Yamaha: history as a producer of motorcycles
Yamaha became a motorcycle company quite by accident. They got their start with musical instruments and a variety of other products, and after World War II, they needed to find a use for equipment once used to build airplane propellers. The company toyed with the ideas of making auto parts, scooters, ATVs, and sewing machines before finally deciding to build motorcycles. The first Yamaha motorcycle, called the YA-1, was built in 1954; it had a two-cylinder engine. By the middle of 1955, Yamaha was building 200 motorcycles per month, and in 1957, the YD-1 was introduced as Yamaha's first race bike.
The popularity of the YD-1 gave Yamaha the initiative to sell its bikes in the US, and to further that goal, Yamaha Motor Corp. USA was established. The company started offering converter kits to consumers in 1959; these kits allowed the rider to use their bike for either street or off-road riding. By 1960, Yamaha was building 135,000 motorcycles per year. In 1965, the automatic oiling system was offered and gas/oil no longer had to be mixed. Sales reached over one million units worldwide in 1973.
During the 1970s, Yamaha began building four-stroke bikes in order to keep up with the other major manufacturers. These bikes not only met then-current emissions standards, they were more efficient and faster than two-stroke types. However, the company realized that some consumers still wanted the two-strokes, so they continued to offer them. In 1974, the YZ250 was released, and it quickly became the most popular motocross bike because of its monoshock suspension. Capabilities and quality were further refined when Yamaha built a test track adjacent to their plant.
While some Yamaha models haven't been that popular, a lot have. Yamaha has always looked ahead to the future while keeping an eye on what consumers want right now. That philosophy has enabled them to diversify their offerings, and it has allowed them to reach a greater segment of the market while keeping their vision intact. Today, Yamaha is the second largest motorcycle builder in the world; they build quality bikes that meet the needs of the consumer.