The Yamaha YZF-R6 - Just over One Year
8,500 kilometers in year one on the Yamaha YZF-R6. It could easily have been so much more but it spent six weeks off the road getting a facelift in the paintshop. Just one north Thailand trip – Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai – was all it took to prove that the raised clip-ons and new rearsets had made the Yamaha YZF-R6 more comfortable. A couple of trackdays at Bira highlighted the beautiful steering and lots of road riding showed up the midrange benefits of the Two Brothers Racing Black Series M-2 full exhaust system and Dynojet Power Commander III over stock.Last years raining season the Yamaha YZF-R6 was just a twinkly in my beady eye. I never thought I'd end up buying it, especially after the first few months of riding. Even in isolation the Yamaha R6 was peaky. When ridden back-to-back with the Yamaha R1 it was a revvy chore – so much noise, so little speed. The novelty of the styling and technical gimmickry had worn off. So we added the Two Brother Racing exhaust system and a Dynojet Power Commander III.
This raining season, much of what I want to do is already done. There's a nasty splodge on the fuel tank so I'm having it repaired. Once it's all back together again I'm going to improve the brakes. They have the power but need a good squeeze at the lever – not what you'd expect on a modern 600. New brake pads are all it needs, though. After spending a week on a Triumph 675, I realize I'm secretly missing its midrange thrust. While the Yamaha R6 is much improved, the desire for a big-bore engine is growing.
The odds are against me getting the big-bore, everybody here is in favor of the brakes. I've thought about the big-bore for 3 weeks. It's highly unlikely I'm going to find the willingness to sort it out – it's just not that much of a priority. The brakes are a different story as more track-days are planned when the raining is over.
I nearly dropped the Yamaha R6 in the garage last yesterday, lifting the motorcycle onto a paddock stand – I know I should not do it alone. Against my husband's car. Until now, he didn't know. No, what he needs to know is that my birthday is looming and the Yamaha could do with an endless amount of accessories. Also a easier stand in the garage is a good idea, especially seeing as it'll help prevent any damage to any nearby vehicles.
