Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126276
Par t II: By John Ulrich Yamaha Motor Com p any started production of motorcycles just 22 years ago. Since then, the firm has caught and passed Kawasaki and Suzuki in production and export of.motorcycles. IAbove) VZ80 engines built at the Hammakita plant move in -to meet frames at the Iwata factory. IBelow) TT500 cylinder heads ready for the engine assembly line at Iwata. '- 26 Based on forecasts, Yamaha will have cut in half the production lead Honda now enjoys before the end of 1977. Counting the motorcycles sold in 180 countries from January through June, 1977 , Yamaha exported 32.4% of the total motorcycles exported from Japan . Honda exported 36 .9 % , Suzuki exported 22 .2 % and Kawasaki exported 8 .5 %. Including exports and machines for the domestic Japanese market , Yamaha produced 1,169,175 motorcycles in 1976. 795 .341 of those were ex ported. According to Mr . Hisao Koike, President of Ya maha Motor C o . , p roduction for 1977 shou ld . reach 1.9 million motorcycles. an increase over 1976 of over 200,000. Over 9,000 people are employed by Yamaha Motor Co . alone , and 12 ,600 are emp loyed by the fi rm an d affiliated co m p a nies. The average employee age is 29. Yama ha m otorcycles accou nt for 65.4% of to ta l Yamaha group sal es. In addition to b ikes, the Ya m a ha group builds boats and four-cylinder engines for certain d om estic model Toyota cars. . In a m ee ting with the press o n August 4 in Iwata , Japa n, Mr. Koike outlined Ya maha 's business philosophy. Accord in g to Mr. Koike , Yamaha views increasingly-strict U.S . government -imposed regulations on off road vehicle use and emissions control as a "new challenge to the engineerir{g department of Yamaha, to create the right products. We feel a responsibility as a manufacturer to meet emission control requirements in the United States. " I n addition , meeting pollution control requirements at the 11 Yamaha factories producing motorcycles and boats in Japan .has cost the firm Sl3 million , including S700,O~0 to meet domestic water p urific atio n requirem en ts. Mr. Ko ike ex pressed confidence in .bo th the a bi lity of Yama ha to m eet the challenge, and a lso in the sta bi lity a nd future growth of the m o torc ycl e mark et in the Unit ed States . In M r . Ko ike's view, good products will ensu re almost infi ni te growth p otenti a l in the U.S . moto rcycl e m arket, if su p p orted by servic e faci lit ies a nd good p arts ava ila b ili ty . He p re di cts t hat unless som ethi ng drastic ha ppens, U.S . market demand will continue to exceed one million pe r year. ' . M r. , Koi ke said that Yamaha's goal is to develop new, original products to meet market demands. "Where twostroke engines are more desirable, then two -stroke engines will be' used . Where four -stroke engines are more desired or demanded , then we will develop four -strokes." As an' example of Yamaha 's approach to selling more machines, the company created a small bike called the " Passe l" to appeal to young women in Japan . The machine. built on an all -women assembly line at the Iwata main factory and headquarters . created a new demand and is now Yamaha 's biggest seller. Over 25 ,000 Passols a month are built. Yama ha wants to develop new products to create new markets, bo th at ho me and in the Uni ted St ates . hope full y wit h as much success as the Passol projec t . , In additi on , Ya~a ha will co ntinue to participa te in raci ng , accordi ng to Mr. Koike . "We view racing not onl y as a source of publicity but also as a source of new technology whi ch can be used in o ur general products, so we will continue o ur co m mitment to racing. • A brake disc glows red hot during . induction heat treating at Iwata.