The story of the motorcycle that started the history of Yamaha Motor.

The YA-1 (nicknamed "Red Dragonfly") was Yamaha's first model and also embodies the Japanese manufacturer's efforts to overcome challenges and social prejudices.

The YA-1 motorcycle, with its slim frame and chestnut reddish-brown color scheme, is famously known as Akatombo (Red Dragonfly).

YA-1 Akatombo.

A historic turning point

In the 1950s, Nippon Gakki—the predecessor of Yamaha—was a company specializing in piano manufacturing. Upon taking over as the company's fourth president, Genichi Kawakami boldly declared, "I want us to try building motorcycle engines."

This decision marked a historic turning point for Yamaha, despite the fierce competition in the Japanese motorcycle market at the time. Meanwhile, he himself had no prior experience in the industry.

Driven by the desire to "bring new experiences and a better life to all customers worldwide," Genichi accepted the challenge and resolutely pursued this difficult path. After nearly a year of research and learning in Europe and America, he and his engineers created their first successful product. The YA-1 officially launched on the market in February 1955.

Asserting their position with the "red dragonfly" logo.

The YA-1 was developed based on the German DKW RT125 prototype, which at the time was praised for its beauty and high level of engineering. Genichi Kawakami instructed the engineering team to research and recreate all the useful characteristics of the RT125 as accurately as possible. He demanded that the product possess the quality of the prototype, but be creatively adapted to the Japanese market.

The YA-1 is prominently displayed in the center of Yamaha's headquarters – the Yamaha Museum in Iwata City, Japan.

Accordingly, Yamaha manufactured an engine very similar to the RT125 but integrated a 4-speed transmission, replacing the original 3-speed. The YA-1 uses a 2-stroke, single-cylinder, 125cc engine with air cooling.

With a power output of 5.6 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 9.4 Nm at 3,300 rpm, the YA-1 is capable of conquering any challenging terrain.

The first cylinder created by the company was ridiculed for resembling a teapot. After much trial and error and experimentation, the development team completed the crucial detail. The image shows a test casting of the YA-1 cylinder.

The YA-1 has it all: beautiful design, unique reddish-brown paint, starts with just a light kick, and accelerates quickly. Therefore, the YA-1 is both easy to use and offers users a fashionable and elegant style.

Use quality to win over customers.

In its early stages, the YA-1 faced many difficulties in reaching customers. At that time, most Japanese people only knew Yamaha through its pianos.

Nine out of ten Yamaha dealerships visited wondered, "What kind of business can we do with a company that manufactures organs?" or "Yamaha manufactures motorcycles? Yamaha motorcycles will probably make a 'do re mi' sound when they run." They paid no attention to the models that the Yamaha sales team brought.

To dispel prejudice and attract public attention, Genichi Kawakami quickly formed a racing team and entered the YA-1 in many major races in Japan. The YA-1 proved its strength by winning the 3rd Mount Fuji Climb Race in 1955. In the first Asama Plateau Race held in November 1955, the Yamaha team won all the prizes.

The Yamaha racing team members and their YA-1 achieved an impressive victory in the 3rd Mount Fuji Climb Race.

Genichi's strategy transformed the previously unknown YA-1 into a household name throughout Japan. Sales skyrocketed. For three consecutive years, approximately 11,000 YA-1s were sold, despite its price being higher than the average starting salary of a recent college graduate.

According to Zing