1954 Yamaha YA-1 Red Dragonfly

1954 Yamaha YA-1 Red Dragonfly

This was Yamaha's first motorcycle; the YA-1. The first, built in August of 1954, was a 125cc two-stroke single with a four-speed that quickly became renowned as being a fast and agile bike.

The YA-1 had a simple form, copied from the popular German workhorse, the DKW-125. Other manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson and BSA had copied the bike practically part-for-part by 1948. The differences in the Yamaha were it's suspension designs of both the saddle and the frame, the light weight parts manufactured from their understanding of piano and organ metals, and the desire to live up to their President's creed; "If you are going to make it, make it the very best there is." With that in mind, the company ran their first motorbike in a rigorous 10,000 kilometer/6200 mile endurance test to insure the ruggedness of the series.

 

In those days most motorbikes were painted black and the chestnut red coloring of the YA-1 became known by the nickname "Aka-tombo" (the Red Dragonfly). The little beast demonstrated its performance abilities by winning the Mt. Fuji Ascent Race in July, 1955. It then swept the top trophies in the ultra-light class of the 1st Asama Highlands Race of the All Japan Endurance Championships.