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An Iconic Yamaha Performance Moto Quietly Enters Its Final Lap

After nearly three decades of service, the legendary bike’s swansong is a unique made-to-order production run.

Close-up of the exhaust pipe, footpeg, and engine area on a blue Yamaha motorcycle.Yamaha
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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Any motorcyclist who’s ever swung a leg over a sport bike or set foot on a motorcycle race track is likely quite familiar with Yamaha’s YZF-R6, aka simply “the R6″.

Launched way back in 1999, the 599cc bike turned heads from the start as the world’s first 600cc production four-stroke to make more than 100 horsepower in stock form.

Blue Yamaha R6 sport motorcycle with black and silver accents on a rear stand.
This R6 dates to 2021, the dawn of the bike’s late-period run as a track-only terror.
Yamaha

For many years it set the standard for high-revving 600cc super sports, but the demand for such bikes has long been on the wane.

Rather than let it disappear without notice, Yamaha is prepping this bona fide modern classic for one last, special run.

Track star

Before you shed too many tears, it’s important to get a bit more context here, as for most riders, the bike is already more of a mystical ghost than anything approaching a daily driver.

Matte black Yamaha sport motorcycle on a stand with sunset and cloudy sky in the background.
The newest R6 on Yamaha’s European site bears the model year 2024 and this beautifully blacked-out color scheme.
Yamaha

After all, the street-legal version got discontinued in many markets years ago thanks largely to stringent emissions regulations.

However, Yamaha has continued the so-called Race Base Model for track enthusiasts, club racer and even riders competing in national championships, where it has claimed a podium or two.

Motorcyclist in black gear and blue-accented helmet leaning into a turn on a black sportbike.
The R6 has been the exclusive domain of those who suit up in leather and drop a knee for several years now.
Yamaha

The bike remains compelling for its size, as the 599cc liquid-cooled inline-four engine is now complemented by an electronics package including traction control and a quickshifter.

It also looks fantastic, especially in the brand’s signature racing hue, which is literally called Yamaha Blue.

Blue Yamaha R6 sport motorcycle front with white stripes and clear windshield in a garage.
A classic R6 stands tall in its best-known racing hue, Yamaha Blue.

Yet as other brands have pivoted to bigger middleweights and new performance platforms, the R6 has become something of a unicorn. 

Even Yamaha itself has largely moved on, rolling out the three-cylinder R9 as a shining star.

Person in black and white Dainese motorcycle gear sitting on a blue Yamaha R7 sportbike inside a garage.
Your humble scribe checks out the sorta similar but not the same but still fun as hell R7.
Photo courtesy of Steve Mazzucchi

I’m sad to say I’ve never ridden an R6 myself, but if it is anything like the slightly bigger R7 I hit the track with a few years ago, damn, what a dream. 

That bike, thankfully, is still available (starting under $10,000 even) and well worth a test ride at least.

Availability and pricing

The YZF-R6 Race Base Model will go on sale in Japan next February, available only to customers who place an order during a reservation window that just opened this week.

The first reservation period runs from July 1 to July 31, 2026, followed immediately by a second period, August 1 and August 31, 2026.

No pricing has been announced.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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