I think it was Marty McFly from Back to the Future 3
that put it best when he said "But Doc, all the best
stuff is made in Japan!" I don't know about the other
things but that is certainly true when it comes to
Motorcycles (and come to think of it, Cars, TVs, VCRs,
and CD players)! Check out mine. It’s a hard-charging,
pulse-quickening, wind-cheating 1998 Yamaha YZF 600R
all decked out in black and aluminum! But don’t take
my word for it. Cycle World magazine dubbed
it "Best 600 cc streetbike" in their annual Top Ten
awards. But wait that’s not all! Motorcyclist
magazine said "The Yamaha steers with near synaptic
ease and precision. It has the best brakes. It is the
most comfortable ride in any sense." How’s that for
testimonials?!
Around about the Summer of '98, I decided to trade in
my Virago 1100 cruiser for something I felt the
Virago lacked and I needed: speed and flickability
(it's a bike thing). I hated having to let go of the
old Virago, but I felt I had to do it. I simply wanted
to know what a sleek sportbike felt like between my
legs! Besides, I didn't have room for two bikes in the
garage, what with the car already in there, so the Virago
pretty much had to go. I shopped around, looked at
different kinds of sportbikes. The
Suzuki GSX-R600, the
Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, and the
Honda CBR600 F4 were the three other bikes I considered,
but eventually I made my decision and went for the YZF.
And what a great decision it was! So, I said goodbye to
the Virago, and hello to my sleek, new Yami!...While it may not be as fast or powerful as the Yamaha R1, or the Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa, the YZF more than makes up for it by providing great riding comfort and that patented Yamaha reliability.
Lest you get the wrong ideas about me, I’m not one of
those moronic speed demon sportbike riders you might
see out there, carelessly speeding between cars, beating
red lights, and basically being road hazards. And I’m
certainly not one of those hairy, badass-wannabe, no
helmet wearing harley riders! My riding philosophy is
simple: speed when safe (within the speed limits of
course, heh, heh, heh, right officers?), and courtesy
above all else. Sounds kinda wimpy I know, but that’s
the way it is, bruthas and sistas! And that’s the way
it’s got to be! Can I get an Amen?! Amen!...
Anyway getting back to the bike, I’m sure you’re saying to
yourself "When is this guy gonna give me specs on the
damn bike?" You want specs? Here’s Specs!
:
To my fellow Canyon carvers out there, one word of
advice. How to deal with those idiots in their 4-wheeled
boxes? Don't. They're in their cars, your'e on a motorcycle,
vulnerable as hell. In a head to head meeting between
a car and a motorcycle, the bike will always be on the
losing end. So the next time some dork in a car cuts you
off, or tries to run you off the road, do what I do.
Breathe deep, count to ten, relax, and take solace in
the fact that your'e on your bike, and they're trapped
in their steel cages looking oh so uncool...!Here's another important thing to remember when out and about on your bike: Judicious application of the throttle. That way you can avoid what somebody once called the Dual Forces. Namely, Officer Citation, and Professor Physics.
Any modifications you ask? So far, only a few. The first thing I modded were the pipes. I replaced the stock exhaust pipes with RS-3 Slip ons from Yoshimura, and then, I replaced the stock windscreen with a Lockhart Phillips brand smoke-colored windshield, and also clear lens flushmount front turn signals from Lockhart-Phillips. I also installed a Pyramid Plastics brand solo seat cowl which was imported all the way from Europe. After that, I chopped off the plastic rear fender, and replaced with it an aluminum fender eliminator kit from Competition Werkes. Then lastly, I repleced the rear turn signals with short stalk iridium marker lights, also from Lockhart-Phillips.
...So the next time you find yourself in the DC area, and some incredibly handsome dude dressed in black leather riding a black YZF passes you by, say hi! It’s most probably not me, but what the heck, say hi anyway.
HERE ARE SOME GREAT LINKS
YAMAHA USA
YAMAHA JAPAN
YAMAHA EUROPE
YAMAHA FACTORY ROADRACING TEAM
THE YZF 600 PAGE AT YAMAHA
THE YZF HOMAGE SITE (UK)
YZF 600.COM
YZF600R USA.COM
YZF 600R MICROFICHE ONLINE
THE KNIGHTS OF THE RICEBURNERS
MOTORCYCLE ONLINE
CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL
BIKE PICS DOT COM
SPORTBIKE ON-LINE
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION
MIKUNI CALENDARS
MOTORCYCLE SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES
DENNIS KIRK MOTORCYCLE SUPPLIES
TEAMLINE MOTORCYCLE FAN GEAR
MOTODEPOT
COMPETITION ACCESSORIES
CHAPARRAL
LOCKHART PHILIPS
PYRAMID PLASTICS (UK)
STREETFIGHTERS BY DESIGN
COMPETITION WERKES
FRONTIERS MOTORCYCLES (UK)
YAMAHA SPORTS PLAZA (Japan)
BRAND NAMES
AGV HELMETS
AFX HELMETS
BELL HELMETS
ALPINESTARS
VANSON LEATHERS
PILOT LEATHERS
LOCKHART PHILLIPS
YOSHIMURA USA
DUNLOP TIRES
MIKUNI CORPORATION
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