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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

2014 Yamaha MT-125 Announced for Europe

Wed, 07 May 2014

Yamaha has added a new 125cc model to its suddenly burgeoning MT series of naked streetbikes in the European market. The 2014 Yamaha MT-125 joins the MT-07, the MT-09 and the MT-09 Street Rally, all of which were introduced in the last year. Unfortunately for the moment only the MT-09 has been announced for the U.S.

Yamaha Donates Star Bolt To True American Heroes Auction Hosted By Kenny Roberts

Tue, 06 May 2014

In support of the Yamaha True American Heroes Weekend–the fundraising event taking place this weekend at Kenny Roberts’ legendary ranch in Modesto, California–Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has donated a 2014 Star Bolt to the Benefit Auction that is a featured event during the weekend. The announcement was made by Bob Starr, General Manager of Communications for Yamaha’s Motorsports Group. Our own Kevin Duke made it out to the event in 2012, where he had the chance to ride with some of the sport’s biggest legends.

2014 AMA Supercross Season Wrap-Up

Mon, 05 May 2014

With the AMA Supercross season now over, the American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the three riders who claimed AMA No. 1 plates during the 2014 AMA Supercross season — Ryan Villopoto, 450SX champion; Justin Bogle, 250SX East champion; and Jason Anderson, 250SX West champion. Ryan Villopoto, from Seattle, Wash., locked up his fourth straight AMA Supercross premier class title in the series’ penultimate round, clinching at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

2014 AMA Supercross – Las Vegas Results

Mon, 05 May 2014

Ryan Villopoto capped off his fourth-consecutive AMA Supercross championship with an impressive victory at the season finale at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider clinched the title at last week’s New Jersey round so he didn’t have to prove anything in Vegas. But he did, leading all 20 laps and winning by nearly 14 seconds.

2014 Superbike Shootout Air Dates Announced

Mon, 05 May 2014

Fans of professional motorcycle road racing who don’t want to wait until the next AMA round at Road America can now rejoice in watching the GEICO Superbike Shootout presented by Yamaha. One-hour TV shows from each round will air on MAVTV twice a day on six consecutive Thursdays at consistent times, as follows: Round One, RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike from Yamaha SoCal Nationals at Fontana June 5, 10:00 a.m. Pacific/1:00 p.m.

YCRS Ride-Better Videos Now On YouTube + Video

Fri, 02 May 2014

The Yamaha Champions Riding School has helped countless riders, myself included, improve their skills to become both faster and safer. Whether you’re a street rider or track junky, novice or pro, as rider we should always be looking to improve. While attending the Yamaha Champions Riding School at its new location at New Jersey Motorsports Park would be ideal, for those of you who can’t make the trek, YCRS has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to making everyone better riders.

3J’s Charity Track Day Raises $30k

Fri, 02 May 2014

Since 2003, 3J’s Motorcycle Track Days have generated nearly $450,000 for charity. This year, the event’s 20th annual, 3J’s raised more than $30,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities. Nearly 120 riders converged on Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California for a day of riding around the 12-turn, 2.28-mile road course.

Shawn Higbee Wins On The Brough Superior Taylor Made Racing Moto2

Thu, 01 May 2014

In only its second race appearance, the Brough Superior Taylor Made Racing Moto2 bike competed in the WERA F1 and B Superbike events on April 27th at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana, California, run in conjunction with the first round of the GEICO Superbike Shootout, presented by Yamaha. During the F1 race, rider Shawn Higbee moved up to as high as 2nd place from a 5th row start on the Brough Superior TMRGP2 bike.  The TMRGP2′s lightweight all carbon fiber chassis and 600cc Honda powerplant demonstrated impressive cornering speed on the tight infield sections but could not match the top speed of the heavily modified 1000cc F1 bikes on the long straights. On the last lap Higbee was shuffled back to 4th place at the finish line.

Arai Helmet Sponsoring Upcoming Superbike Shootout Race Weekends

Thu, 01 May 2014

Arai Helmet has thrown its proverbial hat in the ring by signing up to sponsor the next two events of the new GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented by Yamaha. In addition, Arai has been named the official helmet of the series. The Arai Pacific Nationals will be hosted by the AFM next weekend, May 3-4, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California.

Yard Built XV950 Pure Sports Channels the Yamaha FZ750

Tue, 29 Apr 2014

The latest product Yamaha Motor Europe’s Yard Built custom specials is a Star Bolt transformed into a replica of an FZ750. Dubbed the XV950 Pure Sports after the words written on the original FZ750′s fairing, the project was produced by Italy’s LowRide magazine and Radikal Chopper and styling by Oberdan Bezzi. The Star Bolt – known in Europe as the XV950 – is nearly unrecognizable in this new guise, except for its 942cc V-Twin engine.