A genuine photo of the next-generation Yamaha YZF-R6 has been leaked on the internet, confirming that the Japanese manufacturer has indeed been working on an update for the middleweight supersport bike. The news comes as a breather at a time when companies like Honda seem to have given up on this segment, with the supposed discontinuation of the CBR 600RR.
This is the first major overhaul for the Yamaha YZF-R6 since the current motorcycle was launched in 2008. Though Yamaha did give the bike a minor update to the engine in 2010, this was mostly in the powertrain department. Going by the photo, it is clear that the 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 will get a major rejig, with slight influence from the flagship YZF-R1. The fairing gets a radical new design with CFD winglets protruding from the nose, LED lights, air intake scoops and vents near the fuel tank. While the YZF-R6 is good for 123bhp, the updated model is expected to clear 130bhp.
It was recently revealed that Honda was not going to come out with a new or updated CBR600RR, given the declining popularity of the segment. While the development of 600cc supersport machines requires a large investment for R&D as well as facing lot of technical challenges, these motorcycles cannot be priced too high due to the segment positioning. As a result, the margins on these motorcycles are wafer thin. Yamaha though, seems to have decided to go ahead and give the segment one more shot before it pulls the plug on these motorcycles. We can expect the Yamaha YZF-R6 to be unveiled by the end of this year.
