11 things about Yamaha you probably didn’t know: Curiosities and surprising facts

A long history explains the reputation of any renowned brand or company, which can be found behind every famous brand or company.

You have seen it through these lines in previous posts, which apply to several automobile manufacturers and Suzuki.

Not in vain; each has its peculiarities, which lends distinction and grace to what we tell you every time we get the chance to write it down for you.

On this occasion, in Motorbli, we will talk about 11 things you didn’t know about Yamaha, the house of tuning forks, a full-fledged benchmark on two wheels that sets the pace both on the streets and on the circuits. Yamaha is a company that is known for its tuning forks.

Because so many of its models are extremely popular among customers, it is fascinating to learn more about the inner workings of this company and the products it manufactures.

Things about Yamaha that very few people are aware of, which will surprise you

After we have gotten ourselves warmed up through the introduction, it is time to get down to business and unpack, one by one, those n aspects of Yamaha that are so compelling that no one can remain unmoved by them. Here we go.

1. The company was established in 1887

The conception of Torakusu Yamaha, which took place in the city of Hamamatsu in Japan, led to the establishment of Yamaha as we know it at the tail end of the 19th century, more specifically in the year 1887.

Despite this, the primary objective was to produce and then sell pianos and reed organs, which are still manufactured and marketed in the modern era.

On the other hand, Yamaha Motor Company did not begin business operations as an independent entity until 1955, when it was founded. It is necessary to point out that it is still a part of the group today because Yamaha Corporation is its most significant shareholder, holding 12.21 percent of its shares.

2. Competing in races has always been ingrained in DNA

In 1958, Yamaha made history by becoming the first Japanese motorcycle manufacturer to compete internationally in motorcycle racing.

The brand’s tremendous success at national competitions and tests gave it the confidence to take a that significant step forward.

They showcased their YA-1 model at the Fuji Ascent Race and the 1st Asama Highlands Race, considered the two most significant competitions held in the Asian nation.

They were victorious in the 125 cubic centimeter division in both competitions.

They competed in the Light and Ultra-light categories of the Asama Highlands Race the following year and achieved the same level of success as the previous year.

Already in that year, mentioned at the beginning of the epigraph, he opened new frontiers by taking part in the Grand Prix of Catalina, a race that took place in the United States.

The result was an impressive sixth-place finish.

3. Expansion and the development of technological advancements as a direct result of sporting success

The milestone Yamaha accomplished on American soil served as the jumping-off point for the company’s expansion across the length and breadth of the planet.

And that the high technological level exhibited by the Japanese was recognized by lovers of two wheels in the United States, which made it easier to begin selling their bicycles in North America thanks to an independent distributor in California.

Cooper Motors was the company that was in charge of marketing models such as the YD-1 250 and MF-1, both of which had a single-cylinder two-stroke engine with a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters.

Later, in 1960, it started to entrust several different distributors with the responsibility of selling its motorcycles throughout the United States.

Factories were first established in Thailand and Mexico to satisfy customers’ needs in other countries in 1966. Two years later, the same thing occurred in Brazil and the Netherlands.

4. Genichi Kawakami, the man who is responsible for (almost) everything’s design

Genichi Kawakami was the first president of Yamaha Motor Company and held that position for many years.

And, far from concentrating solely on the management of the company, he was deeply involved in every aspect of the development of the brand, which led to the brand of the tuning forks gaining international recognition.

His outlook on life was that if you were going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability. This was the cornerstone of his philosophy.

This good man had previously worked at Nippon Gakki, the original name of the musical instruments and electronics division that was later renamed Yamaha Corporation, and worked his way up from other ranks to the top of the company, so that is where his performance can be explained.

It is important to note that Nippon Gakki was the division’s name before it was changed to Yamaha Corporation.

On May 25, 2002, Kawakami said his final goodbyes, but his legacy and spirit are still very much alive and kicking more than twenty years after his death.

5. His work was responsible for the creation of the very first trail bike

With the release of the DT-1 Enduro model in 1968, Yamaha established itself as an industry leader in the sport of trials.

The idea, which was very well received by users worldwide, especially in the United States, was to provide the user with excellent performance in both on-road and off-road environments.

This goal was the sole purpose of the project. This concept provided a significant impetus for it to become the industry pioneer in the advancement of motocross technology during the 1970s of the previous century.

6. Music, which is prominently featured in its logo

Even though motorcycles are the primary driver of the company’s revenue, the truth is that the company’s logo represents the relationship that the brand has with music more so than it does the brand’s relationship with the engine.

Tuning forks are utensils used to find the necessary sound quality in specific instruments.

The three tuning forks that appear in this image serve this purpose.

Nevertheless, in the beginning, they voiced other concepts defining Yamaha’s identity. These concepts included advancement in science and technology.

7. This brand has competed without a break for the most extended amount of time.

The fact is that Yamaha has not taken a break from competing ever since the company made its debut in its home country of Japan.

The great Kawakami used to say that for a product to be successful, it had first to demonstrate that it could compete successfully with others of its kind and in its industry.

In the case of motorcycles, this was accomplished through participation in various competitions.

Since then, it has kept and still keeps an extremely close relationship with the world of competition.

They got their first victory in the motorcycle world championship in 1963, when he won the Belgian Grand Prix, and they experienced the sweetness of success on multiple occasions throughout the 1960s.

One of these occasions was when they won the Belgian Grand Prix.

Even though they ceased to exist as an official team during the oil crisis, they continued to compete in the championship as a supplier to several independent groups, demonstrating that this obstacle was not insurmountable.

8. They participated in Formula One as well

Yamaha has been a part of the most prestigious four-wheeled competition that ever existed, even though cars are not part of their product offering and their success in MotoGP is beyond reproach.

Between 1989 and 1997, the tuning forks were made by a particular brand, and their work helped teams such as Zakspeed, Jordan 192, Tyrrell, and Arrows.

However, getting through the Grand Circus was more of a struggle than a triumph because the Grand Circus’ propellants had a reputation for being unreliable and powerful, which was a disadvantage for the single-seaters equipped with those fuels.

Their best performance came in 1994 when Ukyo Katayama and Mark Blundell guided Tyrrell to seventh place in the constructors’ championship with 13 points. This was their best result to date.

9. The RD 350, a painful recollection

Not everything in life is perfect, and the same can be said about Yamaha’s history since it was founded.

It was the first street model to have a reed intake system, and it was released in 1973 under the model name RD 350.

Its extraordinary power of 60 horsepower and speed, which benefited from its lightweight, were among its virtues.

So far, so good, but it suffered from a significant disadvantage that it did not manage to overcome.

The inefficiency of its brakes posed a significant challenge for any user who intended to ride it; when combined with the narrowness of its tires and the subpar grip that they offered, this created additional challenges for any user who attempted to drive it.

10. The FZ 750, a watershed moment in the history of sports

When it comes to their sports models, Yamaha has a lot to say, and one of the things they mention is that the FZ 750 was a massive success in the middle of the 80s.

It was presented to the public for the first time at the IFMA show in 1984. When it made its debut on the market, it was the first vehicle to feature a five-valve-per-cylinder engine capable of producing more than one hundred horsepower.

Unquestionably, it was a defining moment in the history of sports bikes.

11. Developed the exhaust system known as the EXUP.

In 1987, they made a significant step forward by developing the EXUP (Exhaust Ultimate Powervalve) exhaust system, which, in Yamaha’s words, represented the zenith of the era.

This was a significant accomplishment for them. A butterfly valve was actuated inside of this by a servomotor so that it could choose the degree of opening that had to have this based on the rotation of the engine.

This was done so that the engine could function properly.

As a result, the valve is only partially open at low turns, which magnifies the pressure drop, reduces the amplitude of the depression wave, and slows the rate at which gases are expelled.

On the other hand, when the engine is high-revving, the valve opens more, which maximizes the exhaust output.

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