YAMAHA R6 (2004 - 2005) Review

Year: 2004

R6

Version: R6

Year: 2004

Annual servicing cost: £835

Great midrange power! Front brakes grabby

Buying experience: Bought used with 2500 miles on it!

Version: Raven Edition

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £350

I stepped up to the R6 after 2 fun years on a Honda Hornet 600. A year later and with 4000 fun miles under my belt I can safely say that the R6 is pretty much spot on. Like the MCN review states, this bike is just as happy going to the shops as it is being dragged around Mallory Park. Steering Damper and a nice exhaust have transformed the way the bike rides. I'm 6ft 2 and I get a bit achy after a long ride (300 miles plus) but commuting and short blasts are fine. The bike still looks the part from the front, I can't help but feel the rear is looking slightly dated compared to the Suzuki's of the same era.

Year: 2004

Annual servicing cost: £300

Great bike, excellent handling, nice power ranges with just a little bit short at the lower ones, excellent seating position for constant breaking and acceleration. The only thing that troubles me it is few technical defects I encountered, such as TPS and Ignition Coils issues.

Year: 2004

Bought this bike few weeks ago while looking for R1. The price was attractive so thought "why not"?. I have had FZS 1000 2004 model and can compare it to it I suppose. Bad points first: Its not as fast as FZS 1000 (even though it supposed to be a sport bike comparing to the sport touring FZS), the engine seems to be always missing an extra gear, not great looking to be honest but its nice for a change, the finish of the plastics is not very good but acceptable. Good points: It still turns heads especially when cleaned, the engine is very smooth, the noise with aftermarket exhaust is great, dashboard is very sexy in red colour, suspensions are very confy comparing to the FZS 1000 and overall ride for a sport bike is not that difficult as I had expected.

My Raven was a beautiful bike. Engine could have been stronger, but was still on par with the rest of the 600 competition. No steering damper or slipper clutch equipped means more money on aftermarket stuff. Never bought the slipper, but after fitting a damper, handling improved ten-fold. Price was a bit steep, but only because the dealer wouldn't let me budge on the Raven when it first came out. Very reliable. After a collision at around 55 mph, she got up and got me home.

After selling by 00' blade to fund a RTW trip, I returned and wanted another sportsbike. I was looking at Daytonas and R6's from 2006 onwards and stumbled on this bargain of a century. The 2005 R6 has all the trick suspension and brakes it's just the old R6 uprated a bit... But nothing was massively wrong with the old one, I think you can't go wrong when a 3800 mile R6 goes for 3850... thats like a £1 for every mile it's done. Stonking motor, just feels like it needs an extra gear or the gearing slightly adjusted, because it still has loads of power when it hits the redline in top and the clock shows 165. Handling wise, the standard suspension is a little unforgiving on british roads, which when pushed hard can lead to tank slappers and the back end jumping around. The build quality seems good but this bike has been pampered, and until its abused and used all year round I won't know how good it can be. Gorgeous Dash, looks great in the black colour scheme, and with an akrapovic sounds awesome, what's bad about it? The paint on the rear swing arm is crap and has rubbed off from boots, and the toolkit jangles around in the back as the rubber straps dont fit on properly, but this maybe because the accumen alarm system blocks it... There is not a lot to fault, but I was shocked by the insurance, £400 tpft, when my blade was £300 tpft... You can't go far wrong if you want to buy a 3 year old bike, because the model change, they are seen as less desirable and as such Cheep Cheep like the budgie!!!

Had my R6 for 8 months and have done 6500 miles. Only very cold January mornings have not brought a smile to my face. Have changed tyres to Avon Viper Sports with a 70 profile on the front and dropped yokes down forks by 5mm. Akrapovic end can on her sounds beautifull! Scotoiler and double screen finish her off. I just love this bike, I'm going to get a test ride on the new R6 because it must be good to make me part with mine. Even takes the wife on the back with 2 clicks extra on pre-load no fuss. Forget all the rubbish about having to thrash R6's all the time to get anywhere, there is more than enough power. In a nut-shell, totaly seductive.  Strengths: Great to just get on and ride. No fuss, forgiving and most of all alot of fun. Weaknesses: Snappy power delivery in low gears and around town. Standard tyres on cold winter mornings. Standard exhaust.

I bought my R6 new and now, a month later, am selling it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the bike: it's extremely fast even though not yet fully run in, corners where you look and the engine is super-smooth. But it's very uncomfortable compared to other bikes I've owned, so much so that I'm a worse rider on it because I'm worried about feeling uncomfortable rather than worrying about where I'm going/what's going on around me. I'm 6' tall, in my mid-30s and practise yoga every day, so it's not that I'm giant-sized, old, pot-bellied or rigid. Other bikes I've owned include a Thundercat, Hornets and CBR600s (Fs, not RRs!): in retrospect these were better bikes for me because, although they don't ultimately have the same potential top speed, in real life they're quicker. I'm sure the R6 is a great bike for many people, and if you want a race rep for track use or quick half-hour to hour-long blasts it's ideal. But I've found it too focused on a kind of riding I don't do.  Strengths: Power, maneuverability, fantastic looking. Weaknesses: Ergonomics: the riding position is very cramped. When reviews say 'comfortable', sometimes adding 'for a modern sports 600', I think what they really mean is 'less uncomfortable than the others'.