What are you looking for in a motorcycle anyway? Winning a championship? Picking up women? Impressing the guys? Though long maligned by much of the motorcycling press, the YZF600R might very well offer what you really want. Or at least what you need.

It's no secret that Yamaha's YZF600R is about to be replaced, but that isn't necessarily cause for celebration for everyone. With any luck, the old FZR600 that has been produced alongside the YZF all along will be dropped and the YZF will take its place as Yamaha's second choice 600. It would be sad to see one of the most under-rated bikes of all time die an early death.

Tiny little 41mm forks handle the suspension duties up front. And not that badly either, I must say.

Yamaha's new 600 is going to be a race-ready supersport machine whose goal will be to win roadraces. I'm looking forward to the bike just as much as every other sportbike nut is, but riders who are looking for the best, most practical 600 streetbike out there should get down to a Yamaha dealer post haste and grab a YZF600R today. Discounts are plenty. At its list price of $7399, it's already the cheapest bike in its class. For the uninitiated, Yamaha's YZF600R is powered by a 599cc, watercooled, four cylinder, OHC engine. The suspension at both ends is by Kayaba and, although it all works well, the 41mm fork tubes are smaller than the class standard. This year's soon-to-be replaced Honda F3 has the same diameter forks. The YZF's weight of 485 lbs. puts it way above its competition's weight and into the range of open class bikes. Well, older open class bikes that is, considering that Yamaha's own 1000cc R1 weighs less than this thing.

The YZF600R's frame looks like aluminum but it ain't.

None of the YZF600R's features are remarkable today in comparison with newer machinery available from the other manufacturers, but I'd like to set the record straight about this poor old YZF600R. The simple truth is, it's a perfect streetbike. And the other truth is, if you're not a seasoned roadracer out riding much faster than you should on the street, no other 600 will leave this bike behind on any twistie road. If a street rider on one of these can't keep up with his friends on their Kawasaki ZX-6Rs and Suzuki GSX-R600s, he should worry more about his riding skills than about what kind of bike he's sitting on. Sure it's not the hottest, fastest, lightest bike in its class, but in real world riding conditions when does any of that ten-tenths stuff come into play anyway? Even though I've ridden tons of great bikes I would be far from depressed if I had one of these in my garage and I was making payments on it every month. No, I usually don't get depressed until I miss a payment and the bank calls.

The nicest passenger seat of any 600 sportbike. At least from the passenger's point of view.

Taking away from the YZF600R's performance is its heavier weight, steel frame, small diameter fork tubes, and soft suspension. But this is because the YZF600R was designed to be a street bike foremost. It has one of the most comfortable seats in its class, an all day riding position, great wind protection, and the most comfortable passenger pad. It also looks sexy and is probably thought of as the best looking 600 by people who don't include fork tube diameters and frame construction materials in their aesthetic considerations -- if you know what I mean. In other words, let your unimpressed buddies try to figure out for themselves why you're always the guy with a passenger.

Whatever might be said about the YZF600R's suspension, it remains that both ends of the bike are fully adjustable. True, a sporting adjustment can only be found at the far, outer limits of the range, but most riders will find that adequate. If it isn't, a change out front of oil, springs, and a re-valve job, and an installation out back of an aftermarket shock, will cure all of this bike's handling cushiness. If you're sure that's what you want to do.