2-Stroke Twins 1957-1970

The 2-cylinder models until 1970
that built the foundation for Yamaha sport bikes
Amid Japan’s continuing postwar recovery in the mid-1950s, Yamaha Motor brought a breath of fresh air into the country’s motorcycle industry, which was dominated by utilitarian models, by introducing the YA-1 and YC-1 with their fashionable coloring and sporty performance. Then, in 1957, Yamaha released the YD-1, its first completely original design model and powered by a 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine. This was followed in 1959 by the big success of the new 250S (YDS-1) model, which further established and developed the 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine as the core power unit of Yamaha’s sporty models. This special exhibition displayed 13 models that formed the foundation of Yamaha’s 2-stroke twin motorcycle line through to 1970, complete with displays of a chronology of their history, product catalogs and more.