YAMAHA R6 (2008 - 2016) Review

Version: 13s

Year: 2008

I have owned this bike for around 4 years now and spent thousands on it and the bike looks so good I always wanted one and glad I got it too the brakes on the yamaha are so good compared to the other competitors I'd go as far to say this has the best brakes compared to any other bike I have owned and the only downside I can think of is it doesn't take long to get wrist ache but I have seen some handlebars which might be able to help with that apart from that I would recommend this bike you can't really go wrong with the Japanese bikes they are very reliable, look great and ride fast too

Year: 2008

I bought my Yamaha r6 2008 13s a year ago and if I’m honest I wish I didn’t buy it i mean the bike looks amazing but really the fairings are so flimsy compared to any other bike I have owned literally they mark so easy and I bought some brand new fairings here an there an one of them which is the right hand side where they slide together the blue pin has snapped off and the paint leaves swirl marks which don’t polish out no matter what you use just wish the build quality for the body work was better I mean the bike rides great and it does look great and this is my first Yamaha bike iv owned iv had Honda Suzuki and Kawasaki but this one is probably the worst one I’ve bought for the money think I just bought it off the wrong person iv had a really bad time with it but spent so much money on it now it’s not worth me selling it looks like I’m stuck with the thing I’ll be damned if anymore problems arise

Buying experience: Had a bad experience buying this bike all from day one I bought it private

Year: 2018

Most capable and confidence-inspiring 600cc bike I have ever ridden. Looks amazing, feels amazing, handles amazing. Power is good, but you can definitely feel it being choked by the Euro4 emissions regulations, especially on the top end.

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £125

Best bits: Front end grip, sweet turn in. neutral chassis improved by Ohlin. Worst bits: nothing.

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £500

After riding my R6 through 3 winters as I am all year rider. It never missed a beat. there is nothing wrong with it, under riding it keeping the revs below 10,000 rpm in winter and letting rip at 16,500 prm whenever the opportunity allows, means it has been a perfect road tool. I rode at 05:45 in the dark every day until those heady days of 05:30 day breaks in summer.

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £250

Best feature: Revs to spare on the road. Not a radical riding position, changed standard pegs with Gilles rearsets. Better feeling from the front end. As ever, changed the shock for an Ohlins. Immediate improvement with handling feed back. Worst feature: clock only 12 hour, no 24 hour setting available.

Buying experience: I bought it from a dealer for £7299, it was on sale from £8599. It was a result.

Year: 2008

Annual servicing cost: £300

I have had my r6 for a week and i love it, i love it more than any other 600, and ive had the gixer, cbr and triumph. The only thing i don't like is that it has an idle/stalling problem when cold, very frustrating, when you start the bike it struggles around 1500rpm bouncing between 15000 and 2000 this lasts for around a minuet, sometimes it stalls completely as it did when i picked the bike up, i put it down to old fuel but since the problem has persisted iv googled it and it seems quite common with no definitive reason! it seems to affect the older r1 too

I am miffed that this review is based on a 2008 R6 when the bike had changes to tech in the engine, suspension and ergonomics (a little) in 2010. Just colour changes since, so come on guys (MCN or Yamaha) update the page. Ta. I will be picking up my 2010 R6 this coming weekend and riding 240 miles home. so, I will get to know this bike by the time I get home.

If you want to know how good these bikes are, select 'bikes for sale' and compare these with the equivalent value of GSXR's and ZX6R's. These really hold their value well, partly because Yamaha have not devloped them away too quickly, so not lowering the value through the ageing affect, and because they don't do silly discounts like Kawasaki do, which kills the residual value of ZX6R's. You may have spotted I didn't include the CBR in that analysis, and thats because they are in a very similar position to the Yamaha of course. Top quality, parts and paint, built to un-questionable standards, and the R6 brings with it that amazing rev ceiling! I really enjoy the sound of a GSXR under load and revving high, but this R6 seems be just that bit better, I can't really explain how (great for a review I know), but again, it just has that edge of quality to it. When sittig on an R6 straight after a GSXR or ZX6R, I notice it feels more like you are on the bike than in it, a bit like Triumph's 675, but for me this just makes it feel more edgy and sportier. I wasn't sure about them before, I'm not the kind of chap that tries to make friends with the popular guy, but instead likes to see if I can support a worthy underdog. So though I hate to say it, I really do like this bike... So on that note it may surprise you to learn I would actually buy the ZX6R instead! Why? well it's just as quick on the road as the R6, but most of the time in the used market, for the equivalent year/miles the ZX6R is a grand cheaper! I know, I'm tight ;-)

I traded in my 08R6 for a zx10 to keep up with my nephew who has an 09 blade - several bikes down the line and I am back on the best bike ever - had a gsxr750 for 5 months - nice bike but couldnt get the R6 out of my head - rode 180 down to crescent yamaha and traded in for a 200 mile 59 reg demo - I honestly think that the look, sound and feel of this bike beats all for pleasure/excitement - I know it is a little flat in the middle, but the way it spins up and that howling sound - magic. I also think that it has the finest build quality and beats my nephews blade with its rusty flaky exhaust and rusty nuts!

I own an R6 race bike... and I love it. Sure it's been tweaked and gets ridden hard - but I thought that was the point?! I would not buy one for the road though, as being lucky enough to have ridden a number of other bikes, I'd go for something like a GSXR 750 or a CBR 600 for the road. Can someone please explain to me how MCN rates the 2006/7 bike as being a better bike overall (5/5) and has more equipment (5/5) when this bike is improved and the equipment stays pretty much the same???

If, like me, you get on one of these with no previous experience of sportsbikes you'll wonder what the hell all of those bike journalists are on about when they moan about this bike having no mid-range - it's all relative. The rush this bike(or any sportsbike Im sure)can give is a fantastic feeling. The only negative for me is the wrist pain that can set in during stop-start city centre traffic. Get it out on the open road and hold on tight!

Alway loved the R6 as I had a couple of early models. This model is far more focused, keep the revs up and the grin factor just doesn't go away. I commuted on mine and had a bad accident, although the bike was riden off the motorway, shows the quality of the chasis and engine. Only had her for a year as she was written off but would get another in a heart beat.

talk of it being too focussed is rubbish. Yes it is at its best when being thrashed, but it can also be enjoyed at a more relaxed pace. I owned an 06 R6, and this is that bit better. The extra midrange shove is noticeable. I get fed up of tyres that burn out in 2000miles so I have just put on a pair of diablo stradas! Apart from feeling 'stiffer' and looking like tractor tyres they seem fine. I have slackened off all the suspension settings a litle to help them work better, and give a slightly plusher ride. Fantastic bike, best looking 600 by far, and I reckon I could do several hours on it wihout any comfort issues.

Two words.Love it! Gotta agree with Rsix, gotta be in the mood which i always am when out on it, and if im not, i soon get into it :) Love the engine, keep it up over 10k and its just mental. Quite stiff as standard but find a smooth road or track and its a blast!!

Two words.Love it! Gotta agree with Rsix, gotta be in the mood which i always am when out on it, and if im not, i soon get into it :) Love the engine, keep it up over 10k and its just mental. Quite stiff as standard but find a smooth road or track and its a blast!!

Two words.Love it. Definately have to be in the mood when riding it.Not a great bike at slow speeds, but then who buys a supersport 600 to go to the shops on?? Begs to be ridden hard and fast, with a fantastic screaming motor.Very solid handling and very flickable.In my opion, the sexiest bike/600 out there. Bring on track day season.