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

Arai Gives Four-Time AMA Superbike Champ Josh Hayes Celebratory Helmet

Last weekend, Monster Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes cemented his fourth AMA Superbike title by winning both Superbike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park. To honor his achievement, Arai presented Hayes with a special, one-off edition of itsCorsair-V RC. In its normal trim, the Corsair-V RC is a pricy lid, retailing for $3,995.95 with just clear coat over its carbon fiber shell.

New BMC Air Filters For KTM 1290 SuperDuke, Yamaha FZ-09, Honda CBR250/CBR300R

BMC has just released air filters for the 2014 KTM 1290 SuperDuke, 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 and 2011-2013 Honda CBR250 – which also fit the 2015 Honda CBR300R. These filters are distributed to the U.S. and Canada through SpeedMob Inc.

CARB Documents Reveal Two Yamaha FJ-09 Models

The California Air Resources Board today released executive orders on two Yamaha models: the FJ09FCGY and FJ09FCR. Both to be based on the current FZ-09 engine and chassis (MT-09 in Europe). In March of this year, MO’s resident sleuth, Dennis Chung, revealed Yamaha filed a trademark application for the FJ09 name.

Pirelli To Remain Tire Supplier For All World Superbike Classes Through 2018

Pirelli’s relationship with the World Superbike Championship started in 2004 and will carry on through 2018, as the Italian company will continue to supply tires for every class of the championship. What follows is the official Pirelli press release. Pirelli has been confirmed as the Official Tire Supplier for all classes of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship having won the tender organized by Dorna, promoter and organizer of the World Championship, in agreement with the FIM, the International Motorcycling Federation.

Scott Russell Returning To Yamaha Champions Riding School Next Week

This just in from the Yamaha Champions Riding School: the Champ is back! As many of you know, Scott fell off a dirtbike and tumbled around long enough to hurt himself back in July. But he just called and drawled, “I’ll be back for the school as soon as I’m able to ride…let’s fill it up and have some fun!”  With the final round of the AMA SuperBike series coming to New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend, it’s a perfect time for Mr.

Yamaha Introduces 2015 Vino Scooter, Now With Bold New Graphics

This just in from Yamaha: Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. is excited to announce the launch of the 2015 Vino Classic scooter.  The Vino Classic combines retro styling with modern Yamaha engineering. High quality paint and chrome accents make the Vino Classic a true stand out.

Yamaha’s Zuma Line Of Scooters Back For 2015

More returning Yamahas for 2015: Yamaha’s “go anywhere, do anything” Zuma line is iconic in the scooter world, and they are back in the lineup for 2015. Known for their peppy engines, durability, large underseat storage, unique headlight designs, powerful front rotors, and aggressive fat knobby tires, the Zuma scooter is offered in three different configurations for 2015, based on style and engine displacement. The race inspired Zuma 50FX and the bold and aggressive designed Zuma 50F are equipped with a low maintenance, fuel injected 49cc four-stroke engine that gets an incredible 132mpg.

Yamaha PW50 And TTR Line Back For 2015

Even more news from Yamaha: Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. has announced the launch of the complete 2015 TT-R line and the iconic PW50 for 2015. The PW50 has long been the motorcycle to introduce kids to the joys of off-road riding, and is often the launching platform for a lifetime of two wheel fun.

Yamaha Files Patents for Leaning Three-Wheeled Electric Scooter

Yamaha has filed a number of patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office for an electric three-wheeled scooter. Unlike the Yamaha Tricity which has two wheels at the front and a third wheel at the rear, the patents are for a scooter with two rear wheels, each driven by an electric hub motor.

2015 Yamaha XC155 Scooter Gets CARB Approval

The Honda PCX150 may be getting some new competition, as  the California Air Resource Board granted an executive order certifying the 155cc Yamaha XC155 scooter. Available in Asian markets last August under the names Majesty S and SMax. Sporting a fuel-injected 155cc liquid-cooled four-valve Single, the XC155 inherits the styling of larger Yamaha scooters including the 395cc Majesty that was part of the company’s U.S.