Ginichi Kawakami, Yamaha Motor Company First President.
Yamaha Motorcycles, under this motto, employing all its creativity, and with a strong spirit of challenge, became what it is today: one of the greatest actors in the scene of the motorcycle in the world.
But history does not begin with Yamaha bikes ...
He's back in 1877 that Torakusu Yamaha started with the Nippon Gakki Company that later become Yamaha Corporation: a leading manufacturer of fine musical instruments.
During World War II, the company set up a factory to produce airplane propellers. This plant has played an important role in Yamaha's entry to the motorcycle industry as you will see.
After the war, Yamaha Corporation had to find new ways to use the tools and experience that had been accumulated during their time in the aviation industry, and it's when Yamaha Motor Corporation was founded.
It is important to mention that even though this new company was just another branch of Yamaha Corporation, was placed under independent management. Before producing their first motorcycle, Ginichi Kawakami traveled a lot establishing what would be a very useful relationship. Valves A proof is that, today, five secondary engines the only two global mass manufacturers products are Yamaha an Audi (DKW - Auto Union).
No wonder the first motorcycle Yamaha Motorbike 125 YA-1 was quite a faithful copy of 1949 DKW RT 12. The only two important differences were the four speed gearbox instead of the three-speed gearbox of origin and a gear transmission by replacing the primary transmission chain.
Yamaha MOTORCYCLES model Important
>>> Yamaha YA-1
Even though the Yamaha YA-1 - baptized "Acatombo" (Red dragonfly) by its fans - had "nothing special" and was more expensive than its competitors, almost immediately became a great success.
Even the big boss himself, Ginichi Kawakami, rode the bike without incident Hamamatsu in Tokyo.
He was beautiful: with this model Yamaha was the first manufacturer to put special attention to the decoration motorcycle. Note that this company developed the "look" of most Yamaha motorcycles to date.
It was fast: the YA-1 obtained excellent overall results in the most important local races of that time: Mount Fuji (third place) and Mount Asama (first place).
In other words: Yamaha Motorcycles showed the world that has come to be considered good and fierce competitors from the beginning. Especially Honda and Suzuki.
Other important models from that time were:
>>> The Yamaha YD-1 (the competition for the Suzuki TP of that time)
Some technical specifications:
YD-1 Yamaha
15 hp
70 mph.
185.000 yen
Compared to:
Suzuki TP
18 hp
80 mph.
195.000 yen
>>> The Yamaha YDS-1
Biking dream of all young Japanese between 1959-1960.
Some technical specifications:
20 hp
333 lbs.
85 mph.
Direct rival of the Honda CB72
Since then, the history of models and victories goes on and on ...
Today, Yamaha Motorcycles is one of the main actors in the scene of the motorcycle in the world.
Just to give you an idea of the importance of Yamaha Motorcycles have become:
- In 2004, Moto GP was won by excellent pilot Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha motorcycle.
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