Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

#Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is proud to unveil the Yamaha Marine European Engineering Centre (YMEEC), our cutting-edge facility that sets a new benchmark in the industry. As the only brand offering both an engineering standard testing protocol and personalised testing for boat builders (Original Equipment Manufacturer - OEM) in Europe, Yamaha is at the forefront of innovation. Located near Rotterdam, Netherlands, the YMEEC offers boat builders unparalleled atmospheric and aquatic testing conditions throughout the year. By centralizing all Yamaha’s resources in one location, the centre boosts efficiency and minimises the need for excessive transportation of boats and equipment. This approach not only streamlines operations but also helps boat builders reduce their carbon footprint. Reflecting on this milestone, Fabrice Lacoume, Marine Director of YME, shares: “It is with great sense of commitment and joy that we open this one-of-its-kind engineering centre to support collaboration with boat builders, through boat testing and homologation. We believe this centre will truly make a difference to boat builders, at the same time contributing to our global marine sustainability goals” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dgf8J2ex #YamahaMotorEurope #RevsYourHeart #YMEEC #YamahaMarine #outboardengine #outboards #marineengineeringtestcentre

For our next newsletter, we look at some of the changes afoot with materials used for our marine products. Unlike vehicles used on land, Yamaha sport boats and WaveRunners have very different engineering and design requirements to ensure reliability and durability while in the water, so moving to more sustainable or recycled materials is not a simple matter of swapping them in and calling it a day.    The engineering duo of Tomoki Ito and Kenjiro Fujii are conducting R&D into fiber-reinforced plastic using flax fiber as a raw material, and they have made significant enough progress in their work to exhibit a SuperJet using their results at the Japan International Boat Show 2024.    “We believe we can expand the possibilities for the material across Yamaha’s many different business fields,” says Ito. Read on to learn more.

=== Days Gone By===   Days Spent with Cars – 8. Aiming for the Tokyo Motor Show  <continued>    For the frame, we would use an X-shaped steel backbone frame made of thin-walled, large-cross-section tubing. The body was a semi-monocoque construction, complete with pop-up headlights. The steering wheel was to be handmade with several thin layers of high-quality wood and the shifter knob would also be wooden. The instrument panel was made of the same quality wood for pianos and given a painted finish in the same way. We chose cone-shaped, non-reflective plastic glass for all of the dials and gauges.     For the hood and trunk lid, we used molded FRP pieces while the other body panels were to be made of hand-formed steel sheet. The Keihin area of Tokyo and Yokohama was the Mecca of sheet metalworking at the time, so we hired the very best craftsmen from there for an exorbitant amount of money to do the work for us.    For the exterior design, Nozaki-san drew up a ½-scale dimensional outline sketch based on a stockpile of grand tourer concepts he’d come up with while studying at the Art Center College of Design in the U.S. He then he photographed the sketch and enlarged it to full-scale. From there, the sketch was transformed into a wooden body buck and used to check the styling and contours for the metal body panels as they were being built.    This was the markedly simple design method we had for the project, employing neither lettering nor even a clay model in the process and only using a few memo-like sketches and outline drawings. For the detail engineering work as well, we prepared everything with memos and sketches. The end result was the unprecedented speed with which everything moved forward.    Photo: The Toyota 2000GT’s interior took advantage of wood’s quality look and feel, employing the mahogany and painting techniques used for Yamaha pianos. The steering wheel and gearshift knob were also made of wood.    <ends>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #cars #automotive #manufacturing #engineering #history 

===What the Japanese Bayberry Trees Have Seen===   24. Building the Factory    On October 22nd, 1954, we booked use of a runway at a Hamamatsu airfield to run the Ministry of Transport’s certification tests for the YA-1. The results showed that the new machine had excellent acceleration and braking, and set a top speed of 76 km/h. The bike set some very high performance numbers for the time. In fact, the test went so well that everything was done after only two hours, something also very rare back then. From such events, you can get an idea of what the general level of motorcycle performance was in those days.    Praise of the bike’s performance gradually spread, giving the sales teams and dealers more confidence in the new machine. Naturally, the expectations and pressure only went up for those in manufacturing.    As a result, the Komatsu Factory that had been nothing more than a warehouse for storing machinery had to be quickly transformed into a factory for production, so I ended up spending almost all my time from autumn onwards there.    I’ve been calling it the “Komatsu Factory” because that’s what we called it since it was near Enshu-Komatsu Station, but that isn’t the official name since it was actually located in the Nakajo area of Hamakita Town. Accordingly, once the factory was up and running it would come to be called the “Nippon Gakki Hamana Factory.”    Photo: See and hear the YA-1 fire up and head down the straight at the Fukuroi Test Course >> https://lnkd.in/gGYUxkq2   <continues>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #motorcycles #racing #manufacturing #engineering #history #design   

Early this month, Yamaha Motor brought a close to its 5-day real-world test of a Green Slow Mobility (GSM)—small mobility services using electric low-speed vehicles—route between Mikuriya Station (the closest train station to our Iwata headquarters) and a temporary stop for passengers set up among the headquarters’ factory buildings.    Calling on its long track record of success and technological expertise with its golf cars, Yamaha Motor has long been involved in the Japanese government’s GSM program, mainly by selling over 100 Yamaha golf cars modified in various capacities for different uses on public roads in some 60 locations around the country. The GSM initiative is aimed at solving various transportation problems in local areas with services using electric vehicles traveling at low speeds (under 20 km/h), and this test deployment in Iwata saw up to five 7-seater Yamaha AR-07 golf cars providing shuttle services for Yamaha Motor employees at peak commuting times.    “It was really comfortable,” said one Yamaha employee who used the service. “Lately, it’s really hot even in the morning, so getting a ride from the station and not sweating so much was really great. The driver also struck up conversations and that was another nice part of the service.” The results of the test will go toward exploring new ways to use GSM services, whether it’s for helping our employees have an easier commute or how to more effectively aid local traffic infrastructure.    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #electric #GSM #community #commuting #sustainable #golfcars #automotive #environment #employees #engineering 

Next in our series of interviews with the Communication Plaza’s restoration team is Yukihiro Hosoya. Born and raised in Iwata, he had his heart set on working for a motorcycle manufacturer in high school and loved road racing, which led him to a 20-year career as a racing mechanic. He is in charge of maintaining the ever-growing number of vintage motorcycles in the Plaza’s collection.    “To tell the truth, before I came here, I used to sometimes wonder why the company was going so far and spending all this time and money on these old bikes. But even though I’m part of that effort now, I don’t think I should forget how I felt back then. We go that far because we’re not just restoring bikes only to put them on display; we do what we do so that these machines delight our customers and employees, make them nod in affirmation or nostalgia, or even surprise them.”    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #classic #motorcycles #restoration #museum #preservation #design #industrialdesign #history #manufacturing #engineering #technology #craftsmanship 

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. will be closed from August 10 to August 18 for summer break. We’ll be back afterwards refreshed and ready to deliver more news and content from Iwata!       #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #vacation #recharge 

The next model feature from the Communication Plaza’s previous Historical Models Demonstration Run is the XZ400, which represented a radical departure from the typical 2-strokes of the era with its 4-stroke 400cc 70° V-twin. It boasted numerous firsts, such as being the first Japanese-market model with forged aluminum handlebars and it was also the first Yamaha 4-stroke 400cc bike to feature a Monocross suspension.    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #classic #historical #cars #supercar #motorcycles #racing #history #manufacturing #engineering #design 

Today, Yamaha Motor announced its consolidated business results for the first half of FY2024.      Revenue – 1,348.4 billion yen (an increase of 122.0 billion yen or 10.0%)  Operating income - 154.4 billion yen (an increase of 12.9 billion yen or 9.1%)  Interim net income attributable to owners of parent - 113.1 billion yen (an increase of 9.8 billion yen or 9.5%)      =================================   From Yoshihiro Hidaka  President, Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director    In the first half of fiscal 2024, we were able to set new records for revenue and incomes for the second year running. In our core business of motorcycles, increased sales of premium models in emerging markets and other factors led to us posting higher revenues and profits. In terms of the external business environment, high prices and interest rates are affecting demand levels, and as anticipations of interest rate cuts rise in the United States, sharp fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and other developments have made things uncertain. Also, while things vary by business segment, we expect the fierce competitive environment to continue due to product supply improvements by us as well as our competitors, declining levels of demand, and other effects. Ocean freight rates are trending upward while raw material costs are generally in line with forecasts, excluding the effects of foreign exchange rates. As for our businesses, we expect the motorcycle business to continue performing well, but for recreational vehicles and Smart Power Vehicles, inventory adjustments to lead to prolonged production cutbacks. In the Marine Products business, the new large outboard motor models we launched this season continue to receive ample customer inquiries, but we still expect demand to decline, mainly in Europe and the United States. We will continue to work toward inventory optimization, including making production adjustments that take demand levels and sales conditions into account. As for the Robotics business, we expect to see a recovery in demand in the second half of the year. To strengthen profitability, we will be resolute in controlling expenses, improving production efficiency, and carrying out our premium segment strategy while enacting structural improvements for businesses incurring losses. =================================    For details on individual business segment performance and other details, please refer to the official news release here:   https://lnkd.in/gK4jXgM6   Please note that from this fiscal year, the Yamaha Motor group has switched from Japanese Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (J-GAAP) to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and as such, figures from fiscal 2023 have been converted to IFRS standards for comparison and analysis.      #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #FY2024 #business #performance #report #corporate #management #financials 

=== Days Gone By===   Days Spent with Cars – 8. Aiming for the Tokyo Motor Show  <continued>    From then on we had meetings with Toyota every other day. Unlike tuning the engines alone, building a complete car would normally mean putting together a large team that included all of the Toyota technical divisions involved, but going that route that would severely hamper progress.    Toyota affirmed that the project was a special case and made the somewhat unconventional decision to—in principle—not use its corporate management structure in the project to solve this problem.    So, Kawano-san (head of the project), Shinichi Yamazaki (in charge of the chassis and suspension), Satoru Nozaki (design & body) and Hidemasa Takagi (interior) from Toyota’s product planning team and Yamaha’s technical division would handle the sports car project. As a result, these four men were temporarily stationed at Yamaha and every day after that, we would all work well past clock-out time.    The fundamental concept for the project was to create a true, world-class sports car the likes of which had never been built before in Japan, so we tried to include any and all new technologies we could at the time. To power the car, we would build a new DOHC engine using the block of Toyota’s M family of 2,000cc straight-six engines, and use three two-barrel Weber40 carburetors. For the suspension, we chose 4-wheel independent suspension with disc brakes all around and magnesium wheels.    Photo: By altering the Toyota Crown’s engine to use a DOHC format, the Toyota 2000GT’s engine made much more power.    <continues>    #Yamaha #RevsyourHeart #cars #automotive #manufacturing #engineering #history