Photoshoot of the Week: September 21st-27th 2020 – Yamaha YZF-R6 & Shey

Is a Yamaha R6 a good first bike?
Are you thinking about getting into motorcycles ? Maybe all of your friends ride around on Ducatis and Kawasakis, and you want to get in on the fun. You hit up your local Craigslist and find what seems to be the perfect bike to fit in with your biker buddies: a Yamaha YZF-R6.
A Yamaha R6 in good condition goes for around $5000 on the used market, and for that price, you’re getting quite a lot of performance. Its 600-cc engine makes 124 horsepower, moving the 359-lb. bike to 60 mph in three seconds.
The minute you hop on, you’re faster than pretty much any four-wheel vehicle on the road, including most supercars. Hopefully you’re starting to see why this isn’t really the best bike to start out your riding career. discovers just how easy it is to actually ride. It’s surprisingly easy to control at low speeds, and gets MPGs in the upper 40s when ridden gently. But, he also learns just how insane the R6 is to wring out. Even for an experienced rider, the temptation to rev it all the way to its 15,500 RPM redline can sometimes be too strong to ignore. For a pro, it can be heaven.
The R6’s ergonomics and the engine are what gives it it’s character. The ergo is very similar to the r1 where you have to ride it in an sporty stance and your entire weight will have to be managed by your core and legs, than the usual way. The engine is a high revving one and redlines at 18k rpm, and given the short wheelbase, and the rake and trail making it the sharpest direction changer.
Yamaha R6 is a super sport, out and out, if you want to use it for track days and other racing events this is the best bike, if you know what you are doing. Just don’t get one for your first ride. Else, it is best advised, to go for MT range if you are contemplating to pick one up.