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

Mackenzie Tricker Looks To Pad WMX Points Lead At Glen Helen Raceway Sunday

Having won the opening two rounds of the 2014 Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) – at the AMA sanctioned Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, and at the James Stewart Freestone Spring Championship in Wortham, Texas, Australia’s Mackenzie Tricker comes into this weekend’s race at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, with momentum on her side and a 17-point lead in the series standings. Round three of the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) will run in conjunction with the FMF California Classic, which runs from April 9 through April 13, with both WMX motos taking place on Sunday. So far, Tricker has won three of the four motos held to date, and the Yamaha-backed rider is hoping to pad her lead in the series standings with a good finish this weekend.

Colin Edwards Announces Retirement At End Of Season

Colin Edwards has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 2014 MotoGP season. The announcement came during the pre-event press conference ahead of this weekend’s Austin MotoGP race — Edwards’ home round. The two-time World Superbike champion cited a lack of progress from winter testing as one reason for the decision.

Colin Edwards Hosts NGM Forward Racing Teammates at Texas Tornado Boot Camp

Colin Edwards played the gracious host, welcoming his NGM Forward Racing teammates to the U.S. with a day of dirt riding at his Texas Tornado Boot Camp. Edwards’ teammate Aleix Espargaro and Moto2 riders Simone Corsi and Mattia Passini joined other riders at the camp ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP round at Circuit of the Americas.

AMA Go Ride Together Week Starts Today

As we begin Week 2 of the AMA Go Ride! Month, the American Motorcyclist Association wants us to take a ride (or more than one) with friends, family, and even co-workers! Why?

Yamaha Sponsoring True American Heroes Weekend For Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., will be the title sponsor for the Yamaha True American Heroes Weekend, a fundraising event held at Kenny Roberts’ legendary ranch in Modesto, California, to benefit “Welcome Home Heroes” and the Cpl. Michael D. Anderson Jr.

Yamaha Signed On As Presenting Sponsor For Three-Event GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., is proud to announce that it has signed on as sponsor for the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha, a three-event championship motorcycle road racing series that includes the Yamaha SoCal Nationals at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on April 26-27; the Pacific Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA on May 3-4; and the Mountain Nationals at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT on May 24-25. The announcement was made by Bob Starr, General Manager of National Communications for Yamaha’s Motorsports Group. Yamaha Expands 2014 Road Racing Contingency Program In related news, Mike Guerra, Racing Division Department Manager for Yamaha, announced that Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has extended its 2014 Road Racing Contingency Program to include the GEICO Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha.

2014 AMA Supercross – St. Louis Results

Don’t look now, but James Stewart is the hottest rider in the AMA Supercross Championship. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider won his third consecutive race and series-leading fifth victory of the season. But with Kawasaki‘s Ryan Villopoto holding a comfortable lead with four rounds remaining, Stewart’s hot streak may be too little too late.

Yamaha Releases Tricity Three-Wheel Scooter In Thailand

Yamaha has officially released the much anticipated Tricity three-wheeler in the Thai market. Billed as the first Yamaha production vehicle that “represents our long-term vision of a ‘growing world of personal mobility,’” the Tricity is a world model, manufactured in Thailand, with plans for sales to begin in Europe and Japan by the end of 2014. Powered by a 125cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected Single, the Tricity is aimed at the congested urban streets of many metropolitan areas.

2014 AMA Supercross – Toronto Results

James Stewart captured his series-leading fourth AMA Supercross 450 class win of the season, giving him sole possession of second place on the overall career wins list ahead of Ricky Carmichael and behind Jeremy McGrath. The win also helped Stewart gain some ground on points leader Ryan Villopoto who suffered from a bout of food poisoning. Villopoto was examined at a Toronto hospital and released in time for the opening ceremonies.

2014 MotoGP Qatar in Pictures

The opening round of the 2014 MotoGP season is complete, and if the Grand Prix of Qatar is any indication, it looks like it’ll be an interesting season. If you haven’t yet, read up on the recap for the Qatar MotoGP race for the details on what transpired at Losail International Circuit in Doha. Here then are some of the (mostly spoiler-free) photographs from the Grand Prix of Qatar, including images from the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes.