At the end of our track testing the 2008 YZF-R6 proved to be the weapon of choice for the majority of our test riders. Yamaha has built a race bike with lights and that makes it difficult to beat on the track.

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

On the highway between home and work is where the clock strikes midnight on the R6’s Cinderella story.

Fit and finish on the Yamaha continue to put it in the upper echelon of today’s sportbikes with a host of stylized treatments to the engine cases, quality machine work on all exposed areas and its clean, well thought out lines all difficult features to discount.

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

Without a doubt the Yamaha has its rider on sensory overload more often than not and that is one of the reasons it is so much fun to ride.

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

Its high-tech ramp-style slipper clutch works great but very differently than the rest of the bikes with diaphragm-type slipper clutches.

Suspension is rated high, on par with the top trio including the GSX-R and CBR.

For 2008 the Yamaha YZF-R6 is our weapon of choice when it comes time to hit the track.

As much fun as it is charging hard into the sharp turns, wailing through the faster corners is where the R6 is in its element with the motor wrung out in quintuple digits and the intake howling like some psychotic demon between your legs.

The Yamaha R6 is designed to win AMA Formula Xtreme and Supersport races, not commute to work. If you’re looking for a daily driver then the purpose-built race bikes like this are not the best option.

Adam Waheed: 'Traditionally one of the shining points of the R6 are its brakes and with the ’08 R6 Yamaha has increased braking performance to a new level. Every aspect of these brakes is good: power, feel, and bite.'

In performance numbers on the drag strip, the R6 was on the bottom section of the timesheet.

The Yamaha R6 was up near the front of the Superpole times.

At 19.7 horsepower, the Yamaha was tops of the Inlines.

In torque production, the new R6 mill came up short.

We rode the R6 on two different tracks twice during four separate days on three different types of Pirelli tires so we are confident that there is no better track bike for experienced riders in this class.

A couple of our street riders found the Yamaha to their liking and ranked it high on their individual lists but not a single person chose it as the best bike for the street.

It may not have fared well at the drag strip, but we still had fun burning down that quarter-mile.

2008 Supersport Shootout - Yamaha YZF-R6

The less experienced riders never really came to grips with the R6 so it suffered from a few low scores in the motor and stability categories as a result of its top-end biased motor and highly responsive chassis.

Styling takes cues from MotoGP with a low-slung stubby exhaust and a dainty tail section tucked behind a wide, aerodynamically correct front fairing and centrally located ram-air intake telling the world to get out of the damn way because I’m on the gas and have no plans of letting off.

The R6 motor is a true conundrum for Yamaha. While its class-leading peak power delivery is an asset on the track it proves to be the bike’s biggest liability on the street.