^{Article by Tom Roderick}
Motorcycle enthusiast magazines, through their first ride impressions and multi-bike shootouts, do a good job of hyping each year's new sportbikes and pinpointing key differences between models and manufacturers, but parting with a lump of hard-earned currency without riding a bike to determine if it's worth the retail price is hard to do for a discriminating motorcyclist on a tight budget. Sportbike demo rides are a rare phenomenon (about as common as spotting wild polar bears in Mexico), but supposing a dealer does allow a short blast on the newest weapon, what's a spin around the block or down the freeway going to tell a performance aficionado about the handling characteristics of a motorcycle built to excel when pushing the limits at racetrack speeds?

In a collaborative effort with the Northeast Sportbike Association, Yamaha is providing go-fast riders with a convenient and free avenue for riding Yamaha’s newest sportbikes in their element—the racetrack. At participating dealerships nationwide, motorcyclists looking to upgrade to the current crop of tuning fork rockets need only sign up to participate in navigating a brand new Yamaha sportbike around their local raceway. If an attendee chooses to purchase a new machine there’s a host of money-saving enticements to sweeten the deal including: a one-year membership to NESBA, a credit for one free track day and a $200 factory direct cash back coupon from Yamaha on top of whatever price you negotiate with the dealership at the time of purchase—an altogether bonus of approximately $500.

The track day demo rides consist of four, 15-minute sessions providing prospective Yamaha customers the chance of riding multiple models in order to evaluate the differences between similar motorcycles such as the YZF-R6S and its racier stable mate, the YZF-R6. “We’ll do everything within our power to accommodate demo riders to get them on the model of bikes they’re most interested in purchasing,” says NESBA owner Robert Blandford. That means the possibility of mixing and matching any of the five models available (FZ6, FZ1, YZF-R6S, YZF-R6S and YZF-R1) exists. If you choose to participate in the regular track day sessions it’s an opportunity for comparing a new Yamaha to your current motorcycle.

Having attended a Yamaha/NESBA demo day at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, I can attest that motorcyclists interested in participating can expect something like this.

The NESBA control rider leads our group of riders onto the Barber black top for what he termed “some seriously fast parade laps.” He increases the speed with each circulation but I hang back and allow distance to build between us. By lap three I'm confident the tires on the Yamaha YZF-R6S are sufficiently scuffed and heated so I keep the throttle pinned until instinct and experience dictate a switch to braking and a repositioning of myself from racer tuck to left-hand lean in order to navigate the speeding blue machine through turn one. The corner offers a familiar, high-speed sensation to which all sportbike enthusiasts are addicted, but turn one is only a prelude to turns two, three and four, my favorite section of this incredibly fun and flowing racetrack.

Not as eyeball-poppingly dramatic as the corkscrew at Laguna Seca but offering three intense elevation changes in rhythmic sequence, this series of turns at Barber begins with a blind, uphill right-hand entrance to turn two. Bike cranked on its side, knee skimming across the tarmac the turn doesn't end until I’m heading downhill in the opposite direction and flowing directly into turn three and a second blind, uphill entrance to turn four. When the top of the scoring tower comes into view I point the bike directly at it, twist the throttle to the stop and crest turn four hard on the gas. The R6S's front end gets light and I remind myself to weight the front end more during the next lap. I continue lapping the Barber racetrack until the 15-minute time limit expires. Pulling into the pits I park the R6S next to the Yamaha carrier and mount a brand new YZF-R6 and return to the track for a back-to-back comparison.

Following the same three-lap, warm-up format I exit turn 15 and accelerate to full gallop down Barber’s front straight. The top end power advantage the R6 has over the R6S becomes apparent as the tach needle sweeps past 13,000 rpm on its way to redline. Entering my favorite, turns two through four, segment Yamaha's flagship 600 racer yawns an unflappable yawn. Even cresting turn four the bike remains confidently planted. It’s obvious that the R6’s improved chassis and upgraded suspension and braking components increase the bikes performance capabilities and make it easy for me to lower my lap times. I up my entrance speed the next go around and again the bike fails to get excited.
 
By the end of the second 15-minute session the performance advantages of the R6 compared to its R6S sibling are conspicuous and indisputable. The difference in price between the two machines is justifiable and the purchasing decision whittled down to one of mathematical affordability.

To participate in a Yamaha/NESBA demo day either call 1-877-AT-NESBA or log on to the NESBA web site (www.nesba.com) and navigate to the Yamaha/NESBA Sportbike Demo Days link at the top of the page. Additional information is available on this website, including a list of participating dealers and the corresponding racetracks where events are being held are listed. Eligibility consists of having a valid motorcycle license, a DOT/Snell-approved helmet, riding boots, gloves and leathers. Space may be limited so sign up early.
 
If you’re seriously considering a new sportbike this year, this is the best opportunity to ride a brand new Yamaha sportbike before ever spending a dime.