Difference between revisions of "Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat"

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{{Motorcycle
#Redirect [[Yamaha YZF-600R]]
|name            = [[Yamaha]] YZF600 Thundercat
|photo=Yamaha-YZF600R-96--1.jpg
|aka              = YZF600S Thundercat, YZF 600 S Thundercat, YZF600R Thundercat, YZF 600 R Thundercat, YZF 600 R, YZF600R
|manufacturer    = Yamaha
|parent_company  =
|production      = 1996
|model_year      =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =[[Motorcross]]
|engine          = Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      = 12.0:1
|top_speed        = 246.8 km/h / 153.3 mph
|power            =
|torque          =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition        = Digital TCI
|spark_plug      =
|battery          =
|transmission    = 6 Speed
|frame            = Twin spar, steel, delta box
|suspension      =Front: 41 mm telescopic fork adjustable preload, compression and [[rebound damping]] <br>
Rear: Monoshock adjustable preload, bump and rebound
|brakes          =Front: 2x 300 mm Discs, 4 [[piston]] [[calipers]] <br>Rear: Single 245mm disc, 2 piston caliper
|front_tire      = {{tire|120/60-17}}
|rear_tire    = {{tire|160/60-17}}
|rake_trail      =
|wheelbase        = 1415 mm / 55.7 in
|length          =
|width            =
|height          =
|seat_height      = 810 mm / 31.7 in
|dry_weight      = 189 kg / 417 lbs
|wet_weight      = 210 kg / 463 lbs
|fuel_capacity    = 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal / 4.2 Imp gal
|oil_capacity    =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius  =
|related          =
|competition      =
}}
 
It could reach a top speed of 246.8 km/h / 153.3 mph. 
 
==Engine==
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 12.0:1 [[compression ratio]]. 
 
==Chassis==
It came with a 120/60-17 front [[tire]] and a 160/60-17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 300 mm Discs, 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single 245mm disc, 2 piston [[caliper]] in the rear. The front suspension was a  41 mm telescopic fork adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping while the rear was equipped with a Monoshock adjustable preload, bump and rebound. The YZF600R Thundercat was fitted with a 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal / 4.2 Imp gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 189 kg / 417 lbs. The wheelbase was 1415 mm / 55.7 in long. 
== Photos ==
[[File:Yamaha-YZF600R-96--1.jpg|600px|Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat]]
[[File:Yamaha-YZF600R-96--4.jpg|600px|Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat]]
[[File:Yamaha-YZF600R-96--3.jpg|600px|Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat]]
[[File:Yamaha-YZF600R-96.jpg|600px|Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat]]
 
== Overview ==
 
Yamaha YZF 600R Thunder cat
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Like many bikes, Yamaha's
Thundercat was initially launched as a sports A-imachine, but has remained
successful in a different, sport-touring role after being superseded by more
advanced designs. First seen in 1996, the Thundercat replaced the elderly
FZR600R and was an immediate success. Its inline-four engine was based on
the FZR, but heavily revised for improved power and torque. The frame was
also similar to the FZR, using a steel Deltabox design, together with an
aluminum swingarm. The result was a bike that was heavier and less focused
than its predecessor, but with more modern performance.
 
The styling is very distinctive.
The aerodynamic single headlight nosecone is similar to the Thunderace 1000,
also launched in 1996, and incorporates a ram-air induction system which
increases the engine's output as speed increases. Also shared with the
Thunderace are the four piston front brake calipers, manufactured by
Sumitomo and shared with many recent Yamaha models. These brakes, which were
a revelation to many riders in 1996, are still among the best performing
brake components on the road.
The conventional suspension setup
is soft for a sportsbike, but is still capable on road and track. Many 600
Supersports racers campaigned the Thundercat, with remarkable success,
including at world level (Vittoriano Guareschi finished second on a
Thundercat in the 1997 WSS championship). The suspension's built-in
adjustment front and rear can improve performance, but aftermarket
improvements can pay dividends for track use.
 
Equipment levels are sufficient
rather than extensive, and the Thundercat's sports-derived dashboard is less
comprehensive than some all-round competitors. Having said that, its
19-litre (4.2 gal) fuel tank gives an extended range, and the spacious dual
seat offers comfort for many miles.
The Thundercat has received only
minor changes during its life so far, suggesting Yamaha got the design
largely right to begin with.
 
 
 
 
 
YAMAHA'S REVISED AND REFINED YZF600R OFFERS NUMEROUS
 
facets for admiration. First glance will become a stare because Yamaha's
stylists have finally found a look that works for their midsize sport bike, from
the uniquely shaped, wind-tunnel-tested fairing complete with ram-air scoop to
the tasteful and, dare we say it, classy paint work.
The same strong YZF chassis that took Jamie James to the '94 AMA 600
Super-Sport championship is updated with all-new cartridge front suspenders
matched to a recalibrated shock, while the ram-air scoop feeds pressurized air
to carburetors measuring two millimeters larger than last year's mixers. The
power increase we noticed from the seat was blunted amazingly well by the YZF's
stunning front stoppers, a beautiful set of one-piece, cast-aluminum calipers
that add whoa to the YZF's show-and-go. After two months of tireless flogging,
touring and track-testing, Yamaha's YZF600 threatens to be the best 600cc street
bike Sport Rider has tested.
Yamaha's positioning of the '97 YZF600 depends upon your perspective. Racers
will claim Yamaha's target is the 600 SuperSport class, pointing to the fully
adjustable suspension components and reciting the 88 rear-wheel ponies we saw on
the Graves Motor-sports Dynojet dyno, then referring to the 11.48-second
quarter-mile and 119.8-mph trap speed as proof that Yamaha is chasing all-out
performance first and foremost. Street riders, however, will find substantial
proof that Yamaha's sights were focused on their interests, fingering the same
suspension adjustability that can adapt to differing roads and loads and
wrapping their argument around the YZF's real-world ergonomics and outstanding
wind protection from the all-new fairing. Each faction will find strong points
to support its views, but as the Sport Rider staff came to know our black
and silver 600 m6re intimately, we found ourselves convinced that Yamaha aimed
its revised YZF600 more at the real-world street rider than the relatively few
racers who will make the jump to the track.
The bare-bones look of many repli-racers just isn't apparent in Yamaha's
latest 600. In fact, the YZF's fit and finish are significantly updated over
last year and put the bike on par with Honda's benchmark CBR600F3, as we
discovered when stripping the bike in the studio. The styling received
significantly more positive comments than the flash-boy F3 graphics, or last
year's YZF for that matter, and no one can deny the importance of styling in the
pride-of- ownership debate.
Yamaha's YZF600R appears 750-sized and offers 750-size ergonomics as well,
with excellent legroom for those under 6 feet 2 inches tall and a relatively
short reach to the handlebars mounted just above the upper triple clamp. While
the seating position isn't significantly different from that of the other
600-class competitors, the wind protection from the revised fairing is certainly
the best in the class, with a smooth plane of air coming off the sculpted
windscreen that is bracketed by wide ABS-plastic borders, similar to Biaggi's
Aprilia racer. You might not notice the improvement in a short ride, but we
certainly appreciated the air management during our two months of testing. Last
year's comfortable two-piece seat is now a single unit and is good for most
hauls, though some felt it a bit too soft for day-long rides. The YZF spent few
if any nights in the SR garage and was a popular ride for weekend duty.
The YZF extracts no penalty for its performance in day-today living. Cold
starts need only the smallest enrichener settings, facilitated by the
bar-mounted lever, and carbure-tion was marred only by a slight off-idle lean
stutter that muddied throttle response below 2500 rpm. Last year the YZF mixed
gas and air in a set of 34mm Keihin carbs, but the '97 wears 36mm units that are
better suited to the engine, not just helping to produce more power, but
offering cleaner jetting choices as well. The street-based ergonomics are backed
by a street-based torque curve that peaks at only 9500 rpm with 45.9 foot-pounds
of torque, meaning you don't need to rev the rings out of it to squirt ahead in
traffic; we found ourselves short-shifting the YZF just as if it were a 750 or
900. The bike shifted nicely prior to our dragstrip testing, but a few abusive
launches took an early toll on the clutch, affecting not just leaving a stop
sign, but the bike's ability to shift smoothly as well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
First-time sport-bike buyers might be surprised to find no centerstand, but
that, along with terribly weak horns, is the norm rather than the exception.
Unfortunately, Yamaha ditched last year's electronic reserve switch in favor of
a single low-fuel warning light that increases the fuel-level guessing game.
Also, Yamaha added a helmet lock that leaves your helmet dangling against the
chain side of the swingarm, which isn't the cleanest place on a motorcycle; the
underseat hooks of last year are preferable.
 
ARE THOSE BRAKES AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK?
 
In a word: yes. The racy blue-anodized plugs on the outside of the Sumitomo
calipers signify the one-piece design of the cast-aluminum calipers, which
required the pistons to be inserted from the outside. They're attractive,
distinctive and 18 percent more rigid than last year's binders, bringing
world-class braking to the front of the YFZ in terms of both feel and strength.
Despite the YZF's relatively hefty wet weight of 485 pounds, only one finger is
needed on the adjustable brake lever, no matter what speed you're traveling or how hard you need to stop. Jumping off any other
bike and onto the Yamaha necessitates a mental adjustment, because you don't
just grab brakes this strong without either putting your helmet through the
windscreen or pivoting the whole machine into the air in a stoppie. And, yes,
those are illegal.
Yamaha's componentry update isn't just confined to the front brakes, it also
includes revised damping rates in the cartridge fork, focusing on a more
progressive compression action at the bottom of the fork stroke. We praised the
YZF's around-town ride last year, and the kudos are still applicable. If
anything, the YZF seems more poised and confidence-inspiring than last year's
bike, at least at street speeds. Many testers used the word "exact" in their
descriptions of the light-steering Yamaha because it could be placed in the
corner with precision and slight adjustments were little more than a thought
away. The '96 YZF didn't care much for small, quick stutter bumps, but the
suspension revisions have improved the '97's ability to deal with these small jolts. But as we'd later
discover during our track testing, the chosen spring rates are biased a bit more
toward comfort than performance, being a bit softer than even an aggressive
street rider would choose.
 
 
 
ARE THE SPRINGS TOO SORT?
 
The answer depends upon how you ride. If you hammer hard or ride extremely
rough roads, you may find yourself running the shock and fork springs near their
maximum preload, with correspondingly high rebound and compression settings. Our
lighter and smoother testers had few complaints, but the hammerheads among us
felt the bike a bit loose and in need of an extra moment before it settled
during aggressive or bumpy corner entrances. The YZF's weight certainly hurts in
this instance.
We were pleased with the mileage and traction quotient of the stock
Bridge-stone tires, even at elevated street speeds. Hard-core corner chargers
would be smart to look at spring upgrades and stickier skins, simple updates
that would make the YZF a delightfully responsive canyon charger.
 
HOW DOES IT WORK IN THE REAL WORLD?
 
Yamaha's suspension choices that may prove marginal at the racetrack's
elevated speeds make perfect sense on the pot-holed streets of the real world.
(We'll pit the YZF against the CBR, ZX-6R and GSX-R for a full street and track
shootout in the near future.) The '97 model absorbed sharp-edged jolts like
frost heaves and cement freeway undulations significantly better than last
year's YZF, the trade-off being slightly increased fork dive under hard braking,
even with the preload adjusters showing only three lines. Each tester remarked
on the tight, exact steering characteristics, and the planted feel of the bike
at same street speeds. The standard (noninverted) fork was praised for its feedback,
even on the stock tires that usually mask traction information, and everyone
that rode our black beauty commented on the light, willing steering that made
the relatively large 600 immediately ridable. The YZF tends to fall into the
corner at steep lean angles due to the triangulated front Bridgestone, but the
steering remains predictable and neutral at less radical lean angles, which
translates into a bike that's easy to go quick on.
The engine really helps the first few miles of acclimation because it revs
with a willingness that belies its relatively long-stroke design, which has a
62mm piston moving through a 49.6mm stroke (Honda's F3 uses a 65mm piston in a
45.2mm stroke). Theoretically, the YZF's longer stroke can limit engine rpm due
to elevated piston speed, but the Yamaha redlines at 13,000 rpm, or 250 rpm
below the F3. A second long-stroke theory centers around increased midrange due
to more complete cylinder filling, and that theory is borne out by the YZF's
willingness to pull from any rpm, with anything over 6000 rpm getting your attention and 8500 rpm
serving as the take-off point as the YZF starts making some serious steam. The
power flattens about 500 rpm before redline, but we can't remember a more
rev-happy 600cc engine coming from Yamaha since the FJ/FZ600 two-valver. It
makes every facet of riding more enjoyable, from zipping through city traffic to
grabbing gears on the way up the mountain. One ride will impress you with the
packaging that Yamaha has at last achieved with its YZF600.
At $7399, Yamaha has created a 600cc sport bike that breaks through the class
barrier to ride and feel more like a 750, stressing streetability over racetrack
performance. And that's what the majority of us do most of the time, or so
Yamaha hopes by producing a package that combines a street-oriented powerband
and chassis with stunning styling that says "beautiful motorcycle" not "repli-racer."
Don't misunderstand, the YZF600R gets around a racetrack just fine, but it gets
through daily life in the real world amazingly well.
Source  SPORT RIDER 1997
 
 
{|  class="wikitable"
|-
!Make Model
|Yamaha YZF 600R Thundercat
|-
!Year
|1996
|-
!Engine Type
|Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
|-
!Displacement
|599 cc / 36.5 cu-in
|-
!Bore X Stroke
|62 x 49.6 mm
|-
!Cooling System
|Liquid cooled
|-
!Compression
|12.0:1
|-
!Induction
|4 x 36 mm Keihin CV downdraft carburetors
|-
!Ignition
|Digital TCI
|-
!Starting
|Electric
|-
!Max Power
|72.9 kW / 100 hp @ 11500 rpm
|-
!Max Power Rear Tire
|67.9 kW / 91.0 hp @ 11500 rpm
|-
!Max Torque
|65.7 Nm / 6.7 kgf-m / 48.7 lb-ft @ 9500 rpm
|-
!Transmission
|6 Speed
|-
!Final Drive
|530 O-ring chain OEM sprocket sizes per tooth Front= 15 Back= 47
|-
!Frame
|Twin spar, steel, delta box
|-
!Front Suspension
|41 mm telescopic fork adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping
|-
!Front Wheel Travel
|130 mm / 5.1 in
|-
!Rear Suspension
|Monoshock adjustable preload, bump and rebound
|-
!Rear Wheel Travel
|120 mm / 4.7 in
|-
!Front Brakes
|2x 300 mm Discs, 4 piston calipers
|-
!Rear Brakes
|Single 245mm disc, 2 piston caliper
|-
!Front Tire
|120/60-17
|-
!Rear Tire
|160/60-17
|-
!Rake
|25.0°
|-
!Trail
|97 mm / 3.82 in
|-
!Dimensions
|Length 2060mm / 81.1 in Width 754 mm / 29.6 in Height 1190 mm / 46.8 in
|-
!Wheelbase
|1415 mm / 55.7 in
|-
!Seat Height
|810 mm / 31.7 in
|-
!Ground Clearance
|135 mm / 5.3 in
|-
!Dry Weight
|189 kg / 417 lbs
|-
!Wet Weight
|210 kg / 463 lbs
|-
!Fuel Capacity
|19 Liters / 5.0 US gal / 4.2 Imp gal
|-
!Consumption Average
|6.1 L/100 km / 16.4 km/l / 38.6 US mpg / 46.3 Imp mpg
|-
!Braking 60 Km/h - 0
|13.5 m / 44.3 ft
|-
!Braking 100 Km/h - 0
|37.5 m / 123 ft
|-
!Standing ¼ Mile
|11.3 sec / 194.7 km/h / 121 mph
|-
!Top Speed
|246.8 km/h / 153.3 mph
 
|}
 
[[Category:Yamaha motorcycles]]

Revision as of 14:45, 1 October 2019

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