Yzf World View
YZF World View
Moto-mags and the 600R
WHILE YAMAHA'S YZF600R IS JUST NOW FINDING ITS way to the States, riders around the globe have been leaving cat tracks with the YZF600R Thundercat since early 1996. Here's what some of
the foreign motorcycle press had to say after pitting the YZF against its middleweight opposition. Interesting is the wide range of opinions on the bike, with rifts between what the track-oriented and street-oriented magazines thought about it.
CYCLE CANADA:
“It might have required three attempts, but Yamaha’s 600 has earned top honors in the 600 class. We’d also go out on a limb and say the new (bike) is the most highly refined and effective motorcycle Yamaha has built to date...Honda commemorates a winning tradition for its CBR600F3 with a Miguel Duhamel replica. How rude of Yamaha to spoil the party.”
FAST BIKES (England):
“The motor really is incredibly smooth, it’s got delivery absolutely everywhere you want it and there’s little doubt that it’s also the new class leader in terms of absolute speed...As an allrounder, we all liked the Cat, (but) we were more than a little disappointed with the overall han-4u;
dling. It should have been the best. But it wasn’t.”
MOTOR CYCLE NEWS (England):
“Yamaha’s Thundercat blasts past supersport rivals to become the new king of the class...Fears that the Thundercat would handicap itself by trying to be all things to all people have proved unfounded. Instead, it showed the opposition how it should be done!...Yamaha has got the whole balance just right. The new YZF has the best blend of aggression and civility...The Cat takes the cream.”
AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE NEWS:
“There are numerous nice touches which help to make the Thundercat a livable streetbike and not just a race replica...The fact that the bike looks more road oriented tends to dilute its impressive engine and chassis performance.”
MOTOCICLISMO (Spain):
“The Kawasaki ZX-6R is still the queen of performance, and also an exceptional midweight sport-
bike...The CBR600F3 these days is not the best in any point, but is an extremely balanced package...The YZF600R is a little too big and heavy, but a comfortable, excellent touring bike,
(with) an optimum chassis, a good fairing and unbeatable brakes. Is it the best? If we base the answer strictly on the lap times, it is not. We still bet the CBR.”
MOTO SPRINT (Italy):
“The new Yamaha YZF is the new top reference in this category, even over the CBR which is always ready to fight with the newest motorcycles.”
MOTORRAD (Germany):
“A comfortable windscreen, comfort for both the rider and passenger, a silky-smooth, torquey motor and the best brakes make the Yamaha good for every day and for long stretches, giving it a waferthin lead over the previous class leader Honda CBR600F3...The disadvantages (on the racetrack): Too much weight, too little ground clearance and a rather touristy riding position.”
BIKE (England):
“If you want a drivable engine, the Cat’s the best...The YZF has some brilliant features, but when the parts of the sum are added up, it seems very ordinary, too much of a compromise perhaps.” □
