Alright, folks, gather ’round, let me tell you about my little project with my 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6. I’ve always been curious about the actual weight of this beast, not just what the manual says. So, I decided to find out for myself.
I started by looking up what others have found. Seems like the general consensus online is around 167.5 kg, or about 369 lbs, for this model. I figured that’s a good starting point, but I wanted to know for sure about my specific bike. Not just the general weight, but how much I could maybe shave off if I tried.
First, I made sure my bike was completely stock, no fancy mods or anything. Then, I rode it over to a local workshop that has a really precise scale they use for weighing all sorts of vehicles. We are talking high-tech scale here. They usually deal with cars, but they were cool enough to let me use it for my R6.
The Weigh-In
Now, getting the bike onto the scale was a bit of a challenge. We had to push it up a ramp, and let me tell you, even though these bikes look light, they’re not exactly easy to move around when the engine’s off. But we managed, and I got my first look at the number on the scale. I took several numbers and here is what I got.
- Attempt 1: 168.1 kg
- Attempt 2: 167.8 kg
- Attempt 3: 167.6 kg
Okay, so my R6 was pretty close to what I found online, a tiny bit heavier, actually. I also noticed the fuel tank was about half full, which definitely added a few pounds. It made me wonder what it would be with an empty tank, but I didn’t want to push my luck with the guys at the workshop.
The next step was thinking about weight reduction. I read somewhere that the stock exhaust on these bikes is pretty heavy. Supposedly, switching to an aluminum exhaust can make a big difference. I found on a forum that someone said, “4-into-2-into-1 aluminum exhaust optimizes engine performance, reduces overall weight and is tucked in high for maximum lean angle,” so I decided to make the change.
After swapping out the exhaust, I went back to the workshop. This time, the scale showed 163.5 kg. That’s a pretty significant drop, I would never have thought it would be this much. And you can actually feel the difference when riding, too. The bike felt a bit more nimble, especially when leaning into turns.
This whole experiment was a lot of fun. It was cool to see the real-world numbers and how a simple change can affect the weight of the bike. Plus, it’s always a good excuse to tinker around with your ride, right? If any of you have done something similar or have other weight-saving tips for the R6, I’d love to hear about it!
