Post-Sale Update: This Yamaha FZ600 has sold, price unknown.
After years of compromising with their middleweight sportbike, trying to provide riders with all-around flexibility, Yamaha decided to go all out with their first ‘race replica’ – the Yamaha FZ600. Designed to capture some of the increased interest in MotoGP, this bike got the “PURE SPORTS” decal so you knew they weren’t messing around.
Also their first 600cc bike with the cradle frame, it handled incredibly well (due in part to the light weight). It weighed 20 pounds less than its predecessor and 33 pounds less than its Ninja based competition – nearly a 10% savings. It was incredibly easy to ride this bike very quickly. The only weak spot may have actually been the engine. Producing 68 horsepower at the crank, dimensions of the airbox and carbs were limited by the frame’s tiny size. With that said, the powerplant was quite reliable.
This specific Yamaha FZ600 is in fantastic condition, especially considering most of its production siblings have been totaled or neglected. With just under 20,000 miles, it’s had plenty of work done recently and should be good for many, many more miles. Everything seems to be more or less original, though you do get the benefit of steel brake lines, RaceTech fork springs, and Gold Valve emulators.
Find this Yamaha FZ600 for sale here on ADVRider (registration required) for $4,000 in Vancouver, British Columbia.