R6 vs used 600s
We let Fagan loose on the brand new R6, to see if it really is an evolution of its rivals!
W hat have 600cc supersport bikes done to deserve to be embroiled in this torrid situation? Sales have declined as manufacturers have focused time and budgets on areas of growth, meaning class development has become seriously stagnant; it’s a vicious circle of doom that nobody can justify. And, as we rapidly munch away at 2017, Yamaha’s revised YZF-R6 is the only genuine 600cc supersport bike available to buy brandnew – not counting MV Agusta’s F3 675, although the delicate state of the Varese factory sparks an entirely different debate.
These middleweight screamers have become a staple part of supersport life, combining manageable power with race-spec handling that intuitively teaches corner speed, not to mention providing a suitable stepping stone to bigger steeds. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, if there was ever a class that was likely to be royally buggered by Euro 4, it was the 600s. Without diluting preferences and veering away from sporting pedigree, the jump from 300cc ‘supersport’ bikes to big litre bikes is dangerously seismic for the yoots of today. How manufacturers can pin supersports status to these sparrowlimbed A2 roadsters is another entirely different debate.
Thankfully, there’s the used market to use and abuse; thousands upon thousands of fully-faired middleweights awaiting a new home. As previously mentioned, while new bike sales have rapidly deteriorated, the used market is ripe and responsible for propping up many smaller dealers who benefit little from small margins on factory-fresh models. Such is the strength of the second-hand sector, these bikes are still demanding top dollar.
We dropped in on our buddies at Fowlers in Bristol to peruse their extensive second-hand collection, choosing three fairly new (and mint condition) rivals to take on the 2017 Yamaha R6. Triumph’s Daytona 675R, in its most recent guise, is one of Britain’s finest engineering feats and is readily available for a ridiculous bargain price. The Kawasaki ZX-6R was the last (and first) Japanese bike to benefit from an electronics arsenal, plus an extra 36cc. And, at the other end of the techno spectrum, Honda’s CBR600RR has remained largely unchanged for years, yet supplies innate chassis ability and WSS-wannabe aesthetics.
Is it really worth buying new? Any one of this second-hand trio can be bagged for £4k less than the price of 2017’s finest…