Hiroshi Takimoto, Engineer and project leader adds: "We have developed a model with enough of a difference in the engine and chassis that people moving up to it from the existing YZF-R6 will feel clearly how much it has improved. The new YZF-R6 is not just a brighter spec version of the old. It is a machine with new technology, new ride and new design that people will recognize as soon as they see it and ride it."

Summary of development targets:

Chassis: Increase cornering fun & performance

Engine: More exciting engine performance 90% of engine parts are newly designed

Quality: Increase quality and appeal

A. Chassis

Increase cornering fun & performance:

More exciting engine performance.
90% of engine parts are newly designed. Key changes include:

B1. Fuel Injection system with suction piston to obtain outstanding intake efficiency.
The R6 has the same suction-piston type fuel injection (FI) system that has gained excellent reputation on the 2002 model YZF-R1.

B2. Direct air intake with enlarged passages and capacity to improve performance

B3. New-design titanium muffler to improve performance and reduce weight.

B4. New piston, crankshaft, cylinder and crankcase to improve engine response.

C. Quality 

Increase quality and appeal:

The unique quality of new R6 is that it delivers the same high level of excitement to riders of all skill levels. This is a characteristic we strive for in all Yamaha machines. Rather than build bikes which force riders to raise their skill level, our bikes respond to a rider's ability, allowing the rider to take his abilities to the next level.

CF casting: A special casting process for light weight and strength
The new YZF-R6 is the first production model to feature all aluminium die-cast rear frame and rear arm, made by CF casting.

Material scientist Dr. Hiroshi Yamagata is responsible for the new aluminium die-casting technology in Yamaha factory in Iwata, where he explains briefly the process:

With the CF technology we can produce cast part much lighter and at the same time even stiffer than with conventional casting. We can control the thickness of the material and adjust it accordingly in different areas of the cast part. So we can have strength were we structurally need it and save weight in areas where we have a lower stress factor.

Also we can shape the parts freely and as another advantage the surface of the parts has a high quality.. We are also able to weld these cast part effectively, as you can see on the R6 swing-arm, consisting of two cast parts vertically split.

The principle of the CF Aluminium Die Casting Technology is optimising the conditions under which the hot aluminium flows into the mould. The objective is to make the molten aluminium fill the mould as effectively as possible so that it is evenly distributed in the mould before solidification begins. It allows us to produce thinner cast aluminium parts than previously yet still strong enough to be welded.

The CF (Controlled Filling) method employs precise control of the casting conditions, involving (1) an exclusively developed seal material between the two halves of the mould in order to create a more complete vacuum (six times more complete than conventional method) within the mould and thus reduce air resistance as the molten aluminium enters, (2) controlling the temperature of the mould so that the temperature of the molten aluminium remains more stable and (3) increasing the speed with which the molten aluminium is injected into the mould (five times faster) so that ideal mould filling occurs.

The result is a cast aluminium with one-fifth of oxide-content compared to conventional die-cast aluminium, which makes the material easy to weld and although thin, the parts have a high rigidity.

Now in its fourth year, this is the first full scale model change for the R6.
Yamaha's first 600 cc supersport machine was the FZR 600, launched in 1989. Just like the R6 today, the FZR 600 was the class leading supersport machine in those days. Have a look at the history from FZR to R6 by looking at the related articles.

For more information on R6 racing equipment have a look at:  www.yamaha-racingparts.com.

Photo Gallery 1: 2003-YZF-R6 Details
 
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Photo Gallery 2: 2003-YZF-R6 Colours 
 
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