Motorcycle Views

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• Suzuki Recalls 2013-2015 SFV650 Motorcycles for Improperly Positioned Fuel Tank Breather Hose
  

• Suzuki Recalls 2013-2014 SFV650 and AN650A, and 2012-2014 DL650A Motorcycles for Excessive Tappet and Camshaft Wear
  

• Suzuki Recalls 2014-2015 DL1000 Motorcycles Since the Battery Ground Connection May Have Poor Electrical Conductivity
  

• Suzuki Recalls 2014-2015 DL1000 Motorcycles for Corrosion of Ignition Switch Terminals
  

• Top 6 Motorcycle Pictures of the Year 2015
  

Learn about Yamaha Motorcycle History and Take a Yamaha Quiz Too

This article gives a history lesson and quiz about Yamaha motorcycles. It is part of a series of motorcycle history lessons and quizzes.

The following is a short potpourri of the history of Yamaha motorcycles.

Use it to satisfy yourself that you know Yamaha history now or as a stepping stone to learning more Yamaha motorcycle history later on. There will be a quiz at the end.

New riders of motorcycles are familiar with the current models but may not be aware of the history of a given motorcycle manufacturer. Someone unfamiliar with motorcycles associates the name Yamaha with musical instruments. In reality, Torakusa Yamaha did build an organ reed in 1887. He founded the Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd in 1897 to produce musical instruments. Over the years this company produced many products and in 1954 began production of the YA-1 single cylinder two-stroke 125cc motorcycle based on a copy of a German DKW RT125. The Japanese called this motorcycle the "Red Dragonfly."

The Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was founded in 1955 after it separated from Nippon Gakki. The first Yamaha designed motorcycle was produced in 1957 and was a twin-cylinder model called the YD-1.

Yamaha began exporting to the United States in 1960.

In 1963 Yamaha made the TD-1 motorcycle that was a 250cc road racing machine. Yamaha won its first road racing championship in 1964. Thus began a road racing tradition that assisted Yamaha to become well known and drove many new customers to its showrooms.

In 1965 Yamaha introduced an automatic oiling system for its two-stroke so the rider no longer had to worry about mixing oil and gasoline when filling up the gas tank.

In 1970 the first four-stroke 650cc motorcycle, the XS-1, was produced. It was a vertical twin. In 1974 Yamaha's model YZ250 was built with a single horizontal rear suspension and quickly became the best motocross bike available at that time.

Yamaha topped sales of 1,000,000 motorcycles per year in 1973 and continued its growth with sales of 2,214,000 per year by 1980.

In 1985 Yamaha produced the V-Max custom that drove 120 hp to the rear wheel. Also released that year was the FZ750 that was the first five-valve-per-cylinder motorcycle. In 1993 Yamaha introduced the GTS1000 that was the first Japanese bike to utilize a single-sided swinging arm front-wheel geometry invented by American James Parker. A special chassis had to be devised to contain this innovation that replaced the traditional telescoping forks. Both the V-Max and the GST1000 models were the only Yamahas featured in the Guggenheim exhibit, The Art of the Motorcycle. They are also featured and described in the book of the same name. (See Books.)

Many groups of loyal Yamaha customers have developed over the years. The Internet has several active groups including the International Star Riders Forum and the Road Star Riders Forum.

So, do you know the difference between a Lucky Star and a Midnight Star? Take the short 10-question trivia quiz on Yamaha motorcycles. This should be as easy as finding your Yamaha YZF-R6 parked at a camping rally of BMW owners.

Take the Yamaha Quiz. (This quiz does not work for your mobile device.)

The picture above is a 1979 Yamaha RD400F model submitted by Jack Macallister.

Motorcycle rallies (biker rallies) are simply gatherings of riders and motorcycles at specified times and places usually with attendant vendors, food, games, and other activities. Motorcycle rallies or biker rallies may last from a day to more than a week. Some major motorcycle or biker rallies are built around organized professional motorcycle races. Shown here is the author, waving, at the 1993 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally®

This article gives basic information about motorcycle rallies. The second page of this article contains my list of the top motorcycle rallies. Click here to see that list now or wait and visit the list at the end of this article.

Most riders start out by attending a motorcycle rally or biker rally for a day with an overnight stay that could include camping.

Subsequent visits to motorcycle rallies are usually longer. Motorcycle rallies come in all sizes from a few hundred people to over 500,000. Motorcycle rallies usually charge a fee if you want to participate in the rally activities. Many riders don't bother to register -- they just show up and hang out.

There are three really big motorcycle or biker rallies: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally® in Sturgis, SD ; Daytona Bike Week in Daytona Beach, FL; and Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, NH. These motorcycle rallies have a majority of Harley-Davidson riders and tend to be noisy and crowded. They attract in the hundreds of thousands, sometimes approaching one million.

My first motorcycle rally was at the old Playboy Club in NJ and was sponsored by Rider Magazine. It had an attendance of about 2000 and I was impressed having never seen so many motorcycles in one place. Just being at a motorcycle rally is quite an experience. You get to meet riders from all over the country and see bikes you've never seen before. There are plenty of stories to listen to as you meet riders. You'll find many two-up riders and plenty of spontaneous conversation. It's a place where people from all backgrounds can let their hair down and have fun with their motorcycles.

Motorcycle rallies have become quite organized if you want to participate in the many planned activities. You'll need to consult the Web sites of the motorcycle rallies you're interested in and read them carefully to plan your trip. Most sites have detailed schedules, information on accommodations, restaurants, routes, activities, campgrounds, etc. Usually you can get on an email list to receive information as it becomes available or is updated. Also, check the sites for any forums or message boards. They allow participants to talk among themselves and get various questions answered.

There will be additional information on this site including links to the actual Web sites of the major motorcycle rallies. There are literally thousands of rallies. The motorcycle rallies listed here are the ones most discussed. There is no way that all the large rallies can be listed here.

I suggest you start out by attending a motorcycle rally close to you to see how it goes. After experiencing one rally, you can branch out to the bigger motorcycle rallies and maybe take in one that is some distance away. My first motorcycle rally was 100 miles away. My second rally was 2500 miles away. My favorite rally, Americade, is 275 miles away.

Members of several motorcycle forums have also formed their own rally called BuRP. The name was coined by forum members to include BRP for the Blue Ridge Parkway. The "u" has various meanings, one being "u and me." The rally, started in 2002, always includes rides on the BRP. The 2003-2012 rallies were held in Maggie Valley, NC close to the BRP and Deal's Gap. BuRP 2016 will be the 15th annual BuRP rally.

For rally dates, places, and additional information about this year's 14 major motorcycle rallies, click below.

Major Motorcycle Rallies List

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5. Today's How-To:

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9. My Book, 50 Wild Motorcycle Tales, is also available as an Audiobook (Audible) Edition on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible:

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