Yamaha, Triumph and Suzuki 600 super sports cars in comparison test

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2011 600 super sports bike from Yamaha, Triumph and Suzuki

Test: Yamaha YZF-R6, Triumph Daytona 675 R, Suzuki GSX-R 600

Content of

2011 is the year of the super sports car: Suzuki throws the new GSX-R 600 a real pound into the scales, Triumph upgrades the Daytona 675 as an R version with Ohlins components. Can the grayed-out Yamaha YZF-R6 keep up?

After it had become shockingly quiet at the Six Hundred in recent years, Suzuki and Triumph are finally bringing life back to the place. It is about time. Suzuki blows particularly loudly to attack. With a new chassis, a good ten kilograms less weight and a discreetly revised, livelier drive, the GSX-R 600 wants to heat up the competition and win back the recognition it had lost in recent years. 

The is under such pressure to perform D.aytona 675 does not. In 2006 it literally overran the established competition and is still the big one among the little ones. Accordingly, the British decided not to revise the standard Daytona and instead put the noble version 675 R aside. In addition to the racing-proven automatic gearshift and optical delicacies such as the red painted rear frame, the R differs from the standard version primarily through the Brembo monoblocs and the Ohlins chassis. And by the price: the R version costs 1500 euros more.

LANDING GEAR
An investment that pays off. The added value of the NIX 30 fork in particular can be felt after a few meters. It reacts very sensitively to the smallest bumps and literally sticks to the asphalt even on rough mogul slopes. As if he were holding the front wheel axle directly with his hands, the pilot can feel exactly what is going on under him at all times. The tight basic set-up of the Ohlins fork calls for damping settings that are quite wide open on the country road, but offers plenty of reserves for the race track.

Reserves that the shock absorber also has in abundance. No wonder: The TTX-36 comes from racing and therefore has to withstand even ambitious professional attacks. The basic setup of the Sweden damper is correspondingly tight. Even with reduced preload and almost completely open pressure stage, it is still too hard for the country road. The good responsiveness and the very good feedback are of little help here, only toughness to oneself helps. During a short stop on the racetrack, the advantages of the tight set-up become apparent. As a fine worker, the TTX keeps the Triumph on course.

The GSX-R is completely different: on the racetrack it does not exude the stoic sovereignty of Triumph by far. Your hour strikes with the more comfortably coordinated suspension elements on the country road. The shock absorber responds well, together with the soft seat upholstery reliably keeps bumps away from the driver’s rear and is not particularly unsettled even in Schlaglochhausen.

The fork also remains largely quiet on bumpy slopes, but due to the slightly poorer response behavior, it does not hold onto the ground as well as the Ohlins counterpart, the Triumph. Nevertheless, the GSX-R fork does its job very well for a high-volume part.

Suzuki GSX-R 600

Unfortunately, this is a bit lost in this test field, because like the Triumph front, the Yamaha fork is a real creamy cake. On the country road, it impresses with great responsiveness and a lot of comfort, despite the tight set-up, on the racetrack the good feedback is pleasing. However, the R6 is the only motorcycle in the test that does not have a steering damper, which the 600 series acknowledges with a rough handlebar slap when accelerating on uneven ground.

There are also problems at the back. The rebound stage of the test motorcycle reacted only minimally to set-up changes when driving on the chassis test track and was even completely closed – a little underdamped.

When wagging bends on narrow, flat forest roads, the world is all right again. The little Yamaha darts effortlessly and precisely around corners of all kinds, can be thrown from one side to the other without any effort and draws a wonderfully tight line. It’s fun, especially in combination with the successful, compact ergonomics. If only it weren’t for this wide tank…

With the Suzuki, the driver has a little more to contend with. It is also nimble, very precise and stable through wide and narrow arcs, but when braking in an inclined position, a clear righting moment disturbs. Apparently the Bridgestone BT 016 work in the special specification "AA" not as good on the Suzuki as the same tires on the version "F." on the Yamaha.

In addition to the erection moment, the old-fashioned seating position of the GSX-R, familiar from the previous model, is a nuisance. The pilot sits more in the bike than on the bike, the footrests are attached far in front and at the top – despite the adjustment option.

triumph

Triumph Daytona 675 R

The Triumph Daytona shows how to sit on a sports motorcycle in a contemporary way. Narrow tank, high seating position, relaxed knee angle, deep, wide handlebars. The perfect place to work properly. On longer trips, the very sporty design of the Triumph ergonomics ensemble causes sore wrists. In addition, the poor wind protection bothers in the long run.

So what? After all, this is about athletic qualities, not a touring comparison test. Well then let’s go to the corner! Surprisingly, the 675 R does not circle the curve as naturally and precisely as usual. Compared to the R6 in particular, the English model seems a bit imprecise.

After changes to the suspension settings brought little improvement, we quickly remove the steering damper. And lo and behold: suddenly the Daytona is driving again as you know it, following the specified radii with stability and precision and driving wonderfully tight lines. Apparently, the steering damper in conjunction with the somewhat stiff steering head bearing on the test motorcycle caused the handling problems. An individual case? The next tests have to show that.

The brakes of all three test candidates, on the other hand, are completely unproblematic: They deliver a perfectly dosed, sporty bite, are unbeatable on the country road and do not give in on one or the other lap of the racetrack.

Yamaha YZF-R6

ENGINE
There is little uniformity in the engines. The R6 stands out in particular. It’s the old song of great performance on the racetrack and crawling on the country road. In the lower and middle speed range, the Yamaha moves very slowly, then ignites the afterburner at the 12000 mark and suddenly pushes forward, accompanied by a hoarse four-cylinder screeching, as if there was no tomorrow. This excellent performance characteristic has a negative effect on the draft. With 12.9 seconds, the R6 needs from 50 to 150 km / h in sixth gear 3.4 seconds longer than the 675 R. That costs a whopping five points!

In general, the 675 R engine adopted from the standard Daytona is a force. The Triumph packs a punch even at low revs, pushes very linearly through the rev range, hangs well on the gas and, by the way, delights the pilot with that great, loud three-cylinder sound. The significant load changes, however, disturb the enjoyment a little and force the pilot to open the gas very sensitively at the exit of the curve.

Sensitivity is also required when it comes to the gearshift: How it should be for a "R." heard, the 675 R has an automatic switch, which, however, reacts to switching commands with hard load shocks. These can be avoided by just tapping the gear lever lightly and then immediately taking your foot away – then the gears slip quickly and precisely, even under partial load and at low speeds.

The fact that the Triumph lands behind the R6 when accelerating to 200 km / h despite the torque advantage and the automatic gearshift is probably due to the gear ratio. First and second gear are far apart on the 675 R..

Compared to the character engines of the R6 and the 675 R, the GSX-R engine is almost a bit too heavy "normal". Linear and with impeccable manners, it develops its 119 horsepower and therefore feels at home on country roads and racetracks. However, two aspects of the Suzuki drive stand out: on the one hand, the transmission is wonderfully soft to operate, on the other hand, the small 600 growls wonderfully snotty from the airbox from 4500 rpm and roars as uninhibitedly as the R6 at high speeds. The rest of the super athletes are finally over.

PS judgment / setup

The tightened Daytona 675 R wins this group test ahead of Suzuki and Yamaha.

 Max. Points Suzuki  triumph  Yamaha
Total  250 167  170  162 placement   2.  1.  3.

PS judgment

1st Triumph Daytona 675 R
The powerful engine and the noble chassis help the Triumph to test victory. However, it is only for real sports drivers and also puts a lot of pressure on your wallet.

2. Suzuki GSX-R 600
With the new GSX-R, Suzuki has taken a big step forward. The chassis is good, as is the engine. The Japanese should only work on the seating position again.

3.Yamaha YZF-R6
The R6 is still a fascinating but extreme motorcycle even after more than ten years. The seating position and fork are great, but the engine lacks power on the country road.


The set-up

 Suzuki GSX-R 600  Triumph Daytona 675 R  Yamaha YZF-R6 fork      
preload  default  6 turns  default
Pressure level high  –  –  completely open
Low compression  5.5 turns  12 clicks  7 clicks
Rebound  3.5 turns  11 clicks  16 clicks
level  default  default  default
Strut
     
preload  default  1 thread turn  default
Pressure level high  completely open  –  completely open
Low compression  1.5 turns  21 clicks  27 clicks
Rebound  2 turns  9 clicks  completely closed
level  default  default  default

Technical specifications

The Triumph Daytona 675 R wins the group test ahead of Suzuki and Yamaha.

Suzuki GSX-R 600

drive 
Four-cylinder in-line engine,
four valves / cylinder, 93 kW (126 hp) at 13,500 / min *, 70 Nm at 11,500 / min *, 599 cm³, bore / stroke: 67.0 / 42.5 mm, compression ratio: 12.9: 1, Ignition / injection system, 40 mm throttle valves, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath anti-hopping clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat, chain

landing gear 
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 66.6 degrees, caster: 97 mm, wheelbase: 1385 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 41 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression level. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression stage (low / high). Suspension travel front / rear: 120/130 mm

Wheels and brakes 
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.50 x 17 "/5.50 x 17", front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 180/55 ZR 17, first tires: Bridgestone BT 016 "AA", 310 mm double disc brakes with radially attached four-piston Fixed calipers at the front, 220 mm single disc with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight 
Length / width / height: 2030/710/1135 mm *, seat / handlebar height: 800/845 mm, handlebar width: 640 mm, 189.5 kg with a full tank, v./h .: 52.4 / 47.6%

Rear wheel power in last gear 
81 kW (110 PS) at 233 km / h

consumption 
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 6.3 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 17 liters, range: 269 km

Base price 
11,890 euros (plus additional costs)


Triumph Daytona 675 R

drive 
Three-cylinder in-line engine, four valves / cylinder, 91 kW (124 hp) at 12,600 / min *, 72 Nm at 11,700 / min *, 675 cm³, bore / stroke: 74.0 / 52.3 mm, compression ratio: 12, 65: 1, ignition / injection system, 44 mm throttle valves, mechanically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat, chain

landing gear 
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 66.1 degrees, caster: 89 mm, wheelbase: 1395 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 41 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression. Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression. Suspension travel front / rear: 110/130 mm

Wheels and brakes 
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.50 x 17 "/5.50 x 17", front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 180/55 ZR 17, first tires: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa "SP", 308 mm double disc brakes with radially attached four-piston Fixed calipers at the front, 220 mm single disc with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight 
Length / width / height: 2047/796/1100 mm *, seat / handlebar height: 830/845 mm, handlebar width: 660 mm, 191 kg fully fueled, v./h .: 51.6 / 48.4%

Rear wheel power in last gear 
86 kW (116 PS) at 236 km / h

consumption 
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 6.3 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 17.4 liters, range: 277 km

Base price 
12,740 euros (plus additional costs)

Yamaha YZF-R6

drive 
Four-cylinder in-line engine, four valves / cylinder, 91 kW (124 hp) at 14,500 / min *, 66 Nm at 10,500 / min *, 599 cm³, bore / stroke: 67.0 / 42.5 mm, compression ratio: 13, 1: 1, ignition / injection system, 45 mm throttle valves, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath anti-hopping clutch, six-speed gearbox, G-Kat, chain

landing gear 
Light alloy bridge frame, steering head angle: 66.0 degrees, caster: 97 mm, wheelbase: 1380 mm, upside-down fork, Ø fork inner tube: 41 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression level (low / high). Central spring strut with deflection, adjustable in spring base, rebound and compression stage (low / high). Suspension travel front / rear: 115/120 mm

Wheels and brakes 
Light alloy cast wheels, 3.50 x 17 "/5.50 x 17", front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 180/55 ZR 17, initial tires: Bridgestone BT 016 "F.", 310 mm double disc brake with radially attached four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 210 mm single disc with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

measurements and weight 
Length / width / height: 2040/705 / 1100mm *, seat / handlebar height: 825/850 mm, handlebar width: 655 mm, 196 kg with a full tank

Rear wheel power in last gear
85 kW (116 PS) at 238 km / h

consumption 
Fuel type: Super unleaded. Average test consumption: 6.4 liters / 100 km, tank capacity 17.3 liters, range: 272 km

Base price 
11,995 euros (plus additional costs)

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