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

Yamaha Majesty Scooter Returns for 2012 Lineup

Yamaha is bringing back the Majesty scooter as part of its 2012 lineup. The 395cc scooter was last offered as a 2010 model and it returns for 2012 with a new Charcoal color. Beyond that, the Majesty is unchanged, with its fuel-injected engine and V-belt CVT.

2012 Yamaha XT250 and TW200 Dual Sports Announced

Yamaha unveiled a pair of 2012 dual sport models, the Yamaha XT250 and the Yamaha TW200. Both the 2012 Yamaha XT250 and TW200 remain unchanged from the 2011 versions except for a new white and blue color scheme and white front fenders instead of last year’s black fenders. The XT250 is powered by an air-cooled 249cc four-stroke engine with a 33mm carburetor.

Yamaha Introduces 2012 V Star 950 and V Star Tourer

Yamaha revealed the first 2012 models from its Star Motorcycles brand of cruisers, the V Star 950 and V Star 950 Tourer. The 2012 V Star 950 (and the more touring-oriented V Star 950 Tourer) is powered by a fuel-injected air-cooled 942cc 60 degree V-Twin engine with a five-speed transmission. Yamaha estimates fuel economy at 47 mpg from the 4.5 gallon tank.

Ben Spies Signs Contract Extension with Yamaha

Yamaha has signed Ben Spies to a one-year contract extension to continue racing on its MotoGP factory team in 2012. The extension comes after Spies, currently seventh in the Championship standings, recorded his first podium finish of the 2011 season, a third place result at Catalunya. Spies earned two other podium finishes in 2010 in his Rookie of the Year winning debut in the class with the Tech 3 satellite team.

Jorge Lorenzo Re-enacts MotoGP Race Start on Barcelona City Street

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Morning commuters in Barcelona got a little surprise yesterday from Yamaha and Jorge Lorenzo as the reigning MotoGP Champion and his crew re-created their usual race start ritual on a public street in front of the iconic Sagrada Familia. The roar of Lorenzo’s Yamaha YZR-M1 drew people’s attention as mechanics, data engineers and a lone Brolly Girl emerged.

WSBK: 2011 Utah Results

Carlos Checa extended his lead in the 2011 World Superbike Championship, winning both races at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park. The Althea Ducati racer recorded his second double of the season and now has six wins in ten races. Checa also scored the double in Utah in 2008 when Miller Motorsports Park made its debut on the WSBK calendar.

What Would Colin Edwards Do?

As fast as Colin Edwards is on the track, the Texas Tornado may be even quicker behind a microphone. We saw some of that last year in the Yamaha-produced “Man-Cation” video with Edwards and his then-Tech 3 teammate Ben Spies, and Edwards can always be relied upon for a good quote at press conferences. The producers of MotoGP’s official video podcast “After the Flag” have taken notice of CEIII’s wit.

Ride Laguna Seca with King Kenny Roberts and Steady Eddie Lawson

Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson will join up to 200 fans in riding Laguna Seca July 22 during the U.S. Grand Prix. Fans purchasing a special weekend ticket promotional package from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will have opportunity to ride several laps with the two former World Champions.

Yamaha Reveals YZR-M1 50th Anniversary Grand Prix Livery

Yamaha marks its 50th year in World Championship Grand Prix racing this year, and what better way to celebrate the anniversary than with a special edition livery? The special edition WGP50th Anniversary Yamaha YZR-M1 livery reaches back into Yamaha’s past for its classic red-and-white colors inspired by its first factory team in 1961. Reigning MotoGP Champion and current points leader Jorge Lorenzo and 2010 MotoGP Rookie of the Year Ben Spies will ride the special edition WGP50th Anniversary livery on their Yamaha YZR-M1 racebikes at the June 25 Assen round and the July 24 U.S.

Pedrosa: most wins, least successful

Should Dani Pedrosa win at Le Mans this coming weekend he will become the most successful rider In the premier-class not to win the coveted title. After his triumph in Estoril the Repsol Honda rider currently finds himself on 13 wins and in joint first and a win, at a circuit that sees him rank as one of riders with the most victories in all classes, would make him a clear leader. Joining Pedrosa at the top of the ranking is Max Biaggi and Randy Mamola, two riders who became associated with the number two.