Yamaha Motorcycles
After expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then 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 is the world's second largest producer of motorcycles (after Hero Honda).
Yamaha is known to those who are older in age as the designer of the modern motocross bike, as they were the first to build a production mono-shock motocross bike (1975 for 250 and 400, 1976 for 125) and one of the first to have a water-cooled motocross production bike (1981, but 1977 in works bikes).
Since 1962 ,Yamaha produced production road racing grand prix motorcycles that any licensed road racer could purchase. In Canada though, there are still three models that Yamaha manufactures that are still 2 stroke.
Yamaha had introduced four-strokes to their line-up in 2003 and the line-up became four-stroke based for model year 2005. Many say that Yamaha has proven snowmobiles can be clean, efficient, and reliable all while maintaining strong performance.
The RX-1 released in 2003 was the first performance-oriented four-stroke snowmobile to ever hit the market. That honor belongs to Arctic Cat for their Yellowstone Special, released in 2000, which was designed as a rental sled that could meet Yellowstone National Park's stringent emission requirement.
However, the Yamaha received much criticism for its weight disadvantage when compared to similar two-strokes, despite its excellent fuel economy and low-range torque. Yamaha is now on the cutting edge of four-stroke technology with the introducing of their 80FI engine which is equipped on the Phazer and Venture Lite models.
This engine has one of the highest specific output of any four-stroke in production, with 160 HP/L, Yamaha achieves this even without the use of a forced induction system. Yamaha also broke a multi-year absence from sno-cross in the winter of 2006-07 with their introduction of a factory race team headed by former Arctic Cat racer Robbie Malinoski.
Current line-up
Bravo
Apex
Attack
Nytro
FX Nytro
Phazer (4th Generation)
RS Rage
RS Vector
RS Venture
VK Professional
Significant previously produced models
Bravo
coRy
Enticer
Exciter
Phazer (1st-3rd Generations)
Mountain Max
RX-1
SnoScoot
Sno Sport
SRV 540
SRX
SRX 440
SX R
SX Viper/Venom
Venture
VK 540
VMAX
VMAX SX
Vmax
Vmax-4
Snowblowers
YT-600E
YT-600ED
YT-660EDJ
YS-870
YS-870J
YS-1070
YT-1080ED
YT-1080EX
YT-1290EX
YT-1290EXR
YS-1390A
YS-1390AR
YAMAHA-R15
Remote-controlled helicopters
Yamaha R-50
Yamaha R-MAX
Outboard motors
4 stroke series
4 stroke jet drive series
2 stroke V6
2 stroke portable / mid range
Full list
Kart engines
KT series 2 stroke
KT100SD
KT100SC
KT100SEC
KT100SP
KT100J
KT100AX
KT100A2
Other vehicles
Yamaha has also built engines for other manufacturers' vehicles, most notably the V-6 and V-8 engine for the Ford Taurus SHO.
The Volvo XC90 uses a larger version of the same Yamaha V-8 engine. They also built Formula One racing engines from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, with little on track success.
In 1991, Yamaha developed its F1 engined supercar called the OX99-11 where two drivers sit in tandem in front of the engine, but the project was canned due to the world recession and lack of interest.
Yamaha also tunes engines for other manufacturers, Toyota being one of them. Yamaha logos are, for instance, found on the Toyota S engines. as well as the 2ZZ-GE utilized by Toyota, Pontiac, and Lotus.
Yamaha developed a prototype for a two-seater sports car with help of Albrecht Goertz.
While the Yamaha/Nissan partnership never progressed beyond the prototype stage, Toyota took up the design and released the Toyota 2000GT.