1998 Yamaha XJ600 review from United Kingdom
"Reliably boring"
What things have gone wrong with the motorcycle?
The air filter housing got blocked with some strange looking, emulsified gunk, which lead to oil spilling out over the engine.
Also the starter motor brushes wouldn't retract properly; easily fixed.
General comments?
The XJ600N is the reliable old man of bikes.
Apparently, it does 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds; and pigs do fly. The acceleration on this bike is fairly non existent until you reach around 5000 revs.
Once you are moving the bike handles well, and is reasonably fun to ride. The braking is very good (2 discs on the front), although the weight of the bike is an issue.
The bike is air cooled and so for those long distance trips (regular London - Edinburgh) I would recommend some time out as the engine does get very hot.
If you like to tinker with things yourself, one of the most annoying things about the bike is mechanic unfriendly design. The downpipes and cans especially are frustratingly positioned to make the easiest of jobs fiddly as..
For all the ups of this bike, I just can't get over the lack of power. I will be upgrading to a Hornet, a bike with some real sting.
| Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Acceleration marks | 5/10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | |
| Handling marks | 7/10 |
| Braking marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 8000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 13000 miles |
| Previous motorcycle | Kawasaki GPZ500S |
| Date of Entry | 27th April, 2008 |