The philosophy, as I read it
Yamaha's engineers talk about 'Jin-Ki Kanno', the feeling of oneness between rider and machine, and unlike most corporate slogans this one shows up in the metal. The crossplane crankshaft, the CP2 and CP3 engines, and the R7's deliberate choice of a twin over a four all trade peak numbers for feedback. Yamaha builds bikes that tell you what the rear tyre is doing.
History in a paragraph
A piano and organ maker that started building motorcycles in 1955 with the YA-1, a copy of the DKW RT125. Yamaha's two-strokes defined the 1970s, the FZ750 introduced the five-valve head, the R1 of 1998 reset the superbike, and the crossplane R1 of 2009 brought MotoGP technology to the road. The MT range made Yamaha the master of the naked bike.
On the track
Nine premier-class riders' titles; the 2026 V4 YZR-M1 is the biggest change to the bike since 2004.
Reviewed
The Yamaha bikes we have ridden
Yamaha · 2026
MT-03
The R3's engine in a naked frame, and the best of the small MTs.
Yamaha · 2026
MT-09
The CP3 triple, the engine that made Yamaha interesting again.
Yamaha · 2026
YZF-R7
A real sport bike chassis around a twin you can actually use.
Yamaha · 2026
Ténéré 700
The simple, honest adventure bike, now with a TFT and ride modes.