Yamaha R6S (YZF-R6S, 2006-2010) Maintenance Schedule

This is the maintenance schedule and associated service intervals for the Yamaha R6S, also known as the YZF-R6S.

The Yamaha R6s was first released in 2006 as a more civilised, street-version of the Yamaha R6, not receiving all the latest technological updates, and keeping an older version of the engine. It’s basically a continuation of the Yamaha R6 2nd gen, while in 2006 the Yamaha R6 3rd gen came out.

At first blush, the Yamaha R6S looks a lot like an R6. The first give-away that it’s different is the decal. Other than that, conventional (not inverted) forks, and slightly less aggressive clip-on handlebars.

The Yamaha R6S wasn’t updated after its model run. Yamaha continued making the third gen R6, and focused on its naked bikes (e.g. the FZ8) as its street bikes.

This post was originally published on July 29, 2020, but has since been considerably updated with more detail.

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Yamaha YZF-R6S Service Intervals

The Yamaha YZF-R6S has 4000 mile / 6000 km or 6-monthly service intervals. At every serivce, change the oil, check / replace the spark plugs, and do a comprehensive look-over for leaks, worn parts, or things in need of lubrication.

Every 26600 miles or 42000 km, check and adjust the valve clearances. At the same time, change the air filter (the interval is slightly different, but the difference is negligible).

Remember to keep the brake fluid and coolant fresh. Yamaha recommends a 2-year replacement schedule for both.

Yamaha YZF-R6S Maintenance Schedule

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Yamaha R6S.

The maintenance for the Yamaha YZF-R6S was originally broken into two sections (emissions control and general maintenance), but they’re combined below for convenience.

Yamaha recommends you only maintain the chain and change the oil, plus keep general lubrication up to date, and leave everything else up to a dealer.

mi x 1000	4	8	12	16	20
km x 1000	7	13	19	25	31
Months	6	12	18	24	30	Every
Change engine oil (Yamalube 10W-40)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Replace oil filter (HF204RC)		✓		✓
Check spark plug condition. Adjust gap and clean	✓		✓		✓
Replace spark plugs		✓		✓
Check and adjust valve clearances						26600 mi / 42000 km
Replace air filter Replace more often if riding in wet / dusty areas						24000 mi / 40000 km
Replace brake fluid and rubber parts of brake master cylinder and calipers						2 years
Replace brake hoses						4 years
Check swingarm bearing assemblies for looseness.		✓
Repack swingarm pivot bearings with lithium soap-based grease.				✓
Check fuel hoses for cracks or damage. Replace if necessary	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check and adjust engine idle speed and fuel injector synchronization	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check clutch operation. Adjust or replace cable.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check front brake operation, fluid level, and for fluid leakage. Replace brake pads if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check rear operation, fluid level, and for fluid leakage. Replace brake pads if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check brake hoses for cracks or damage.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check wheel runout and for damage. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check tire tread depth and for damage. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check wheel bearings for smooth operation. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check bearing assemblies for looseness.	✓	✓	✓		✓
Repack steering bearings with lithium soap-based grease.				✓
Check all chassis fitting and fasteners. Correct if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Lubricate brake lever pivot shaft with silicone grease lightly	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Lubricate brake pedal, clutch lever, and shift pedal pivot shafts with lithium soap-based grease lightly.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check side stand pivot. Lubricate with lithium soap-based grease lightly.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check side stand switch operation and replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check front fork operation and for oil leakage. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check rear shock operation and for oil leakage. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check rear suspension link pivots. Correct if necessary.		✓		✓
Check cooling system hoses for cracks or damage. Replace if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Replace cooling system with ethylene glycol pre-mix				✓		2 years
Check operation of front and rear brake switches	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Lubricate control cables thoroughly (Protect all cable life)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check throttle grip operation and free play. Adjust the throttle cable free play if necessary. Lubricate the throttle grip housing and cable.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check lights, signals, and switches for correct operation. Adjust headlight if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check crankcase breather hose for cracks or damage. Replace if necessary	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check exhaust system for leakage. Tighten if necessary, and replace gasket(s) if necessary.	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Check evap control system for damage. Replace if necessary			✓
Check the air induction cut valve and reed valve, and hose for damage. Replace any damaged parts.		✓		✓

Maintenance Schedule — Yamaha YZF-R6S

Maintaining Your Chain on the Yamaha R6S

It’s important to maintain your chain on the Yamaha R6S, as on any chain-driven motorcycle. Use a good-quality chain lubricant like Motul chain paste, or a Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.

Yamaha recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule every 500 mi / 800 km and after washing the motorcycle, riding in the rain, or riding in wet areas.

Chain maintenance item
Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary (Motul chain paste)
Check drive chain slack, alignment, and condition, adjusting / replacing if necessary

Chain maintenance — Yamaha YZF-R6S

Naturally, if you track or race your R6S, then attend to your chain more often.

About the Yamaha YZF-R6S

Yamaha YZF-R6S action wheelie — Yamaha YZF-R6S in action

Essentially, the Yamaha R6S is a 2nd generation R6 with slightly more comfortable clip-ons and conventional (rather than inverted) forks.

So riding the R6S, much like riding the FZ6 of the same era, is still very much riding a sport bike. This is no comfortable and roomy sport tourer! Think of it more as a sport bike that you don’t wish was always on the track, because it’s fun to blast around the local hills. It’s also cheaper to buy and to own.

The Yamaha YZF-R6S is based on a 600 cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke engine. It has dual overhead cams and sixteen valves.

It’s the same engine introduced in the 2003 fuel-injected Yamaha YZF-R6. But Yamaha updated the YZF-R6 for generation three in 2006, and decided to keep the old engine on in a more affordable package for casual road racers.

You can think of the Yamaha YZF-R6S as a little bit like the Honda CBR600F4i (which Honda discontinued around this time). The F4i was an “everyday” sport bike — competitively fast, but with ride gear that wasn’t top of the game, with conventional forks for example. The R6S is the same.

The R6S still looks great. Unless you’re staring at the forks, you can’t really tell that it’s not a high-end bike. The front brakes are still great, being twin floating discs with 4-piston calipers on them. The rear tyre is a full-size 180/55-17 tyre, as you’d see on sportbikes even in the litre class.

And the engine, of course, is a stomper. It’s tuned for 88 kW / 120 bhp at 13000 rpm — a little lower than the R6, but still a huge amount of power for anyone.

Yes, the Yamaha YZF-R6 is a higher-spec bike, but the question for many people becomes: is it worth the upgrade? Are you going to squeeze the maximum potential out of the R6?

Or maybe you just want to buy the more desirable bike so it’s easier to sell.

Either way, the Yamaha YZF-R6S is an underdog and deserves a good look.

Maintaining the Yamaha YZF-R6S is much like maintaining many liquid-cooled Yamaha sport bikes. The recommended oil service interval is every 4000 miles / 6000 km, and valve services are every 26600 miles / 42000 km. Keep fluids and filters fresh and it’ll last forever.