Improving the Yamaha YZF-R6's Riding Position

The Yamaha YZF-R6 is one of those motorcycle that you simply must tweak. From the stupidly long rear mudguard extender to the peaky engine, the Yamaha YZF-R6 begs to be modified. My overall goal is to make the Yamaha YZF-R6 more road-biased, seeing as I do most of my riding there. The gutless engine was given a much-needed torque boost with the help of the Dynojet Power Commander III USB last month.

In my quest to make the Yamaha YZF-R6 a better road bike, I've now turned my attention to the riding position. It may be good for a track day but could do with some concessions for the road. The raised handlebar 'clip-ons', which are adjustable up to 28mm higher than stock, have been chosen for the task.

The raised handlebar clip-ons look innocent enough and they should be straight forward to fit. Don't be fooled. I've already assembled them wrong – two right-handers? It will never work.

Removing the old kit is the first hurdle and the top yoke nut needs a massive 36mm socket and breaker bar to budge. The right tools are a wise investment. I always end up putting odd bits on my tank, so I laid some rubber webbing down.

I got the measurements wrong for the switchgear mounting hole in the new bars. I'll have to remove, redrill then refit. I decide that drilling holes is boring. Drilling breaks two cheap drill bits. A little bit of masking tape on the bar not only marks the point to drill but also prevents the bit from slipping.

Removal of the left grip was the hard part and akin to peeling back a mummified foreskin. Dunking the grip in water eased re-fitting. Don't get smart and use WD40 or some other oil based lubrication.

Once everything is in place I tighten up all the bolts before taking the motorcycle for a dry run . The left bar's out by a few millimeter and fouls the fairing but is easily adjusted, the riding position has improved greatly...