Yamaha Classic Cars for Sale

Unlike other traditional motorcycle manufacturers, whose origins often date back to the production of bicycles, sewing machines or technical components, Yamaha's history began in the late 19th century with the manufacture of musical instruments. To date, Yamaha is one of the world's leading manufacturers of organs and keyboards, as well as one of the world's largest motorcycle groups.

Yamaha Corporate History

While the Japanese produced mainly for the arms and aeronautics industries during the war years, the then head of the company, Kawakami, began making massive investments in 1955 into motorcycle construction. In the newly founded Yamaha Motor Co., the YA-1 "dragonfly net", a beautiful 125cc single cylinder with 5.6 HP based on a DKW RT 125, was developed as its first motorcycle. Until 1961, the YA-1 was perfected optically and technically up to the YA-5. With the YD series launched in 1959, another successful series in the 250ccm category with powerful two-cylinder engines began.

In 1964, the Japanese company presented itself for the first time in Europe at the IFMA in Cologne. Only two years later there were 23 dealers in Germany selling Yamaha motorcycles.

With the Enduro DT 1, Yamaha entered a new motorcycle category in 1968. In 1969, Yamaha introduced a four-stroke machine as a company innovation and expanded the product range - although not yet very successful - to include the XS series. The TX 750 was an attempt to push the four-cylinder class further and also to face Honda's competitor, the CB 750 Four. Unfortunately, not with great success.

In 1975, Yamaha achieved great success with the famous and coveted XT 500, with which the motorcycle manufacturer shortly after celebrated a victory in the famous Paris-Dakar Rally. Water-cooled RD models were also very popular in the 1980s.

Until the mid 90s there was a wide range of enduro products, Tourers (sports) and also Shopper models such as the VX series "Virago". Since the early 1990s, sports models with two- and four-cylinder inline engines have been added, such as the FZR, YZF, TDM and XJ900. Until today Yamaha is a successful player in the construction of motorcycles.

Yamaha Classics

Classics, light and small motorcycles, scooters, touring bikes, endurance bikes, cruisers or racers - Yamaha has moved through every type of construction throughout the company's history and has managed to inspire many fans around the world.

There is no doubt that the aforementioned XT 500 is a collector's item. The single-cylinder endurance performed well off-road, but was also very appreciated on the road and especially as a tourist motorcycle. To this day, the XT 500 is an eye-catching motorcycle, a motorcycle of which almost everyone knows someone who knows someone who used to or still drives one.

The Yamaha VMX1200, abbreviated as "Vmax" and launched in 1984, caused a sensation of a completely different kind. The four-cylinder "Muscle Bike" provided a total engine power of 145 hp (open). The "V-Boost-System" helped increase performance by 11 seconds in a quarter mile. From approximately 6500 rpm a servomotor opens the butterfly valves incorporated in the downstream carburetors and releases up to 8000 rpm the entire cross section of the ducts. For a production motorcycle these acceleration values were outstanding.

Yamaha Racing

In the early 1960s, Yamaha entered the racing world and in 1964, in an exciting racing year, was able to win the first World Championship title in the 250cc category. Englishman Phil Read, with his two-stroke two-cylinder Yamaha, relegated experienced star rider Jim Redman to second place with a six-cylinder DOHC 250cc Honda.