The Yamaha name has been associated with quality motorcycles since the first Yamaha motorbike was sold in the United States in 1958. These first Yamaha motorcycles were sold by an independent distributor until 1960, when Yamaha International Corporation began to directly sell motorcycles throughout the United States. Since then, Yamaha has produced a number of motorcycles that reached favorite status among motorcycle enthusiasts.
In order to compile this list of best Yamaha motorcycles I asked for assistance from my husband, a longtime motorcycle enthusiast and an employee of a local Yamaha dealership.
In 1968, Yamaha introduced the DT-1 as the first on and off road motorcycle in the United States. It makes the list of best Yamaha motorcycles because it was the first Japanese motorcycle introduced in the United States that could be ridden on and off the road. It had a two-stroke 250 cc engine.
Two years later in 1970, the Yamaha XS-1 became the first four-stroke Yamaha motorcycle sold in the U.S. It was a 650 vertical twin that was designed to compete with the same type of European motorcycles such as Triumph, Norton, BSA. One of the reasons this Yamaha is the best was its reliability and price in comparison with the competition.
Yamaha introduced the RD-350 in 1973. The RD-350 was an air-cooled two-stroke twin cylinder bike. It was very lightweight but powerful and very affordable to consumers. This motorcycle can be considered one of the best because even though it was a two-stroke its power made it a “giant killer” when competing against larger bikes.
In 1976, the Yamaha XT-500 was a 500 cc single cylinder four stroke motorcycle. This bike won the inaugural Paris-Dakar off road race in 1976 which earns it a spot on a “best of Yamaha” list.
The 1981, Virago 750 was Yamaha’s first air cooled v-twin cruiser and marked the first attempt of Japanese motorcycles to model after Harley Davidson. The Virago brought Yamaha into serious competition with the Harley-Davidson cruisers.
The 1984, RZ-350 was produced for two years and was a liquid cooled two-stroke twin cylinder motorcycle. This was the last on-road two-stroke motorcycle sold in America. This bike was designed to be a replica racer or signature bike in honor of three-time Grand Prix Champion Kenny Roberts’ race bike. Of course it had to make a best list.
In 1985, the Yamaha V-Max 1200 became the first motorcycle to make 145 horsepower. This took street motorcycles to a new level of horsepower, making this bike a must-have for a best Yamaha list.
The 1993, GTS-1000 was a sport-touring motorcycle with an electronic fuel injection and a forkless front suspension. This was the first Japanese motorcycle to have this type of suspension. This bike also had anti-lock brakes and catalytic converters – another first for Yamaha.
The 1999, Yamaha R6 was the company’s entry into modern sport bikes and road racing. This motorcycle is still in production after undergoing two updates since introduction. The R6 is the highest horsepower 600 bike that Yamaha ever produced (in excess of 100 horsepower).
The year 2009, saw the reintroduction of Yamaha’s V-Max motorcycle as a 1700 cc V-4, producing 197 horsepower, making it the highest horsepower motorcycle ever produced by Yamaha. This fact adds the V-Max to a best Yamaha list and keeps it there.
Source:
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/
