Yamaha Motorcycles

About Yamaha

Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation.

Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized vehicles on July 1, 1955. The company's intensive research into metal alloys for use in acoustic pianos had given Yamaha wide knowledge of the making of lightweight, yet sturdy and reliable metal constructions. This knowledge was easily applied to the making of metal frames and motor parts for motorcycles. Yamaha Motor produces motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, marine engines including outboards, automobile engines, personal watercraft and snowmobiles.

The Yamaha corporate logo is composed of three tuning forks placed on top of each other in a triangular pattern. These were piano maker instruments.

Yamaha's first motorcycle was the 1 YA-1, which had a 125 cc, single-cylinder two-stroke engine. It was launched in February 1955 and the bike won its first race, the Mount Fuji Ascent Race, in July 1955. Yamaha continued producing two-stroke engines until it launched the XS-1 in 1969, with a 650 cc two-cylinder four-stroke engine, using expertise that it gained doing engine development work for Toyota. In 1998 Yamaha marketed a revolutionary 1000cc four cylinder road bike called the YZF 'R1', this model introduced a new style of gearbox design which shortened the overall length of the motor/gearbox case, thereby allowing a more compact unit. This, in turn allowed the motor to be placed in the frame far enough forward to compliment good handling in a short wheel-based frame, a revolutionary step forward in motorcycle design In 1979, the XT500 won the first Paris-Dakar Rally.

In 1995, Yamaha announced the creation of Star Motorcycles, a new brand name for its cruiser series of motorcycles in the American market. In other markets, Star motorcycles are sold under the Yamaha brand.

Today, Yamaha produces scooters from 50 to 500 cc, and a range of motorcycles from 50 to 1,900 cc, including cruiser, sport touring, sport, dual-sport, and off-road.

In motorcycle racing Yamaha has won 36 world championships, including 3 in MotoGP and 9 in the preceding 500 cc two-stroke class, and 1 in World Superbike. Yamaha riders include Giacomo Agostini, Bob Hannah, Heikki Mikkola, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Jeremy McGrath, Stefan Merriman, Phil Read, Chad Reed, Ben Spies, James Stewart and currently Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

The Yamaha YZ450F won the AMA Supercross Championship two years in a row, in 2008 with Chad Reed, and 2009 James Stewart. Yamaha was the first to build a production monoshock motocross bike (1975 for 250 and 400, 1976 for 125) and one of the first to have a water-cooled motocross production bike (1977 in works bikes, 1981 in off-the-shelf bikes).

Since 1962, Yamaha made production road racing Grand Prix motorcycles that any licensed road racer could purchase. In 1970, non-factory privateer teams dominated the 250 cc World Championship with Great Britain's Rodney Gould winning the title on a Yamaha TD2.

Yamaha also sponsors several professional ATV riders in several areas of racing, such as cross country racing and motocross. Yamaha has had success in cross country with their YFZ450, ridden by Bill Ballance, winning 9 straight titles since 2000. Yamaha's other major rider, Traci Cecco, has ridden the YFZ450 to 7 titles, with the first in 2000. In ATV motocross, Yamaha has had success with Dustin Nelson and Pat Brown, both who race the YFZ450. Pat Brown's best season was a 3rd place title in 2007, while Nelson has had two 1st place titles in the Yamaha/ITP Quadcross, one in 2006 and the other in 2008.

Yamaha produced Formula One engines from 1989 to 1997, initially for the Zakspeed team, in 1991 for the Brabham BT60Y, in 1992 for the Jordan 192, from 1993 to 1996 for Tyrrell, and in 1997 for the Arrows A18. These never won a race, but drivers including Damon Hill, Ukyo Katayama, Mark Blundell and Andrea de Cesaris scored some acceptable results with them.

Moto blog

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP Review – First Ride

Better suspension and Track mode brings us so close to an R9 Photos by Dave Schelske As the tail rider in a train of approximately seven identical Yamahas, I couldn’t help but watch in awe as each of us weaved our way through the notorious Tail of the Dragon, bending the bike underneath us to our will through the 120-something corners, the unison of the dance mesmerizing as each of us took our turn, one by one, around each apex, at irresponsible speeds, front wheels inches away from the person in front of us. This is the kind of trust you build up after you’ve ridden with the same group of people for years on end. We all know that riding with your friends is fun.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP Gallery

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP Gallery We're fans of the standard Yamaha MT-09 as it is, but for $1,700 more, the MT-09 SP is worth the extra dough. Read the full story here. Photos by Dave Schelske.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 Review – First Ride

More minor changes in anticipation of the R9 Photos by Joseph Agustine. There really wasn’t a reason to update Yamaha’s MT-09. We love the MT-09, and apparently you do too – it’s been Yamaha’s best-selling MT model for a decade.

2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 First Ride

Small updates keep the T7 fresh, but we're still missing out on the European variants Photos by Yamaha/Joseph Agustin Photo Yamaha’s popular Ténéré 700 “T7” adventure bike returns for 2024, and while it would be easy to say it is “largely unchanged” from the 2023 model, there have been some notable changes made in response to feedback from many North American riders. One wish still unrealized: the U.S. dealers won’t be getting the up-spec World Raid and numerous other versions of the T7 the EU enjoys - at least not this year.

2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Gallery

2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Gallery | Motorcycle.com Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Specs Classifieds Bike Reviews Product Reviews Best Motorcycle Cameras Best Motorcycle Earplugs Best Motorcycle Oil Best Leather Jackets Best Winter Gloves Best Sportbike Tires GPS Buyers Guide Gear Deals Types Adventure Touring Cruiser Electric Off-Road On-Off-Road Other Scooter Sport-Touring Sportbikes Standard Touring Touring Scooter Track Youth Brands Aprilia BMW CFMoto Ducati Energica Gas-Gas Harley-Davidson Honda Husqvarna Indian Kawasaki KTM Kymco Moto Guzzi MV Agusta Piaggio Royal Enfield Suzuki Triumph Vespa Yamaha Zero Resources New Rider's Hub Dealers Safety Forums Videos Insurance Join Now My History Account Settings Log out Edit & Post 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Gallery We had the pleasure of riding 950 miles across three states in two days. Here are some photos of the GT+. By Evans Brasfield Pin Slideshow Edit Slideshow Along Highway 50 in Nevada The Sierras Seen from 9,000 Feet The Millimeter Wave Transmitter 10 Position Adjustable Windshield Great Cornering Capabilities The Garmin Motorize App Provides Navigation Yamaha Ride Control (YRC) Street Settings YRC Custom Mode Allows Full Adjustment One of Three Speedometer Styles All LED Lighting Aggressive in Stature Rider Seat in Low Position Adjustable Foot Peg Height Semi-Active Suspension Adapts to Conditions Hand Guards are Silly in Hot Weather Unified Braking is a Game Changer Sport Mode Delivers Smooth Throttle Response Saddlebags are Easily Removable Rear Preload Adjuster A Willing Travel Partner Sport Mode Offers Stiffer Suspension In the Mountains of Idaho The New Joystick A Familiar Engine Steering is Responsive for a Bike This Size Made for Travel About Privacy Terms Contact us Advertising Copyright Follow us © 2024  VerticalScope Inc.

2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review

Riding 950 miles across three states in two days highlights this Tracer’s capabilities Photography by Joseph Augustin New motorcycle model introductions follow a well-worn path: travel to the event location, eat nice meals, get briefed on the bike of the moment, ride a route designed to highlight the bike’s strengths, take photos/video, eat more good food, return home, and write up a review. After 27 years in this industry, I still get a cheap thrill about throwing a leg over a new motorcycle before it is available to the general public. However, what really gets me going is when I have a chance to log more than just the couple of hundred miles typically covered in an intro and spend some real time on the road with said bike.

2023 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Review – First Ride

Yamaha’s sports tourer middleweight receives an influx of technology for 2023 Astute readers are probably wondering why Motorcycle.com is publishing a First Ride of a bike that’s not coming to the States this model year. Our reasoning is that, thanks to the sleuthing of Dennis Chung, we suspect the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ will be coming to the U.S. in 2024.

Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ Finally Coming to US for 2024

Sport-tourer equipped with radar-based adaptive cruise control Last November, Yamaha Motor Europe revealed a new Tracer 9 GT+ at EICMA, a new version of its Triple-powered sport tourer equipped with a 7-inch TFT display, adaptive cruise control, and a radar-linked unified braking system. Yamaha Motor USA, however, remained quiet about it, and we later learned the Tracer 9 GT+ was not coming to the States for 2023. In fact, even the less techy regular Tracer 9 was left out of Yamaha Motor USA’s returning model announcements.

Yamaha MT-10 SP Project Bike - Update 1

Everythings installed and initial impressions. It’s been about a month since we introduced Motorcycle.com’s 2022 Yamaha MT-10 SP semi-long-term project bike. In case you forgot the premise of this whole thing, Yamaha offered us the opportunity to hang on to an MT-10 SP for an extended period of time, and since I have a soft spot for the bike, I decided to give it some tasteful upgrades to address some key weaknesses while also unleashing some trapped potential.

Introducing Motorcycle.com's 2022 Yamaha MT-10 SP Semi Long Term Bike

Tasteful mods and curvy miles are in store. Credit: Photos by Joseph Agustin (Lead Photo) Long-term test bikes aren’t something we normally do here at Motorcycle.com, but when Yamaha’s PR guy Gerrad Capley said I could take the MT-10 SP home after the press intro, it was an offer that was hard to resist. When I asked him how long I could have it, he basically shrugged his shoulders and winked.