Yamaha XJ6N:
The everyday superbike (kind of)
If you’re looking for a bike that’s MUCH better than you might think, then this is the one.
Launched in 2009, the XJ6N – like it’s forebear – is the naked version of the Diversion (again, a new bike carrying an old name), being exactly the same bike minus the fairing. For 2013 the bike got new bodywork with ABS being added last year.
The original XJ6N was a bike that didn’t exactly get the pulse racing. Is the XJ6N a better bike than the name suggests? We took out a 2011 model, which comes with a huge Yamaha OE top box and rack (not shown in photos and removed for the test ride) to find out.
Give me some spec A 600cc, inline four-cylinder engine housed in a steel tubular diamond frame, supplies 78bhp with 44lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 135mph. Stopping power comes via twin 298mm discs up front and single 245mm rear.
So what’s it like to ride? First impression is how tiny the XJ6N appears. It carries a dry weight of 205kg, but seems much, much lighter. At 785mm seat height this bike will fit most, but taller riders might feel cramped.
On the road the smoothness of the engine strikes you. In second gear at 2000 revs it glides along. But it really wants to be revved – let it spin up and it rewards with decent power up the range. There is a flip side; at lower revs the throttle response is snatchy – changing down from third to second I dropped off the throttle and the engine bogged down. Keep it spinning and this isn’t an issue.
Clutch and gearbox are typical slick Yamaha. The brakes do the job, though lacking feel.
Oh but the handling! MUCH better than expected. It flips onto its side easily, accepts mid-turn line changes and is so well balanced flipping from side to side is a doddle. Given the torrential rain the night before, B-roads were avoided, but given how it handled everything else, the little Yamaha would shine there in the right hands.
On smooth roads, the XJ6N’s suspension is perfect. The approach to the location of the photo shoot is a patchwork quilt of surfaces, but it handled that perfectly. Trafficcalming ripples sent loads of unwanted feedback through the bars though. And it has kerb appeal; I took the bike home and my wife Laura (a fellow biker) took one look and said “Oh, isn’t it cute!”
This is a delightful little bike; I could see a sportsbike owner having one as a weekday bike... then find they’re using it at the weekend too.
What nick is it in? The front tyre hasn’t much life left and the dealer mentioned the chain. Both of these are things that should be handled in the pre-sale service.
What’s it worth? This is a great deal. The dealer wants £2999 for a 2011 model with 17,900 miles on the clock – with a huge top box and rack worth £200 – with a couple of things they should sort. Used prices range from a 2011 model with 34,500 miles logged at £2495 to £5000 for a 2014 bike with 2150 miles on the clock.