06 Yamaha R6, first impressions

[Hitcher]

At least it Will save me having to change my avatar.

Sorry to have to tell you this, but the new R6 is a brand-new bike and only looks vaguely like the one in your avatar...

[madboy]

... at the skill level of the average rider, brand is irrelevant. It's all based on what spins your wheels. Very few of us would be good enough to pick the difference, or have that minor difference actually matter. I too was lucky enough to see TSSs demonstrator yesterday... sexy it most definitely was. Very very sexy. But I've told my ego I'm buying a thou next, so a thou it will be.

[pritch]

Yamaha have admitted the rev counter over reads by about a 1000 so go tell the shop the price tag must also over read by 1000, here's my $16,500 cheque.

The latest development is that Yamaha USA are offering their money back to people who bought the bike on the basis of the spurious RPM claim .

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/14feb..._r6buyback.htm

[MD]

Thanks to TSS cycles I sampled the best looking bike around - for me anyway.
It only had 557kms, so in respect to TSS I was not going to screw it, or push it's handling. Seat of my pants though it's nothing better than the rest of the pack. I didn't like the Dunlops to start with, so no hard leaning.
To test the brakes once the tyres were warm I tried a couple of slow speed stoppies. The front just skidded each time. I blamed the Dunlops, not the brakes.
It has two amazing winning features and I can't stress these enough. Looks to kill and the horniest exhaust note. You would have to be mad to replace that muffler. Owners will look forward to red lights so they can blip the throttle down through the gears. I was loving it, blip - throaty growl, blip again and again.
If the looks do it for you then Buyers will not regret their choice but... and there's always a but.
The not so impressives.
Dials are below your chin so you have to dip your head too far down to see and then search for the tiny speedo readout. A gear indicator would have been nice- ZX hasn't one either. Digits on rev counter are hard to make out.
It certainly wont win the torque and HP wars. below 10,000 revs it's disappointing. Racers could ride around this but for road use get used to living in 1st, 2nd and 3rd only. I did some roll ons at 100kph to compare it to my 636. Sure the ZX cheats with 37cc more.
First I used 6th gear- shocked by lack of acceleration. Then in 5th, 4th and finally 3rd. Even in 3rd it felt slower than the ZX is in top gear.
Still, give it the berries and you wont be disappointed, it does scream from 10k and beyond.
In short, owners will still wear a big smile every time they walk towards it with key in hand and grin more than the rest of us when bystanders turn to see what is making that sweet growl.
It's fun to compare bikes. The ride for me just confirmed what a great buy the ZX was at $15,449 (R6 $17,500)

[Insanity_rules]

Was dribbling over the R6 at TSS myself, when I lose the L plate (Feb next year for my full) its one of those for me or a ZX 636 depending on what I like when I ride it.

[APPLE]

mean lookn bike?........chek my avatar,takin at paeroa

[SPman]

It looks and sounds horn.....

But.......

Its still a 600!!!!

and $17,500...!!!!!!!!!!!!