The four-piston Sumitomo calipers are lifted straight from the current R1 with only the pad material differing between the applications. The lever has a more precise screw type adjuster compared to last year’s multi position wheel, making it is easy to set the lever exactly where you want it. As hard as I rode all day, once set, I didn’t have to make any compensation for it getting closer to the bar as I didn’t experience any brake fade.

Some other changes have also been made up front.  For ’05 the discs are now increased from 298mm to 310mm, but have been reduced 4.5mm in width to reduce weight.  We must be talking grams here.

The rake and trail figures are also changed from 24 degrees and 86mm to 24.5 degrees and 95mm, no doubt to give the bike more stability. These changes to the front and rear end combine to give the bike a 5mm longer wheelbase.  The front is also now 15mm higher but there is no change in width to report.

Yamaha’s intended mission had been to improve the front end and leave everything else well alone. Unfortunately it wasn’t that simple, the new set up created handling problems that necessitated a revised rear suspension link and some stiffening in the frame around the swing arm pivot area. This was also to compliment the new 70-series profile front tyre the R6 runs this year. The higher profile is the race tyre size of choice, and is said to give the bike a more solid feel in the corners.

At the rear a new relay arm raises the seat height 10mm.  Like at the front end a stiffer spring rate is used: 103 N/mm compared to 98 N/mm in case anyone understands such things is the figures in relation to the Soqi shock.  The method of adjustment remains the same but the base settings are stiffened up some. Ride quality is superb, I experienced no squat from the rear under hard acceleration and it dealt with the bumpy section of the track with ease.

Externally this year’s bike looks very similar to the ’04, but there are some subtle cosmetic changes with a new R1 fender up front, a new headlight lens and a different inner cowling. Truth be told, I was actually a tad disappointed when I first saw the bike in person. The new R1 is just such an incredibly sexy machine that the six looked somewhat understated. Getting it out on the track though all this was quickly forgotten, as I started to explore what the bike could do, but more of that in a minute.

Looking in behind the new fairing you will notice the R6 uses two smaller fans in place of last years bigger side mounted one. What didn’t change was the R6’s exhaust system, and I have to admit with the R1 running an under tail exhaust I would have thought it to be a natural for the six.