Yamaha YZF-600 R6

Finding the R6's power is a matter of getting seriously flexible with your right wrist. Twist the throttle hard and you'll be rewarded with a high-pitched buzz from the airbox and an amazing rush of top-end power that peaks at 12,700 rpm. The engine will easily rev to a stratospheric 15,500 rpm before the electronic rev limiter cuts in, but there's not much more atop those 12,700 revs than inertia.

Even a drunk Anna Nicole Smith couldn't fall into corners with the zeal of this bike, which makes it a track-day and canyon-carver's favorite-though many owners fit steering dampers to control the sometimes flighty front end during hard rides.

This 2002 model is now five years on from its factory sell-by date, but that doesn't mean a used buy is a bad choice for the bucks. Cycletrader.com, the Web's biggest used-motorcycle showroom, recently had more than two dozen early-2000s R6 models posted, and clean bikes showing less than 20,000 miles can be picked up for a very affordable $4000-$6699. Because the R6 received a major overhaul in 2003-including a stiffer frame, larger-capacity airbox and a few more horsepower- earlier versions are cheaper but arguably as good on the road or track. Great buys can also be found on Internet auction giant eBay, but owners on this site tend to strip their bikes of any aftermarket add-ons before placing them on the auction block.

Be sure to negotiate for those rearsets, exhausts and tinted windshields if you want them. Speaking of add-ons, Yamaha was among the first manufacturers to one-up the aftermarket by equipping its sportbikes with trick parts from the get-go; the 2002 R6 was graced with LED brake lights and a smart-looking factory undertail as stock.

As one of the last carbureted sportbikes, expect smooth, glitch-free fueling from this popular machine, unless, that is, someone has (very likely) added an aftermarket exhaust. A pipe, without a proper re-jetting, will mean some nasty flat spots hidden in the middle of the Yam's rev range, identifiable by a disturbing feeling that the bike isn't receiving enough fuel. This can be easily remedied with a jet kit for around $150 (including labor) at most shops.

Some owners have complained of a spongy front brake feel, which can be cured by fitting aftermarket brake lines. Others have bled the brakes to release trapped air every two years or so, which also helps cure the problem.

Like nearly all Yamahas, the R6 is relatively bulletproof when it comes to long-term reliability, though it's not unheard of for starters to give up the ghost, compromising other parts of the electrical system-namely batteries-if not replaced.

Unlike buyers of, say, used Hayabusas, R6 owners tend to be more interested in riding the snot out of their machines rather than investing thousands in custom paint and chrome. That said, there are a few used R6s out there fitted with full exhaust systems, aftermarket shocks and the odd sticker kit. That most of these bikes are still in factory form is not an entirely bad thing, as near-stock used bikes leave a clean palette for a secondhand owner's creative impulses. We'd go with a full suspension inspection by a competent mechanic, followed by a pipe, jet kit and, if needed, new tires for starters. A rear hugger will go a long way toward protecting the shock from road grime, and be sure to ask sellers for receipts from the recommended 6000-mile service intervals.

If you're looking for a bike that rewards aggressive riding and sick of paying for 1000cc insurance, the R6 might be just the ticket.

Source Superbike Magazine