2010 Yamaha R6: bold new graphics done right

After last year's abysmal color treatments, we were quite surprised by how elegant and refined the 2010 Yamaha R6 is. Gone are the tacky graphics, Hooker Magenta and Popsicle Orange, leaving us with rather striking blue and white, black and all white models. The two-tone R6 uses minimized color patterns, a grey line and grey-striped wheels to accentuate instead of exaggerating the R6's origami-like folds, creating a finished bike that feels like a highly polished flagship. Quite frankly, we think the 2010 R6 is a better representation of Yamaha than the bug-eyed, porky R1. Yes, there's some kind of weirdo feathers theme on the black bike, but we're pretending that's an option. Other than the colors, the 2010 R6 gets minor tweaks including a remapped ECU, revised YCC-I intake funnels and airbox as well as a new exhaust length increase of 100mm. All of these add up to a bit more mid-range power. While the increased mid-range will be nice for both track and daily riding, we're just happy to see Yamaha give Americans a tasteful bike. The new R6 will be on dealer floors by January with an MSRP of $10,490.

Yamaha