The Yamaha YZF600R is a 599 cc sports bike made by Yamaha

Yamaha Motor Company

, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...

 from 1994 to 2007. While similar in style to its sibling, the YZF-R6

Yamaha YZF-R6

Yamaha's YZF-R6 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle, first introduced in 1998, updated in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008 and revised in the years in between.-History:...

, the 600R maintains some significant differences, including a less aggressive posture, lower revving and higher torque producing motor, a large 1 piece seat and a steel frame rather than aluminium.

Overview

First offered for sale in North American markets in 1994, the YZF600R underwent a major aesthetic restyling in 1997 and was introduced to Europe in 1996 as a replacement to the FZR600. It retained major mechanical components such as the engine, transmission, suspension components and steel "Deltabox" frame, which is perhaps the largest contributor to its hefty weight when compared to the modern competition.

With its inline 4-cylinder engine and 87 hp @11,250 rpm, the YZF600R Thundercat is a comfortable and road minded sports bike. While it weighs in at 417 lb (189.1 kg) dry, it is still capable of 150 mi/h. Its comfortable seating position and relatively torquey motor make it suitable for sport touring

Sport touring

A Sport touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle that blends the performance of a sport bike with the long-distance capabilities of a touring motorcycle, while providing comfort and relative safety to the rider....

 applications, while the fully adjustable suspension and Sumitomo One piece brakes (later used on the R1 and R6) also make it a good choice for track racing.

Yamaha produced and marketed the YZF600R in the United States and Canada for 13 years, with little more than periodic aesthetic updates.

Emerging emissions restrictions ended sale of the Thundercat in Europe in 2005, and the YZF600R was discontinued in the United States and Canada in 2008, replaced by the previous generation fuel-injected YZF-R6

Yamaha YZF-R6

Yamaha's YZF-R6 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle, first introduced in 1998, updated in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008 and revised in the years in between.-History:...

, rebadged YZF-R6S.