Yamaha's history goes back over a hundred years to 1887 when Torakusu Yamaha founded the company, which began producing reed organs. Yamaha Corporation in Japan (then Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd.) has grown to become the world's largest manufacturer of a full line of musical instruments, and a leading producer of audio/visual products, semiconductors and other computer related products, sporting goods, home appliances and furniture, specialty metals, machine tools, and industrial robots.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, Ltd. begun on July 1, 1955, is a major part of the entire Yamaha group, but is a separately managed business entity from the Yamaha Corporation. The Yamaha Motor Corporation is the second largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Yamaha Motor Corporation owns its wholly-owned subsidiary in the U.S. called Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, that is handling not only motorcycles, but also snow mobiles, golf carts, outboard engines, and water vehicles, under the brand name of Yamaha as well.
In 1954 production of the first motorcycles began, a simple 125cc single-cylinder two-stroke. It was a copy of the German DKW design, which the British BSA Company had also copied in the post-war era and manufactured as the Bantam.
The first Yamaha, the YAI, known to Japanese enthusiasts as Akatombo, the "Red Dragonfly", established a reputation as a well-built and reliable machine. Racing successes helped boost its popularity and a second machine, the 175cc YCI was soon in production.
The first Yamaha-designed motorcycle was the twin-cylinder YDI produced in 1957. The racing version, producing 20bhp, won the Mount Asama race that year. Production was still modest at 15,811 motorcycle, far less than Honda or Suzuki.
