Yamaha
Overview
Yamaha Motor was born when Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was established in Japan in July 1955, it was a relative latecomer to the market where as many as 150 motorcycle manufacturers already competed for survival. New ones were starting up and others were closing at a tremendous pace, and few survived the challenge. In Yamaha Motor's story, you will recognize the spirit of challenge in these early years that forged the company into the global corporate group they are today - in pursuit of the perpetual goal of being best in the world market.
Yamaha's First MotorcycleIt all began when then president of Nippon Gakki (now Yamaha Corporation) Genichi Kawakami, put to use some machining equipment used in the production of metal airline propellers to develop the first Yamaha motorcycle. It was called the YA-1, nicknamed “Aka-tombo” which means red dragonfly. With a starting capital of 30 million yen, 274 employees and two single-story wooden factory buildings with a capacity to turn out 200 motorcycles a month, the fledgling company dared to confront competition, a will that came to forge the company's spirit of challenge. Yamaha entered the first YA-1 in the Mt. Fuji Ascent Race and won. From there on, the employees moved with determination from one challenge to the next, working as a team, sharing victories and setbacks.Diversification
1970 witnessed the launch of the 650cc XS-1, Yamaha's first 4-stroke motorcycle, and during this decade the company diversified into the manufacture of a range of new products including All Terrain Vehicles, golf cars, generators and industrial robots.Yamaha's in-depth knowledge of 2-stroke technology also led to the Company's diversification in 1960 into the outboard engine market. This was followed in the 1980's by the development of high-performance car engines and further water vehicles.
R1 The One. 1998 will be remembered by motorcyclists around the world for many years to come. It was in this year that Yamaha launched the ground breaking first YZF-R1, widely acclaimed as the most remarkable supersport model of the decade. Equipped with race-bred engine and chassis technology, the R1 underlined Yamaha's commitment to offering products that generate "Kando" the first time, and every time.
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Contact details
- Address: Yamaha Motor (UK) Ltd, Sopwith Drive, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0UZ
- Telephone: 01932 358 000
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