Taking a Yamaha R6 and changing its engine for a two-stroke V-twin may sound like a typical crazy project that is not going to have much mileage. However, that is exactly what BRC Racing has done, a Canadian company based in Calgary that has been working for some time on the development of high-performance mechanics inspired by the racing motorcycles of the 1990s.
The result is the BRC R600V2, a machine that retains much of the technical base of the R6, but completely changes its personality. And it does so with figures that catch anyone’s attention: between 150 and 160 HP of power and a final weight that could be below 140 kilos in running order.
A 589 cc, two-stroke, 105-degree V-twin engine is responsible for achieving part of those figures and, although it may seem like it, the chosen draft is not a casual choice. It is a nod to the past, because it is an architecture that is reminiscent of the legendary V2 500, motorcycles that combined lightness with power and that on certain circuits were capable of putting the all-powerful four-cylinder engines on the ropes.
If you have ever ridden a motorcycle with a two-stroke engine from 125 onwards, you will know how it works, how reactive it is when it is in the optimal rev range. Now imagine what a “bug” like that can be like with so much power, crazy!
The BRC R600V2 has an R6 chassis, a 150 HP engine and 45 kg less. Could you ask for more?
Another of the most striking data of the BRC R600V2 is the weight reduction. According to BRC Racing, with the choice of this new engine they manage to lighten the weight of the assembly by about 45 kg, so we are talking about that instead of being around 166 kg empty it drops to figures that are not seen today even in competition.
This “thinning” is especially curious because the R6 was never a heavy motorcycle. On the contrary, it always stood out for an extremely efficient cycle and for a behavior that made it a reference within the Supersport category. Reducing the weight even further allows us to imagine a very unusual weight-power ratio even in today’s most powerful sports cars.
Another detail that shows the care and interest put into the BRC R600V2 is that the engine has been designed to fit into the original mounting points of the Yamaha chassis. This avoids having to modify the main structure of the bike, a solution that allows many of the R6’s features to be preserved and also facilitates assembly if purchased as a kit.
BRC has also chosen to keep the original Yamaha gearbox. Beyond simplifying installation, this decision allows you to take advantage of a widely proven component and avoids developing a completely new transmission for the project.
On a technical level, the preparation combines traditional elements with much more modern solutions. The engine uses Keihin carburetors instead of opting for injectors, but at the same time it renounces an advance that we have been seeing for some time, it gives it that special touch that in a 2T can only be achieved with carburetors. Of course, the management of the exhaust valves is carried out using electronically controlled servomotors.
To contain the vibrations that will always end up appearing in a two-stroke twin cylinder of this displacement, the engine also incorporates a balance shaft integrated into the crankcase, a common solution in modern engines designed to improve the overall operation of the assembly.
So the BRC R600V2 is one of those projects that attract attention, bring out the most nostalgic vein and offer, at least on paper, sensations that are practically impossible to achieve today. A wet summer night’s dream for many. Of course, for now there is no established price although it looks like it won’t be cheap…
