Key highlights
- Yamaha R6 Race Base production end announced
- Last orders can be placed till August 1, 2026
- YZF-R6 nameplate has been on sale for 27 years
After nearly a three-decade stint, Yamaha is ready to bid farewell to its most iconic sports bike nameplate ever built, the YZF-R6. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has announced that it will axe the R6 Race Base, the only available version globally, by August 2026.
This announcement comes after the discontinuation of the road-legal model in 2021 due to the Euro 5 emission norms in the global market. However, the R6 Race Base, a track-only model, was being sold in Japan and Europe, which is now set to be axed permanently.
With no plans for a replacement with a new-generation model, the last orders for the R6 Race Base in Japan can be placed between July 1, 2026, and July 31, 2026, and between August 1, 2026 and August 30, 2026, globally. Meanwhile, customers in Europe and other markets will be able to buy one until the stock lasts.
While Yamaha has not revealed why it is axing the R6 nameplate, we genuinely feel that the YZF-R6 should return soon in the latest avatar. It is sad that we never got to experience the iconic R6 in India, while other Japanese brands like Kawasaki introduced their inline-four 600cc sports bikes like the ZX-6R.
Speaking of the current R6 Race Base, it is a track-only bike, and it features no road-legal equipment like the headlight, taillight, turn indicators, number plate holders, etc. It is powered by a 599cc inline-four-cylinder liquid-cooled motor, and it makes 118.4 bhp and 67.1 Nm of peak power and torque. It also packs the same set of bigger dual-disc brakes at the front as the flagship YZF-R1.
With that said, this ends a beautiful chapter in Yamaha’s and the 600cc sports bike category. The R6 will forever be loved for its design, performance, and the evolution that it went through in these 27 years of production.
Also read: Yamaha R2 likely to launch on August 27 – KTM RC 200 rival
