2006 Yamaha V-star Classic *many Extras* (roseville Rd.) on 2040-motos

Moto blog

The Pursuit of Yamaha-ness – A Message from Yamaha’s CEO

Yamaha must “pursue true Yamaha-ness and break out of our old norms” if it hopes to increase profitability, says Hiroyuki Yanagi, the company’s president and chief executive officer. In an open letter released by Yamaha, Yanagi discussed what his company needed to do in order to reach its goal of producing 12 million units this year and collecting 2 trillion yen (US$22.5 billion) in sales. Yanagi’s message offered little in specific details but provided a glimpse of Yamaha’s overall strategy for the next few years.

Unique Sounds of the New Yamaha R1

When Yamaha announced its new R1 literbike last fall, company reps told us about the tractability assets of its new, MotoGP-derived crossplane crankshaft for the four-cylinder engine. It’s unique in that cylinders fire 90-degrees apart, allegedly enabling better grip during acceleration. A byproduct of this design is an exhaust note that is distinctive in this world of cookie-cutter designs.

Yamaha YZF-R1 Returns for 2013 with New Colors

Yamaha announced new 2013 colors and graphics for its flagship sportbike, the YZF-R1. Beside the three color options, the 2013 Yamaha R1 returns unchanged, after getting a new seven-level traction control system in 2012. The three color options for 2013 are Matte Gray, Rapid Red and Raven, and the Team Yamaha Blue and White.