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History of Yamaha Motorcycles

Yamaha was established in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer by Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki Company, Limited in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture and was incorporated on October 12, 1897. The company's origins as a musical instrument manufacturer is still reflected today in the group's logo—a trio of interlocking tuning forks.
 
After World War II, company president Tomiko Genichi Kawakami repurposed the remains of the company's war-time production machinery and the company's expertise in metallurgical technologies to the manufacture of motorcycles. The YA-1 (AKA Akatombo, the "Red Dragonfly"), of which 125 were built in the first year of production (1958), was named in honor of the founder. It was a 125cc, single cylinder, two-stroke, street bike patterned after the German DKW RT125 (which the British munitions firm, BSA, had also copied in the post-war era and manufactured as the Bantam and Harley-Davidson as the Hummer. In 1959, the success of the YA-1 resulted in the founding of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Motorcycles

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 1979, the XT500 won the first Paris-Dakar Rally.

In 1994, 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.

First bikes:

  • YA-1 built August 1954, produced January 1955. The first bike manufactured by Yamaha; it had an air-cooled, two-stroke, single cylinder 125 cc engine.
  • YC-1 (1956) was the second bike manufactured by Yamaha; it was a 175 cc single cylinder two-stroke.
  • YD-1 (1957) Yamaha began production of its first 250 cc, two-stroke twin, the YD1.
  • MF-1 (1958) 50 cc, two-stroke, single cylinder, step through street bike.
  • DT-1 (1968) Yamaha's first true off-road motorcycle.
  • XS-1 (1970) Yamaha's first four-stroke engine motorcycle (650 cc twin).
  • Yamaha YZ Monocross (1975) First production motocross bike with a single rear shock.
  • Yamaha YZ400F (1998) First mass produced four-stroke motocross motorcycle.

Road bikes:

Four-stroke:

 

Step-throughs, scooters, maxi-scooters:

Some of these step-throughs and scooters are made for Southeast Asian markets, where they are known as underbones.
  • Lagenda series (Asia)
  • Yamaha LC50 (Asia)
  • Yamaha MJ50 (Asia)
  • Yamaha V50m(U.K,Europe and Asia)
  • Yamaha C3 50cc (U.S.)
  • Yamaha Lexam (Vietnam)
  • Yamaha Nouvo (Asia)
  • Yamaha Mio (Asia)
  • Yamaha Sirius (Asia)
  • Yamaha V-IXION (Asia)
  • Yamaha X-1 (Asia)
  • Yamaha X-1R (Thailand)
  • Chappy
  • Yamaha Aerox R 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Aerox TY race replica 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Beluga
  • Yamaha BJ 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha BW's NBA 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BW's 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BWs Naked 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BW's 12 inch 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BW's Next Generation 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Force one/ss
  • Yamaha F1ZR/ss two (asia)
  • Yamaha Giggle 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha JogR 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha JogRR 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha JogRR MotoGP 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Jog Deluxe 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Jog ZR 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Jog Poche 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Neo's 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Neo's 4-Stroke 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Slider Naked 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Why 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Vino Classic 50 cc (U.S.)
  • Yamaha Rex 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Zest 50 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Zuma 50 cc (U.S.)
  • Yamaha Vox 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Vino 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Molte Vino 50 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha U7E
  • Yamaha RX-Z 135
  • Y125Z (Asia)
  • Vino 125 (U.S.)
  • Zuma 125 (U.S.)
  • Y135LC/Spark 135/Sniper (Asia)

Maxi-scooters (four-stroke):

Large scooters with more than 125 cc, and a large chassis and protection from the elements, are very popular in the E.U., Japan, and the US.
  • Yamaha Axis Grand 100 cc(Japan)
  • Yamaha CygnusX 125 cc (E.U./Japan)
  • Yamaha CygnusX SR 125 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Majesty 125 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Vity 125 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha X-City 125 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BLACK X-MAX 125 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha X-MAX 125 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha X-City 250 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha BLACK X-MAX 250 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha X-MAX 250 cc (E.U.)
  • Yamaha Maxam 250 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha Morphous 250 (CP250VL) (U.S.)
  • Yamaha Majesty 125 cc
  • Yamaha Majesty 250 cc (Japan)
  • YP400 Majesty / ABS (E.U./U.S.)
  • Yamaha Grand Majesty 400 cc (Japan)
  • Yamaha TMAX / ABS (E.U./U.S.)
  • Yamaha BLACK TMAX / ABS (E.U.)

 

Motorcycles (racing)

  • YZR-M1
  • YZR500
  • TZ250
  • TZ125
  • TD1
  • TZ350
  • TZ500
  • TZ700
  • TZ750
  • OW-01
  • OW48R
  • RD56
  • RD48
  • YZE750T
  • YZE850T

Off-road bikes:

  • TDR125
  • TDR250
  • CT175
  • DT50
  • DT80
  • DT100
  • DT125
  • DT175
  • DT200
  • DT250
  • DT360
  • DT400
  • L5
  • YL-1

Four-stroke:

Trail bike:

  • AT1
  • AT2
  • AT3
  • CT1
  • CT2
  • CT3
  • DT1
  • DT2
  • DT3
  • JT1
  • JT2
  • RT1
  • RT2
  • RT3
  • LT2

Four-stroke:

Enduro:

Motocross:

  • PW50
  • YZ50
  • GT80
  • PW80
  • YZ80
  • YZ85
  • MX100
  • RT100
  • MX125
  • YZ125
  • MX175
  • YZ175
  • RT180
  • MX250
  • YZ250
  • MX360
  • YZ360
  • MX400
  • YZ400
  • YZ465
  • YZ490
  • SC500
  • YZ250F
  • YZ400F
  • YZ426F
  • YZ450F

Electric motorcycles and scooters:

  • Yamaha Frog
  • Yamaha Mest
  • Yamaha Eccy
  • Yamaha Passol
  • Yamaha EC-02
  • Yamaha Passol-L
  • Yamaha Pocke
  • Yamaha Seated Electric Scooter

Concept/prototype motorcycles:

  • Yamaha DEINONYCHUS
  • Yamaha FC-me
  • Yamaha Gen-Ryu
  • Yamaha HV-01
  • Yamaha MAXAM 3000
  • Morpho
  • Yamaha Morpho II
  • VOX
  • Yamaha XS-V1 Sakura
  • Yamaha XT250X
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