Yamaha R1 Vs. R6: Which Is Better? A Look At Each Bike's Pros & Cons

Two of the most iconic Yamaha sports bikes of all time are the R1 and R6. Even beyond the confines of Yamaha's offerings, they're sports bike legends with all sorts of speed and sporty characteristics to brag about over their respective generations. The R1 has a racing history that goes back over 25 years, while the R6 was around for almost the same amount of time, remaining one of the most desirable motorcycles in its class until it was discontinued in 2020. 

Both bikes are powered by high-revving four-cylinder engines, have similar styling, and are both thrilling to ride, but which one should you choose if you're looking to buy a supersport Yamaha? I've been shopping for a sports bike lately, so that exact question has come up. I'm no stranger to fast sports bikes, having ridden motorcycles for years now, so these two icons are high on my shopping list. I've been diving deep into the performance, pricing, and availability of each to see if either bike is a proper fit to replace some of the motorcycles I have in the garage. But which one is better, the R1 or the R6? 

Which one of these bikes is right for you will depend on how much you're willing to pay and how much performance you're looking for. You'll also need to decide whether you want to buy a bike new or used. The R1 is still available from Yamaha dealerships, but the R6 isn't, so you'll have to get one second-hand.

The R1 is at the top of Yamaha's performance ladder. It's powered by a 998cc inline four-cylinder engine rated at 197 hp and 83.6 lb-ft of torque (200 ps and 113.3 Nm). That sort of power is enough to rocket the R1 from zero to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 186 mph.

Those are the sort of numbers you can expect from a lot of high-end liter bikes, and they place the R1 in good company amongst some of the fastest bikes you can buy today. That speed doesn't come cheap, though: MSRP for a new R1 is $19,624 (including $625 destination fee). Buying used won't save you much either. A quick search of used sites like Cycle Trader reveals that many used R1s, even some with over 20,000 miles on the odometer, are still priced above $15,000.

The R6 is less powerful and less expensive. In the final year it was made, the R6 had an MSRP of $12,199 (not including destination fee). Depending on mileage and condition, used 2020 models are typically listed for between $10,000 and $15,000. That's quite a bit for a used motorcycle, but the performance matches the price. The R6 used a 599cc four-cylinder engine that produced 116 hp. Zero to 60 mph took just 3.2 seconds, and the R6 had a top speed of 162 mph. It's not R1 speed, but that's still lightning quick. 

In my experience, it's easier to maneuver a 600cc bike. They're lighter and have shorter wheelbases, which makes tight and slow corners easier. The final-year R6 had a wheelbase of 54.1 inches compared to the R1's current wheelbase of 55.3 inches, so there's only a relatively small difference between the two bikes, but a difference nonetheless. Smaller and lighter bikes are also a bit easier to ride aggressively through corners. The 2020 R6 weighed 419 pounds, while the current R1 weighs 448 pounds. That's a small difference, too, but the minor increase in effort can add up when stitching together a day's worth of corners in the mountains.

The R1 is faster than the R6, but if your daily commute includes a lot of corners, the R6 might be the better bike for you. Got a lot of open space near you? Maybe opt for the R1. The R1 is also more expensive to purchase and own. According to Yamaha, the R1 will return 33 mpg, compared to the old R6, which had an estimated fuel economy of 42 mpg. And, in many cases, bikes with larger engines are more expensive to insure. None of this steers me away from my desire to own the Yamaha R1, but that may not be true for everyone: the right Yamaha for you will depend on the kind of riding you do and how much you're willing to spend.