Rode an R6 !

[javaman]

I rode a 2000 R6 today. To my surprise it is very light and nimble. A dream to ride.

How is it possible, according to the specs it's only 2kg difference between my 2000 zx6r and it???

[Six Addict]

could be the geometry of the bike, or how that bike was specifically set up compared to your bike.

[javaman]

Yes, but it was really light even at standing still / removing the stand !

[aardvark]

Yes, but it was really light even at standing still / removing the stand !

Lower centre of gravity?

[smithy5]

Minimal fuel in tank. Aftermarket exhaust system. Other bling

[Kawawog]

I rode my mates 2009 r6 last year and it felt like a toy, and handled awesomely.. That said I now have at my disposal a 2011 R1 to play with (while my mate doesnt have a licence for the next 12 months) and that thing also handles like a dream totally standard , blew me away.. It just looks so bulky yet felt so damn light through the twisties for a litre bike! One thing it was lacking compared to my 10r though was power, it just didnt have the cranky power delivery im used to

[timmyrocks]

That's one thing I noticed when my cousin was looking at these bikes for his first bike off his learners,
Felt really light and then when I looked at the specs was surprised by the amount lol.
I agree with others and would say it holds it's weight better
It's like the tall guy who weighs 100kgs vs the short guy who weighs 100kgs

[tim]

Think everyone's covered it..... but my pieced together understanding is it's a combination of

rake (angle of forks)
trail (I think it's the difference between front contact patch and the line of the forks)
bike weight distribution
rider seating position
bar width, height and angle

And the other thing is there's trade offs too, like stability vs steering speed etc, low speed and high speed characteristics etc.

That was the reason Kevin brought an R6. He was sold on a 05-06 636 but liked the nimble feeling of the R6.

[javaman]

Indeed if the weight is almost the same then it must be the distribution and geometry. The best description is what Kawawog said. It felt like a "Toy" and very easy to throw around.

One more observation is the distance between handle bar and seat. It's much shorter and fits a short fat guy like me much better (170cm). With the ZX6R I always felt "stretching" my arms and my beer belly rest on the tank etc.