Diary of a 2005 Yamaha R6 - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

LayinLo · 07-25-2005, 08:18 AM

I've been given the chance to "borrow" a 2005 Yamaha R6 (Raven Edition) for the week. My little sister got married this weekend and my brother-in-law wanted me to keep his bike while they went on their cruise. He said that I could ride it as long as I washed it and waxed it the day before he got home. Did I say yes? OF COURSE!!!
Anyways, I thought I'd write in a thread my thoughts and impressions of the bike. I'm gonna do this kinda as if it were a diary. Feel free to post up question, comments, and concerns. Each day I'll answer those and post up what I did and how I liked it.

Sunday July 24, 2005

Picked up the bike today. I was a little nervous because I had not ridden much since my wreck on May 16, 2005. Took it straight to a parking lot for some slow manuever practice.

Initial startup was great. I'd been wanting to ride this since Kenny got the bike. The bike felt a bit smaller than my gixxer (2002 GSX-R750). The first thing I really noticed was that the throttle seemed really choppy. The slightest input sent the bike flying and the slightest movement towards closed caused the bike to jerk forward. If there ever was a bike that needed a T.R.E. mod, this was it. To my knowledge, Yamaha has not retarded the timing like Suzuki has.

Other than the finicky throttle, the bike had nice smooth ergonomics and looks. It seemed that everyone was turning their heads to see this all black bike.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna take her out for a while and see what she's got in terms of acceleration and handling. This will also give me some time to look at some specs and see how it compares on paper to some of the other bikes I've ridden.

finch20th · 07-25-2005, 08:56 AM

i love the look of that bike, too bad the throttle is choppy.... i have heard that from everyone that has that bike or mags' that have done a first ride on it....

themeatmanlandry · 07-25-2005, 02:14 PM

I have heard the choppy throttle report time and time again. You'd think they'd at least do a recall, or offer some alternative (a more lax spring? I don't know . . . ), but apparently, they don't care.

Too bad most dealerships won't let you test-ride. Sort of makes me scared to go buy a new bike.

Gixxxer750 · 07-25-2005, 02:46 PM

i was talking to a guy at bike night with a three week old R6, yoshi pipe and i think a chip. he said he could get it to 280. those r6's will move.

**Clint** · 07-25-2005, 05:25 PM

How fast is that in American?

LayinLo · 07-25-2005, 05:26 PM

Day 2: Monday, July 25

Took the bike out for a short ride today. Only put 273 miles on it.

I'm really loving the feel of this bike. Being a shorter guy, this bike seems to fit me better.

The ride today had a lot of long straight stretches that were broken up by a few short chicanes and some broad sweepers. I felt very confident on the bike. It made me slow down some because I didn't wanna get in over my head. Power delivery was very strong in the upper rpm range, which is to be expected from an inline four. It didn't really seem to grab ahold of the road until around 7,500-8,000 rpms. My 750 pulled hard from 4,500-5,000 all the way up. This bike's redline doesn't show up until 15,500!!!!!!!!! The motor seemed to have a whiny, electronic sound which got annoying at slower speeds. It almost sounded like it was powered by 123 crickets instead of 123 horses.

The transmission was very smooth. I would argue that it may be the smoothest shifting I-4 I've ever ridden. Every gear change was solid and smooth as silk. Not a single missed shift! The GSX-R seemed to suffer sometimes as I would miss 1st to 2nd. No problems on the R6.

All-inall, a good ride today. I plan on putting many more miles on it this week. Hopefully taking her up my favorite road on Thursday or Friday!!!

MagnumForce · 07-25-2005, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

How fast is that in American?

280 km/h = 174 mph

Grump · 07-25-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LayinLo

If there ever was a bike that needed a T.R.E. mod, this was it.

What's is a T.R.E. mod?

Grump · 07-25-2005, 08:19 PM

I'm glad your doing the research, I would have been riding an R6 for 500 bucks less than I paid for my Gixxer. But I wanted a zuk.

Dave2122 · 07-25-2005, 10:19 PM

Ask anyone who raced these in superstock in the rain what they think of the throttle responce YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!

Nexus242 · 07-25-2005, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finch63gs500f

... too bad the throttle is choppy.... i have heard that from everyone that has that bike or mags' that have done a first ride on it....

Yep me too. That throttle chop can really send you flying towards the screen in a hurry if your not braced for it. Even my SV has a pretty decent chop when I let off the throttle.

Anyway have some fun on the Raven Trae but remember your Suzuki roots.

**inspiron** · 07-26-2005, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grump

What's is a T.R.E. mod?

Timing Retard Eliminator - Suzuki (and possibly other manufacturers) have "retarded" the timing when the bike is in the lower gears. This means that the ignition (spark) is slightly later than it should be (they ignite when the piston is at the top of the stroke, instead of igniting it a spilt-second before, which would offer optimal power). This is done to lower the power output in the lower gears, so that the throttle is a bit less "touchy" and the engine is a bit quieter.

A T.R.E. is a black-box that 'fools' the fuel injection system into thinking that the bike is always in 5th gear, so the timing is not retarded.

Adrenalin_Junky · 07-26-2005, 06:20 PM

thanks for the clean up Inspiron~

Just do your best not to stunt it LayinLo~ nothing would ruin a honeymoon like a waxed and polished R6 but only on one side!
All the best mate

Scourge · 07-26-2005, 09:16 PM

Nice review man, keep it coming. Oh, and what AJ said, try and avoid the stoppies and wheelies

Gixxxer750 · 07-27-2005, 01:22 PM

best to stay away from the stunts, brother in law would not like to come back from a week of ****ing to a wrecked bike

LayinLo · 07-27-2005, 05:03 PM

Day 3: Tuesday, July 26

Just rode her into work. Had to get on it a little bit to merge into traffic onto the highway. The bike feels very light. I cleaned her up at the firestation. Can't wait to take it out tomorrow!!!

LayinLo · 07-27-2005, 05:20 PM

Day 4: Wednesday, July 27

Got off work around 0800 and met the guys for breakfast. We rode through some really fun twisties on our way to Lake Martin. The bike feels so light and quick in the turns. I had a lot of fun coming out of the turns and really laying on the throttle. I considered this a warm-up for tomorrow. We will be going up Mt. Cheeha, the tallest point in Alabama.

I was really getting comfortable with the smaller feel of the bike. I had to keep the rpms up to give me the sense that it was as fast as it looks when the bike is sitting still. Haven't quite come to terms with the noisy engine. I miss my GSX-R's ram air tubes. They produced a sound that is hard to describe. The GSX-R almost sound like it is sucking in a deep breath everytime I opened my throttle. I felt like it was gonna reach down deep and give me it's heart and soul. The R6 (and few other bikes) seem so quiet that you almost forget you are accelerating.

I have noticed that the R6 seems to have gotten a little more pep. I think this is due to me becoming more comfortable with its sweet spot (power band). Todays twists and turns seemed to really seduce me on this bike. I had more fun on it than I did on my GSX-R in the turns. I haven't decided whether it is due to it's lighter weight or the fact that you have to shift a little more than you do on a larger cc bike. I'm still in awe of how smooth this bike shifts!!! I guess tomorrows ride will help shed some light on this.

Luckily, one of the guys who is going on tomorrows ride will be on a GSX-R 600 (k4). This will, I'm sure, give me a better comparison. We've already agreed to do some bike swapping. Today's mileage added up to 320 miles round trip.

Stay tuned.

ps...no stunting on this machine!!! It's not mine and I have enough respect not to do stupid things on others peoples bikes...

**Trapper** · 07-27-2005, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LayinLo

ps...no stunting on this machine!!! It's not mine and I have enough respect not to do stupid things on others peoples bikes...

And you're going to swap it?

Grump · 07-27-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trappercase

And you're going to swap it?

Took the words right out of my mouth... I'd luv to hear what your going to tell your Bro-in-law if your friend crashes..."I didn't crash your bike, he did..."

themeatmanlandry · 07-28-2005, 08:02 AM

I'd think about the swap . . . or at least try to contact the owner and ask.

<just in case>

07-25-2005, 08:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
LayinLo Flipper ( Don't Ask ) Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Crunchy 02 GSX-R 750 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,936	Diary of a 2005 Yamaha R6 I've been given the chance to "borrow" a 2005 Yamaha R6 (Raven Edition) for the week. My little sister got married this weekend and my brother-in-law wanted me to keep his bike while they went on their cruise. He said that I could ride it as long as I washed it and waxed it the day before he got home. Did I say yes? OF COURSE!!! Anyways, I thought I'd write in a thread my thoughts and impressions of the bike. I'm gonna do this kinda as if it were a diary. Feel free to post up question, comments, and concerns. Each day I'll answer those and post up what I did and how I liked it. Sunday July 24, 2005 Picked up the bike today. I was a little nervous because I had not ridden much since my wreck on May 16, 2005. Took it straight to a parking lot for some slow manuever practice. Initial startup was great. I'd been wanting to ride this since Kenny got the bike. The bike felt a bit smaller than my gixxer (2002 GSX-R750). The first thing I really noticed was that the throttle seemed really choppy. The slightest input sent the bike flying and the slightest movement towards closed caused the bike to jerk forward. If there ever was a bike that needed a T.R.E. mod, this was it. To my knowledge, Yamaha has not retarded the timing like Suzuki has. Other than the finicky throttle, the bike had nice smooth ergonomics and looks. It seemed that everyone was turning their heads to see this all black bike. Tomorrow, I'm gonna take her out for a while and see what she's got in terms of acceleration and handling. This will also give me some time to look at some specs and see how it compares on paper to some of the other bikes I've ridden.

07-25-2005, 08:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
finch20th Baiting for a Banning!!!!!! Joined: Jan 2005 Bike: 2005 Gsxr 600 20th Anniversary Edition Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 1,107	i love the look of that bike, too bad the throttle is choppy.... i have heard that from everyone that has that bike or mags' that have done a first ride on it.... __________________ Wisconsin Winters Suck! Miles to date on the 600: 2263.2 #4803!!! The Proud New Owner Of A 2005 Suzuki Gsx-R 600 20th Anniversary Edition!!!

07-25-2005, 02:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
Gixxxer750 Clunked into first gear Joined: May 2005 Bike: 2005 Suzuki GSX-R750 Location: Red Deer, AB Posts: 233	i was talking to a guy at bike night with a three week old R6, yoshi pipe and i think a chip. he said he could get it to 280. those r6's will move. __________________ "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." Rockin' a hot 2005 GSX-R750 with the new colour scheme, only one in Red Deer.

07-25-2005, 05:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
LayinLo Flipper ( Don't Ask ) Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Crunchy 02 GSX-R 750 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,936	Day 2 Day 2: Monday, July 25 Took the bike out for a short ride today. Only put 273 miles on it. I'm really loving the feel of this bike. Being a shorter guy, this bike seems to fit me better. The ride today had a lot of long straight stretches that were broken up by a few short chicanes and some broad sweepers. I felt very confident on the bike. It made me slow down some because I didn't wanna get in over my head. Power delivery was very strong in the upper rpm range, which is to be expected from an inline four. It didn't really seem to grab ahold of the road until around 7,500-8,000 rpms. My 750 pulled hard from 4,500-5,000 all the way up. This bike's redline doesn't show up until 15,500!!!!!!!!! The motor seemed to have a whiny, electronic sound which got annoying at slower speeds. It almost sounded like it was powered by 123 crickets instead of 123 horses. The transmission was very smooth. I would argue that it may be the smoothest shifting I-4 I've ever ridden. Every gear change was solid and smooth as silk. Not a single missed shift! The GSX-R seemed to suffer sometimes as I would miss 1st to 2nd. No problems on the R6. All-inall, a good ride today. I plan on putting many more miles on it this week. Hopefully taking her up my favorite road on Thursday or Friday!!!

07-25-2005, 08:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
Grump In Training Joined: Jun 2005 Bike: 93 Suzuki 600 Katana & 2004 Suzuki GSX-R 600 Location: Japan, Yokota AB Posts: 104	I'm glad your doing the research, I would have been riding an R6 for 500 bucks less than I paid for my Gixxer. But I wanted a zuk. __________________ Second Place means you're the first loser...

07-25-2005, 02:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
themeatmanlandry Banned Joined: Dec 2003 Bike: 2002 Bandit 600S (Black); 2006 GSXR750 (Black) Location: Memphis Posts: 11,423	I have heard the choppy throttle report time and time again. You'd think they'd at least do a recall, or offer some alternative (a more lax spring? I don't know . . . ), but apparently, they don't care. Too bad most dealerships won't let you test-ride. Sort of makes me scared to go buy a new bike.

07-25-2005, 10:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dave2122 Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2004 Bike: Which one of the 9? Location: USA Posts: 887	Ask anyone who raced these in superstock in the rain what they think of the throttle responce YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!

07-26-2005, 06:20 PM	#13 (permalink)
Adrenalin_Junky Wants Better Weather Joined: Oct 2004 Bike: 2002 GSXR-750 Location: Langley,Canada Posts: 661	thanks for the clean up Inspiron~ Just do your best not to stunt it LayinLo~ nothing would ruin a honeymoon like a waxed and polished R6 but only on one side! All the best mate __________________ "Life without Danger and the Need for Adrenalin...is a waste of Oxygen"

07-26-2005, 09:16 PM	#14 (permalink)
Scourge U.B's LoveChild Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: 2002 V-Star 650 Location: Winston Salem, NC Posts: 1,253	Nice review man, keep it coming. Oh, and what AJ said, try and avoid the stoppies and wheelies __________________ I hate rude behavior in a man, won't tolerate it..

07-27-2005, 01:22 PM	#15 (permalink)
Gixxxer750 Clunked into first gear Joined: May 2005 Bike: 2005 Suzuki GSX-R750 Location: Red Deer, AB Posts: 233	best to stay away from the stunts, brother in law would not like to come back from a week of ****ing to a wrecked bike __________________ "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." Rockin' a hot 2005 GSX-R750 with the new colour scheme, only one in Red Deer.

07-27-2005, 05:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
LayinLo Flipper ( Don't Ask ) Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Crunchy 02 GSX-R 750 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,936	Day 3 Day 3: Tuesday, July 26 Just rode her into work. Had to get on it a little bit to merge into traffic onto the highway. The bike feels very light. I cleaned her up at the firestation. Can't wait to take it out tomorrow!!!

07-27-2005, 05:20 PM	#17 (permalink)
LayinLo Flipper ( Don't Ask ) Joined: Jul 2004 Bike: Crunchy 02 GSX-R 750 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,936	Day 4 Day 4: Wednesday, July 27 Got off work around 0800 and met the guys for breakfast. We rode through some really fun twisties on our way to Lake Martin. The bike feels so light and quick in the turns. I had a lot of fun coming out of the turns and really laying on the throttle. I considered this a warm-up for tomorrow. We will be going up Mt. Cheeha, the tallest point in Alabama. I was really getting comfortable with the smaller feel of the bike. I had to keep the rpms up to give me the sense that it was as fast as it looks when the bike is sitting still. Haven't quite come to terms with the noisy engine. I miss my GSX-R's ram air tubes. They produced a sound that is hard to describe. The GSX-R almost sound like it is sucking in a deep breath everytime I opened my throttle. I felt like it was gonna reach down deep and give me it's heart and soul. The R6 (and few other bikes) seem so quiet that you almost forget you are accelerating. I have noticed that the R6 seems to have gotten a little more pep. I think this is due to me becoming more comfortable with its sweet spot (power band). Todays twists and turns seemed to really seduce me on this bike. I had more fun on it than I did on my GSX-R in the turns. I haven't decided whether it is due to it's lighter weight or the fact that you have to shift a little more than you do on a larger cc bike. I'm still in awe of how smooth this bike shifts!!! I guess tomorrows ride will help shed some light on this. Luckily, one of the guys who is going on tomorrows ride will be on a GSX-R 600 (k4). This will, I'm sure, give me a better comparison. We've already agreed to do some bike swapping. Today's mileage added up to 320 miles round trip. Stay tuned. ps...no stunting on this machine!!! It's not mine and I have enough respect not to do stupid things on others peoples bikes...

07-28-2005, 08:02 AM	#20 (permalink)
themeatmanlandry Banned Joined: Dec 2003 Bike: 2002 Bandit 600S (Black); 2006 GSXR750 (Black) Location: Memphis Posts: 11,423	I'd think about the swap . . . or at least try to contact the owner and ask. <just in case>

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