Yamaha Street Bike History

The Yamaha Motor Co. is one of the best-known street bike producers in the world. Torakusu Yamaha, born in 1851, founded the Yamaha Musical Instrument Company in 1888. After ten years of growth he joined with other businessmen to found the Nippon Gakki Company or, Japanese Musical Instrument Company. Mr. Yamaha died in 1916 but his company survived earthquakes, labor unrest and bombing of World War II. After the War, the then company president, Gen-ichi Kawakami, decided to use what was left of the company's war-time production machinery to set up a production line for a new product: street bikes. The new company would be named in honor of the founder. In 1954 the first model was set for production. It was a 125cc, single cylinder two-stroke patterned after the German DKW RT125. Yamaha designated this first model the YA1. The YA1 was successful and by 1956 a second model was ready for production. This was the YC1, a 175cc single cylinder two-stroke also based on a DKW design, the RT175. In 1957 Yamaha began production of its first 250cc, two-stroke twin, the YD1. This was the beginning of a long line of two stroke twins that lead Yamaha to the world's stage of street bike success.

 
In years to come Yamaha continued to grow (and continues to this day). Diversity increased with the addition of products including snowmobiles, race kart engines, generators, scooters, ATVs, personal watercraft and more.

Genichi Kawakami set the stage for Yamaha Motor Company's success with his vision and philosophies. Total honesty towards the customer and making products that hold their own enables the company that serves people in thirty-three countries, to provide an improved lifestyle through exceptional quality, high performance products.