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Yamaha Motor Company, Limited

Type	Public
Industry	Automotive
Founded	July 1, 1955
Headquarters	Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan
Area served	Global
Key people	Hiroyuki Yanagi (President & Representative Director)
Products	Motorcycles, commuter vehicles & scooters, recreational vehicles, boats, marine engines, snowmobiles, small tractors, personal watercraft, electrically power assisted bicycles, automobile engines, unmanned aerial vehicles, golf carts, power products, pools, compact industrial robots, wheelchairs, parts including apparel, helmets, musical instruments
Number of employees	52,664 (as of December 31, 2014)
Subsidiaries	Minarelli MBK
Website	Yamaha Motor Global

Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products.

The company was established in 1955 upon separation from Yamaha Corporation (however Yamaha Corporation is still the largest shareholder with 12.21%, as of June 30, 2014), and is headquartered in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan. The company conducts development, production and marketing operations through 109 consolidated subsidiaries as of 2012.

Led by Genichi Kawakami, the company’s first president, Yamaha Motor began production of its first product, the YA-1, in 1955. The 125cc motorcycle won the 3rd Mount Fuji Ascent Race in its class.

The company's products includes motorcycles, scooters, motorized bicycles, boats, sail boats, personal water craft, swimming pools, utility boats, fishing boats, outboard motors, 4-wheel ATVs, recreational off-road vehicles, go-kart engines, golf carts, multi-purpose engines, electrical generators, water pumps, snowmobiles, small snow throwers, automobile engines, surface mounters, intelligent machinery, industrial-use unmanned helicopters, electrical power units for wheelchairs and helmets.The company is also involved in the import and sales of various types of products, development of tourist businesses and management of leisure, recreational facilities and related services.motorcycle is the second largest in the world,Outboard motor and water vehicle sales are the world leader

History

Beginnings: 1955

The motorcycle division of Yamaha was founded in 1955, and was headed by Genichi Kawakami. Yamaha's initial product was a 125cc two-cycle, single cylinder motorcycle, the YA-1, which was a copy of the German DKW RT125. The YA-1 was a competitive success at racing from the beginning, winning not only the 125cc class in the Mt. Fuji Ascent, but also sweeping the podium with first, second and third place in the All Japan Autobike Endurance Road Race that same year. Early success in racing set the tone for Yamaha, as competition in many varieties of motorcycle racing has been a key endeavor of the company throughout its history, often fueled by a strong rivalry with Honda and other Japanese manufacturers.

Yamaha began competing internationally in 1956 when they entered the Catalina Grand Prix, again with the YA-1, at which they placed sixth. The YA-1 was followed by the YA-2 of 1957, another 125cc two stroke, but with significantly improved frame and suspension. The YD-1 of 1957 was a 250cc two-stroke twin cylinder motorcycle, resembling the YA-2, but with a larger and more powerful motor. A performance version of this bike, the YDS-1 housed the 250cc two-stroke twin in a double downtube cradle frame and offered the first five-speed transmission in a Japanese motorcycle. This period also saw Yamaha offer its first outboard marine engine.

Success and growth in the 1960s

By 1963 Yamaha's dedication to both the two-stroke engine and racing paid off with their first victory in international competition, at the Belgium GP, where they won the 250cc class. Success in sales was even more impressive, and Yamaha set up the first of its international subsidiaries in this period beginning with Thailand in 1964, and the Netherlands in 1968. 1965 saw the release of a 305cc two-stroke twin, the flagship of the companies lineup. It featured a separate oil supply which directly injected oil into the gasoline prior to combustion (traditionally riders had to pre-mix oil into gasoline together before filling the gas tank on two stroke engines). In 1967 a new larger displacement model was added to the range, the 350cc two stroke twin R=1.

In 1968 Yamaha launched their first four-stroke motorcycle, the XS-1. The Yamaha XS-1 was a 650cc four-stroke twin, a larger and more powerful machine that equaled the displacement and performance of the popular British bikes of the era, such as the Triumph Bonneville and BSA Gold Star. Yamaha continued on with both the two-stroke line and four-stroke twins at a time that other Japanese manufacturers were increasingly moving to four cylinder four-stroke machines, a trend led by Honda in 1969 with the legendary CB-750 four-stroke four-cylinder cycle.

The four stroke era begins: the 1970s

Not until 1976 would Yamaha answer the other Japanese brands with a multi-cylinder four stroke of their own. The XS-750 (and later 850) a 750cc triple cylinder machine with shaft final drive was introduced almost seven years after Honda's breakthrough bike. Yamaha's first four-cylinder model, the XS-1100 followed in 1978, again with shaft drive. Despite being heavier and more touring oriented than its rivals it produced an impressive string of victories in endurance racing.

The 1970s also saw some of the first dedicated off-road bikes for off-road racing and recreation. Yamaha was an early innovator in dirt-bike technology, and introduced the first single-shock rear suspension, the trademarked "Monoshock" of 1973. It appeared in production on the 1974 Yamaha YZ-250, a model which has continued in production, with many updates, until 2015, making it Yamaha's longest continuous model and name.

Yamaha continued racing throughout the 1960s and 1970s with increasing success in several formats. The decade of the 1970s was capped by the XT500 winning the first Paris-Dakar Rally in 1979.

The 1980s: Diversification and Innovation

By 1980 the combination of consumer preference and environmental regulation made four strokes increasingly popular. Suzuki ended production of their GT two stroke series, including the flagship water-cooled two-stroke 750cc GT-750 in 1977. Kawasaki, who had considerable success throughout the 1970s with their two-stroke triples of 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and 750cc ended production of road-going two strokes in 1980. Yamaha bucked this trend and continued to refine and sell two-strokes for the street into the 1980s. These bikes were performance oriented, water-cooled twin cylinder machines, designed to achieve excellent performance taking advantage of the lower weight of two strokes. The RZ-250 of 1980 was the progenitor of this series. The RZ-350, the largest displacement model, was a popular hot-rod bike of the 1980s and continued to be sold in some countries into the early 1990s.

Throughout the 1980s the motorcycle industry gradually went from building a few basic but versatile models designed to work well in many roles, to offering many more specialized machines designed to excel in particular niches. These included racing and performance street riding, touring, motocross racing, enduro and recreational off-road riding, and cruising. Yamaha branched out from the relatively small number of UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) at the start of the decade to a much larger set of offerings in several clearly defined markets at the end of the decade.

The XV750 of 1981 featured an air-cooled V-twin four stroke engine and cruiser styling, and was one of the first Japanese cruiser style motorcycles. By the end of the 1980s Yamaha had offered dozens of cruiser styled bikes in a variety of displacements and engine configurations.

The RZV500 was one of the first "repli-racers", a near copy of Kenny Roberts competition GP bike, it featured a liquid-cooled two-stroke motor of 500cc displacement in a V4 configuration, along with a perimeter frame and full fairing.

A more popular and practical high-performance model for the street was introduced in 1985, the FZ750. It was an innovative 750cc four-stroke inline four cylinder model. It was the first motorcycle to feature a five valve cylinder head, something Yamaha became well known for. It also featured a cylinder block canted forward at 45 degrees, and a box-section steel perimeter frame. Production of the FZ continued until 1991.

The 1990s: Performance bikes and a spin-off brand

In 1998 Yamaha marketed a 1000cc four cylinder road bike called the YZF 'R1', this model introduced a new style of gearbox design which shortened the overall length of the motor/gearbox case, to allow a more compact unit. This, in turn allowed the motor to be placed in the frame further forward, designed to improve handling in a short wheel-based frame.

In 1995, Yamaha announced the creation of Star Motorcycles, a new brand name for its cruiser series of motorcycles in the American market. In other markets, Star motorcycles are still sold under the Yamaha brand. This was an attempt to create a brand identity more closely aligned with the cruiser market segment, one of the largest and most lucrative in the USA.

The 2000s: Expansion and consolidation

In 2007, Yamaha established the Philippine operations and distributes Yamaha motorcycles under the corporate name of Yamaha Motor Philippines, Inc., one of more than 20 worldwide subsidiaries operating on all continents.

Motorcycle racing highlights

In motorcycle racing Yamaha has won 39 world championships, including 6 in MotoGP and 9 in the preceding 500 cc two-stroke class, and 1 in World Superbike. In addition Yamaha have recorded 208 victories at the Isle of Man TT and head the list of victories at the Sidecar TT with 40. Past Yamaha riders include: Giacomo Agostini, Bob Hannah, Heikki Mikkola, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Jeremy McGrath, Stefan Merriman, Dave Molyneux, Ian Hutchinson, Phil Read, Chad Reed, Ben Spies, and currently Jorge Lorenzo Lorenzo is no longer with Yamaha; Vinales is with Yamaha and Valentino Rossi.

The Yamaha YZ450F won the AMA Supercross Championship two years in a row, in 2008 with Chad Reed, and 2009 James Stewart. Yamaha was the first to build a production monoshock motocross bike (1975 for 250 and 400, 1976 for 125) and one of the first to have a water-cooled motocross production bike (1977 in works bikes, 1981 in off-the-shelf bikes). Yamaha's first Motocross competition four-stroke bike, the YZ400F, won the 1998 USA outdoor national Championship with factory rider Doug Henry.

Since 1962, Yamaha made production road racing Grand Prix motorcycles that any licensed road racer could purchase. In 1970, non-factory privateer teams dominated the 250 cc World Championship with Great Britain's Rodney Gould winning the title on a Yamaha TD2.

Yamaha also sponsors several professional ATV riders in several areas of racing, such as cross country racing and motocross. Yamaha has had success in cross country with their YFZ450, ridden by Bill Ballance, winning 9 straight titles since 2000. Yamaha's other major rider, Traci Cecco, has ridden the YFZ450 to 7 titles, with the first in 2000. In ATV motocross, Yamaha has had success with Dustin Nelson and Pat Brown, both who race the YFZ450. Pat Brown's best season was a 3rd place title in 2007, while Nelson has had two 1st place titles in the Yamaha/ITP Quadcross, one in 2006 and the other in 2008.

Yamaha produced Formula One engines from 1989 to 1997, initially for the Zakspeed team, in 1991 for the Brabham BT60Y, in 1992 for the Jordan 192, from 1993 to 1996 for Tyrrell, and in 1997 for the Arrows A18. These never won a race, but drivers including Damon Hill, Ukyo Katayama, Mark Blundell and Andrea de Cesaris scored some acceptable results with them. However their engines were often unreliable and were usually not very powerful.^{[citation needed]}

Formula One World Championship results

Teams with Yamaha as an engine supplier

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
1989	West Zakspeed Racing	Zakspeed 891		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	USA	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS		0	NC
			Bernd Schneider	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	DNPQ
			Aguri Suzuki	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ
1991	Motor Racing Developments	Brabham BT59Y Brabham BT60Y		USA	BRA	SMR	MON	CAN	MEX	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS		3	9th
			Martin Brundle	11	12	11	EX	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	Ret	9	13	12	10	5	DNQ
			Mark Blundell	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	6	12	Ret	Ret	DNPQ	17
1992	Sasol Jordan Yamaha	Jordan 192		RSA	MEX	BRA	ESP	SMR	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	JPN	AUS		1	11th
			Stefano Modena	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	15	DNQ	13	7	6
			Maurício Gugelmin	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	15	10	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
1993	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	Tyrrell 020C Tyrrell 021		RSA	BRA	EUR	SMR	ESP	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	JPN	AUS		0	NC
			Ukyo Katayama	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	17	Ret	13	Ret	10	15	14	Ret	Ret	Ret
			Andrea de Cesaris	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DSQ	10	Ret	15	NC	Ret	11	Ret	13	12	Ret	13
1994	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	Tyrrell 022		BRA	PAC	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	JPN	AUS		13	7th
			Ukyo Katayama	5	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	Ret
			Mark Blundell	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	3	10	10	Ret	Ret	5	5	Ret	Ret	13	Ret	Ret
1995	Nokia Tyrrell Yamaha	Tyrrell 023		BRA	ARG	SMR	ESP	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	PAC	JPN	AUS	5	8th
			Ukyo Katayama	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	Ret	10	Ret		14	Ret	Ret
			Gabriele Tarquini														14
			Mika Salo	7	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	7	15	8	Ret	Ret	8	5	13	10	12	6	5
1996	Tyrrell Yamaha	Tyrrell 024		AUS	BRA	ARG	EUR	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	JPN		5	8th
			Ukyo Katayama	11	9	Ret	DSQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	8	10	12	Ret
			Mika Salo	6	5	Ret	DSQ	Ret	5	DSQ	Ret	10	7	9	Ret	7	Ret	11	Ret
1997	Danka Arrows Yamaha	Arrows A18		AUS	BRA	ARG	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	AUT	LUX	JPN	EUR	9	8th
			Damon Hill	DNS	17	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	9	12	6	8	2	13	Ret	7	8	12	Ret
			Pedro Diniz	10	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	Ret	13	5	13	Ret

Divisions

Yamaha Motors is a highly diversified company which produces products for a large number of industries and consumer market segments:

• Motorcycles — Sport bikes, Star Cruiser bikes, trail bikes, road racers and motocross racers
• Commuter vehicles, including scooters
• Recreational vehicles — All-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles
• Boats — Powerboats, sailboats, utility boats and custom boats
• Marine engines — Outboard motors, electric marine motors, marine diesel engines and stern drives
• Personal watercraft
• Electric bicycles
• Automobile engines
• Industrial-use unmanned helicopters
• Golf cars
• Power products — generators, multipurpose engines, water pumps and snow throwers
• Swimming pools, watersliders and pool-related equipment
• Intelligent machinery, including compact industrial robots
• Electric wheelchairs and wheelchair electric drive units
• Yamaha parts and accessories, apparel, cycle helmets and motor oil
• Industrial robots and surface mounters

Automobile engines

Yamaha has built engines for other manufacturers' vehicles beginning with the development and production of the Toyota 2000GT (1967) with the Toyota Motor Corporation. Also, the cylinder head from the Toyota 4A-GE engine was developed by Yamaha Motor Corporation and was built at Toyota's Shimayama plant alongside the 4A and 2A engines. All performance-oriented cylinder heads on Toyota/Lexus engines were designed and/or built by Yamaha. Some examples are the 1LR-GUE engine found on the 2010–2012 Lexus LFA, the 2UR-GSE found in Lexus ISF, the 3S-GTE engine found on the Toyota Celica GT4 and the 2ZZ-GE engine found on the 1999–2006 Toyota Celica GT-S. In 1984, executives of the Yamaha Motor Corporation signed a contract with the Ford Motor Company to develop, produce, and supply compact 60° 3.0 Liter DOHC V6 engines for transverse application for the 1989–'95 Ford Taurus SHO. From 1993 to 1995, the SHO engine was produced in 3.0 and 3.2 Liter versions. Yamaha jointly designed the 3.4 Liter DOHC V-8 engine with Ford for the 1996–'99 SHO. Ford and Yamaha also developed the Zetec-SE branded 4-cylinder engines used in several Ford cars like the small sports car Ford Puma. Since 2005 Yamaha produces a 4.4 Liter V8 for Volvo. The B8444S engines are used in the XC90 and S80 models. British sportscar maker Noble also uses a bi-turbo version of the Volvo V8 in their M600.

Yamaha also tunes engines for other manufacturers, such as Toyota, so Yamaha logos on Toyota S engines.

Snowmobiles

In 2010, Yamaha was the only snowmobile manufacturer to use four-stroke engines across its range. In Canada though, there are still three models that Yamaha manufactures that are still two-stroke. They are the Bravo, VK 540 and the Venture XL. Yamaha had introduced four-strokes to their line-up in 2003, and the line-up became four-stroke based for model year 2005. The RX-1, released in 2003, was the first performance-oriented four-stroke snowmobile on the market. It was not, however, the first modern four-stroke snowmobile produced. That honor belongs to Arctic Cat for their Yellowstone Special, released in 2000, which was designed as a rental sled that could meet Yellowstone National Park's stringent emission requirement. However, Yamaha received much criticism for its weight disadvantage when compared to similar two-strokes, despite its fuel economy and low-range torque. Yamaha is now using four-stroke technology with the introducing of their 80FI engine, which is equipped on the Phazer and Venture Lite models. This engine has one of the highest specific output of any four-stroke in production, with 160 HP/L, Yamaha achieves this even without the use of a forced induction system. Yamaha is also a key player in the "four-stroke wars", which are a series of advertisements from opponent Ski-Doo, who claim their E-tec and power-tec equipped two-strokes are still cleaner and more efficient than four-strokes, while Yamaha still claims the four-strokes are cleaner. Yamaha also broke a multi-year absence from sno-cross in the winter of 2006/2007 with their introduction of a factory race team headed by former Arctic Cat racer Robbie Malinoski.

Yamaha was the first brand to win with a 4-stroke in a professional snowcross race. This happened in 2006 at the WPSA snow cross championship.

Current models

• Apex, Apex SE, Apex XTX
• SR Viper RTX DX, SR Viper LTX DX, SR Viper S-TX DX, SR Viper MTX 153, SR Viper RTX SE, SR Viper LTX SE, SR Viper XTX SE, SR Viper MTX 153 SE, SR Viper MTX 162 SE, SR Viper RTX LE, SR Viper LTX LE, SR Viper XTX LE, SR Viper MTX 162 LE
• RS Vector, RS Vector LTX
• RS Venture, RS Venture GT, RS Venture TF
• RS Viking Professional
• Phazer RTX, Phazer XTX, Phazer MTX
• Venture MP
• SRX 120

All-terrain vehicles (ATV) vehicles

• Raptor 50
• YFZ50 (2017-)
• Tri-Zinger 60
• 4-Zinger 60 (1986)
• YT70
• Badger 80
• Moto-4 80
• Grizzly 80
• Raptor 80
• Raptor 90 (2016-)
• Champ 100
• Breeze 125
• Grizzly 125
• Raptor 125
• Tri Moto 125
• Tri Moto 175
• Blaster 200 (1988-2006)
• Moto-4 200
• Tri Moto 200
  • YFM200E "Yamahauler"
• Moto-4 225
• Tri Moto 225
• Pro Hauler 230
• BearTracker 250
• Moto-4 250
• Raptor 250R
• Timberwolf 250
• Tri-Z 250
• Banshee 350 (1987-2008)
• Big Bear 350
• Grizzly 350
• Moto 4 350
• Raptor 350
• Terrapro 350
• Warrior 350
• Bruin 350
• Wolverine 350
• Big Bear 400
• Grizzly 400
• Kodiak 400
• Grizzly 450
• Kodiak 450
• YFZ450
• Wolverine 450
• Grizzly 550
• Grizzly 600
• Grizzly 660
• Raptor 660R (2001-2005)
• Grizzly 700
• Kodiak 700
• Raptor 700R (2006-)
• YXZ1000R

Template:Major Japanese marine manufacturers

Corporate Timeline

1955- From Birth to a Period of Growth

1955

• Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was founded with Genichi Kawakami as the first President
• Nippon Gakki Hamana Factory established in Hamakita-cho (present Hamamatsu city), Hamana-gun, Shizuoka Pref., and production of our first product, the 125cc Yamaha motorcycle "YA-1" begins
• YA-1 wins 125cc class of the 3rd Mount Fuji Ascent Race
• YA-1 captures first three places at the 1st All Japan Autobike Endurance Road Race (Asama Highlands Race) in the Ultralight (125cc) class

1956

• YA-1 wins 1st to 8th places (125cc class) and YC-1 wins 1st to 5th places (250cc class) at 4th Mount Fuji Ascent Race
• Yamaha Motor Hamamatsu Research Institute founded and operations shifted from the Nippon Gakki Hamamatsu Research Institute

1957

• YA Racer wins 1st, 2nd and 5th places (125cc class) and YD Racer wins 1st to 3rd places (Light class) at 2nd All Japan Autobike Endurance Road Race (Asama Highlands Race)

1958

• Took 6th place in first attempt at 8th Catalina Grand Prix in the U.S. (Yamaha's international racing debut)
• Yamaha De Mexico S.A. de C.V. established with investment by Nippon Gakki and local Mexican investors and begins sales of Yamaha Motor products
• Yamaha "YA-2" becomes first motorcycle to win Japan's "Good Design Award"

1959

• The first full-fledged sports motorcycle by a Japanese maker, "YDS1" released, actor Yujiro Ishihara used as commercial endorser
• Kitagawa Motor Co., Ltd. joins Yamaha Motor group
• Yamaha Technological Research Institute established at Hamakita-cho (present Hamamatsu city), Hamana-gun, Shizuoka Pref., for overall R&D for Yamaha Motor group
• Completion of Tenryu test course in Hamakita-cho (present Hamamatsu city), Hamana-gun, Shizuoka Pref.

1960- Striving for Growth

1960

• Yamaha International Corporation (YIC) founded in U.S. as subsidiary of Nippon Gakki and begins sales of Yamaha Motor products
• Showa Works Ltd. joins Yamaha Motor group
• First Yamaha outboard motor "P-7" released
• First Yamaha FRP boat "CAT-21" and "RUN-13" released and press introduction held at Lake Ashino

1961

• New listing on First Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange (Capitalized at 800 million yen, 1.6 million shares)
• First appearance in road race World GP at Round 3, the France GP
• Took 6th place in World GP 250cc class at round 4, the Isle of Man TT Race in Britain
• CAT-21 wins 1st Pacific 1,000 km Motorboat Marathon

1962

• Won Novice 250 and 350cc classes of 1st All Japan Road Race Championship
• Motorcycle development operations transferred from Yamaha Technological Research Institute to YMC headquarters

1963

• Nationwide Yamaha Kai (authorized dealership organization) launched
• First meeting of overseas dealers held
• Pearl Yamaha founded in India as tie-up with local funding and starts production and sales of mopeds
• Won first 250cc class race in road race World GP (Belgium GP)
• Won first 250cc class victory at the Daytona Grand Prix (U.S.)

1964

• Captures first manufacturer and rider titles in 250cc class of the road race World GP
• Siam Yamaha Co., Ltd founded in Thailand
• Won 1st Japan Motocross GP in 251cc and above class
• Recognize by Japan's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI) for contribution to exports (recognized again in '66 and'67)

1965

• Tie-up with Toyota Motor Co. to develop and manufacture Toyota 2000GT, model displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in Oct.
• First Yamaha FRP fishing boat "3rd Fuji Maru" built

1966

• Full export operations transferred from Nippon Gakki to YMC
• Yamaha-built Toyota 2000GT sets world records in 3 speed trials categories and international records in 13 categories
• Technical assistance agreement signed with Kong Hsue Sheh to produce motorcycles in Taiwan

1967

• Computer systems installed at YMC

1968

• Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. (YMENV) founded in the Netherlands
• First Yamaha snowmobile "SL350" exhibited at Chicago Trade Show
• First trail model "DT-1" released
• First Yamaha FRP utility boat models "W-16" and "W-18" released

1969

• Sanshin Industries joins Yamaha Motor group
• Product improvement activities program "IPC" start celebrated
• First Yamaha multipurpose engine model "MT100" released
• Yamaha Test Course opens in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Pref.

1970- Creation of Demand and New Business

1970

• First Yamaha motorcycle mounting a 4-stroke engine "XS1" released
• Yamaha Motor do Brasil Ltda. (YMDB) founded in Brazil

1971

• Won snowmobile manufacturer title at Eagle River World Championship competition (U.S.)
• Haraban Motor Co. founded in Indonesia in tie-up with Haraban Co. and local production of motorcycles begun in Indonesia

1972

• Headquarters moved to present location in Iwata City
• First win in Motocross World GP at Round 10, Swedish GP (250cc class)
• First win in Motocross WGP Round 11, Luxembourg GP (500cc class)

1973

• Yamaha Motor Canada Limited (YMCA) founded in Canada
• Signed joint venture agreement with Brunswick Co. (U.S.) and Brunswick invests in Sanshin Industries
• Won first manufacturer and rider titles in 250cc class of the Motocross World GP
• Yamaha wins 1st All Japan Trial Championship
• First Yamaha portable generator model "ET1250" released
• First Yamaha racing kart model "RC100" released

1974

• Hisao Koike appointed second YMC president
• Won manufacturer titles in all classes of road race World GP, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, and 500cc
• PT. Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing (YIMM) founded in Indonesia as motorcycle parts maker
• Manufacture and sales of FRP pools begun
• Membership type comprehensive recreation facility "Tsumagoi" opened in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Pref.

1975

• "C7 Campaign" launched with aim of reducing cost by 7%
• Sportsland SUGO opened in Shibata-gun, Miyagi Pref.
• Sportsland SUGO opened in Shibata-gun, Miyagi Pref.
• Wing of Yamaha wins 1st Single-handed Transpacific Yacht Race

1976

• First Yamaha industrial robot model, an "arc welding robot" released
• First Yamaha marine diesel "MD35" released

1977

• YMC-related divisions of Yamaha International Corporation separated to found Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
• Yamaha "DT100E" and "XS650E" are top models in the industry to clear the U.S. 1978 emissions regulation
• The "soft bike" model "Passol" released
• Captures manufacturer and rider titles for the first time in 500cc class of the Motocross World GP

1978

• R&D Minnesota opened in U.S. as Yamaha Motor's first overseas R&D center
• First Yamaha land car model "G1-AD" released
• First Yamaha snow-thrower model "YT665" released

1979

• Industrial robot "CAME" developed an introduced on YMC production lines
• Yamaha's first All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) model "YT125" released in the USA
• XT500 wins 1st Paris-Dakar Rally
• Energy saving 4-stroke engine system Yamaha Induction Control System (YICS) developed
• Sino-Japanese friendship "Guangzhou Yamaha Exhibition" held (China)

1980- Prosperity and Diversification

1980

• Computerized production management system Pan Yamaha Production Management Control (PYMAC) implemented
• New YMUS headquarters completed in Cypress, Calif. (USA)

1981

• Sociedad Espanola de Motocicletas.S.A. (SEMSA) founded in Barcelona, Spain
• Yamaha Guangzhou Service Center and Beijing Service Center opened in China

1982

• Technical Center opened at YMC headquarters
• Motorcycle production and marketing tie-up with Motobecane (France)
• Business tie-up with Sweden's Ohlins in the racing and technical know-how fields

1983

• Hideto Eguchi appointed third YMC president
• Start of companywide "New Yamaha" Program
• Yamaha Motor da Amazonia Ltda. (YMDA) founded in Brazil
• Technical assistance agreement made for 80cc motorcycle production with China North Industries Group
• Yamaha Motor Australia Pty. Ltd. (YMA) founded
• Technical assistance agreement made for motorcycle production with Escorts Ltd. in India

1984

• TPM Activities launched to improve product quality and production efficiency
• Signed contract to develop, produce and supply automobile engines to Ford Motor (U.S.)
• Technical assistance contract signed with Italy's Motori Minarelli

1985

• Local production of 125cc motorcycles begins in China with technological assistance to Zhongguo Hangkong Jishu Jinchuguo Gongsi
• Signed an integration of technology and trade contract with China National Automotive Industry Import & Export Corporation for the sales of CBU vehicles
• "Y.E.S.S." club started for Yamaha motorcycle fans in Japan

1986

• Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) founded in U.S.
• Yamaha Motor Taiwan Co., Ltd (YMT) founded in Taiwan
• France's MBK becomes part of the Yamaha Motor group
• Technical assistance contract for motorcycle technology signed with Italy's Belgarda S.p.A and Motori Minarelli S.p.A. founded
• Opening ceremony held for YMC liaison office in Beijing
• First Yamaha personal watercraft (PWC) "MJ-500T" released
• Yamaha automobile racing engine "OX66" wins first race in Round 2, the All Japan Suzuka Big 2+4 Race of the All Japan F2 Championship Series

1987

• First Yamaha-made surface mounter "21 Series" released
• First Yamaha gas heat pump (GHP) model "YGC401W" released
• Cosworth Yamaha OX77 wins first All Japan F3000 Championship race
• Limited production of 20 units of Yamaha's first commercial-use unmanned helicopter "R-50" released

1988

• Companywide "Tomorrow Yamaha" program started
• Hamaoka test course opened in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Pref.
• Cosworth Yamaha OX77 wins series title in All Japan F3000 Championship

1989

• YMC wins "PM Excellent Company Award"
• Machine mounting the Yamaha "OX88" racing engine competes in F1 for the first time
• "YESS NICE RIDE" donation campaign for training guide dogs for the blind launched

1990- Achieving both Kando and Environmental Friendliness

1990

• Corporate Mission; We Create Kando - Touching People's Hearts and long term management vision announced
• Yamaha Motor Portugal S.A. (YMP) founded
• Yamaha constructed 1992 America's Cup challenge boat "Nippon"
• Yamaha snowmobile wins Harricana International Snowmobile Rally in Canada

1991

• Established Environment Affairs Division
• Yamaha Motor France S.A. (YMF) founded
• Yamaha Motor de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (YMMEX) founded

1992

• Chongqing-Jianshe Yamaha Motorcycle Co., Ltd. (CJYM) founded in China
• Yamaha Motor Austria GmbH (YMAG) founded
• Yamaha Motor Hungaria Kft. (YMH) founded
• Established CCS (Customer Community Satisfaction) Committee to begin "Yamaha CCS Movement"
• Japan Marine Sports Promotion Foundation established

1993

• European distribution center begins operation in Holland
• Announcement of the Action Plan for Environmental Conservation
• Liaison office opened in Guangzhou, China
• Zhuzhou Nanfan Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (NYM) founded in China
• Sichuan Huachuan Yamaha Motor Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (SHY) founded in China
• Regionally limited release of the electrically power assisted bicycle "PAS"

1994

• Takehiko Hasegawa appointed as fourth YMC president
• "Yamaha" victorious in W60 class of the 6th Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race
• Technical tie-up for technology, manufacture and selling of surface mounters with Philips EMT of the Netherlands
• Yamaha Motor Taiwan Trading Co., Ltd. (YMTT) founded in Taiwan
• Chongqing Pingshan TK Carburetor Co., Ltd. (PTK) founded in China
• Jiangsu Linhai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (LYM) founded in China

1995

• YMC received 1995 TPM Special Award
• "ACE Plant" waste incineration and recycling facility constructed and operation started at YMC headquarters.
• Wheelchair electric power unit "JW-I" released, bringing Yamaha into the health and welfare industry
• Urban commuter motorcycle "Majesty YP250" released
• Relief materials and relief brigade sent to help in the disaster relief and recovery efforts following the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
• Yamaha Motor Thailand founded
• Escorts Yamaha Motor Ltd. (EYML) established in India at conclusion of first joint venture agreement between Escorts and YMC
• Yamaha Motor Components (Europe) s.r.l. (YMCE) founded in Italy

1996

• "Environment 2000 Plan" announced
• Yamaha is first domestic manufacturer to be awarded international ISO9002 certification for motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs
• PT. Yamaha Motor Parts Manufacturing Indonesia (YPMI) founded
• Yamaha Motor Argentina S.A. (YMARG) founded

1997

• Y's Gear Co., Ltd. Founded
• PT. Yamaha Motor Nuansa Indonesia (YMNI) founded
• Liaison office opened in Shanghai, China

1998

• Domestic sales companies united to form Yamaha Motor Marketing Japan
• Yamaha Communication Plaza established at YMC headquarters
• Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd. (YMVN) founded
• Yamaha Motor Asia Pte. Ltd. (YMAP) founded in Singapore
• Yamaha Motor del Peru S.A. (YMDP) founded

1999

• Nine Yamaha Motor factory and office sites win ISO14001 certification
• 2010 Environmental Action Plan "Eco Cite YAMAHA" announced

2000- Opening up Limitless Worlds of Potential

2000

• IM Division reorganized as in-house company "IM Company"
• Corporate ties with Toyota Motor Co. strengthened
• Yamaha Motor Asian Center Co., Ltd. (YMAC) founded in Thailand

2001

• Toru Hasegawa appointed as fifth YMC president
• Yamaha builds temporary pool "Suimu 21" for the main competition pool of the 9th World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan
• Yamaha succeeds in the high-concentration mass culturing of the diatom (microalgae) Chaetoceros

2002

• Announcement of new three-year plan "NEXT 50"
• New 4-region headquarters system initiated with newly established headquarters for Asia and Japan added to the existing European and N. American headquarters
• Limited regional release of the electric commuter motorcycle "Passol"
• Manufacture of 50cc scooters for the Japanese market shifted to YMT in Taiwan

2003

• Marine Engine Division reorganized as in-house company "ME Company"
• Yamaha Motor Distribution Singapore Pte. Ltd. (YDS) founded

2004

• Start of "YAMAHA CCS 21 Campaign"
• Won MotoGP rider championship title

2005

• Takashi Kajikawa appointed as sixth YMC president
• New medium-term management plan "NEXT 50 - Phase II" announced
• Yamaha captures MotoGP triple crown by winning the rider, team and manufacturer titles
• Sales company Yamaha Motor CIS (YMCIS) founded in Russia
• Life Science Laboratory opened in Fukuroi, Shizuoka, as research and development center for YMC's bio-technology business

2006

• Motorcycle manufacturing factory Yamaha Motor Manufacturing West Java (YMMWJ) founded in Indonesia
• Mass production of microalgae as a source for the high-potential health additive Astaxanthin begun at factory in Fukuroi, Shizuoka
• Global Parts Center established in Fukuroi city, Japan and full operations begun
• Compliance Promotion Committee established

2007

• Following the recommendation by the Compliance Promotion Committee, governance structure is strengthened
• "CF Magnesium Diecasting Technology" introduced, and used for the first time in commercial production of a motorcycle rear frame
• ASTIVO released as Yamaha's first health food product
• Commencement of manufacturing and sales of motorcycles at Yamaha Motor Philippines, Inc (YMPH) in the Philippines
• Number of motorcycles produced in Indonesia plants reaches a cumulative total of 10 million units

2008

• Long-term vision "Frontier 2020" established along with new medium-term management plan as its Phase One
• Motorcycle manufacturing and marketing joint venture Yamaha Motor Cambodia Co., Ltd. (YMKH) established in Cambodia
• Motorcycle manufacturing joint venture India Yamaha Motor Private Limited (IYM) established in India with Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
• Global Training Center established in Indonesia
• Yamaha Riding Academy training facility for promoting motorcycle riding safety opened in Thailand
• Yamaha wins MotoGP triple crown of manufacturer, team and rider championships

2009

• Tsuneji Togami appointed as seventh Yamaha Motor Company president
• Along with revisions in business result projections, policies of returning to profitability on a consolidated income basis in fiscal 2010 and achieving a consolidated operating income margin of 5% in fiscal 2012 were announced
• Yamaha Marine Co., Ltd. merged into YMC
• Use of the new Y.C.A.T. automatic transmission on production mopeds announced
• Yamaha wins MotoGP triple crown of maker, team and rider championship titles for second year in a row

2010- Moving further with global operations and monozukuri reforms

2010

• Hiroyuki Yanagi appointed as eighth Yamaha Motor Company president
• Medium-term management plan with central pillars of structural reform and growth strategies announced
• Electric commuter model "EC-03" released
• Withdrew from the Life Science business
• Yamaha won the MotoGP "triple crown" of manufacturer, team and rider championship titles for third consecutive year
• Celebrated the 50th anniversary of Yamaha marine operations

2011

• Iwata South Factory engine assembly line integrated into Iwata Main Factory's MC assembly line
• New Intelligent Machinery group company established to expand surface mounter sales in Europe and the USA
• New land acquired near YMC headquaters for expansion of Intelligent Machinery and Smart Power Vehicle bussiness operations
• Start of increased manufactuaring of Japanese boats to assist Great East Japan Earthquake recovery efforts
• Collaboration with Toyota Motor Corp. for development of Communications-Linked Next-generation Vehicles to create new mobility society of the future

2012

• Received government consent to construct new motorcycle factory in southern India
• Established ASEAN Integrated Development Center to promote globalization of engineering, manufacturing and marketing functions
• Began OEM supply of electrically power assisted bicycle drive units to European market
• Established Design Center
• First meeting of Global Executive Committee held
• Company founder Genichi Kawakami inducted Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

2013

• Yamaha Motor Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd.(YMRI) established in India
• Cumulative Yamaha outboard motor production exceeds 10million units
• 1st Global Suppliers Conference held
• New IM company Yamaha Motor IM(Suzhou) Co.,Ltd.(YMIS) established in China
• Kikugawa Test Course completed in Kikugawa, Shizuoka Prefecture

2014

• Released first Leaning Multi Wheel (LMW) product, the TRICITY
• Cumulative automobile engine production surpasses 3 million units
• Completion and start of operations at new motorcycle factory in Argentina
• Development of "BLUE CORE" next-generation compact, high-performance engines

2015

• Yamaha Motor Jubilo won its first All-Japan Rugby Football Championship
• Yamaha Motor Pakistan Private Ltd. (YMPK) began operations
• PT.Yamaha Motor R&D Indonesia (YMRID) began operations
• Yamaha Motor Ventures and Laboratory Silicon Valley Inc. (YMVSV) established in the U.S.
• Yamaha Motor MIRAI Co.,Ltd. established in Japan