Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

===What the Japanese Bayberry Trees Have Seen===   26. The Hamana Factory  <continued>    Inside the buildings, however, production work was very trying; anything and everything had to be made from scratch so there’s no way things would go smoothly. We had trouble producing parts that could pass quality checks and the production target for January had to be abandoned. Although we somehow met the 100-unit target for February, it was after a seemingly endless cycle of desperate struggles and perseverance.    Going home before ten at night on any given day was a rarity; we spent more time at the factory than we did at home. The lack of industry knowledge in general was palpable and made its own fair amount of contributions to our setbacks. One time, one of the guys in sales mistook the mufflers we were making for the mufflers you wrap around your neck when it gets cold.    After much back-and-forth discussion, a final suggested retail price of 138,000 yen was set. And that was if it was paid for in full with cash. Competing 125cc class motorcycles at the time were selling in the 110,000 to 120,000 yen range, so our price no doubt raised eyebrows and sent eyes popping out of their sockets. Many of us wondered if the bike would even sell at that price.    But as the manager of the Manufacturing Department, before we could worry about sales, we first had to produce the machines! In spite of all the effort and running around we did, we couldn’t get the first batch of YA-1s finished and production in full swing until January and early February.    This was a very trying time of sleepless nights, endless stress and extreme exhaustion.    Photo: A leaflet for distributors advertising the YA-1     <ends>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycles #racing #manufacturing #engineering #history #design   

Continuing with our Yamalube content, this newsletter issue provides a general overview of our Genuine Yamaha engine oils and how the engineers that build our engines are also responsible for the oil that they use. This unique approach is why we are able to say with confidence that there’s no better oil for a Yamaha.    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #Yamalube #motorcycles #snowmobiles #SxS #ROV #genuine #oil #manufacturing #engineering #history 

Next in Yamaha’s short series of playful videos showcasing its Yamalube genuine engine oil is a more music-influenced take. This time, the oil provides the beautiful melody of a glass harp and the video expresses how Yamalube brings both performance and peace of mind to users even in the harshest conditions.    Yamalube is the result of over 60 years of dedicated R&D into how we can make our engines run at their very best. From use in the first Autolube automatic oil injection pump to today’s R-Series of supersport motorcycles, Yamalube oils are precision-blended to be the best match for a Yamaha engine, be it on the road, dirt, water or snow.    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #Yamalube #motorcycles #snowmobiles #SxS #ROV #genuine #oil #manufacturing #engineering #history 

=== Days Gone By===   Days Spent with Cars – 10. The Toyota 2000GT Debuts with a World Record!  <continued>    When production first started at Yamaha, it was at a pace of one car rolling off about every three days, but when production got into full swing, things got very difficult. This was a luxury sports car sold under the Toyota name; the required attention to detail was higher than any normal car. On top of that, Yamaha had no experience in actually mass-producing cars and the inspections carried out by Toyota’s quality assurance department were stringent. We struggled to solve problems that ranged from water leakage and wind noise to vibration noise, studying to expedite the process. We dedicated most of our time and effort on eliminating gaps between mating surfaces on the car’s exterior and the quality of the painted finish.    The workers of Yamaha’s production department put forth a tremendous effort, hand-building and completing every car with great care. Each vehicle was also inspected with a test drive. In hindsight, these were very valuable cars even for the time. In Nagoya the dealer price was a staggering 2,373,000 yen.*    *A massive sum given that the average starting salary of a college graduate in Japan then was around 26,000 yen. The Toyota 2000GT sold for a very pricey 7,230 U.S. dollars at the time, some two times that of Toyota’s flagship luxury sedan.    Photos: Toyota 2000GTs being assembled at Yamaha.    <continues>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #cars #automotive #manufacturing #engineering #history 

===What the Japanese Bayberry Trees Have Seen===   26. The Hamana Factory    Operations at Nippon Gakki’s Hamana Factory began on January 1st, 1955 and this also marked the formal start of the company’s motorcycle business. Thanks to the immense efforts of everyone concerned, we somehow got most of the work done by the end of 1954 and the building looked like a proper manufacturing facility.    Although the scale of the factory was still rather small, a variety of measures were taken to make sure it conformed to President Kawakami’s desire to create a model factory that was clean, efficient and well-organized.    First and foremost, the floor was to be kept clean. A policy was adopted for the workers which required that they not bring dirt into the factory and that they treat it like their own living room. Outdoor shoes were removed at the factory entrances and clean indoor zouri sandals distributed by the company were worn inside.    In the crankcase machining and engine assembly areas, the floors were completely covered with soft wooden flooring—this was often criticized by gossipers for being an unnecessary extravagance—so as not to scratch or dent the aluminum parts. When we planted grass lawns around the factory buildings, we were instructed to keep them 10 cm below the level of the roads and pathways to prevent mud from flowing onto them when it rained.    The exteriors of the factory buildings were painted white, which transformed their appearance. The contrast between the white buildings, green lawns and bayberry trees made for a very attractive scene.    Illustration: The Hamana Factory in January 1955    <continues>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycles #racing #manufacturing #engineering #history #design   

Following our last Yamaha Motor Design Spotlight that was on the MT-09, it seems only appropriate that the next model be its smaller sibling, the MT-07. This award-winning machine also turns 10 years old this year and has consistently been a bestseller for Yamaha thanks to its now-beloved CP2 engine, affordability, and fun-focused ride.     #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycle #productdesign #design #industrialdesign #history #manufacturing #engineering #technology #craftsmanship 

IWATA, September 17, 2024 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 7272) announced today that the Company has held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of renovation and expansion work at the Hamamatsu Robotics Office, which develops, manufactures, and sells surface mounters and industrial robots, as well as the 40th anniversary of the Robotics Business, which started in 1984 as the IM Division. The ceremony was attended by approximately 200 people, including business partners, and included a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The renovation and expansion work began in January 2023, achieving 1.6 times increase in the total floor area of the office buildings and 1.8 times expansion in production area. As a result, the production capacity for surface mounters will be approximately doubled. Additionally, with the installation of additional solar panels in the expanded area, the conversion of the entire facility, including the cafeteria, to electric power, and the introduction of CO₂-free electricity starting in 2022, this will be the Company's first carbon-neutral factory. The strengthening of the base through this expansion and renovation is part of the Company's strategic investment in growing businesses under its Medium-Term Management Plan (2022–2024). Yamaha Motor will further enhance its customer-oriented systems for technology, sales, and services, which is the strength of its robotics business, and work towards reinforcing profitability by expanding the scale and business area in a growing market.

=== Days Gone By===   Days Spent with Cars – 10. The Toyota 2000GT Debuts with a World Record!    While actually racing the car, we carried out a high-speed durability testing program for the Toyota 2000GT, making sure to cover all the relevant areas and incorporating many refinements as things progressed. Entering the 2000GT for the first time at the 3rd Japanese Grand Prix held in May 1966, it finished on the podium in 3rd! This was quickly followed by a stellar 1-2 finish for its first-ever win at the 1966 Suzuka 1000km Race. The car was improved after each race, leading to victories in the 1,000km 1967 Fuji 24-Hour Endurance Race and the Suzuka 500km Race.    In the fall of 1966, the car also ran high-speed endurance trials at the Yatabe Test Track and set three world records and thirteen 2,000cc class international records. It was during that period that the car also was used as a Bond car in filming the 007 movie, You Only Live Twice. After participating in several races, challenging multiple world records as part of its finishing touches and even making a movie appearance, the Toyota 2000GT finally went on sale in May 1967.    Photo: A convertible version of the Toyota 2000GT was specially prepared for the Bond film, You Only Live Twice.    <continues>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycles #racing #manufacturing #engineering #history #design 

===What the Japanese Bayberry Trees Have Seen===   25. Preparations for Marketing and Production  <continued>    We also looked for machine operators and finishing technicians from outside the company and we were fortunate to acquire many talented people. Our aptitude tests were quite stringent; I think only one applicant in ten typically passed. Consequently, those that made the grade were the cream of the crop, and many of them now hold important positions within the company.    Most of the managers on the factory floor were from Nippon Gakki’s metalworks and tools departments, and many of those chosen were from among young people with no previous managerial experience.    In spite of these efforts, there was still a shortage of experienced machinists so we hired a number of retirees from the tools department of the Japan National Railway to work part-time. They were of great help.    As our workforce slowly came together, the issue of salaries came up and became a conundrum for us. At the time, workers at Nippon Gakki were paid according to a performance-based contract system to improve efficiency and their bonuses came from commissions.    But we didn’t know how best to pay the motorcycle workers and there was much heated discussion on this topic. However, I think President Kawakami had a long-held dislike for the contract system. He thought it best that we discard the less attractive contractual system and place our full trust in the employees in the motorcycle division by paying them a fixed salary—and that’s what we did.    On December 1st, after carefully considering our procurement situation and related issues, we decided on monthly production volumes of 20 units in January, 100 in February, 150 in March, and 200 in April. We were also able to sign contracts with twenty brand-exclusive dealerships throughout Japan.    <ends>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycles #racing #manufacturing #engineering #history #design