The YZF600R Thundercatpresented in the middle of the last decade of the nineties, became Yamaha’s bet to try to assault the scepter within the very competitive SuperSport category of the moment: CBR600F, ZX-6R and RF600R They were its most representative natural competitors. Each of them with their own design philosophy and a very clear approach as to what they should offer to those who end up choosing any of them.
YZF600R Thundercat: “virtue lies in balance”
Yamaha did not mince words when developing its new YZF600R Thundercat. They were fully aware of the dominance that Honda had exercised until then with its iconic model, so they decided to use the same weapons that until then had worked so well for the brand with the golden wing.
At the top of both extremes was, on one side, the Akashi sports car, synonymous with racing spirit and uncompromising driving. On the other hand, the civilized RF600, perhaps the weakest of the group in purely performance terms, although it defended itself worthily in multipurpose use on a daily basis, as well as when hitting the road to ride without giving up that sporty touch that any 600 of the moment must have.
A successful technique
Starting from the base of the brand’s well-known 599 cc tetra-cylinder, with double overhead camshaft, 16-valve cylinder head, electronic ignition, and power via a battery of 36 mm carburetors, Yamaha declared for the YZF600R Thundercat a final power of 105 HP at 11,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 65.7 Nm at 9,500 revolutions. The top speed was set at 254 km/ha figure only surpassed by the ZX-6R.
On paper the YZF600R Thundercat ran like the Kawa, was comfortable like the CBR and capable of riding at the same level as Suzuki’s RF600R. In fact, in the tests at the time they considered it the winner over the competition, although this would not be enough of an argument to become a top seller within the segment. Quite the opposite; As would happen with its sister, the YZF1000R Thunderace, neither of them would achieve the commercial success of the inimitable FZR saga.
Sentenced before birth
Although Yamaha launched a well-rounded product on the market, there were several factors that made the YZF600R Thundercat “die a success.” On the one hand, the almost impossible task of unseating the CBR600 acronym as a reference for the segment. Furthermore, the model seemed too heavy in sporty driving with its 221 kilos in running order (10 more than the Honda), something unforgivable at a time when this factor clearly made the difference.
That’s not all, since the “new” YZF600R Thundercat was in a way a revamp of the previous generation FZR600, something that many fans of the brand did not like too much. Yamaha had already applied this same recipe before with the Thunderace, making use of the platform offered by the already ancient FZR1000 from 1994. Finally, we had a fundamental aspect in any self-respecting sports bike: enjoying its own personality.
Although the Japanese brand had tried to battle with the CBR600 on its own ground, along the way it lost its characteristic visual seal, something that was quickly solved with the launch of the first generation of YZF-R6. The YZF600R Thundercat was left in no man’s land in this section, trying to look like the Honda, without doing so, but also not marking a clear path on an aesthetic level.
The unit for sale
None of the above can change the fact that this YZF600R Thundercat, which will soon be auctioned, is a true candy for any Old School lover. Among other things because, Since 1997 it has had only one owner and its odometer only shows 530 miles traveled, just over 850 kilometers.. All this without forgetting, as detailed in the advertisement itself, that it enjoys:
“An extraordinarily good presentation for a machine that is approaching 30 years old, its wonderful and evocative color combination and styling transport you directly to the golden age of Japanese sports bikes of the 90s”. Associated with the chassis number JYA4TV00000029894currently does not have a valid ITV. It is expected to raise a figure close to 5,000 pounds for it, just over 5,800 euros. More information and details by clicking here.
