]

I personally prefer the styling of the '01-'03 models with their "flowing" lines. IMHO the '07 model is over-styled, so it will date really quickly. It looks like something out of "Transformers" and has too many sharp edges.

It's a sportsbike. It's outdated the moment the next model comes along.

[Odakyu-sen]

It's a sportsbike. It's outdated the moment the next model comes along.

Yeah, you're right -- but some styles look better for longer than others. The Ducati 916 has some beautiful lines, even after all these years.