[eric]

I had two bikes in mind for 06 , now keep in mined i have had 20 road bike's over the year's so i don't get a big buzz out of a new bike any more, it would just be my next bike , the two bikes i had in mind where the 06R1 and the 06R6

First bike was the 06R1 , i have a number of friends with 05 R1's so i test rode them i even put a set of tyres on one and had it for a day , i did a number of laps up and down the reefton and black spur's { lot and lots of corners } and i came to the piont where i said that this is one very good bike but it is not for me , the 600 is more suited for some one of my size and for the places i like to go riding .

then i had a look at the 06R6 and yes even i thought i was going to buy one . I keepted looking and looking at pic's of it and i still think the 05R6 looks better , i just don't like the look of the thing , i know it has a lot of nice fetchers on it . E.g high and low speed compression damping , slipper clutch , fly by wire throttle and a bit more power .

My 05R6 already has high and low speed compression damping as part of the Wilber's rear shock that i have on so i thought that if the front was done then the suppression question between the two models would be over , as i would still have to have the 06R6 spring's charged and maybe revalued to suit my self , my thought on the fly by wire throttle and speaking as a road rider here was Why? , if you already have good throttle control why would you need this , the same could be said for the slipper clutch , if you don't get the back of the bike out of shape on the down shifting as you are hard on the brakes going into a corner then you don't need this .

Ithink the 06R6 is going to prove to be a very good bike on the track but for the street it may be a little over kill.

The last thing that has made me decide to keep the 05R6 was the charge over price and the fact i have already fitted a lot of modes to the bike and with going just a bit further with it i will have one of the best 05R6's on the street .

 

[AwwsChwA]

This reply is totally :beathorse so you've been warned. But, I totally agree with this guy.

That's exactly it, man. The '06 is a purebred track bike, nothing more. Look at it another way...that redline...My '05 starts to make power around 6k and it's making solid grunt around 8k and up. With 17,500 rpm potential there is absolutely no way that bike is gonna make any usable power before 9k rpm, which makes it absolutely useless on the street.

I agree with you on the slipper clutch and adjustable shocks, too. Bottom line is, unless you're skilled enough to actually take advantage of all the features it uses, they are useless. I ride with a couple guys who both own Honda F4 models, and those guys routinely leave me in the dust on their beat up, old, carbureted bikes becuz of their skill as riders, not becuz of what they ride.

As far as throttle by wire, I don't like the idea of anything by wire. I'm an engineer, I understand technology and its benefits, but man, I really really do not like the idea of a computer having the final say in what my motor vehicle is doing. Computer assist? That's ok, I'm still the one who has ultimate control of the vehicle. But the thought of my hand not actually controlling that throttle, and with cars, the thought of my foot not actually controlling the brakes or my steering wheel not actually turning the wheels, instead some computer is reading my input and activating a servo...*shudder*...man that creeps me out. Call it philosophical nonsense or fear of technology if you like, but I wanna know damn well that my vehicle is controlled by me and that some computer isn't randomly gonna fail and cause my vehicle to lose its ability to stop or steer.

And the most important thing I agree with you on is the looks. I know people think it's just jealousy becuz I don't own a '06, but man, they look really strange to me. The headlights look like a damn praying mantis and what the fudge is up with that stupid star trek tail light thing?? The bike lost all its grace with the '06 style, I think. It looks like something out of an Anime' movie or like something George Lucas helped to design.

 

[albinohickey]

While I agree that you don't really need an 06 R6 and think you've probably made a fine decision in not getting one, I don't agree that the 06 is overkill for the street. I mean think about it, they are all overkill for the street. Might as well push the technology as far as possible and offer it to us to have fun on. But at the end of the day all sportbikes are overkill for the street as far as their ability to accelerate, brake, corner, etc. I probably wouldn't notice low and high speed damping, but eh, might as well have it if it's available. Maybe one day I will need it.

edit: And on looks you're all crazy. Have you seen it in person? SUPER SEXY. My lady can have grace, my R6 doesn't need it. Go sit on one and tell me you don't want one!

 

[AtlantaR6]

Good write up and it sounds as though you made an educated decision based on data and what you use the bike for. It's a great bike but it's not for everyone, henceforth why they build different models/styles of bikes! Especially if you have a modded 05' that you like.

 

[redacuragsr]

I actually went to the long beach convention center bike show this weekend and got to sit on the new R6, I really like the feel of the new sitting position it kind of felt to me like my old 99 did with the gas tank more stretched out unlike my 05 where my gas tank seems to close to the front (at least that’s what it seems to me) After looking at it closely from all the sides it seems to me that the 05 looks way better except may be for the tail. I think I liked it more before I actually saw it in person, I was actually thinking of getting one but now I am just not sure if it is worth it, I don’t like the sitting position of my 05 too much because I keep having to push my self away from the gas tank with my legs so it comfortable for me to corner, so that is the only factor that I am weighing in my decision to get it or not.

 

[XRedJar]

I really like the looks of my 01. Though, I think there are really no model years where the R6 dosen't look great.

The 06 does break new ground in the looks dept. Not sure I really like the slats on the side or not, guess I'd have to see one in person to know. I like the fly-by-wire throttle idea. As long as they have it dialed in well, and have some kind of back-up in case it fails.

I'd have to be a better rider to have the new suspension make much of a difference to me.

I'll be interested to hear from owners of pervious R6 models who buy an 06 to see how much better they think it is. With a 17,500 rpm redline, I'd like to know whats happened to power under 8-9000 revs.

 

[ChampionR6-476]

17,500 is beautiful....dont worry about the power delivery.. its supposed to make power on the lower end of the spectrum due to the addition of the EXUP to the R6.

 

[eric]

i have just got my bike back , had the front forks done and sume brake lines put on , i am sure it will keep me happy for the next year :wink

 

[Varg05R6]

"I ride with a couple guys who both own Honda F4 models, and those guys routinely leave me in the dust on their beat up, old, carbureted bikes becuz of their skill as riders, not becuz of what they ride."

Absolutely. I got totally owned today by a guy on a 99 R6. I could have been on the YZR-M1 & he still would have flogged me. Maybe not on the straight