Yamaha R6 farewell: production ends for the Supersport icon with a final limited edition

A final Yamaha R6 model for a limited time, and then farewell to the bike that defined an era, from Supersport crowns and beyond.

The curtain finally falls on the R6, Yamaha’s iconic Supersport model, with the sale of a new YZF-R6 Race Base Model. It can be ordered only in Japan at authorized dealerships during the window that began on July 1 and will close on August 31, 2026 (models will go on sale on February 26, 2027). A long goodbye: the R6 Race Base already existed solely for national championships, amateur riders, and enthusiasts on track days, due to the ban on European road use since 2021, a consequence of increasingly strict emissions regulations. Now the track-only bike will also disappear, the very one that brought so many successes in the World Supersport Championship before Yamaha’s new queen, the already world-beating R9. But first, let’s not forget that the R6 signed off with 10 riders’ world titles (from Teuchert in 2000 to Aegerter in 2022) and 10 manufacturers’ world titles.

As stated in the official note, "Yamaha Motor Sales Co., Ltd. will launch the 'YZF-R6 Race Base Model' on February 26, 2027, a model intended exclusively for road and circuit racing, equipped with a liquid-cooled 599 cm³ inline 4-cylinder engine. Production of this model will end at the conclusion of that order period." Launched in 1999, the R6 quickly established itself as the benchmark for mid-displacement sportbikes. Its 599 cc inline-four, capable of exceeding 16,000 rpm, its ultra-precise chassis, and its strongly competition-oriented character left a lasting mark.

The "YZF-R6 Race Base Model," introduced in 2021, is based on the 2020 "YZF-R6 (European specifications)" supersport and was designed with track use in mind, such as in competition. In addition to electronic aids like traction control and a quickshifter, it continues to use the same front suspension and front brakes as the higher-tier "YZF-R1 Race Base Model (2024 model)." With this final release, an era comes to a close: we are witnessing the gradual yet unstoppable extinction of inline four-cylinder Supersports, once queens of both track and road.

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