YAC Co., Ltd. founded
Sportsland SUGO motorsports facility opened
The YG292, Yamaha's first golf car, is released
Arc welding robot released as
Yamaha’s first industrial robot
YMC-related divisions of Yamaha International
Corporation in the U.S. are separated to found
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
The G1-AD, Yamaha's first land car, is released
The YT665, Yamaha's first snow thrower, is released
The YT125, Yamaha's first ATV, is released
Japan becomes the world's biggest manufacturer of cars
GK design exhibition held
Integrated Design Laboratory (IDL) founded
Japan Design Foundation established
SEMSA founded in Spain
U.S.–Japan trade friction
Motorcycle manufacturing and sales tie-up
formed with French company Motobécane
Racing and technical support tie-up
formed with Swedish company Öhlins
Hideto Eguchi appointed third YMC president
YMA founded in Australia
Motorcycle technical assistance agreement signed
with Chinese company Norinco
Technical assistance agreement for motorcycle
production signed with Escorts Ltd. in India
Use of graphical user interfaces (GUI) begins to spread
In a tie-up with Ford Motor Company, provisional
contract signed to supply automobile engines
This model was introduced as a new solo sailing dinghy that could be transported on the roof of a car. Enterable in Japan’s version of laser-class dinghy racing, it contributed to a growth in entry-level dinghy sailors. It developed as a series with the easy-to-sail but exciting Mini Hopper model and significantly influenced the growth of sailing as a sport in Japan.
The expansion of Japan’s domestic motorcycle demand to include a large number of women originated from a product plan proposed by designers from outside the industry proper. A company named YAC (Youthful Advanced Creators) founded by two designers with experience in car and audio equipment design was approached by Yamaha Motor managers with a design request for “a vehicle unlike any before that we can bring to the world and preferably one that women will ride.” The designers set to work and responded with grand ideas like a motorcycle that could be ridden standing up or a 3-wheeler that would have a good feeling of stability. In the end, their ideas settled on a new type of “step-through” vehicle design that would enable women to ride like they were sitting on a chair with their legs together. When shown a full-scale sketch of the proposed model by the designers, the Yamaha engineers were surprised by the innovative concept and got started on an unprecedented number of evaluations and tests to make the vehicle a reality.
Inspired by the long history of horseback riding in the United States and working to give form to that culture in a vehicle, the XS650 Special created the “horseback riding style” of motorcycle. Components like the teardrop fuel tank, low-set two-level seat, buckhorn handlebars, small-diameter but very wide wheels—something never seen before—and the short, megaphone muffler came together to create a new and beautiful form unlike anything before. The slim twin-cylinder engine from the XS and its strong, throaty pulse won this model a place for Yamaha in the cruiser market and became so successful that it had competitors in North America scrambling to catch up.
This big-single sport model used the engine from the XT500 and the idea for its creation was inspired by the dirt track racing popular in the United States. Diverging from the vertical OHV single-cylinder style of British manufacturers, the SR400 established its own unique style by giving the OHC big-single engine a forward incline and pairing it with a teardrop fuel tank. Its neat, refined approach captured the essence of motorcycle design and the flowing, sporty styling gave the SR a presence unlike any other bike on the market. It went on to become one of the longest-selling bikes in the world.
The inherent love of off-road vehicles in North America meant it had a culture and market naturally ready to welcome ATVs, which are straddled and ridden much like a motorcycle. Yamaha’s first ATV was created with due concern for competing manufacturers’ design patents and had a design and styling with a simple and clean look.
This model was the ever-present long seller that created the motorcycling culture of parents and their kids riding off-road together. For children dreaming of riding the same bike as adults, this model inherited its styling and graphics from the YZ Series. The PW50 had the look and feel of a real motocross bike, like the distinctive racing number plate built into the front fender, the side covers built into the rear fender and the long seat extending up onto the fuel tank for freedom of riding position. It sold especially well during the Christmas season, becoming the first motorcycle and the first Yamaha for many children.
The design concept and early design sketches for the RZ were based on research of the European market’s preferences. They reflected the strong affinity for 2-stroke models deeply rooted in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing tradition. The integrated form seen in the line flowing from the fuel tank to the back of the seat did away with conventional designs based primarily on horizontal lines and gave birth to one with a sportier, more dynamic look. The shape of the fuel tank bringing a good feeling of grip with the knees also led to new innovations in manufacturing technology. The wheels styled in the image of the flames of a fire had been in development before the RZ and were an important factor in making the bike seem in motion even when standing still. Long known as the leader in 2-stroke machines, Yamaha designed and engineered the RZ with the strong conviction to make one last 2-stroke sport bike, and the RZ would in fact spark a revival of passion for 2-stroke machines.
The basis for the design of this model’s long seat that overlapped onto the fuel tank was an idea brought back from a trip to the United States by one of Yamaha’s contracted racers from Japan to observe AMA Supercross competition. After returning, he built the prototype with his own hands. The shape of the seat brought dramatic improvements in freedom of riding position and would go on to become a new standard for motocross machines.
The blue, red and black stripes on Yamaha outboard motors had long been symbols of the product and stood for the respective qualities of reliability, power and ease of use. They had also become a familiar and immediately recognizable icon of Yamaha outboards in waterside communities everywhere. That’s why there was naturally strong resistance from some when a sketch was presented for a new design using black, red, orange and gray arranged in a block pattern. The E40G and kerosene-compatible E40GK outboards were Yamaha’s first models to be developed specifically for commercial use. In anticipation of use in harsh environments around the world, engine performance was important, but the main focus was on excellent durability, reliability and serviceability. It was that kind of toughness that the designer wanted to express with the graphics of the new design. When these models with the new color scheme and graphics were sent to the various harsh use environments of markets in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the islands of the South Pacific, it was soon apparent how beautifully the new design fit into the scenery and how easily it became appreciated worldwide as a familiar part of the lives and livelihoods of the people and their industries. Distinctly different from pleasure-use models emphasizing speed, this new design marked the birth of a new line of rugged Yamaha outboard motors—the Enduro Series.
With this model, Yamaha sought to break free of the idea of generators as rugged tools for commercial use and design one that would inspire general consumers to use it on recreational outdoor trips. Its compact and clean-looking structure with few protruding parts enabled an exterior design eliminating the image of heat and noise associated with generators. And, by giving special attention to the neatly arranged layout of the meters, switches and even the writing on the exterior panels, it had the impression of a sophisticated home appliance.
As the demand for scooters spread from women to men and then younger generations, Yamaha sought to design a stylish high-speed scooter that would tempt the uniquely intuitive values and aesthetic sense of young people. Departing from conventional scooters, its design was suggestive of a plastic bucket and initially drew some negative response. But it was gradually accepted by young people as a “communication tool” or “plaything” and eventually became immensely popular. Design focuses were on the comfort and freedom of riding position making the user look cool when riding. The JOG was available in four newly developed “cocktail colors” based on the primary-hue colors.
The XT600 Ténéré was designed and engineered to recreate the dreams and glory of participating in off-road rally raids—exemplified by the Paris-Dakar Rally—with a production model. The big fuel tank embodied the wild and tough styling of Paris-Dakar machines and made this a pioneering model that spoke of adventure and the draw of off-road riding. Among the design features faithfully expressing the look of a Paris-Dakar machine were the fuel tank extending far out to the sides, the thick seat ready to hold the full weight of the rider, the extended front fender and the colors and graphics. It was also carefully built to have a size suitable for public roads and had a wild presence that stood out on city streets. These and other features like the high-set seat with a good line of sight made this model very popular, primarily in Europe.
From research and surveys regarding design preferences conducted in Indonesia, many of the responses referred to this model with a squared and imaginative fuel tank design with an overflowing a sense of power and impressive styling as being gagah. This Indonesian word means masculine toughness and strength, but not to the point of being “macho.” It expresses the beauty in flexible yet tensed muscles. Since that study, gagah has been one of the focal points of Yamaha’s uniqueness in Indonesia and is now an important key word when planning a model for the country. Also, the RX-King’s colors and graphics were a hit and it was a top-seller for many years.
This was Yamaha’s first 4-stroke outboard motor. The reason for its white coloring was that the initial product image was that of an auxiliary engine for sailing yachts. However, sailing yacht decks tend to be set high above the waterline and with a high line of sight, so the F9.9A was given features like a flat top surface. The design team dealt with a number of demanding requirements influencing the outboard’s form, such as modifying the shape of the upper section to accommodate the addition of an oil pan and designing a high-thrust propeller that would meet the demands of powering a sailboat.
To stem the tide of users drifting away from snowmobiling due to the excessive pursuit of race-level performance, the development direction was shifted towards riding purely for fun. With that shift, this model became one of Yamaha’s best- and longest-selling snowmobile models. It featured a number of unique design touches like the machine’s wedge-shaped silhouette and the sporty look of the handlebar-mounted headlight closely resembling a motorcycle’s. The windscreen integrated into the handlebar/headlight assembly had a small frontal projection area to create a silhouette with low wind resistance and to contribute to excellent overall aerodynamic efficiency.
With a look of overwhelming power unlike anything seen before it, the beginnings of the truly original design of this model came from drag racing cars. It expressed in a motorcycle the wild and awesome feeling of power in drag race cars competing solely on acceleration down a straight 1/4 mile of pavement. The design took the flow of the intake to exhaust as the “engine,” and combined it with the wide rear tire responsible for sending the explosive energy produced by the engine to the pavement. Together, these elements gave expression to the quest for and admiration of power deeply rooted in American culture. Components like the top cover, rear fender, headlight, etc., were designed to be slim and compact in ways that further accentuated the impressive presence of the engine and its macho impact. This unique design is what helped the VMAX1200 continue as a long-seller for a quarter of a century.
