Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. I – The YZ250FX and WR250F
Yamaha has been on a challenging and never-ending quest to pioneer new categories and technologies for off-road motorcycling fun. We revisit some hallmarks of this quest in this 7-chapter series covering the more than 47 years that have passed since the release of the revolutionary DT-1.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania” Ch. I – The YZ250FX and [...]
Ch. II – Birth of the DT-1
Yamaha Motor’s first off-road model, the DT-1 made its debut at a Yamaha dealer meeting in the U.S. in October 1967, and would go on to become a huge hit. Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania” Ch. II – Birth of the DT-1 https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/offroadmania/ch2/
Ch. III – Evolution of the Monocross Suspension
In 1973, Yamaha Motor developed the “Monocross suspension” and took the 250cc Motocross World Championship title. This suspension design would eventually become a standard for motorcycles worldwide.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. III – Evolution of the Monocross Suspension
https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/offroadmania/ch3/
Ch. IV: From the Desert Sands: Ténéré
The story behind Yamaha’s pioneering of the Adventure category, beginning with the XT500. The tale starts with Jean-Claude Olivier’s entry into the Paris-Dakar Rally and the release of the XT600 Ténéré.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. IV: From the Desert Sands: Ténéré
https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/offroadmania/ch4/
Ch. V: A Game-changer: The 4-stroke Motocrosser
At first, nobody believed a 4-stroke YZ would be viable, but today it is a world standard in the off-road category.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. V: A Game-changer: The 4-stroke Motocrosser
https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/offroadmania/ch5/
Ch. VI: It Was a Labor of Love
Envisioned as a Christmas present for American kids, the long-selling PW50 born in 1980 is the smallest product of Yamaha’s Off-road Mania, and it wasn’t just a scaled-down off-road bike.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. VI: It Was a Labor of Love
https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/offroadmania/ch6/
Ch. VII: An Everlasting Quest for True Innovation
Yamaha’s challenges and pioneering off-road continues, from the bLU cRU program supporting Yamaha riders competing off-road and the popular Yamaha Demo Program in the U.S. bringing more and more people into the off-road motorcycling world, to the PED2 electric motorcycle prototype that represents the next generation of off-road riding.
Pioneering Bikes for the Dirt “Off-road Mania”
Ch. VII: An [...]