Yamaha YZF 600 Thundercat Review – Specifications and Reviews

Yamaha YZF600R sports motorcycle model

appeared in 1995 and actually represented the last generation of the Yamaha FZR 600, inheriting from it the appearance, frame, engine, gearbox and suspension elements.
In 1996, the model received significant visual changes, some technical updates, and added the name Thundercat
to the name (the corresponding name was printed on the plastic). For the purposes of this review, we will only consider the second generation of the Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat, since the first is actually the Yamaha FZR600.

In 1998, a completely new model was offered based on the Thundercat - the Yamaha YZF-R6. It received the status of the flagship sports model in the 600cc class, and the Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat began to position itself as a sports tourer.

The Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat is based on an in-line 4-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with a volume of 599 cm³, producing up to 100 hp. power and up to 66 Nm of torque. Maximum performance is at 9500-11500 rpm.

Other features of the model include a Deltabox steel frame, adjustable suspension, 6-speed gearbox, 19-liter fuel tank, powerful 4-piston Nissin Sumitomo front brakes and 212 kg curb weight.

2007 was the last year of production of the model, after which it disappeared from the Yamaha line of sports motorcycles and did not receive further development. Throughout its history, the model has undergone virtually no significant technical changes, being successfully sold in the European and American markets.

The main competitors of the Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat in the class:

• Honda CBR600F2/F3 | Honda VFR750F
• Kawasaki ZZ-R600
• Suzuki RF 600

Brief history of the model

• 1995 - start of production and sales of the model.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (1st generation) (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4NA1, 4NC1, 4ND1, 4NE1.

• 1996 - parallel to the 1st generation, the 2nd generation of the model appears on the market. Last year of production of the first generation.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (1st generation);
Yamaha Thundercat 600 (II generation) (Europe, North America). Factory designation
: 4NA2, 4NC2, 4ND2, 4NE2; 4TV1, 4TV2, 4WD1, 4WE1, 4WF1.

• 1997 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4EW2, 4TV3, 4WE2, 4WF2, 5AH1, 5AH2.

• 1998 - black muffler, modified rear shock absorber adjustment (5 positions instead of 20).

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4TV5, 4TV6, 4WD3, 4WE3, 4WF3, 5AH3, 5AH4.

• 1999 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4TV7, 4TV8, 4WD4, 4WE4, 4WF4, 5AH5, 5AH6.

• 2000 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4TV9, 4TVA, 4WD5, 4WE5, 4WF5, 5AH7, 5AH8.

• 2001 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4TVB, 4TVC, 4WD6, 4WE6, 4WF6, 5AH9, 5AHA.

• 2002 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4TVD, 4WD7, 4WE7, 4WF7, 5AHB, 5AHC.

• 2003 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4WF8, 5AHD, 5AHE.

• 2004 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4WF9, 5AHF, 5AHG.

• 2005 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4WFA, 5AHH, 5AHJ.

• 2006 - no significant changes.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4WFB, 5AHK, 5AHL.

• 2007 is the last year of production.

Model

: Yamaha Thundercat 600 (Europe, North America).
Factory designation
: 4WFC, 5AHM, 5AHN.

Advantages of the model

1. Aggressive sporty design. The fairings are made of high-quality plastic and reliably protect from rain and wind.
2. The engine is powerful. Works reliably and without interruption. Easy to care for.
3. Good acceleration dynamics.
4. Economical gas consumption. The power reserve is up to 400 km, which allows you to effectively use the motorcycle for touring trips.
5. Reliable adjustable suspension allows you to customize the motorcycle to any riding conditions.
6. Reliable brakes respond quickly to lever pressure.
7. A high level of comfort is ensured by a comfortable seating position, which is unusual for sportbikes, a well-placed steering wheel and an ergonomic seat.

Specifications

Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat Specifications:

Dimensions and weight

The reviews mention that, due to the heavy weight, the motorcycle needs a little help from the body when entering turns, but this does not take into account that the Thundercat is a sports model, and for them, tilting the body in a turn is an axiom.

If you realize that this is, after all, a sport-tourist, and not a sportbike, and slow down the pace a little, then you can take turns while sitting upright and without straining.

Weight:

• equipped - 212 kg ;
• dry - 187 kg .

External parameters:

• length - 2058 mm;
• width - 713 mm;
• height - 1188 mm;
• on the saddle - 800 mm;
• wheelbase - 1413 mm;
• ground clearance - 133 mm.

It is worth noting that these are second generation parameters. In almost all respects the motorcycle has “grown”.

Reviews

Reviews about Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat:

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This is the best moto, price - quality. I advise everyone. I had the 2002 for a few years and recently got the 2006. 2006 - steers and handles like a bicycle with a motor.

To me, accustomed to “liters” and volumes of more than one, at first it seemed that this motor did not have enough traction, but as the engine revved up I felt the power and torque increase. In 600cc engines, the upper rev limit goes up to 13,000 without a redline, and as you approach this limit, the motorcycle's response to the throttle becomes increasingly sharp. If the “liter” easily accelerates in any gear from almost any speed, even at the highest, then it is advisable to keep our “cat” within the range from 6,000 to 10,000 rpm - it is in this range that peak engine power is achieved. There is virtually no vibration in the inline 4-cylinder engine. I definitely don't feel them. In a stream of cars, a light animal dashingly jumps into the aisles, and with a good margin of distance from the rear-view mirrors of cars. I “play” with the gearbox: up - from a traffic light and down, with a shift in the throttle - when I approach a new traffic jam. The gears are engaged atypically for Yamaha - clearly, without crunching or accidentally falling into neutral between first and second.

In dense city traffic, the brakes actually saved the day a couple of times: I had to slow down in front of a car that suddenly cut me off. Well, I'll tell you!..

I waved my fist at the bungling driver and drove on. Sumitomo monolithic brake calipers with proprietary friction pads have proven themselves excellent in the world of motorsports, and then showed absolute reliability on the production model of the motorcycle. Four-piston calipers with different piston diameters, which have become a family heritage of the YZF family, are an amazingly sensitive mechanism: the slightest press on the brake lever - the bike instantly slows down.

ThunderCat is worthy of itself as a sports tourist! It is maneuverable and has enough power for people who love sports tourists, with a derated engine from the R6. It can take any turns with full confidence! When you sit on it, you just begin to feel how you merge with it and you begin to understand each other right away. For me, this is one of the best sports tourists of all time!

Driving performance

If you keep the revs at medium values, the motorcycle can reach 180 km/h, with a good reserve of power. The maximum stated speed is 280 km/h.

But according to the pilots, the estimate is too high. Maximum - 240 km/h, but even then there was a reserve

Acceleration from zero to 100 km - 3.4 seconds.

Fuel consumption

Consumption when driving in a cruiser is 5 liters. The exact numbers depend on your riding style. They can exceed the 6 liter mark.

Disadvantages of the model

1. If the suspension is incorrectly adjusted, discomfort occurs after an hour of driving.
2. The fairing system creates windage, which somewhat interferes with normal driving in strong crosswinds.
3. Unaccustomed to driving for a long time, your hands may become numb.

The Yamaha Thundercat 600 has proven itself as a tourist. Comfortable seating, good protection from wind and rain, and a spacious fuel tank allow you to travel long distances. The Yamaha yzf600r thundercat is versatile. By adjusting the suspension, it can be adapted to almost any operating conditions, with the exception of deep off-road conditions.

The motorcycle is perfect for driving around the city, for testing speed on the highway, and perfectly demonstrates its characteristics on the track. At speeds up to 8000, the Yamaha Thundercat 600 behaves like an ordinary tourist; at high speeds it demonstrates its aggressive character. Reviews of the Yamaha yzf600r thundercat are mostly positive. It is difficult to find a bike owner who would not like its versatility, which is revealed by adjusting the suspension. Power 100 hp Not enough for a sportbike, but the Yamaha Thundercat 600 does not belong to the sports category. This is a typical sports tourer that allows you to enjoy any riding conditions.

Very convenient

For such a sporty motorcycle, the mirrors are simply excellent. Neither shoulders nor elbows are visible in them. With a height of 170 cm, the 805 mm seat height allows you to stand with both feet and feel confident when maneuvering at low speeds. True, a slightly slipping clutch, on the contrary, complicates this task. The relationship with sportbikes has not been in vain for the turning radius, making the task of turning around in one go extremely difficult.

This particular example cold starts without any extraneous rustling, squeaking or knocking noises, indicating that it has been well cared for. Traces of time - abrasions, scratches, corrosion - are minimal. The only thing that shows the age of the motorcycle is the replacement of the exhaust manifold, since the original ones rusted very quickly.

The anodized blue brake calipers work great on a bike of this size, and remain quite serviceable by today's standards. However, it is advisable to service them before winter storage to prevent sticking. The rear brake lever is too high to be comfortable and clearly needs to be adjusted.

Owner reviews

Arcani

The bike is excellent - for those who love a beautiful and aggressive sporty design and good dynamics, as well as reliability and ease of fit (for sports - this is very rare) the YZF R6 03-05 model, as well as the R6S produced before 2008, are essentially one and the same too, only the 2005 model has an inverted fork... this sportbike was simply born for the urban jungle, and it’s also quite comfortable to ride long distances... there were never any problems in those areas, I’m the 3rd owner, I rode for 2 seasons, I only changed consumables, total mileage about 40 thousand... these models easily go up to 100 thousand and more... it all depends on the operation, it doesn’t consume oil at all, consumption = a full tank of 95 (with beep) for 220 km (including reserve)... in the city you can easily make any liter... because 200 liters don’t drive around the city and they are significantly inferior in maneuverability, the p6 steers like a bicycle = very comfortable, and up to 200 the acceleration is like a liter, the maximum speed is 260-270... it is very significant that the 2006-2011 models have much more sluggish traction from the bottom, but this is compensated for by better traction at the top, which is very good for the track, but not very good for the city... it tolerates our broken Russian roads very well... one piece of advice: install a cage right away - you will never regret it, the appearance with it is only wins, there are a sea of ​​offers for cells... Motsa protection is super... all p6s have only one minus - this is their subframe (what you sit on), this aluminum alloy is quite a fragile thing and can crack with strong falls... but first of all, offers for selling these devices There’s plenty on the internet, it costs only 10,000 rubles + the Americans came up with a cool replacement for it made of steel alloy = it’s not afraid of falls at all…. In general, when buying urban sports, focus on stand-up models, since they are time-tested: 1. strong frame, 2. solves the problem of oil starvation, 3. are not afraid of overheating (a big plus for traffic jams), 4. good traction from the bottom... maximum speeds for cities are not so important... my favorites are the Yamaha P6, Kawasaki 636 and Honda CBR F4ai, in addition, 600 cubes are really more profitable than a liter when paying taxes: p6 = 5 tr, p1 = 10 tr Arcani

Alex745

In the eighth grade I had Izh Planet Sports, then everything faded with my interest in motorcycling and pulled me into the world of cars. After 25 years, cars are no longer in first place as I had used them up, now I had to get back the adrenaline rides, probably in my old age I feel like I’m young) It’s been a long time I couldn’t figure out what to take, I wanted a light and maneuverable bike. In the end, I took the R 6 2009. At first I suffered through fear, every bastard tried to remember what terrible accident there was, and drivers on the roads also constantly showed their disrespect if you were on a bike like invisible. I rode all summer, I didn’t wear a helmet in the heat, only the cops They looked but didn’t stop. There were no breakdowns, but there were some inconveniences: the brakes didn’t make me very happy, the acceleration from a standstill is also so-so and you can stall, but when you do spin it, be careful. I quickly got used to driving between cars, great, big time saver. And I also want to say one not unimportant minus: landing, after half an hour my hands and fingers swell. At the end of the season, I sold it, I can’t say anything bad, just everyone should take the bike for themselves. But I know exactly what I need now: Kawasaki Z1000Aleks745

Alira13

Read other motorcycle reviews Review of the IZH Planet-5 motorcycle

If we evaluate it objectively, the Yamaha YZF R6 motorcycle has quite diverse reviews. The sportbike has proven itself well on the race track, it is equipped with advanced technologies that provide excellent performance. But nevertheless, from the moment it went on general sale, experienced motorcyclists reacted ambiguously to this sportbike. On the one hand, the bike has excellent power and has a very good bid for victory in competitions in its class. But as a rule, he loses in races if a pilot who previously drove the same “first era” gets behind the wheel. The fact is that a sportbike in the 600 category requires certain driving skills. And even without an additional upgrade, the R6 is not able to provide a high result in competitions. For example, the Supersport category requires a bike to be light, agile and powerful. Looking at the factory specifications, the R6 seems like it was built for this competition. But in fact, it turns out that engine power up to 8000 rpm, in general, cannot produce what you want.Alira13

Lakota

I became infected with a passion for motorcycles in the usual way. I remember that everything was very interesting and exciting, but my naive and trusting body had not yet felt the heavy breath of the motorcycle infection at that moment. An unkind smile probably wandered on the face of the motorcyclist who decided to take me for a ride. But, alas, I could not see her under the tightly tinted glass of the helmet. The next 10 minutes of madness on the road seemed to me like an instant, completely turning my idea of ​​speed around. Literally emanating from the vibes of goodwill, the motorbike guru, be he wrong, put the device in the “candle”, and only when I mentally had time to draw up a will three times and even make the necessary additions and clarifications to it, did he deign to return the front wheel to the ground... My fate was decided, and the chances “jumping” into the past world is zero. Having made sure that he had done his dirty deed, the motorcycle preacher began to list the models of sport bikes that, from his point of view, were most suitable for a beginner. The list included the CBR600, GSX-750R and, of course, the Yamaha YZF R6. And so - Yamaha YZF R6. From your very first ride on the R6 you will understand that this motorcycle was born on the race track. In order to understand the full power potential of the Yamaha YZF R6, the maximum speed of which can reach 260 km/h, it is enough to spend just a few minutes in the saddle. Thanks to the successful combination of lightness and power, this sportbike is capable of producing record speeds at low cost. But this motorcycle also has disadvantages - the model’s insufficient controllability. The pilot will need certain skills to drive a 600 cc sportbike, which has a capricious character. Lakota

Repair and service

Sportbikes in the 600 class are quite popular motorcycles. Manufacturers have managed to polish their models over the years of production, so there are no major flaws in motorcycles. Yamaha, as one of the representatives of the class, is no exception.

However, the very specifics of the motorcycle have nuances. Sometimes those who like to put a motorcycle on the rear wheel, but do not have the necessary experience, manage to disrupt the geometry of the frame with sharp blows when lowering the motorcycle. The rigid suspension of a sportbike is not capable of handling such loads. But, as we understand, these are only operational features.

Replacing consumables does not distinguish a motorcycle from its analogues, and here a sportbike, when ridden aggressively, is capable of destroying everything that we so diligently installed at the beginning of the season at cosmic speed.

The disadvantages of many sport bikes include the absence of a central stand, which greatly simplifies procedures such as replacing tires, chains, oil, and brake pads. Therefore, you will be forced to purchase special tackles.