Custom Drag YAMAHA R6

Every so often someone builds a bike that's so different and radical it raises the bar: this R6 is just that-a game changer. At first glance it might seem like just a Euro-flavored streetfighter, but you'd be a fool to take it at face value.

Not only is this Yamaha rockin' a built motor and a turbo, but it's also two-wheel drive (2WD). Not one, but both wheels push and pull it down the road.

A bike of this caliber seems out of this world, but we can thank Mikael Tiainen of Emtes Engineering in Sweden for this one-of-a-kind monster.

"It took me roughly 7 months and over 600 hours to build the thing," Tiainen said. "Not only did I do all of the design work like the CAD and engineering, but I also fabricated most of the pieces myself," he added.

While the bike is little more than a shell of a stock R6, behind the custom pieces it's a 2003 model. Where most people build their customs around a literbike or bigger, Tiainen wanted to take the path less traveled.

"Building a turbo 600 is different, and making it 2WD is even crazier."

Taking the notion of crazy, the engine was punched to 620cc thanks to Wiseco forged 10:1 low-comp pistons that hang from Crower billet con-rods. Up top, the cylinder head received a full port and polish along with a special chamber treatment to compliment the forced induction.

Since the compression was dropped for boost, Tiainen decided to make up for the lack of cylinder pressure with a Mitsubishi TD04-HL turbocharger-a snail that coincidentally comes stock on 2.0 liter (that's 2000ccs for those counting) car engines.

Any gearhead knows a successful forced induction endeavor is far more than just a turbo, so Tiainen called upon a Haltech E6X for fuel injection and ignition duties while a PWM boost controller manipulates the wastegate. Taking it one step further, an air-to-water intercooler was tucked inside the tail to curb escalating intake temps. The custom cooler uses a Laminoca watercooled core for the heat exchanger.

With big steam underfoot it only made sense that Tiainen would set out on a serious search for traction. But nobody could have guessed what his solution would eventually be.

"I decided to utilize the Öhlins 2WD system because it's an engineering marvel and not many people have used it."