motorcycles

Yamaha

Japan · Founded 1887

Pianos to motorcycles to outboard engines. Yamaha builds anything that makes noise or goes fast, usually both.

Heritage

Yamaha started as a piano and organ manufacturer. That musical precision translated surprisingly well to motorcycles. The company entered bike production in 1955 and quickly established a reputation for refined, rev-happy engines. The SR500 thumper became a cult classic for its simplicity. The RD series two-strokes were giant killers. Unlike Honda's engineering-first approach, Yamaha machines have always had a bit more soul, a bit more willingness to be impractical if it made the ride better.

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Yamaha Vehicles (1)

1979 Yamaha SR500

$4,000-12,000 Motorcycle
Engine: 499cc air-cooled single (SOHC)
Power: 32 hp @ 6,500 rpm
Trans: 5-speed
Years: 1978-1981

The SR500 is motorcycling's monk's cell. One cylinder. Kickstart only. No electric gadgets to fail. Yamaha built it as a callback to simpler times, and it became a cult classic for people who wanted to actually ride instead of manage electronics. The big single-cylinder engine has character that multi-cylinder bikes can't match — a rhythmic thump that connects you to every combustion event. It's meditation with handlebars.