Yamaha's engineers started with a blank sheet of paper when they designed the original R6. Launched way back in 1998, it featured a compact aluminium chassis and the first production four-stroke engine capable of more than 200hp/litre (it delivered 120hp at 13,000rpm).
Wheelbase was just 1380mm and dry weight a slim 169kg. It was the bike to have in the 600 class - until 2001, when the R6 was updated with lighter pistons and modified con rods for better midrange response. The weight was reduced another 1.5kg, and the rear tail section now carried LED lights. No big deal there, then. But when Suzuki unveiled the new GSX-R600, Yamaha had to come up with something special.
The 2003 R6 is even sharper, but it's far more rider-friendly. Using a special casting process for the swingarm (10mm longer than the old one) and parts of the frame means the wall thickness can be dramatically reduced, saving weight.
Formed by mould casting in a two-piece construction, the 2003 frame is 500g lighter and 50% more rigid in lateral torsion compared to the 2002 bike. Torsional stiffness is equivalent to the Superbike racer YZF-R7's frame. The old bike needed 16 welds to fabricate it, the new frame needs only two!
Big improvement for '03 is that the R6 has the same suction-piston type fuel injection that earned an excellent reputation on the 2002 YZF-R1. The air box is also bigger.
Yamaha claim the engine has 90% newly designed parts, including cylinder bores with a ceramic-composite compound on the walls for better heat dispersal. The gearbox is also slicker.
Hiroshi Takimoto, engineer and project leader adds: "We have developed a model with enough of a difference in the engine and chassis that people moving up to it from the existing YZF-R6 will feel clearly how much it has improved. The new YZF-R6 is not just a brighter spec version of the old. It is a machine with new technology, new ride and new design that people."
Fast, light and nimble, the new R6 is a bike that deserves to be thrashed. Enjoy.
