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

Church of MO: 2002 Yamaha FJR1300

All we learn from history, goes the current cynical wisdom, is that we learn nothing from history. Then again, maybe we do? For instance, I just learned this morning that Yamaha is still stamping out the FJR1300ES 20 years after the original 2002 FJR1300 hit our shores.

Is A New Yamaha R1 Coming for 2023?

FIM approves track-only YZF1000W model A recently updated list of FIM-approved competition vehicles indicates that a new track-only Yamaha YZF-R1 is on the way for the 2023 model year. And if this is true, then we may also expect a significantly updated street legal 2023 R1 too. The International Motorcycling Federation maintains a spreadsheet titled “FIM Recognized Competition Vehicles” that includes approved racing-only models.

2022 Yamaha XSR900 Review - First Ride

The sportiest Sport Heritage Credit: Photos by Adam Campbell | Videos by Sean Matic Some of us were a bit surprised when Yamaha’s newly overhauled 2021 MT-09 snagged first place in last summer’s 900cc(ish) Naked Bike Comparison, against such more-expensive heavy hitters as the new Ducati Monster and KTM Duke 890. And all of us were a little surprised when the XSR900 defeated Indian FTRs 1200 and 1200S, and the now-defunct Monster 1200S, in an only slightly unfair 2019 comparo. (Slightly unfair because our test route was really nothing but tight, twisty roads.) Now, the 2022 XSR900 is newly overhauled just as last year’s MT-09 was, using all the same parts from the waist down, including the new super-sized 890 cc version of that most excellent CP3 three-cylinder and all its electronic controls.

2022 Yamaha NEO's, E01 Electric Scooter Details Released

Swappable batteries help extend range, but only to a point Following the initial announcement of its electric mobility strategy, Yamaha has released full specifications for the NEO’s scooter and confirmed proof-of-concept testing of the larger E01 model will commence in July. Yamaha has described the NEO’s as providing performance on par with a 50cc gasoline-powered scooter. We now know the NEO’s offers a claimed peak output of 3.4 hp, with a nominal power output of 3.1 hp.

Yamaha Europe "Switches On" Plans for Electric Mobility

Details for electric NEO's to come in the weeks ahead Yamaha Motor Europe outlined its plans for electric two-wheelers, revealing a range of scooters, bicycles and a moped. The announcement confirmed our report last week that it would include an electric scooter called the “NEO’s”, but the 50cc-equivalent model was only scratching the surface. The presentation provided a general outline of Yamaha’s approach to electrification, though it did leave us wanting more.

Yamaha to Announce Neo's Electric Scooters on March 3

Will there be one or two models? Yamaha Motor Europe is teasing a new product launch for March 3. While the teasers don’t provide very many clues, we believe the announcement will be for an electric scooter called the Neo’s.

2022 Yamaha Tenere 700 World Raid Announced for Europe

No word yet on US availability Yamaha Motor Europe announced the production version of the 2022 Ténéré 700 World Raid, a new Ténéré variant with a larger fuel tank and longer travel suspension. It joins Yamaha’s European lineup alongside the regular Ténéré 700, plus a Rally Edition version which we don’t get in the U.S. We first saw the World Raid at EICMA as a prototype equipped with a number of Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing (GYTR) performance parts.

2021 Yamaha MT-09 SP Review - Street and Track

One of our favorite bikes gets even better. Credit: Photos by Evans Brasfield When you see Yamaha’s MT-09, your gaze doesn’t go away very quickly. You end up staring at it.

Yamaha Tenere 700 Raid Designs Preview Production Model

Yamaha has filed designs that reveal what the production version of the Ténéré 700 Raid will look like. The Ténéré 700 Raid was shown at EICMA in prototype form as an even more off-road capable version of the Ténéré 700. While the prototype was essentially a Ténéré 700 modified with Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing (GYTR) performance parts, the designed filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office appears ready for series production.

Yamaha R6 to Continue Racing in Supersport Next Generation Category

No R6 replacement for the near future Last month, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) provided the first look at the new “ Supersport Next Generation” models that will redefine middleweight racing class. Starting with the 2022 season, the World Supersport class (and their equivalents in various national racing series such as MotoAmerica) will add new models such as the Ducati Panigale V2, MV Agusta F3 800, MV Agusta F3 Superveloce, Triumph Street Triple RS, Suzuki GSX-R750, and the 636cc Kawasaki ZX-6R. The primarily 600cc models that previously represented the class will continue for one more season, before the Supersport Next Generation models take over completely in 2023.