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"I'd rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle."
Yamaha Motorcycles
The development of Yamaha motorcycles is one that took place quite by accident. In 1953 the company was already developing a variety of other products. They were looking for a use for idle pieces of equipment that had once been used to make propellers for airplanes. The ideas for this equipment included sewing machines, auto parts, scooters, all terrain vehicles, and motorcycles. The decision was made to focus on manufacturing motorcycles because of the market demand for them.
The first Yamaha motorcycle was introduced in August of 1954, called the Yamaha YA-1. This bike featured a two stroke single cylinder engine. By July of 1955 Yamaha was creating 200 quality motorcycles each month with a staff of 274 people. The YD-1 was introduced in 1957 as a racing bike. The bike quickly became popular and was featured in the United States Catalina Grand Prix in 1958.
This gave Yamaha the invitation to start selling its motorcycles in the United States with a private dealer in California. To further attract sales in the United States, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA was established in 1977. In 1959 Yamaha introduced the idea of offering a converter kit to consumers. This allowed the motorcycle to be used for both street riding and motocross racing.
By 1960 Yamaha was producing 135,000 bikes per year. 1965 saw the advancement of no longer having to mix oil with gas due to the automatic oiling system. By 1973 Yamaha was selling more than 1 million motorcycles each year worldwide.
During the 1970s they began working on developing four stroke models to compete with other manufacturers. The results were faster motorcycles that met emissions regulations and were even more economical than the two stroke models. However, they also realized the potential to continue selling two stroke models to consumers as well. Many other manufacturers focused only on four strokes, so Yamaha was able to meet the needs of that target market.
1974 brought the introduction of the YZ250. This model quickly became the largest selling motocross bike because it featured a single horizontal rear suspension system. Yamaha built a racing track right next to the plant, allowing them to continually observe the quality and capabilities of their products.
Yamaha created one of the fastest racing bike models in 1985 with the introduction of the V-Max. This was classified as a muscle bike, with power that was not for the beginning rider. They continue to produce some of the fastest bikes on the market both for street riding and for racing.
Yamaha has never been satisfied to simply stop when they had a good thing going. They always had a vision of achieving more and to strive to further customer satisfaction. The visions and philosophies of the company have proven to be effective in every aspect of motorcycle production. The fact that they offer so many different models means the consumer has the opportunity to find the exact motorcycle they are looking for from a brand name they know they can trust to offer them a quality product.
While some of their models of motorcycles havent sold well, many of them have. Yamaha has always focused on the future of motorcycles while keeping in mind what consumers are wanting. They have been able to diversify their developments, and it has paid off by allowing them to reach a large portion of the motorcycle market without compromising their vision.
Today, Yamaha is the second largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world behind Harley-Davidson. They continue to make fast, reliable motorcycles that customers around the world are proud to own. They also manufacture motorcycles that have won more races than any other brand on the market. Their diversity and dedication to making quality motorcycles that meet the needs of the consumer have kept them a top seller in this growing industry. Yamaha dealerships can be found around the world, offering a full range of motorcycle models to suit your tastes.
Reputed Motorcycle Dealers in the USA
By Dave Southern
 Motorcycle dealers are always on top of the market because of their products affordability.
The reputed motorcycle dealers in the United States are discussed below regarding their origin and why they are on top.
1. Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, popularly known as a Harley, is an American manufacturer that is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They sell heavy weight bikes of over 750 cc because they are designed for cruising on the highway.
The companys logo licensing will account for the companys 5% net revenue that was actually estimated to be about million just for last 2004 alone. William S. Harley first drew up the plans in 1901, at the age of 21 years. Thus, this engine was specifically designed for usage within a regular type of pedal- bicycle frame.
Moreover, over the succeeding two years, Harley together with Arthur Davidson, his childhood buddy, went to work on this motor-bicycle only with the use of a machine shop situated at the house of their friend.
It was then finished in the year 1903. This was with the assistance of Walter Davidson, Arthurs brother. When they completed their so-called power cycle without the help of pedals, they quickly rode off their first motor experiment. Yet, the original Harley-Davidson type of motorcycle possessed a larger engine, which was estimated to about 24.74 cu. inches with a 9 -inch flywheels and weighs 28 pounds.
In 1906, the company built their first factory on Chestnut Street, where in, 50 motorcycles were produced. In 1907, Harley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. By the year 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Dealers in 67 countries sold their bikes and it can produce about 28,189 machines.
Furthermore, an association was established in 1983. This is in response to the growing breed of motor riders that believes in an organized way of sharing their passion and showing their pride. In 1991, H.O.G. went international with the first official European H.O.G. Today, more than 1400 chapters worldwide make H.O.G. In fact, it is considered as the biggest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world and it even comes hand in hand with being the number one manufacturer in the world.
2. Ducati
Ducatis headquarters is situated in Bologna, Italy. They gained their name in motorcycle racing and in the motorcycle industry as well. In the 1960s, Ducatis history started by having the then fastest ever regarded 250cc road bike available, the acclaimed Mach 1.
Hence, in the 1970s they started producing their huge displacement L-twin motorcycles. Then, in 1973, it released the desmodromic trademarked valve design.
Hence, Ducati is well known for their high performance bikes that are characterized by a large capacity four-stroke, 90-degree L-twin engines, and having the desmodromic valve.
Desmodromic valves were closed having a dedicated, separate cam lifter and lobe. This is despite the traditional valve springs that are mostly utilized in internal combustion engines. This can let the cams possess a more radical profile, allowing it to open and close the valves more quickly, without the risk of valve-float. This is considered likely when using passive closing mechanisms. They also used multiple dry clutches in many of their modern bikes. This is also unlike the other companies that use wet clutches with the spinning parts bathed in oil.
The dry clutch can eliminate the power loss. This is from oil viscosity brought on to the engine even though it may not be as smooth as the oil bath versions. Plus, the clutch plates wear out more rapidly. Thus, the company has won twelve riders world championships since the year 1988. For the 2008 model, Ducati will race a homologue version of the 1098R. With this, the sanctioning body for the Superbike World Championship has raised the displacement limit for 2 cylinder engines to 1,200 cc.
The other top motorcycle dealers would include BMW and Honda.
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