Yamaha XJ600S Diversion

Yamaha XJ600
Manufacturer	Yamaha
Also called	XJ600 (reduced effect), XJ 600 (reduced effect), XJ600S Diversion (reduced effect #2), XJ 600 S Diversion (reduced effect #2), XJ600S Diversion (reduced effect), XJ 600 S Diversion (reduced effect), XJ600 Diversion, XJ 600 Diversion, XJ600S Diversion, XJ600S, XJ600N Diversion, XJ600N, XJ 600 S Diversion, XJ 600 S, XJ 600 N Diversion, XJ 600 N, XJ 600
Production	1992 - 97
Class	Standard
Engine	Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder
Compression ratio	10:1
Top Speed	185.7 km/h / 115.3 mph
Ignition	Transistor
Transmission	6 Speed
Frame	Double cradle
Suspension	Front: 38mm Telescopic forks, no adjustment Rear: Monocross monoshock adjustable for preload
Brakes	Front: Single 320mm disc 2 piston caliper Rear: Single 245mm disc 1 piston caliper
Front Tire	110/80H17
Rear Tire	130/70H18
Wheelbase	1445 mm / 56.8 in
Seat Height	770 mm / 30.3 in
Weight	195 kg / 430 lbs (dry), 211 kg / 465 lbs (wet)
Recommended Oil	Yamalube 10w-40
Fuel Capacity	17 Liters / 4.4 US gal
Manuals	Service Manual

It could reach a top speed of 185.7 km/h / 115.3 mph.

Engine

The engine was a Air cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 10:1 compression ratio.

Drive

Power was moderated via the Wet multiple plate type.

Chassis

It came with a 110/80H17 front tire and a 130/70H18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 320mm disc 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 245mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 38mm Telescopic forks, no adjustment while the rear was equipped with a Monocross monoshock adjustable for preload. The XJ600S Diversion was fitted with a 17 Liters / 4.4 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 195 kg / 430 lbs. The wheelbase was 1445 mm / 56.8 in long.

Photos

Overview

Yamaha XJ 600S Diversion

"SO WHY THE 'S it called the Diversion then?" That's the question the editor of Performance Bikes dared me to ask at the press presentation. There was a fiver on leaving in the expletive but I bottled out - not wishing to offend our hosts in the Swiss Alpine resort of Gstaad - but I'd still like to know why it's named after some intangible marketing policy. BIKE did all the 'alternative route' jokes last month so I'd got a rare old collection of Julie Andrews gags lined up for this - until I discovered The Sound of Music was all about Austria. Still, the Diversion philosophy IS all about an alternative route and the Alps are the Alps - all singing nuns and cow shit. Alternative route as in different from the road down which Kawasaki has gone to attract first time riders and rcstarters. The XJ600S Diversion is certainly no Zephyr, as Yamaha is at pains to point out: "This is no retro bike aimed at re-creating the 'good old days'. This is a machine for the '90s." And built to a price, I might add. It looks the part. Four cylinders, worth 598cc between them, slope forward at an angle of 35 degrees and the inlet manifolds and carbs point straight up under the humpty-back tank. This creates a space behind the block big enough to get a bus through - well almost, and one of the Yamaha staff did try it, honest. The silver lacquered engine sits in a steel double cradle frame which is painted to match the bodywork. Close scrutiny of those awkWard little places revealed a worrying lack of paint, raising questions about the bike's ability to cope with winter.

Diversions come in two colors: red and dark green, both of them subtle pearl finishes that glow lustrously in the sun. Graphics are so restrained as to be virtually nonexistent. It says Yamaha on the tank and a copy of a Ford logo on the fairing bears that word, Diversion. It's the fairing that is the Diversion's big plus. The bike is supplied with two screens - a shorty sporty and a taller tourer — and a pair of aerodynamic 'ears' that bolt on the side of the fairing in minutes. The options produce remarkably different wind-cheating characteristics and it's great to be able to modify your fairing according to the weather/journey. A combined side-panel/seat tail moulding sweeps up from the base of the tank to the pillion grab handles and stowage space. This emphasises the modern look. What's it like to ride then? Well, half a dozen or so British journalists were given the opportunity to test the bikes for one sunny day on twisty Swiss mountain roads. If you want to know what it's like through tight bends and over quick sprints I can tell you it's fine - a lot of fun. But if you want an appraisal of its performance in the wet, on long straight roads and at night you'll have to wait for our full UK test. The seating position is virtually upright with slightly raised bars and rearsct footpegs. After 163 miles I noticed a slight ache in my ankles, but this was probably more due to the frantic working of the gearbox and restraining myself from the over-keen rear brake. A low, manageable seat height and centre of gravity will instil confidence in Yamaha's target mar recently qualified riders and returning to the fold. Monocross rear end with its long swingarm and preload-a able shock behaves itself. To; with 38mm diameter front fc gives a well-balanced ride wth no fast bend weaves or wobbles. A single front disc brake hauls the slimline Diversion and its porky pilot to rest with no trouble — thanks to its 320mm diameter and twin pot caliper. It will pull up rapidly when the novice rider has to, but won't spit them off if they grab a too enthusiastic handful. The rear brake however has the 130/70-18 Yokohama leaving its calling card on the road at the slightest dab. Power output is not going to have CBR and ZZ-R600 owners rushing to dealers for a trade-in. At 60bhp the Diversion is in a different class, and that's just where Yamaha wants it to be. If you've been reading BIKE for years you're probably starting to lose interest and thinking of checking out the GSX1100G test. But if you're a recent convert Yamaha hopes you might be getting excited. There's only one word for power delivery. ..smooth, with a long ooo. Apart form a mild tingle through the footpegs at 4000rpm, which disappears 500rpm later, the eight valve engine pours out like Swiss yoghurt, ooo, mmm. Engine mounts are rubber at the front left-hand and rear right-hand fixing points and rigid at the front right and rear left. A non-roller cam chain (sic) and rubber dampers on the final drive sprocket help to keep vibrations to a minimum. Mirrors remain clear and sharp at all times apart from that 4-4500rpm buzz zone. Exhaust down pipes are knitted across the front of the engine so cylinders one and four feed the left silencer and two and three go to the right. This arrangement makes best use of the exhaust pulsations from a 1-4-2-3 firing order and creates a fine sound and a deep hum on the overrun. Access to the oil filter is not impaired but the fussy engine plate arrangement will suffer at the hands of a short front mudguard in the winter. The clutch operating mechanism on the top of the right-hand casing looks suspiciously vulnerable to the elements too. Being a mad-as-a-fish ZXR rider I abused the Diversion horribly. Mile after mile of third and fourth gear bends with the rev counter needle wavering twixt eight and 9000rpm - and the masochistic little devil loved it. Vigorous use of the 'box reveals a rather pernickety gear change but familiarity with its traits and a few thousand miles will no doubt aid selection. Neutral was occasionally hard to find and there's a big leap in ratio between first and second gears. This style of riding will have you looking for a filling station after 109 miles. The petrol tank is not as capacious as it would appear. There is a large recess underneath where the air filter box sits but 3.7 gallons should give a decent range when riding sensibly. Bolted to the downward-pointing inlet manifold and looking something of an afterthought is an oil-fed carb de-icer. A rubber pipe takes hot oil from the right-hand side of the cylinder head to the de-icer and the flow is regulated by a solenoid. This gizmo puts paid to the temperature drop problems caused by the rapid flow through the inlet valves. The XJ600S is a difficult bike to judge. It can't be compared to supersports 600s on price or performance. It can't be compared to du: purpose machines because it isn one. It shouldn't be compared to Zephyr but it will be.

Source Bike Magazine of 1992{| class="wikitable" |- !Make Model |Yamaha XJ 600S Diversion |- !Year |1992 - 97 |- !Engine Type |Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder |- !Displacement |599 cc / 36.5 cu-in |- !Bore X Stroke |58.5 x 55.7 mm |- !Cooling System |Air cooled |- !Compression |10:1 |- !Lubrication |Wet sump |- !Induction |4x 28mm Mikuni BDS28 downdraft carburettors |- !Ignition |Transistor |- !Starting |Electric |- !Max Power |61 hp / 45 kW @ 8.500 rpm |- !Max Power Rear Tire |51.4 hp @ 8400 rpm |- !Max Torque |33.9 lb-ft / 4.7 kgf-m @ 7000 rpm |- !Clutch |Wet multiple plate type |- !Transmission |6 Speed |- !Final Drive |Chain |- !Gear Ratio |1st 2.733 2nd 1.778 3rd 1.333 4th 1.074 5th 5th 0.913 6th0.821 |- !Frame |Double cradle |- !Front Suspension |38mm Telescopic forks, no adjustment |- !Front Wheel Travel |140 mm / 5.5 in |- !Rear Suspension |Monocross monoshock adjustable for preload |- !Rear Wheel Travel |110 mm / 4.3 in |- !Front Brakes |Single 320mm disc 2 piston caliper |- !Rear Brakes |Single 245mm disc 1 piston caliper |- !Wheels |3 Spoke cast alloy wheel |- !Front Tire |110/80H17 |- !Rear Tire |130/70H18 |- !Rake |25° |- !Trail |97 mm / 3.8 in |- !Dimensions |Length 2170 mm / 85.4 in Width 770 mm / 30.3 in Height 1205 mm / 47.4 in |- !Wheelbase |1445 mm / 56.8 in |- !Seat Height |770 mm / 30.3 in |- !Ground Clearance |150 mm / 5.9 in |- !Dry Weight |195 kg / 430 lbs |- !Wet Weight |211 kg / 465 lbs |- !Fuel Capacity |17 Liters / 4.4 US gal |- !Consumption Average |18.1 km/lit |- !Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0 |13.6 m / 39.8 m |- !Standing ¼ Mile |12.5 sec / 162.0 km/h |- !Top Speed |185.7 km/h / 115.3 mph

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