The story of Yamaha: the watchmaker that branched out into organs, motorbikes, and practically everything else
- Watchmaker Torakusu Yamaha founded Nippon Gaki in 1887, first making reed organs, then other musical instruments
- After World War II it resumed business, making motorbikes, boats, appliances, the first commercially successful digital synthesiser and CD recorder, and more
The first motorcycle that Frenchman Patrick Coste bought was a Yamaha XJ600 Diversion, because it was relatively cheap and easy to drive. He immediately became hooked on Yamaha and has owned five of their motorbikes.
Each has its own characteristics and story, he says, but his fondest memories are from a four-week solo journey he made in the autumn of 2012 astride a 1200 Super Ténéré. Starting out from his home in the village of Renaison, just outside the city of Lyons in central France, he drove south to Spain and then took a ferry across the Mediterranean to Morocco.
“It was like I was living a dream,” he says. “The landscapes, the local people, the song of the muezzin at dawn and dusk. Everywhere I went, the people were welcoming and friendly. I met other bikers like me, travelling the world, and the human connections that I made on that journey enriched my life.
“I think riding a motorbike gives you freedom that you might not otherwise experience; it connects you with people better than a car,” he says. “And that Super Ténéré was the perfect bike for the journey. It never gave me a moment’s concern, and when you’re a long way from home, knowing that your bike is reliable is a big plus.”
The High Atlas mountains are a long way from the rural part of Japan where the company behind the Yamaha brand was first conceived by Torakusu Yamaha.
