Strange Story of How Yamaha Made Motorcycles! | Did You Know?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Strange Story of How Yamaha Made Motorcycles! 🏍️✨ | Did You Know? 🤔 Discover the unexpected origins of Yamaha's motorcycle journey! From their beginnings in musical instruments to becoming a powerhouse in the motorcycle industry, Yamaha's story is full of surprising twists and innovative milestones. Join us as we unveil the unique history and fascinating facts about how Yamaha transformed into a global leader in motorcycling. Don't miss this intriguing tale of innovation and success!
Buy us a coffee to show your support!
www.buymeacoff...
Thanks for watching The Maverick Roadster!
Subscribe for more content on the latest motorcycles, news, trends, reviews, and more.
Hit the bell icon next to it so you won't miss a video.
Social Media:
Follow on Instagram: / themaverickroadster
Disclaimer Fair Use:
1. The videos have no negative impact on the original works.
2. The videos we make are used for educational purposes.
3. The videos are transformative in nature.
4. We use only the audio component and tiny pieces of video footage, only if it's necessary.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing.
For copyright matters, please do mail us at themaverickroadster@gmail.com
Disclaimer: Our channel is purely made for entertainment based on facts and rumors.
![FendiDa Rappa - Clock Dat ft. Shamar Marco [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3NBU8KHdxYY/mqdefault.jpg)
Why does every new channel with potential add overly-loud background music? We don't need music, it's not a commercial.
Yes, I agree. It's hard to hear the narration. great video, otherwise.
I agree! As much as I enjoy music, when it overpowers narrative it is distraction.
Didn't even notice - I rewatched parts I missed and couldn't concentrate on the story, lol. Thanks for pointing it out. 🔊
Hey, I have noted, we will remove music from next video. Thank you for your support.
@@themaverickroadster To clarify - I meant I didn't even notice the music until the comment, THEN I did because of the mention. It's ok
The guy narrating seems to be just reading a script and doesn’t understand motorcycles. I stopped watching when a BSA was putting on screen describing it as a Yamaha model!
To cut a long story short he was gay 😊
@@loneranger5349 not sure what difference that would make🤔
@@loneranger5349 - I think you misspelled "gAI"...
not a live human, stupid robot
It is bot artificial intelligence. Not really intelligent.
I am 74 years old and have ridden motorcycled since the age of 16. I am what you might call hardcore about always having motorcycles in my life, and I do mean always. Bottom line: best bikes I have ever owned were Yamaha. I've owned everything under the sun, including Honda, Suzuki, Harley, and Triumph. But the best has always been Yamaha. I realize this may sound crazy, but I think the fact that Yamaha began as a musical instrument company (and still is) instilled a drive for perfection in the bikes. Anyhow, never hesitate to buy a Yamaha ... they're still magnificent with a huge dedication to perfection. Yours truly, an ardent life-time Yamaha rider and lover of same.
My new-to-me XV250 made me a believer! Easy to maintain and very reliable. Handling is superb and ride is quite comfortable. Milage is great too!
go buy a Yamaha OEM 2014 front fender for a 2-stroke YZ250,---and see how great the quality is. 2 twisted do badly, I had to go aftermarket, and they stiffed the dealership because they were not in the original packaging. To see that garbage to who?
The fact is, companies who had some of the best quality in the world (Honda always up there), are slipping because of crappy communist manufacturing competition. Quality costs money. Manufacturing and Quality engineer here.
@@unionrdr Go buy a Yamaha OEM 2014 front fender for a 2-stroke YZ250,---and see how great the quality is. 2 twisted so badly, I had to go aftermarket, and they stiffed the dealership because they were not in the original packaging. To sell that garbage to who?
The fact is, companies who had some of the best quality in the world (Honda always up there), are slipping because of crappy communist manufacturing competition. Quality costs money. Manufacturing and Quality engineer here. Doug in Michigan
I love bikes Honda is renowned for top quality their off road bikes still hold value which is unusual for off road bikes. As many biker's do read bike mags and it's always said about Honda build quality. But now days you buy the bike you like best.
@@EarthSurferUSA Well, there's nothing wrong with any part of mine, and it has like 5,101.x miles on it so far. I've bought factory service parts for it from the main bike supply sites. no bad parts so far.
You never mentioned the Yamaha RD and RZ models. I lothe to have a 1984 Kenny Roberts limited edition 350cc water cooled 2-stroke. If Yamaha built a fuel injected 2-stroke with emissions compliant engine I would buy one TODAY!
Allan, I have one and if you come thru Maryland sometime, you're welcome to come ride it. Has a Toomey kit and likes to wheelie in 1st and 2nd. Sadly, could never be emissions legal today.
@@marylandflyerI love people like you. You really would let a total stranger take your bike for a ride. You just want others to be happy. If you are ever in Northern Utah, look me up. I'll set you up with something fun to do. (Ebikes, waverunners, or we will find something.)
You totally missed the very popular RD 350 LC series
Because it's all AI made.
They briefly mentioned the RD models at about 10:20 seconds.
You should also mention how Yamaha designs intakes, exhausts, and entire engines as a subcontractor to major auto manufacturers like BMW and Toyota.
Yamahs designed much of the engine for the famous Taurus SHO, the Lexus LFA, and the new BMW Z4 and its Toyota Supra cousin.
On the data plate in the engine compartment of the 1960's era Toyota 2000 GT sports car it prominately states "Powered by Yamaha".
Too many mistakes to count.
"Too many mistakes to count."
Name 10 please.
@@DavidBostock-ti2fv IS THAT AS FAR AS YOUR COUNTING ABILITY EXTENDS ?? TEN ?? SHEESH
There are definitely a few glaring mistakes
I own 3 Yamahas - a 79 XS650-2F0, an 83 XJ1100, and a 14 Bolt. LOVE them all!
Did not see the famous and uncomparable TDM 900, not mentioning the powerhorse XT 600, Diversion, MT Series etc. Not much of research, sorry, but there is much more to present.
My main bike is a Super Tenere 1200. It's the perfect balance between globe-trotting power and features and simple maintenance. As a recovering BMW owner having and adventure tourer that is both reliable and easy to care for us refreshing.
I own the greatest motorcycle in the world. 2015 Yamaha Vmax! A legend….. enough said.
I have always wanted a VMAX
Road ruler.
Enduros weren’t even mentioned. YZ’s wouldn’t even be around if it wasn’t for the Enduros which were very popular
Specifically the dt1
Ai shyte.. wonky timeline, bad/wrong info, kept showing the BSA, 2 stroke Kaw are not water cooled, mispronunciation of names and places...
The funniest bit is the German soldiers at 4:39. They were over 5,000 miles away!
Yeh but, yeh but: apart from wonky timeline, bad/wrong info, showing the BSA, 2 stroke Kaw are not water cooled, mispronunciation of names and places................... it was almost tolerable ??
Factoid: If you tap the spokes in an anti-clockwise direction on ANY Yamaha, you get the Japanese National anthem in perfect harmony. Some even reveal Beethoven's 9th when you blow down the exhaust pipe (I am not at liberty to to say which bikes do this because idiots are getting their lips burned)!
You’re talking about the 20s while showing b reel of a guy with a pc on his desk
I stopped watching when they called a BSA a Yamaha two stroke twin.
What a lot of inacuraties... talking about 2 strokes, showing 4 strokes, talking about monoshock, showing classic double springs etc, etc... And on top of that, lousy "music". Not worth watcing. People should learn about a subject before they make a video on it!
Apologies, will do better in the next one. Thanks for pointing it out.
@@themaverickroadster I even saw a BSA in the mix.
Worth mentioning the 125 and 250 racing bikes of the late 1960s which, with an extremely sophisticated 4-cylinder two-stroke design produced 44bhp and 73bhp respectively.
This gave Yamaha complete dominance, and with riders of the calibre of Phil Read and Bill Ivy onboard they took all the world titles.
In 1968, on the extremely long Isle of Man mountain circuit, using the 9-speed gearbox to keep his engine buzzing at 18,000rpm Bill Ivy shattered the previous record with a truly incredible 100mph lap (i.e. average speed over the 37-mile course.)
And that was on the little 125 version…
i saw steve baker ride the 700-4? road racer at Westwood. Nothing could touch it and from what I heard at the time, the expansion chambers were flatened to improve corner clearance as they had more than enough horsepower. Great times. he was shifted into 4 when everone else was just coming out of second. The front rotors were deep blue from heat when he went around the second time. Awesome to see.
They are the best tuners of naturally-aspirated car and motorcycle engines. 👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥
My 1978 Yamaha DT250 Enduro (equally street & dirt oriented) was the finest performing motorcycle, overall, all aspects considered I've ever owned !
Just fabulous execution it all felt greater than the sum of its parts.
I rode it for my Sophomore & Junior year in High School all over San Diego - about 20,000 miles worth.
One ride & it's brilliant combination of utterly solid handling, braking & seamless seemingly limitless powerband won you over.
Though only 250cc single air cooled 2 stroke it would ramp up to 75 mph in a blink - and back then we STILL had the 55 mph Freeway speed limit so you didnt dare do it for long lol - !
I used to say it felt more nimble & useful on the street than any street bike I had ridden & yet had better off road manners & feel than many pure dirt bikes.
I later had the much larger Yamaha XS750 Special 3 cylinder shaft drive street bike - a heavy beast that though powerful didn't feel anywhere near as well developed as its DT250 cousin.
Truly Yamaha had genuine expertise at making small displacement 2 stroke trail dirt & dual sport bikes, and this proved it.
Great memories Yamaha !
Did you ever race Motocross with it? :)
I had the red and black, 78 DT 100.
Moved up to DT400, then YZ125.
Sounds like back tracking
@@RandomParrot
I bet that DT400 was a beast with full throttle !
I was a skinny 160 # high schooler probably woulda killed myself.
I had an RM250 Suzuki race bike it was just too high strung - the DT250 was more manageable / less deadly.
Lol
Now Im just happy with my Suzuki V-Strom 650 ADV Touring it's just right.
Enough dirt bike stuff. What about the amazing 1984 V-4 Venture Royale 1,100 cc touring bike, engine based on the v-max. Or the inline 4 touring masterpiece the FJ-1200 bikes?
I’m a luthier by trade and Yamaha makes fine guitars, violins, violas, cellos, bass and grand pianos. They also make great motorcycles. I’m a fan of vintage Yamaha dirt bikes. I also love Yamaha snowmobiles especially those from the early 70’s to the mid 90’s. I still want an xs 650 which was the finest street bike Yamaha ever made
My first Street Bike was an XS 650 (late 70's) Great sound/looks, handled good, super reliable, did lots of smokey burnouts. Then I had an XS750 triple tht I didn't care for much I blew 2nd gear, fixed it for $200.00 then I had a 79' XS 11 tht I loved, it went really fast. Back in the day XS650's went for $1,000 to $1,200. I hope you get one someday. Hi from the n.w corner of Orygun
The Vmax was mentioned along the 90s era bikes. Believe they came out in 84 and it was a straight up rocket. My dad had an 86 that I feared for my life over riding on the back when the Vboost kicked in. Wish I had one now!
My 'big-bike' is a tastefully-modded 1982 Yamaha XV1000 , Roadster (chain-drive, TR1 in Europe ) It's still capable of a 12.4 quarter-mile and sounds amazing on full-throttle heading-past 160....I have an XS-2 Cafe'-bike as well . These bikes are bullet-proof once they are 'set-up' right . I've had XT's , TT's, TX's, SR's and more , 40-+ bikes over more than 50-yrs of riding . Riding any-bike keeps you young . Dave nz
I love almost all of the yamaha models. Not only because I used to work on Yamaha service, but also because most of the Yamahas are absolutely just great machines to drive!! I love them. You know, all japanese bikes are great! But there is only one, that you really can love. And for me, it is just the Yamaha! There is a lot of great bikes from yamaha. And of course there is a lot of a great bikes from other japanise manufactures. Right now I ride a Honda. But in my hearth, there is only one, and that is The Yamaha! No hard feelings, all japanese bikes are great!! But Yamaha is The Yamaha for me. And thanks for the video! It was very interesting! Ps. I love all Japanese bikes, no matter what age, what kind of bike. It is enaugh, that it is japanese. I know it is great guality, if it is Japanese, and thats enaugh.😍👌💪
Stop using AI
Yamaha is an awesome company, be it engines, bikes, audio and musical instruments. As a bass player I own and cherish my 12 Yamaha basses and still think back fondly to my first Yamaha bike that could not let be, always polishing and maintaining with much love. I am a diehard Yamaha client.
You are talking out of your bottom, my friend.
I love the BSA pretending to be a Twin-R1 9:40 😂
I loved my 1981 Enduro 100 that got me around in Malawi Africa., and I still have a 2003 Kodiak 400 atv. This narrator makes it sound like Yamaha switched to making motorcycles, but they still make the musical instruments, and a whole gamut of recreational vehicles, that are very competitive with Honda for reliability.
And BTW…. Their guitars are very solid, especially for the money. BIG bang for the buck.
Interesting I've heard Yamaha designed the engine in my 2003 ford Taurus. While i have never owned a Yamaha during my riding day that have just ended (due to age) it sure built a nice motor for Ford
I was so lucky in the early 80s I found a YZ250 red and white. I happened to meet a ex dealer who had a catch of “OW” factory race parts that are normally crushed at the end of the year. So for pennies I got some ultra rare race parts for my bike.
I agree this guys reading a script. That BSA looking bike I believe was actually a Kawasaki 650 that was dam near a copy of the BSA. I never verified it but I was told you could swap parts between them. In the fifty’s and early 60s they copied a lot.
I’ve owned and ridden the enduro and YZ models from the early ‘70’s . Some of the best memories from my childhood !
Not watchable. Poorly done.
I have owned 8 Yamaha's the first yz 80 RD 250LC RZ 250 RZ500 YZF 750 TZ250 A1990 model R1 1000 DT 200 Yz 250 top quality motorcycles
Wonderful trip down memory lane for me. It reminded me of what an idiot I was getting rid of my 1978 SR 500 single. LOL
Commentary is Gibberish…
TOTALLY
Got my first bike a twin jet 100 Yamaha in May 1966 from the local Ford dealer. Great little bike.
I’m still riding my 1996 Virago 750 and it’s been nothing but reliable
Nothing about the work Yamaha did for Toyota. Pretty important work.
One of the best bikes i ever rode was the xs 250 . It good power and comfortable and wasn t too thirsty on fuel
The yamaha's I love the most are the ones I've had in the past. I had a 1976 Factory Cafe Racer rd350 I had a 1968 Factory Road racer td1c I currently have to 1975 Yamaha rd350 that are being built. But honestly I love all Yamaha motorcycles
Yamaha was not the first manufacturer to make a 4 stroke motocross bike. KTM was.
Enjoyable but where are the Liquid cooled RD&RZ twin 2strokes & the DT ( that practically started the Trail bike class). Also no mention of the TX 500&750 , XZ550 ( not so super successful in my opinion) Nor the prototype GL750 (sadly not produced).... next time.
Interesting video, but I was very disappointed that the v max only got half a second of coverage. I owned a first generation for many years and recently upgraded to a 2020 second generation v max. They are amazing bikes and were absolutely groundbreaking, and deserve more than just a passing mention.
When I was 15 years old in 1970, Yamaha125cc was king in Northern Europe, okay Zyndapp 125 was better, but more expensive.
In 1984, Yamaha came out with the FJ1100, a true sport tourer that I drove for several years with no problems, and nothing in the video.....
Yamaha's, tw200, which is best described as a hybrid between a all-terrain vehicle and a motorcycle. They've been building them for decades now, and if you want to buy one ,used you're going to pay top dollar
At 9.41 you talk about the 1968 Yamaha RI but show a picture of a British motorcycle, the BSA A65 rocket, a 650cc parallel twin fourstroke motorcycle made in Birmingham, England.
Your intro to the YZ400 introduction is slightly misleading here. Yamaha didn't come into the game to change the sport with a 4T engines in motorcross/Supercross. It was Husqvarna that started that trend, seeing the writing on the wall of two strokes future. Yamaha seen the success of a European maker making head ways and potentially taking a share that Yamaha claimed much of in the US market. The remaining three Japanese MC companies sat and waited the evolution to unfold before jumping in (As they have done so often).
If Husqvarna had catered to the US market with greater intent with what the market wanted (Expected). Its possible we would have seen a role reversal today. And we'd see the real Husqvarnas dominance in place of the Pumpkins that where setting them selves up for bigger things to come.
Ok the DT 250 was the first MX bike for me. I’ve had many of yam. So have my kids. I’m hitting 70 and have a Grizzly that I take my pups on runs. Great stuff.. Thanks
16:38. What Yamaha did was make narrow engines by mounting the Alternator behind the cylinder block. Until Honda made V4 they had the most narrow width across the frame. One of the common complaints against the IJN
I have several very fine Yamaha trumpets, coincidentally designed by Renold Schilke in Chicago
In 1967 I had a YL1 100 twin jet later I had a 125 which was a better ride. But the 100 twin captured my heart and 50 years later I still own one and its a beautiful little bike. 😊
low rank doc
Interesting the 3 tuning forks on the Yamaha logo.
A little disappointed tbh.....
Just a non-stop flow of what bikes Yam have made, but this video should explore the reasons why.
Yamaha isn't just the best producer of motorcycles, Yamaha is an Icon. An icon that has been losing its greatness through its own Apathy.
.
You are making a huge mistake by ignoring the Indian market, Yamaha management. We love you but you are not giving us anything apart from R15.
Why didn't you talk about the fj09? It's a fabulous bike! Came out in 2015.
My favt is the classic SR400 that i enjoy in california. Great ride in the canyon twisties and along the ocean on PCH
Yamaha TW-200. ☆
Test: Call a friend and have them play music or a television in the background. You'll understand the frustration of listening to your otherwise excellent narrative. It must be written somewhere in the YOUTube instructions that music is necessary for a video. Save it for tv commercicals.
Understood, will stop using music from my next video.
@@themaverickroadster I didn't think it was that bad. Way to be a stand-up guy, refreshing in today's world indeed.
"otherwise excellent narrative" soooo full of crp it's literally cringe. as a former teacher, i despair at the ever-failing educational standards displayed on the choob...... SAKES. i reckon leaded petrol is to blame. brain damaged
Until they figured out they had to much intake valve surface then went back to 4 valves for racing
I believe they got the WR wrong. They mentioned a 450 came out in 2000. No. I had a 2002 426 and a 2003 450. The 426 was kick start only UGH! Added the electric start in 2003 so I bought it immediately! 😅
My history with Yamaha products:
-trombone in elementary school band
-learned to ski behind a 150hp outboard
-pro-audio mixers, amps, & speakers
-my first cruiser vStar 1300 Tourer bike
-FJR1300 Sport Touring bike
-XT1200 Super Tenere
All of these are fine products.
I have a XV 400 Virago, love it!
WR250R and WR250X, most reliable dual purpose bike, and yamaha first supermoto bike. A reliable motor that serve in 2 format
I drive MT 07 with exellent and legendary CP2 engine and I love it!
I’ve had so many Yamaha bikes I’ve lost count. Loved my 900 SECA although it was only an 853cc engine, it was quicker than the 903 ninja and any other bike of the era including the XS 11 and GSXR 1100 bikes. My xt 250 goes anywhere so it is my favorite now. Not fast but as reliable as the sun.
I started with a 1973 Yamaha RT3 360cc single cylinder two-stroke enduro. My second bike was a 1980 Yamaha XS Eleven Special. My 3rd was a Yamaha XT-500. My 4th a 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 and now my 5th is a 1979 Yamaha XS Eleven Special. My two XS Eleven Specials are my favorites to date.
I loved the 360 enduro and I was riding a Honda SL175 after a Honda CL 350 didn't satisfy. My riding buddy had a whol herd of dirt bikes and he let me use his. I got on it and nailed a sideways donut 100 feet around at full boogie. It was the most rideable dirt bike I've ridden.
My dream Yamaha is the R6.
any bike under 750cc is a girls' bike........................
AI commentary, really strange choice of models, generic visuals and blatant errors. This could be a good video with a bit of work but as it is....
I owned a Bolt and is now the proud owner of a FJR1300 :) Best machine i ever had.
RZ350 from the mid 80's is still my favorite! Wheelies on request, not demand.
He wasted so much time talking about off road bikes (yawn) and skipped over the modern sports bikes, nakeds and even the the V-Max.
not to mention LEGENDARY rd and lc models............. schoolboy fail vid
The information about the Indian Yamaha fleet motorcycles is wrong
In my garage sits Tenere 700, FZ1, YZ250X & WR450F.
When yamaha made the xv virago line up. That was the shot across the bow for harley and it shows even today
Always great to hear how great companies got started!
I owned a 1981 Yamaha YZ250 it was a rocket ship❤
The groundbreaking DT-1 should have gotten more coverage. Despite all the mistakes this was a interesting documentary.
My introduction to motorcycles was one of those 125 Yamahas 55 years ago.
Yamaha are an excellent company. I’ve given them money many times, bikes and music
I have an R6 and a WR250R
I bought my first new Yamaha in 1968 Trailmaster 80 as a 12-year-old boy that delivered newspapers to get the money to buy it. I’m now 68 Years old & I still ride a Yamaha. A Raider 1900. I’ve had many great Yamahas for most of my life and I am extremely loyal to the brand. ‘70’s Enduros, ‘81 Seca 550, ‘83 Seca 650 TURBO, ‘87FJ 1200 then the 2009 Star Raider XV 19 in Silver…..👍🏼👍🏼
Ditch the music
Lose the music
The R1M id like to have
The Yamaha Fs1e only had 4 gears I think.
Both the Yamaha SS50 and the Yamaha FS1E in Britain had four gears, you could stretch it to five if you included the pedal gearing, the pedals were a requirement at the time so it could be designated as a moped, and as such could be ridden by a sixteen year old.
The early XS models 750, 850, & 1100. were very heavy bikes by today’s standards, having said that, big Hondas, Kawasaki, suzuki, were all quite heavy, but, not as heavy as the XS 1100. The XS was extremely reliable, bulletproof engine, as they say!
Had aused 1982 XS650 Maxim...interesting tidbit...from the factory it had a 750cc engine, but was sold/titled as a 650cc. Durable bike. It is still probably in use today with the never touched factory engine.
I still have one of those in my garage right now.
How in the world are you gonna do a deep dive in the xs750s, show pics and all and basically just brush off and not show any of the early/mid 70s RD 200, RD250,RD350 AND the masterful RD400?
WHAT I MISS:
*details of the most sporty effordable bike of its time: RD lc
*The world record of power in a serial product for decades: V-MAX
*GP-wins and, of course, Rossi
*the winner bikes in many national road races and in EWC: R6+R1
*The fastest cruiser ot its time: FJR
...and many more
I'm 68 & love my 2018 V Star 250 Lowrider Custom Cruiser. Built in June '17, in Raven Black metallic. Some call it a sport cruiser, with its torquiness and nimble handling. I can lean it into turns with knee out smoothly and easily. The thick leather seats are very comfortable as well. Like sitting in a comfortable chair! They are also dead-on reliable and easy to maintain.
Hello, I purchased a 2007 Virago 250 in 2010, I have put over 40,000 miles on it since I bought it. I have owned several other bikes during that time but I still love riding the little 250. It has never let me down, Been to the Tail of the Dragon 3 times on it! Just a blast to ride and it gets 80 miles to the gallon!!
@@aawd2003a When practicing in lower gears, it still gets great mileage. Used maybe 1 inch of gas in tbe tank so far. Including when I have a TT Moment ..
I had a pair of '84 XVz12 Ventures and an XJ650 that were all well made and great fun.
"Nice" it's pronounced "Niece", it's French ;-)
My FZ750 went a lot faster than 140 LOL
A nice video story, but the silly music is too loud and makes the narration hard to hear.
Thank you, will remove music from the next one.
the fact the narration hard to hear, is VERY much a BONUS imo
All these motorcycles are horrible looking, nothing like the modern motorcycles. All these old 4 Japanese motorcycles Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki & Suzuki look the same. I have a Honda CB500F, a Kawasaki Z650 & a Z900. Just sold the Suzuki GSXS1000. I'm a Kawasaki Z guy. Never liked Yamaha.
You skipped the FJ 1100 and FJ 1200 which I still to this day feel are the best sport touring bikes I've owned. I enjoyed 2 V-Max, but they always get stolen (and My V4 Honda) but since I like to take LONG rides, I have sold all my 1-liter race bikes for sport touring bikes better suited for having a passenger. The 6.6 gallon gas tank on the FJ series offers piece of mind on cross country trips with long distances between gas stations. My V-65 gives me range anxiety before I even get to the next state. Another favorite Yamaha was my 1989 5-speed Taurus SHO which I sold because I was sick of replacing the motor mounts ... looking back, stupid reason.
Enjoyable but where are the Liquid cooled RD&RZ twin 2strokes & the DT ( that practically started the Trail bike class). Also no mention of the TX 500&750 , XZ550 ( not so super successful in my opinion) Nor the prototype GL750 (sadly not produced).... next time.