Huaying Reaches A New Copycat Low With Yamaha R6 Knockoff

We’ve seen some brazen motorcycle clones from Chinese manufacturers in recent months. From the Dayun Chi 302 mimicking the Kawasaki Z1000 to the Honda Africa Twin lookalike Dahaidao 500 GS-ADV, Chinese brands aren’t reluctant to “borrow” from their international competitors. The latest example may be the most shameful of th bunch.

Drawing more than just inspiration from the discontinued Yamaha YZF-R6, Huaying presents a new knockoff to the bunch. The blatant copycat R6 not only plays off of Team Blue’s recognizable design elements but also lifts logos and fonts directly from Yamaha’s catalog. While Huaying turned the tuning fork logo into a spoked wheel design, the R6 script is a spot-on match.

In addition to the Iwata designs, the Chinese firm also appropriates Valentino Rossi’s iconic number 46, Monster Energy branding, and inexplicably, a Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) graphic. From tip to tail, the Huaying R6 resembles the source material to a tee. However, what lies beneath the bodywork is an entirely different story.

Instead of the YZF-R6’s liquid-cooled, DOHC, 599cc inline-four at its core, the Huaying R6 employs a 500cc parallel-twin found in China’s countless budget builds. Power figures for the two-pot mill aren’t available but the rest of the package matches the low-spec engine. Budget-oriented suspension and braking components take the place of Yamaha’s supersport-worthy equipment. Even the Huaying R6’s spindly swingarm doesn’t stand up to the stock equipment on the track-only sportbike.

Behind the cowl, the copycat R6 features an LCD display and tachometer similar to the Yamaha setup. The Huaying example also boasts the LED slits that define the bLU cRU’s current sportbike design language. On sale for around $3,500, the Huaying R6 delivers supersport looks without any of the performance or quality to back it up. With a clear intellectual property case on its hands, we’d be surprised if Huaying offered its R6 outside the friendly confines of China.

Huaying Reaches A New Copycat Low With Yamaha R6 Knockoff
Source: Philippines Election