Get a Grip
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Yamaha has a perception problem on its hands. Most of the media attention has been on the "new" 600s from Honda and Kawasaki. With all the discussion surrounding the CBR's Unit Pro Link and the Kawasaki's extra displacement, inverted forks, and radial mounted calipers, you'd think that Yamaha had only updated the R6's graphics for 2003. In fact, the only 600 to get less ink than the R6 is Suzuki's GSX-R600--which really did enter the new year with just bold new graphics. Yamaha, on the other hand, updated more than 90 percent of the R6 and cut eight pounds from the package. One item that wasn't changed for 2003 was the price. Not that many people seem to know this, though. Too bad for the uninformed since the R6 may just turn out to be the class leader after the dust settles.
Perhaps the most noticeable improvement from a rider's perspective is the switch from carburetors to fuel injection. Yamaha managed to avoid most of the pitfalls of injecting a 600. Out on the road--in the real world of canyon carving--riders rarely give the clear throttle inputs that are the luxury of the track where you know what is around the next corner. When entering an unknown corner, street riders may transition the throttle off and on a couple of times before a clear shot to the exit is seen.
The R6 handles throttle modulation almost flawlessly with none of the hesitation or abruptness common in other fuel injected bikes. The 38mm throttle bodies use diaphragm slides similar to those found in CV (constant velocity) type carburetors. So, when the rider opens the throttle's butterfly valves, the engine doesn't experience a momentary drop in air-flow. Instead, the slide moves up out of the way in a manner proportional to the current speed of the air, giving more linear throttle response. No computer controlled, servo-actuated, secondary butterflies here. The R6 uses good old-fashioned physics with results that can be felt corner after corner on a tight mountain road.
The primary goals for the R6's engine changes were simple: improve intake efficiency and reduce pumping and frictional losses. The results were a claimed increase of three horsepower. On the intake side, a differently shaped intake feeds a larger air box with lessened air restriction. The intake cam lift is increased while valve overlap is reduced for better acceleration--a change that could only be made with fuel injection. Exhalation is handled by a stainless steel exhaust system with an aluminum muffler containing titanium internals, reducing the weight of the system by 2.2 lbs. Still, the exhaust has a higher volume and flow than the previous one. All US models also feature a catalyst that helps the R6 pass 2006 emission requirements.
Internally, few parts of the engine remained unchanged. The cylinders no longer sport pressed in liners. Instead, a ceramic composite coating is applied directly to the bores, which improve cylinder roundness, thus reducing friction and oil consumption. Cooling efficiency improves because heat doesn't have to travel through a separate liner to the new, larger coolant passages. New forged pistons with redesigned rings deliver a better gas seal. Not all of the engine changes were for increased power though. The clutch plates were updated for increased durability, and the number transmission's engagement dogs for second and fifth gears was increased from three to five for snappier, more positive shifting. Yamaha engineers made huge changes in the frame. Thanks to a new controlled filling (CF) die cast process which uses a vacuum in conjunction to the traditional pump to fill dies, the all new Deltabox III is lighter yet 50 percent stiffer. By directing the placement of the aluminum to where it's needed most in the frame, CF helped slash the number of welds in the frame from 16 to two, giving the engine a more rigid mounting point. The 10 mm longer swingarm also benefits from CF casting.
Overall, the wheelbase has remained the same at 54.3 inches. However, fork offset was reduced 5 mm to make the already quick steering more responsive. The 10 mm longer swingarm will improve grip when accelerating out of corners. Lighter five-spoke wheels lost four and three percent, front and rear, respectively, to reduce gyroscopic effect and speed up turn transitions. The 43 mm Kayaba fork tubes had their wall thickness reduced by half a millimeter for more weight savings. The Soqi shock allows the adjustment of ride height with shims, a change that's sure to make track riders happy. Even the discs went on a diet while remaining the same size and thickness. A new carrier uses only five mounting points and drops the rotor pins from ten to seven.
The most noticeable change in the new, swoopy bodywork is the "Gatling beam" headlight which is offers better lighting with no weight penalty. Thanks to clever optics, two beams of light are projected out from one bulb, which Yamaha claims will eliminate shadows and brighten illumination. Only the left bulb is on for low beam while the right one joins the party for high beam use. And these lights do work. Riding back to civilization after dark, the low beam worked well at illuminating the road. The high beams lit up everything! Yamaha left no part unchanged on the scale. Even the already feather weight LED taillight dropped 50 percent of its mass.
Riding the R6 for a day--a very long day--on the street highlights the improvements of Yamaha's evolutionary changes. While the character that made the R6 so enjoyable in previous model years remained, it clearly has buffed up at the gym. Aside from an off-idle flat spot that can be overcome with a little throttle and clutch slippage pulling away from a stop, rolling on the throttle delivers instant acceleration. The R6 has the best fuel injection I've ever experienced on a 600. Street riders will love the improvement in the mid-range, which is quite noticeable. Since the top end was already pretty steamy, any changes there were imperceptible on the street. The transmission changes make shifting a good bit easier while still keeping the old ratios that worked last year.
The riding position still feels the same even though the rider has been moved 5 mm closer to the grips. (When compared to the CBR600RR, the riding position is a tad roomier.) The controls are well placed, but turning the bars full lock to the right caught my thumb between the grip and the tank. The quickened steering combined with the Dunlop D208s provide good feedback and allow easy mid-corner corrections. Decelerating while heeled over only requires a slight pressure to keep the bike from standing up. The firm yet compliant suspension doesn't mind undulating bumps either straight up or leaned over. Sharp edged bumps do occasionally feed back into the chassis but not enough to alter the bike's line--in everything from first gear switch backs to fourth gear sweepers.
Since the R6 does such a good job at generating speed, strong brakes are required. Although the discs have been redesigned, they are functionally the same as 2002. However, Yamaha changed the pad compound for this year. Offering fabulous initial bite, the brakes reward smooth application. The linear feeling lever makes it possible to modulate the brakes quite effectively as the situation requires.
After 300 plus miles in too few hours on the new R6, I have only a couple of niggles and one complaint. The niggles are center on the off-idle flat spot and the tight fit between the grips and the tank. My complaint is that I didn't get to ride this bike at the track. My street ride proved that the R6's edge has been sharpened without hampering its streetability. Only some time on the track could have shown any limitations if might have. Unfortunately, I suspect the only limitations I would have explored on the track would have been my own. The 2003 R6 deserves much more attention than it's getting. Now, it doesn't have any "firsts" in the 600 class that are so popular with bench racers. Instead, Yamaha focused on refining 90 percent of an already formidable weapon. The R6 may very well be the 600 to beat this year.
