Lets talk about the R6.....

So today I got the opportunity to ride a 2007 R6 with like 200 miles on it, bone stock, nice and fresh. I was riding it to a road test for a friend of mine, as in new york state you need a licensed rider to ride your motorcycle to the test, you cannot ride it yourself.

I basically got off my CBR, and right on to the R6. Man was I disappointed. The first thing I did was stall it, and I was facing downhill!!! My first impression was that it responded much like a two stroke. The stalling was unintentional of course, but I put that statement in their to express my deepest sorrow for its utter lack of torque....

I know that mid-class bikes are not known for bottom-end pull, but this was a little ridiculous. I know how to ride a bike, I know how to slip a clutch, and this... was just silly. The throttle response was that of a dying organism, like, its just straight up gave up.

So enough of that, I feather it on try to and off she is rolling. Im accelerating down an average street, coming on the throttle as I normally would on my bike, but instead I get nothing in return. Just a long, slow, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa for what seemed like forever. It just didnt go, at all. Mind you I am still in first gear.

So we get out on to some open roads where I have an opportunity to lash into it (but not too much, mind you it is still in its break in). Im accelerating off a light though first, but now I have more room. First starts to wind up, at like half throttle, and when it hits 11k, the nose comes for the sky, all the way to 17, with no steering dampener. I bring it down, and to second, and the same bs. By the time its in the prime in third, I was going waaaay to fast, and had to bring it down...

To me, it just seemed like it was either dead and boring lugging around in the bottom, or running at you with a sword screaming at full force. It had no middle of the road enjoyable harness-able power, which is most useful for normal application. It just seemed like a very unstreetable ride.

I also found that the rake was uncomfortably steep, the bike was too tall, the gas tank was WAY too wide, the transmission was geared too much like a ferrari, it was a bit overweight, and there was entirely too much going on in front of me, the nose looks like that of a oceanliner.

Feedback?

I had a similar experience. No low end.........and decent (at best) midrange. For the half-day I rode it, it never grew on me in the least. In fact, I just kept finding more and more things I didn't like about it. Needless to say, jumping back onto my CBR made me appreciate Honda's engineering even more.

The shootout a few months back in Cycle World (600RR vs. R-6) echo'd the same thing you just desrcibed. They look nice...but it aint a Honda...not even close  
 
RED

When I went to buy my bike, I will be honest. I was dead set on the '07 R6. The dealer had a '07 Suzuki, '07 R6, and the RR. He brought them all outside and said "go ahead, take them for a spin and tell me which one you want to buy" So, I did exactly that. They had about an 1/8th mile straight away and a huge parking lot to move around in.
 
Lets just say the R6 had nothing on the RR for street riding. It was useless. I swear I could have run faster then the thing took off til 10k rpms...lol After riding all 3, I knew I made the right choice and never will regret it.
 
Every statement you made was very accurate about the R6.

Hmmmm.. interesting, did not know that about the R6. Ill make sure I buy a Honda again =] ( if i can ever get one again)

Something about owning a motorcycle made by a company who also makes Pianos and trombones just doesn't really do it for me.

Easy...that's like saying a company that builds lawnmowers and generators must be no good either! I don't see much of a difference between a bad-ass piano and a bad-ass sportbike...except, well, the R6 is really only happy on the track. I just read a review of the '08 R6 though, and Yamaha took steps to improve mid-range and street riding, but it's still a track weapon. I swear more people buy them for road racing than road riding. I would get it just to hear what it's stratospheric 17k rpm redline feels like...

It's a race bike man.
 
Yamis are most all top-end, nothing new.  It's a purebred track bike, make no mistake about it.  Look at everything, forks/internals, rear shock, power range, brakes, etc.
 
The R6 is a BADASS bike, imo.  Not for the faint hearted, for sure.  It's no CBR by any means but trust me, it's a whole different animal.  I've ridden an 06 but not the new ones.

Once a friend of mine exchanged his busa with his friend's R6 for a couple of days. We went for a ride... and to be honest; he was struggling to keep up with me and I wasn't even breathing hard yet. That was the last time I saw him with a R6...

I read that CycleWorld 600rr vs. R6 article and I think their sentiments say it best. The two bikes represent completely different philosophies on how to build a sport bike. Honda takes a bike engineered to be effective on the street, and adapts it for the track. Yamaha takes a track bike and adapts it to be more streetable.
Obviously one can see which philosophy results in a better all around motorcycle. I think the newest CBR's only produce maybe 5hp less than the R6 at their maximum but the well laid out midrange is where the Honda proves its engineering weight.

the R6 is not streetable (IMO)...it's great for the track where you need to keep your RPM in the power band...and where there is no stop signs, lights, etc...
 
given the 2, i'd take the new RR anyway...
 
i'd even take the gixxer over the R6...but as for gixxer over new RR, IDK about that one...must be my inner squid

Horsepower sells vehicles, torque wins races.

I read this article as well, and if I remember correctly, the CBR rocked TWELVE more horsepower at 7K rpms... losing 3 above 14K. 

Witch R6 id you ride?  They have the R6 and the R6s.  I have heard both have no low end at all. I say on a 08 R6 "SE" and it ws light, but I could hardly touch the ground and was leand over like way to much.  I will stick with Honda. I do fit nice on a 06 GSRX 600, but Honda is still better IMO.

For the record, it's no secret Yamis are top-end.  They never have been, or probably ever will be low-end makers.
 
It's a track bike.
 
It reminds me of the old debate on a CBR1000RR and a Hyabusa.  Different bikes.
 
Honda has always been the bike anyone can hop on and go.
 
Yamis have always been the bike that can go from showroom to track with just a suspsension job.  I like the Zukes as a race bike, too.  In fact - I was THIS close to buying an SV650 for the track when I bought the XR.  The SV650 is a TOUGH racebike and you'd never know how ugly it ever was with a GSX1000R bodykit on it.
 
Looks the shit and it's still on my, "to buy" list.  I wonder what everyone here will think... lol

you have to remember the 2007 was the sucky bike year that Yamaha just pushed out before finishing up...the 08's ive heard are alot better

quote:

ORIGINAL: be vertical

So today I got the opportunity to ride a 2007 R6 with like 200 miles on it, bone stock, nice and fresh. I was riding it to a road test for a friend of mine, as in new york state you need a licensed rider to ride your motorcycle to the test, you cannot ride it yourself.

Sorry to go off topic, but are you absolutely dead nuts sure of this? I have my roadtest on Monday and I have never heard of this rule. Where in NYS are you? Im up in Rochester NY. If youre upstate check out www.stuntfactoryx.com , bunch of upstate riders on there, and no its not a stunt oriented site, just the agreed upon name.

Hmm, perfect description of the R6....badass looks, but no low end or midrange power. Can't add much to that. I rode with my buddy on his 07 R6, and it was really no contest. Starting out just pulling hard in like 2nd gear, I had to let off or I would have run over him.