YAMAHA YZF 600 R Thundercat (1997-2007) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Yamaha YZF 600R was a 599cc sports bike made by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer from 1996 to 2007 and was known in the European market as the Thundercat.

The YZF 600R Thundercat was introduced to the European market in 1996 as a replacement for the elderly FZR 600R, which took the engine with a massive improvement in power and torque, while the frame was also similar, with a steel Deltabox frame and an aluminum swingarm.

During the 1997 European 600 Supersport Champion Season, the YZF 600R Thundercat was the only four-cylinder motorcycle that won a race against the Ducati 748. In 1998, the Sport Rider magazine stated that the YZF 600R was "More fun on the racetrack than we ever dreamed, brakes that embarrassed the rest of the field. Consensus: Best middleweight street bike on the planet."

The bike featured a 599cc four-stroke four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that delivered an output power of 100 hp with a peak at 11,500 rpm and 66 Nm (49 lb-ft) of torque available at 9,500 rpm. Set in motion by a six-speed manual transmission, the bike reached a top speed of 247 kph (153 mph).

For suspension, the bike packed a 41 mm adjustable fork on the front and an adjustable monoshock on the rear, while the braking performance was handled by two 300 mm discs with four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 245 mm disc with a two-piston caliper on the rear wheel.