Yamaha R6, Great In The Hands Of A Skilled Rider

 Yamaha R6


The R6 has always been known for its powerful engine. In fact, the '07 version was the king in terms of overall horsepower, which was great in the hands of a skilled rider. On the flip side, the '07's narrow, peaky powerband made it slightly difficult for mere mortal riders to keep the tach pegged near the red where the real power is.

Yamaha R6

The Tuning Fork engineers understood that its bike needed a mid-range power boost, so they incorporated over 50 changes aimed at increasing engine power and durability, as well as reducing an engine's arch nemesis - friction. What kind of changes you ask? Subtle ones, such as the valve springs being manufactured out of a new material. Also, connecting rod bearings are now wider and made out of an improved alloy. These upgrades may not seem like much, but every bit helps when you've got four pistons furiously mashing up and down, spinning the crank at 16,000 rpm.

Yamaha R6

Yamaha R6

Yamaha R6

Yamaha R6

Propelling the now steadfast chassis forward is an updated 599cc liquid-cooled DOHC Inline-Four. Between the magnesium engine covers, the engine retains the same oversquare 67 x 42.5mm bore/stroke dimensions, as well as the same sized 16 titanium valves, but a compression boost to 13.1:1 (up from 12.8:1), helps increase mid-range and top-end power. The extra squeeze comes via reshaped pistons utilizing a domed piston crown.

Yamaha R6

Yamaha R6

One specific technological innovation that trickles down from the R1 is Yamaha's Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I). The system varies intake funnel length from tall (66mm) and short (26mm) position when throttle angle input is greater than 60 degrees and engine rpms are greater than 13,700. This means engineers no longer have to make a compromise between top-end and mid-range intake tuning, giving R6 riders the best of both worlds.