Double Take - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Yamaha News,ENG,No.5,2003,9月,9月,Double Take,Motorcycle,Fazer,Up Front,Yamaha's new middleweight sports contenders have the right moves and good looks too,The secret behind the sculpted look of the new Fazer and FZ6,Yasunori Kobayashi,FZ6-S,A building seen from afar, then up close,Jun Tamura,FZ6-N,A hint from the engine assembly line,Yutaka Kubo,FZ6,The fascination of what lies within,Innovation in the electronics,New development project challenges Project Leader Yutaka Kubo,International Focus - Serial 39,Building a Better Market Environment,Corporate,Yamaha Motor Deutschland GmbH,Toru Iribe,Germany,Neuss,Going to the customer with promotions and financing,Karlheinz Vetter,Racing, a vital area for promotional activities,Focusing on our dealer network and industry-building,Other Yamaha products with bright futures,This Is My Country,Geography, Climate and Resources,Government and Economy,The Cuisine of Germany,Racing Express,Everts and the Yamaha YZ450FM Grab World Title!,Racing,MXGP,Yamaha L&M Motocross Team,Stefan Everts,YZ450FM,World Topics,Yamaha joint sponsor for Sri Lanka touring event,LIBERO,Sri Lanka,Dealer rally promotes higher sales and superior service,Chongquing Jianshe-Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. ,YBR125,China,YMA celebrates 20 years of growth,Yamaha Motor Australia Pty., Ltd.,Masayoshi Toyama,Australia,YMC's Chairman Hasegawa Visits Hostettler,Hostettler Company,Fritz Hostettler,Switzerland,IXS Motorcycle Fashion,Takehiko Hasegawa,Intercycle,Hostettler Autotechnik AG,Fans throw 25th birthday party for the Yamaha SR,International SR-Fan Meeting,SR500,Kickers,Motor show near sellout for Yamaha outboards,Outboard Motor,Datsun Suriname N.V.,Michael Jong,Suriname,Holding YRS and looking toward SKD production,Yamaha Showroom,Ulisses President Amoes Valentim,Republic of Angola,Champion named in Canadian Technician Grand Prix,Canadian TechnicianGrand Prix,Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd.,Richard Welch,Canada,Kamloops Yamaha,Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council,Yamaha distributorship united under Kesko Machinery,Kesko Machinery Ltd.,Finland,Oy Arwidson Ab,Debut of the even more reliable E15D!,Nile Fishing Co., Ltd.,E15D,Uganda,Yamaha Prepares For Australian Safari,Australian FourDay Enduro,Cheryl Muldoon,Stuart Morgan,EDUARDOÑO and Yamaha celebrate 30 years of teamwork,Colombia,First Export of Yamaha Water Purifiers,Water Purifier,Yamaha Motor Nuansa Indonesia,OH300,Indonesia,Two YZF-R1 machines take it to the wire in Suzuka 8-hour,Suzuka 8-hour,Wataru Yoshikawa,YZF-R1,Japan,Shinichi Nakatomi,Norihiko Fujiwara,Tekkyu Kayo,What's New,Attention centers on first-ever methanol type fuel cell for motorcycles at the Yamaha Technology Explanation Seminar,Technology Explanation Seminar,Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.,Toru Hasegawa,Tokyo,Directions in Yamaha Motor Technology Development,Yamaha MarineCo., Ltd.,Takashi Kajikawa,Tsuneji Togami,Kunihiko Nakajima,Norimichi Harada,Zoom In,Wild new beauty unveiled, 2004 European model YZF-R1,YZF-R1

YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD.SEPTEMBER 1, 2003 ENGLISH

No.5BIMONTHLY

When Yamaha set about to rebuild its popular mid-class 600cc all-rounder, the “Fazer,” theaim was more than just making a good thing even better. We talked to the development projectleaders to find out the story behind the boosted performance and sculpted good looks of thisnew pair that are sure to be turning a lot of heads when they hit the streets this year.

Double TakeDouble Take

UP FRONT

tral concentration of mass around whichthe various components would be posi-tioned. Working from that central mass, theydivided the various components intogroups of different strengths and thenfocused on connecting those groups togeth-er into the design. They called this concept“group and connect.” For example, theycreated relationships between parts like thefuel tank and engine to connect the two.They explored things like the fun of a tankthat looked as if it had just been placednonchalantly atop the frame, or the sense ofstrength that comes from the way the framefirmly embraces the engine.

historic streets of Europe’s capitals. “Onsupersports models with their large cowl-ing surfaces it is hard to create a strongsense of volume, but with “naked” modelsthere is much more modulation of surfacesthat give you more opportunities to empha-size three-dimensional volume. I wanted touse this potential to create impressivesculpted form, full of contrasts andcrescendos,” he said. The project team threw out conventionalconcepts like giving each component itsown character or assigning priorities ofdominance and recession in the overalldesign. Instead, they say that they workedtoward the idea of a machine with one cen-

The press launch of Yamaha’s new 600cc mid-class sports bikes, the FZ6-S “Fazer” and FZ6-N “FZ6” took place inEurope in August. With a 599cc engine that is a direct descendent of the YZF-R6 power unit, mounted on an aluminumframe cast with Yamaha’s exclusive CF die-casting technology, these new models have an exciting look with a seductiveexpression that is pure Yamaha. Yamaha News spoke to the Fazer/FZ6 development team to find out about the con-cepts that gave birth to these impressive new middleweight contenders.

A building seen from afar, thenup closeThe first time Jun Tamura encountered thegreat Cathedral of Milan, the world’slargest remaining work of Gothic architec-ture, it was an enlightening experience.“When I first saw it from a distance I wasimpressed by the sense of volume. Then asI approached the appearance began tochange. Finally, when I got up close, I wasdrawn in to the details of the stone carving.Never had I experienced such variety inexpression depending on the distance andangles of light,” he recalls. A few months later, Tamura was beginningdesign work with several European-baseddesigners on the successor to the Fazer.Remembering his moving encounter withthat great dome of the Cathedral of Milan,he had made up his mind that this shouldbe a bike with a personality worthy of the

2 YAMAHA NEWS SEPTEMBER 1, 2003

Yamaha’s new middleweight right moves and good looks

YAMAHA NEWS SEPTEMBER 1, 2003 3

the ideal layout wasto have just twomounting points, oneon either side, and

that is how we started our tests. But, to getthe kind of Yamaha handling that we want-ed, we made a very strong request for twomounting points on the left side instead ofone in order to stabilize this side, which hasthe chain line. And, eventually, that is whatwe got,” says Makoto Jomoto, who headedriding-test team. This was a typical casewhere no compromise was allowed in thevital areas of running performance andhandling.

The fascination of what lies withinThe day Yasunori Kobayashi learned thathe would be in charge of the chassis designof the new FZ6-S “Fazer” and FZ6-N“FZ6,” he knew that he had a debt to repay.In 1997, when he was responsible fordesigning the cowling assembly for whatwould be the original Fazer to be intro-duced in Europe, Kobayashi had been thevictim of circumstance. “A cowl designthat I had been working on for the Japanesemarket that was intended to be reminiscentof the racers of the 80s with very smallheadlights was suddenly adopted as theEuropean model,” he recalls. Despite his objections, the bike went intoproduction. And although that first Fazerbecame a top seller thanks to its sporty per-formance, there were more than a fewcomplaints about the shape of that frontcowling. “That had always been a thorn inmy side. So, when I was told that I wouldbe in charge of the new models’ design, Iknew this was my chance to makeamends,” said Kobayashi. This desire on Kobayashi’s part combined

ing large, complex frame parts in one cast-ing involved certain risks,” he adds. Thosefears were ended, however, when one ofthe development staff proposed a two-partframe that would be bolted together downthe middle. “When I first heard the suggestion, Ithought it was a pretty bold one. But whenyou think about it, the crankcase is usuallymade the same way, of two die-cast halvesbolted together, either top and bottom orright and left,” continues Kobayashi. If thismethod could be used for vital power unitparts like the crankcase, why not for theframe? This realization gave birth to thenew CF die-cast frame. In the developmentprocess that followed, the Yamaha engi-neers would create and test close to a dozenprototype frames. Meanwhile, the engine development pro-ceeded with the YZF-R6 power unit as itsbase. “In terms of the engine character, wehad no real worries from the beginning. Inall our tests we got great performanceresults with this high-revving, high outputengine. The only real adjustments we hadto make were in how to mount it on theframe. From an exterior design standpoint,

Image sketches from thedevelopment process

sports contenders have thetoo

Meanwhile, the naked version FZ6-N“FZ6” has been given an exterior designthat accentuates the impressive new CFdie-cast frame even more. Also, the spe-cially designed headlight on this modelgives an impression of compact concentra-tion with the flashers and other surroundingparts, all with a strong metallic accent. Theoverall design of this assembly gives thefeeling of sharpness in terms of the airflowlines. Since the design development for theFZ6-N “FZ6” and FZ6-S “Fazer” wereconducted simultaneously, there is a greatsense of design harmony in both models.

A hint from the engine assemblylineWhat gives the new aluminum frame itsspecial character is the Yamaha-exclusiveCF (Controlled Filling) die casting technol-ogy that enables the casting of large, com-plex parts in one finished piece. This revo-lutionary technology has already been usedfor the rear arm of the new YZF-R6, butthis is the first time it has been used for amain frame. “We had the option of a steel frame in thebeginning, but since we were designing theframe in Japan, we wanted to use the latesttechnology we had available to us here,”says Yasunori Kobayashi, the Project Chieffor the models’ chassis design. “However,some of us worried about the fact that mak-

The secret behind the sculpted look of the new Fazer and FZ6

Jun Tamura (GK Dynamics)was in charge of exterior design

UP FRONT

with Tamura’s focus on form would even-tually shape the unique front assembly ofthe FZ6-S Fazer. “By making effective useof transparent parts we were able to bringin the added enjoyment of looking throughtransparent surfaces to what lies within,”comments Tamura. From the inside of thefront cowl the viewer follows the bullet-shaped form from the headlight backtoward the rider, with the transparent wind-screen continuing above. “You can enjoy aspace here similar to a car’s dashboard.And you will find that the appearance of itchanges when its sunny or cloudy, andbetween day and night,” he adds.

Development of a center mufflerAnother unique appeal is found in theFazer’s innovative muffler design thatdraws straight back from the enginebeneath the seat toward the rear of themachine. Whereas a rear-exhaust designhas been achieved before on 2-strokemachines, for Yamaha a rear-exhaustdesign on a 4-stroke machine was a com-pletely new challenge. For Engine DesignProject Chief, Keiichi Harada, it was anongoing process of trial and error. “One of the features we really wanted touse was a 4-into-2-into-1 up-slanted muf-fler. But, when you fit it with a catalyzer,

the exhaust temperature rises to about 800degrees C. The problem we spent much ofour development efforts on was where todissipate some of that heat. Since it isimpossible to eliminate all the heat, we allworked together on defining the right airflow around the muffler. And, because theexhaust temperature and the air flow arealways changing in normal riding condi-tions, computer simulations are not enough


to give you sufficient answers. We had torun a lot of actual road tests in order to getthe right specs down,” he explains. New materials were also brought into thedesign. The plated plastic-resin silencercover is a prime example. This plated plas-tic involves covering the plastic with alayer of copper-nickel based alloy and thengiving it a chrome plating. This gives it thelook and feel of metal with a very high heat

The respective Project Chiefs (from left), chief of chassis design Yasunori Kobayashi, Hisayuki Nozawa of engine testing,Keiichi Harada of engine design, Atsushi Kamo of electronics engineering, and Makoto Jomoto of running tests


picture of the contemporary developmentprocess where priorities are set in line withreal user needs. And, we also see that thesculpted beauty of the well-modulateddesign of the new FZ6-S “Fazer” and FZ6-N “FZ6” is actually based on much deeperelements. It will not be long before thesenew models will be seen on the streets ofMilan that helped inspire them.

tolerance. “At first we tried a painted(metal) cover, but when we switched to theplastic plated material with its superior heatresistance we knew we had the answer. It ismore expensive, but it provided what wewanted both from functional and designstandpoints,” said Harada. The new muffler was also part of noise-reduction efforts. “With the muffler posi-tioned under the seat and the battery movedforward to get the front wheel weight dis-tribution we wanted, the design freedomregarding the air cleaner was limited con-siderably. From our prototype tests weknew we were getting plenty of power out-put, but we were also getting noise levelsthat were about two decibels above our tar-get, which meant about one and a halftimes above target in terms of energyequivalent. Solving this problem wouldthus be critical. This was our first experi-ence of a case where noise reduction mea-sures became tied in with heat reduction. Inthe end, we were able to get a good soundthat cleared the noise regulations easily byadjusting the secondary reduction ratio inthe transmission to one that suited the newmodels especially well,” explains HisayukiNozawa, a member of the engine testingteam.

Innovation in the electronics Another innovative feature of the newFZ6-S “Fazer” and FZ6-N “FZ6” is thesimplification of the sensing functions ofthe fuel injection system. Compared to theseven sensors in the YZF-R6 system, themodels’ system eliminates two sensors fora total of five. A group injection method inwhich the amount of fuel needed for eachcylinder is divided into two injections of 50percent each was adopted to reduce thenumber of parts needed and allow a morecompact design. “While we reduced thenumber of sensors for the intake system toa minimum, we also adopted the latest typeof ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that isabout half the size of the YZF-R6’s but stillfeatures a 32-bit CPU. As a result, we wereable to get a control map that provides verylinear power development across the entirespeed range,” says Electronics ProjectChief, Atsushi Kamo. The contemporary style meter panel isanother feature of the new models thatowners should enjoy. “The previous needle

type meters have been replaced by a fullydigital unit. This was one more new designeffort for us. It is a two-color EL panel thatmakes it easy to distinguish between thecentral digital portion and the side portionsat night,” Kamo explains. In this way,within the priorities of the developmentplan, the electronics also contributed toincreased quality and performance overall. From these project staff comments we get a

The existing Fazer has been a model without rivals, but when we satdown to propose a new Fazer remake, we began with extensivedebate about what the truly essential elements of an all-roundershould be. The essentials that we finally came up with were amachine with even better running performance and styling so excit-

ing that one look was enough to make you want to jump on and take it for a ride. And thethird element was to supply this kind of appeal at a reasonable price. To realize these aims we introduced new technologies and materials, but at the sametime we worked to keep the mechanics and structure as simple as possible while addingmodulation to the styling. In this sense, the FZ6-S “Fazer” and FZ6-N “FZ6” design pro-ject represented a new challenge for us. One example of the new things we tried was the use of parts made by Yamaha’sadvanced CF aluminum die-casting technology. Conventional metal casting will give youviable frame parts, but the new CF method gives you better looking surfaces and, as wefound through our design challenge, the capability to eliminate welds from the frameassembly. In the end we were able to create a frame that exceeds the expectations of thecustomers both in looks and in performance.In the early stages of the project we were considering just making improvements on theexisting Fazer engine, but we eventually chose to take the latest lightweight engine of theYZF-R6 as our base power unit. We completely changed the intake and exhaust systemsto get an engine character that truly fit the role of an all-rounder, with plenty of easy-to-use power for both around-town riding and out on the secondary roads. And, since wehave achieved this improved performance while also maintaining a very affordable price,I hope everyone will get a chance as soon as possible to take our new models out andexperience their exciting ride for themselves.

New development project challengesProject Leader Yutaka Kubo

The “naked” version was designedat the same time

For more than thir-ty years YAMAHAMotor Germany(YMG) has proud-ly been answeringthe needs of Ger-man customers forquality Yamahamotorcycles and other products thatbring excitement and satisfaction totheir lives. Today 70 percent ofYMG’s annual turnover comes fromsales of its core product line, motorcy-cles, and associated products. Ger-many is the strongest market inEurope for Yamaha’s full-sizedmotorcycles, but its market for scoot-ers is rather limited compared tosouthern European countries such asItaly, France and Spain.The total German market demand in2002 was 204,000 units of motorcyclesand scooters plus 78,000 units of 50ccmodels. In this market Yamaha prod-ucts are up against tough competitionfrom the leading Japanese and Euro-pean manufacturers. Yamaha’smarket share is approximately 17percent, which is about the same asits major competitors like BMW,Honda and Suzuki. At YMG wecurrently sell about 50,000 motor-cycles a year, led by the best-sellingmid-class all-rounder motorcycleFazer 600.


a racetrack free of charge. In total wehave had six events on famous race-tracks like Hockenheim, Sachsenring,Oschersleben, Eurospeedway

Lausitzring (twice) andSalzburgring. In all, almost 400customers have used this offerand it was a great experiencefor all of them to use theirbikes on a real racetrack.Another important remake thatwill appear this year is the FZ6“Fazer,” which has long been abest-selling model in the mid-class all-rounder category.During September 2003 YMGorganized a big dealer event onthe island of Mallorca, Spain.In all, five groups of dealers

came to see, feel and ride the new FZ6,which is now offered in cowl and“naked” versions. The purpose of themeeting was to motivate the dealers andto make sure that the Fazer will keep thenumber one position in the registrationstatistics in Ger-many. Meanwhile, to helpmove stock of theFJR1300, cus-tomers purchasinga 2002 model weregiven side casesfree of charge, plusa subscription forthe German motorcycle magazineMotorrad and a CD-ROM with a touringplanner. On top of that, we offeredadded-value accessory packages for avariety of models and free accessorieslike top-cases for scooters like the Neo’s

Going to the customer withpromotions and financingIn a mature and competitive market likeGermany, no marketer can simply waitfor the customers tocome to them. Evenwith quality productslike our Yamaha motor-cycles, we have to go tothe customers withaggressive promotionsand financing. Subsi-dized financing is a veryimportant marketingtool in Germany. That iswhy YMG has launcheda customer financingprogram with theremarkable interest rateof 0.09 percent. And in order to makesure that the word reaches the customerabout this program, YMG has spent alarge amount of money advetising it. Atthe same time, the program is also pre-sented on the YMG website, in a formdesigned so that the customers canmake their individual calculations withdifferent loan lengths and down pay-ment scenarios.In addition to activities like participat-ing in the major motor shows, model-specific promotions are also a centralpart of the YMG approach to marketing.In the highly important supersportmodel category, YMG has offeredsomething very special for customersconsidering buying the brand new YZF-R6, which has been reintroduced after afull remake. Since earlier this year,everybody who purchased a new 2003R6 was offered a sports riding course on

Building a Better Market Environment

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS SERIAL 39

Yamaha Motor Deutsch-land GmbH (YMG)

Our reporter: Karlheinz Vet-ter, Manager Advertisingand PR, YMG

Location: Neuss, GermanyPresident: Toru IribeEmployees: 110

This poster publicizes YMG’s aggressivecustomer financing program that offers0.09% interest loans for purchases ofYamaha motorcycles and other products

For the new YZF-R6, YMG has offered all purchasers a sports riding course on a race track free of charge

YMG invited five groups ofGerman Yamaha dealers to atest ride event for the new YZF-R6 on the Mediterraneanisland of Mallorca, Spain


and free side bags for purchasers of theTDM900 on-off model and severalcruiser models.

Racing, a vital area for pro-motional activitiesAlso, motorcycle racing is a very impor-tant activity for promoting Yamaha’sbrand image and sales in Germany andEurope. Today’s motorcycle riders wantto identify themselves with the image ofa championship brand. The supersportcategory alone represents about 20 per-cent of the total motorcycle market inGermany. Today, the company’s mainactivity is racing in the world champi-onship 600cc supersport category. It is ajoint promotional effort by YamahaMotor Europe based in the Netherlandsand Yamaha Motor Germany. This is thesixth year that YMG has had a team onthe circuits. The two-rider team consist-ing of Joerg Teuchert and ChristianKellner, won the world championshipsduring their third year and is performingstrong again this year on the latestYamaha R6 fuel-injection motorcycles.The company also supports their nation-al racing team who has won the champi-onship for six consecutive years, andkey dealership teams in the Germanmotorcross circuit.In order to support the R6 we are alsorunning the YAMAHA-Shell-R6-Cup, aracing series for younger riders. YAMA-HA Cup racing has a long history inGermany. In 2003 this racing seriesenters its 26th year. This season a totalof 50 riders are competing and plans arealready under way for the 2004 seasonof this very successful racing activity inwhich many famous riders have startedtheir racing careers over the years.

Focusing on ourdealer network andindustry-buildingSelling more motorcycles isthe number one goal forYMG’s President ToruIribe. “We currently havemore than 400 Yamahadealers in Germany and ourpriority for this fiscal year isto reorganize and consoli-date our dealer network.

Some dealers sell more than 500 units ayear and oth-ers sell about50 units. Wewant tomake surethat eachdealershipreceives theproper sup-port and maintains a minimum quota. I feelthis will lead to increased sales, otherwisefurther consolidation will be necessary,”explains Mr. Iribe. One of the ways YMG

helps get customers to visittheir local Yamaha dealer-ships is its annual “YAMA-HA Live” event, held thisyear on March 15. On thisday, all new models wereofficially presented to thecustomers. YAMAHA Livehas a long tradition in Ger-many and a total of 300 ofthe 460 dealers nationwideparticipated. This event is

always supported by a big advertising cam-paign in print and radio.The total motorcycle market in Germanyhas declined since 1997. Today the averageage of motorcycle consumers is 39, whichis quite old. Consumers in the youngergenerations are not increasing, which isnaturally a great concern for the Germanmotorcycle industry and YMG, becausethe industry relies onnew riders coming ineach year. In order topromote the industry, theGerman MotorcycleAssociation (IVM) initi-ated a campaign three

years ago to enhance the motorcycleimage, activities and the number of motor-cycle events in Germany. Yamaha andother companies in the motorcycle industryhave created an investment pool partner-ship dedicated to supporting this associa-tion and the future of the industry. Oneexample of many IVM activities is theride-to-work-day, which was organized forJuly 16 this year. Motorcycle riders wereasked to commute on their bikes instead oftheir cars or public transportation and totake pictures of parking facilities at theircompanies. The purpose of this was to putmotorcycles and scooters in the focus ofthe public audience and to show the advan-tages of 2-wheelers in daily use.

Other Yamaha products withbright futuresNot all of Yamaha’s success in Germanycomes from motorcycles. Yamaha has astrong presence in Germany with itsmarine products as well. The marketshare for WaveRunners is 46 percentand for outboard engines it exceeds 30percent. A big part of this success is dueto Yamaha’s environment-friendly 4-stroke outboard lineup that expandsevery year and is well received in Ger-many for its excellent performance andreliability.YMG has also started an ATV depart-ment as of last year, and we havealready seen an immense increase insales of our ATVs. With a volume ofnearly 1,500 units (last 12 monthswholesales) and a market share of morethan 33 percent (in 2002) YamahaATVs had number one share in thisrapidly growing market. The main mod-els are the YFM660R, Warrior 350 andGrizzly 660. Also, expectations are highfor the arrival of the brand-new 4-strokemodel YFZ450.

Customers purchasing a 2002 model FJR1300 got the side cases free of charge, plus a subscrip-tion for the motorcycle magazine Motorrad and a CD-ROM with a touring planner

On March 15 the“YAMAHA Live”event was held at300 dealer shopsacross the country toofficially introduce allnew models to thecustomers

The 2003 season kick-off was the Intermot show in Munich inSeptember 2002, where YMG mounted a large 1,820 square-meter booth presenting the 2003 model-line-upThe Intermot show was followed by four more

regional shows in big cities like Hamburg, Berlin,Leipzig and Dortmund in the spring of 2003

YMG’s President Toru Iribe

regions and fruits like grapes and apples in thesouthwestern region of the country.

Government and EconomyThe falling of the Berlin Wall on October 3, 1990,was one of the most dramatic historical events inpostwar Europe, signaling the end of the cold warand the reunification of this long divided country.It is celebrated annually now in Germany as anational holiday called Unity Day. The Germany of today is a republic consisting of16 states. Its central geographical and economicposition in Europe enabled Germany to becomeone of the prime movers in the recent economicunification of Europe and the adoption of the com-mon euro currency. At the same time, the Germany of today also facesbold challenges related to forces like an aging pop-ulation and a chronic unemployment problem.However, there are hopes that corporate restruc-turing and growing capital markets are setting thefoundations that will allow Germany to meet thesechallenges. Meanwhile, German industry is among theworld's largest and most technologically advancedin the production of iron, steel, coal, cement,chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools,electronics, food and beverages as well as ship-building and textiles. German agriculture producespotatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit and cab-bage, along with large productions of cattle, pigsand poultry. In 2002, Germany exported an estimated US$608billion (f.o.b.) in goods including machinery, vehi-cles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, food-stuffs and textiles. The main export nations areFrance (11.1%), the U.S. (10.6%), the U.K.(8.4%), the Netherlands (6.2%), Austria (5.1%);Belgium (4.9%), Spain (4.5%) and Switzerland(4.3%) (2001 percentages). Imports for 2002amounted to an estimated US$487.3 billion ingoods like machinery, vehicles, chemicals, food-stuffs, textiles and metals. The main import part-ners were France (9.4%), the Netherlands (8.4%),the U.S. (8.3%), the U.K. (6.9%), Italy (6.5%),Belgium (5.2%), Japan (4.1%) and Austria (3.8%)(2001 percentages). The German workforce reflects the ethnic makeupof the country, which is 91.5 percent German withthe remaining 8.5 percent made up of immigrantpopulations from countries like Turkey, Serbia,Croatia, Italy, Russia, Greece, Poland and Spain.By occupation, 33.4 percent of the labor forceworks in industry, 2.8 percent in agriculture, and63.8% in service industries (1999).

Proud Cultural TraditionsSince the Middle Ages, when Germany was a col-lection of independent states, the rulers of thestates vied to make their capitals vibrant centers ofculture and learning, building magnificent church-es, libraries, theaters and concert halls. The result-ing contribution of German scholars, writers,

■ Country name: Federal Republic of Germany

■ Capital city: Berlin■ Area: 357,021 sq. km■ Population: 83,251,851

(As of July 2002 est.)■ GDP: $2.184 trillion (2002 est.)■ Currency: euro

Germany

This Is My Country

Geography, Climate and ResourcesThe Federal Republic of Germany lies in the cen-ter of northern Europe with an area of 357,021 sq.km that stretches about 800 km from the BalticSea and the North Sea in the north to the BavarianAlps in the south and 600 km from the RhineRiver in the west to the Oder and Neisse rivers inthe east. Germany shares borders with Austria,Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France,Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland andSwitzerland, and has 2,389 km of coastline. Although it lies between 47 and 55 degrees lati-tude north, Germany enjoys a relatively moderateclimate thanks to the warming influence of theGulf Current and the temperate westerlies thatwarm most of western Europe. The winters aremoderately cold, cloudy and wet, the springwarms when the foehn winds blow up from thesouth and the summers are pleasant, with a goodamount of rain falling all year round. Germany is blessed with natural resources thatinclude iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, ura-nium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel and plenty ofarable land for farming. The moderate climate andplentiful rainfall make it good for farming cropslike potatoes and wheat in the central and northern


Traffic lawsMinimum age for driver’s license 18

Motorcycle license classes: Minimum age

Minimum age for boat license 18

Cost of living

Average lunch 7.50 euro

Cup of coffee 2.50 euro

Bus fare city- net (single trip)

Gasoline (1 liter) 1.05 euro

Common image of Yamahaproducts in Germany

For motorcycles & ATVs: Sporty,unique, nice design

For marine: Reliable, strong

Products that come to mindwith the name YAMAHA

1.50 euro

Service industries

Commercial production

Construction industries

Agriculture

Average age of employed persons

Source of figures: German Embassy Washington, D.C. website

A center of higher education since the Middle Ages, Heidelberg.

Motorcycles, outboard motors, electronics, music

A Rhine vineyard

A shopping and entertainmentsection of Berlin

The national opera house in Munich

Brandenburg Gate

2000 (%)

68.8

22.0

6.8

2.4

39.5 yrsold(1999)(37% were

younger than 35years old)

1991 (%)

59.2

29.4

7.3

4.0

38.3 yrs old(42% were

younger than 35years old)

Persons Employed by Industry2001, annual average (Provisional/projected)

38.77 million, +0.2% or 67,000 persons more than in 2000,

(May 2002: 38.7 million, -0.6% or 221,000 less than a year before)

Mofa (max. 25Km/h): 15Class M (max. 50 ccm): 16

Class A1 and max. 80 ccm): 16Class A1 and max. 125 ccm): 18Class A limited (max. 25 KW): 18

Class A unlimited (over 25 KW): 25

artists and musicians to European culture is wellknown. In the field of philosophy for example, Germanyis represented by such names as Immanuel Kant,G. W. Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx, FriedrichWilhelm Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. Herfamous writers include Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe, Friedrich Schiller, Thomas Mann,Hermann Hesse and Franz Kafka, as well as con-temporary writers like Erich Kästner and MichaelEnde, whose stories are enjoyed by childreneverywhere. The music of German composerslike Bach, Händel, Beethoven, Wagner andBrahms is loved by people all over the world, asare the performances of great modern conductorslike the late Herbert von Karajan. These traditions are carried on today by a contem-porary generation of artists and musicians in allareas of the performing arts, theater and film.

The Cuisine of GermanyProbably the first things that come to mind whenwe speak of German cuisine are the great varietyof sausages, potato dishes and the pickled cab-bage known as sauerkraut. In the northern coastalregions of the country there are also many deli-cious fish dishes. As people today become morehealth-conscious, there is also an increasing inter-est in seasonal dishes using vegetables like springasparagus and the many types of mushrooms thatcan be found in the forests in late summer andearly autumn. Germany is also famous as a beer-loving countrywhere local brew masters produce delicious beersthat visitors can enjoy in traditional beer halls oroutdoor beer gardens in the summer months.Every year, Munich is host to what is surely theworld’s largest beer festival, the famousOctoberfest. German winemakers also producedelicious wines using the famous Mosel andReisling grapes of the Rhine region. And visitorsto Mainz in August can enjoy the annual winemarket. Many wine lovers are looking forward toa good crop of wine grapes this year as a result ofthe heat wave that hit Europe this summer.

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On August 31, Stefan Everts (Belgium) ofthe Yamaha L&M Motocross Teamclinched the world title in the pinnacleMXGP class of the Motocross WorldChampionships by winning the Czech GP onhis 4-stroke YZ450FM, and broughtYamaha the manufacturers title in theprocess! This year’s championships began with a newregulation establishing the MXGP class asthe top class competed by 2-stroke machinesof up to 250cc and 4-stroke machines of upto 450cc. In answer to this regulation change,Yamaha, Honda and KTM have fielded 4-

s t r o k emachines inthe MXGPclass whileSuzuki andKawasaki

have stayed with the 2-stroke format. In theresulting battle of the 4-strokes versus the 2-strokes, Suzuki’s M. Pichon set the earlypace by winning the season opener and thenext two rounds. This streak of wins hadmany people thinking that the 2-strokes stillhad the advantage. Meanwhile, Everts on hisYamaha 4-stroke YZ450FM trailed Pichonin the point ranking by a full 25 points. But, the picture changed completely afterthat. Everts suddenly announced that he wasalso entering the 125cc class competition atround four, the Italian GP, and proceeded toscore a debut win for the new Yamaha

YZ250F, commenting that hemight continue to compete in bothclasses. He also won the 250ccclass that day for an unprecedenteddouble win! After that, Everts wasback in winning form and heproved it in awesome fashion bycontinuing a winning streak in bothclasses from round six. Everts’ winning YZ450FMmachine is a modified version ofthe production model YZ450F,featuring a slightly longer rear arm,Brembo brakes and larger 50mmdiameter front fork (vs. 48mm onthe YZ450F). It seems that Everts’

mid-season return to formwas partly due to the factthat he started competing inthe 125cc class on theYZ250F. “When I started competingin the 125cc class, I toldmyself that I was just goingto enjoy riding. And I foundthat it gave me a good phys-ical warm-up and a goodgrasp of the course condi-tions. That workout let meenter the main 250cc classmore relaxed. In the begin-

ning of the season I was having some trou-ble running my own race, but from theItalian GP (Round 4) on, I found I was ableto ride more relaxed. Physically, runningboth races was not overly demanding and ithelped bring back my racing sense,” said aconfident Everts. After his win at the Czech GP, and clinchinga record seventh world title, Everts said,“This is something I have been working forever since I started GPs in 1989—to beseven times world champion, to win morethan anybody else. Even now its only start-ing to sink in, but in a few more days I guessI will finally realize that my dream has cometrue.” The win at the Czech GP was Everts’ 69thin GP motocross, which is also a record.And there is no telling how many more hewill win on his Yamaha 4-stroke machines.

Everts recorded an amazing eight wins in a row to clinch the title. Photo shows round 11, the Czech GP

At Round 11 Yamaha L&M teammateMarnicq Bervoets took 2nd for a 1-2 finish

Everts and his team celebrate winning the first title in the new MXGP class

Everts and the Yamaha YZ450FM GrabWorld Title!

Everts and the Yamaha YZ450FM GrabWorld Title!

We always welcome your contributions.

Write to Chief Editor Shigeharu Maruhashi of the PR Division,

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

2500 Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka 438-8501 Japan,

<[email protected]>


On July 16, Chongquing Jianshe-Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (JYM) spon-sored a YBR125 Tianjian sales promotion rally that gathered togetherdealers from all over China. Addressing the rally, JYM’s president,

Mr. Takada, said, “Since its release the end of last October, and especially sincethe introduction of the black and gold color scheme in April, the YBR125 Tian-jian has enjoyed great sales due to the tireless sales efforts of the dealers. In itsfirst year, at a retail price of over 6,000 RMB (approx. US$750) it captured thetop share in the market. Its reputation for quality is excellent and its acceptancein the market is growing. In the future, we must continue to focus on the threepillars of our product strategy: product quality, service and communication.”New YBR125 color schemes were also announced to complement the currenttop sellers. In addition, it was announced that the YBR125 will be exported to

Turkey from August, 2003, further boosting the model’sprestige. Adding to the festivities was a ceremony inwhich 40 top dealers were presented with service cars tosignify their excellence as top service providers.From Yukihiro Ozaki, Manager of Sales MarketingDiv., JYM, China

China

Dealer rally promotes “highersales and superior service”

The 40 dealers who received service cars

Australia

Y amaha Motor Australia Pty., Ltd. (YMA) has marked its 20thanniversary of operations in Australia by celebrating in theWhitsunday Islands off the Queensland coast. The event took

place on Daydream Island and was attended by most of the 250Yamaha staff from both Australia and New Zealand. As guests ofhonor, President of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (YMC) and Mrs.Hasegawa bestowed gifts on staff who have worked at YMA for 5,10, 15 and 20 years. Managing Director Masayoshi Toyama was alsoon hand to cut the 20th birthday cake.President Hasegawa congratulated YMA staff on doubling turnoverin the last five years and increasing turnover fourfold in the last tenyears. He also remarked that YMA enjoys particularly high marketshare, is the only Yamaha importer in the world to launch its ownfinance company and is the second biggest distributor of Yamahaoutboard motors in the world.Prior to the award ceremony, everyone was flown up to HamiltonIsland where they boarded a cruise ship to a secret destination thatturned out to be Whitehaven Beach, a 10km strip of pure white sandand one of the finest beaches in the world.

YMA celebrates 20 years of growth

Yamaha joint sponsor for Sri Lankatouring event

F or six days from July 6 to 11, a group of 17 people from variousparts of Japan participated in a touring event jointly planned andorganized by Yamaha and the Mainichi Shimbun Travel Ser-

vice. The participants rodeLIBERO (106 cc) bikeswhich are manufactured byYamaha Motor India Pri-vate Ltd. This gave theJapanese riders a chance toexperience firsthand thefeatures that make theLIBERO such an extremelypopular model in the localmarket. The touring coursewound through 800 kilome-ters of the beautiful Sri

Lankan countryside, treating participants to views of wonderful natur-al scenery.The importance of the event went beyond the pleasure it brought tothe participants. At the opening ceremony, Japan’s ambassador to SriLanka, Mr. Otsuka, was present while Sri Lanka’s Minister ofTourism, Mr. Lokuge, took part in the farewell party. The presence ofsuch distinguished guests joining in the festivities shows that this tour-ing event is a part of a new and developing relationship between Japanand Sri Lanka.From Yoshiyuki Ito, Supervisor, OMDO, Japan

Sri Lanka

17 riders from Japan gathered for the touring event

Female staff who helpedmake the event a livelysuccess


Switzerland

O n June 3, Mr. Takehiko Hasegawa, YMC Chairman (nowCorporate Adviser), visited Yamaha Importer HostettlerCompany in Switzerland for the second time.

The delegation wasguided personallyby Mr. Fritz Hostet-tler Sr., President ofthe board, throughthe premises. Apartfrom the showroomfor Yamaha prod-ucts, they also visit-ed the subsidiarycompanies IXSMotorcycle Fash-ion, Intercycle (bicycles and parts), Hostettler Autotechnik AG(car parts) which are located in the same buildings. In a personal meeting, Mr. Hostettler assured his ongoing commit-ment and full motivation of the entire Hostettler company for thefuture. Mr. Hasegawa concluded that with Yamaha’s new modelsand innovative spirit he is confident that Hostettler can defend itsstrong position in the Swiss market. In this respect Hostettlercould reach the leading position in the Swiss motorcycle andscooter market for the 22nd time in its 35 years of successful busi-ness. From Gian Marco Badrutt, Manager of Marketing Div., Hostet-tler AG, Switzerland

YMC’s Chairman Hasegawa Visits Hostettler

Suriname

Motor show near sellout for Yamahaoutboards

From June 28 till July 1,2003, the Minister ofTrade and Industry, Mr.

Michael Jong presided over theYearly Automotive fair in Suri-name, attracting most of the auto-motive and water sport distribu-tors in the region. A large num-ber of these were distributors ofused cars.Datsun Suriname N.V. partic-ipated in this Fair as a representa-tive of Nissan vehicles andYamaha outboards. The fair was very successful with a visitor attendance of about 20,000. The eventgave the visitors the opportunity to get very good prices for the goods on display,and the Yamaha products were very much in demand, because the reliability ofthese engines ensures customer satisfaction. Datsun Suriname offered a 5 percentdiscount for every engine and most of them were sold.With even more promotional materials Datsun Suriname believes it can sell evenmore Yamaha outboards in Suriname in the future.From Ella Marto, Secretary, Datsun Suriname, Suriname

From there the ship cruisedon to Daydream Island wherestaff were treated to a galadinner and a spectacularwater vehicle, waterski andfreestyle motocross show fea-turing Yamaha products. Yamaha Motor Australia wasformed in 1983 with theincorporation of New SouthWales importers McCullochsand Victorian importers Milledge. The company now encompassesall Australian states as well as New Zealand.From Sean Hanker, Advertising and PR Co-coordinator, YMA,Australia

Everyone enjoyed a surprise trip to Whitehaven Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world

YMC’s Persident and Mrs. Hasegawa cut the cake withManaging Director Masayoshi Toyama

Lots of visitor attention focused on specially priced goods ondisplay

Mr. Hostet t ler, President of the board welcomes Mr.Hasegawa, YMC Chairman, at Hostettler Company in Switzer-land

Germany

Fans throw 25th birthday party for theYamaha SR

The SR500, Yamaha’s longest selling 4-stroke motorcycle which sold atotal 34,840 units in Germany between 1978 and 1999, has became a leg-end among Yamaha models. And it is a legend that is still very much alive

in Germany today, as 22,233 units are still registered at the Ministry of Transport,while only 12,600 have been scrapped in the past 25 years. Another legend is theXT500. Even though production was discontinued in 1989, the SR500 still enjoysits popularity among die-hard fans known in Germany as “Kickers,” and thereare more than 20 SR/XT Clubs in the country today. And they are very active,meeting Club to Club, organizing small regional gatherings and communicatingthrough the Internet. In 1998, the first International SR-Fan Meeting was orga-nized, followed by the 2nd International Meeting in 2000. This year is the 25thanniversary of the birth of the SR500 and, needless to say, the Clubs did not wantto miss it. Planning was started a year ago for a big birthday party for the SR. Asin the past, Yamaha Motor Deutschland GmbH (YMG) was there to support theweekend event, much to the appreciation of the owners, and it became the biggestSR-Party ever under beautiful summer skies. Around 450 SR and not a few XT’sowners proudly presented their beloved models in the modification competition.Yamaha Germany believes it is very important to support and be present at suchevents, even for long discontinued models like these, from the standpoint of brandimage and Customer Satisfaction. The special love motorcyclists have for their

Yamahas was shown again onAugust 1 and 2 at the Interna-tional Vmax Meeting, whichwas probably the biggest MCmeeting ever held in Germany,with an estimated 1,000 personsattending.From Hiromi Kuroi, YMG,Germany

At the SR/XT meeting


Angola

U lisses company in the Republic of Angola has become a newimporter of Yamaha products. As part of efforts to emphasize itsentry in the Yamaha Motorcycle business, the company held an

opening ceremony and exhibition called “Yamaha Showroom” in thecity of Luanda on July 23 and 24 which attracted many guests. On theopening day, Ulisses President Amoes Valentim hosted distinguishedguests including Angola’s Vice Minister of Industry, Cruz Neto. In hisaddress to the gathering, YMC’s Senior General Manager (OMDO) Shi-bata expressed his desire to build on the existing partnership between thecompanies and thereby strengthen the sales network and increase cus-tomer satisfaction even further in the future. At the finale of the event, alively performance featuring dancing in smoke was presented which

Holding YRS and looking toward SKD production

Local children delighted in watching the YRS riding riders in action

expressed the excitement of Yamaha products.Ulisses and Yamaha continued to hold Yamaha Riding Schools (YRS)for one week after the event. These included various types such as theDT50 off-road YRS, MX schools for models such as the YZ125 and aYRS for police officers. All of the roughly 150 participants seemed togain a new appreciation of the importance of proper riding. In addition,Yamaha and Ulisses plan to begin local production (SKD) of the YB50in November, on the country’s independence day, and are busy makingpreparations.From Kazunori Sasaki, Africa Group OMDO, Japan

Canada

Champion named in Canadian Technician Grand Prix

Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd. (YMCA) held its first Canadian TechnicianGrand Prix on June 17, 2003. In the last of three stages of the “2003Canadian Technician Grand Prix,” ten finalist technicians selected

from a pool of over 275 Yamaha motorcycle dealerships from across Canadachallenged their skills and pitted themselves against their colleagues to com-plete grueling technical exams and labs. This final stage of the competitionwas held at YMCA’s head office in Toronto under the scrutiny of industryrepresentatives and the media.Richard Welch from Kamloops Yamaha of British Columbia was declared thewinner at a gala dinner in Toronto following the judging. He edged out 2ndplace Daren Merkowsky from Silvester R.V. Centre of Saskachewan, and 3rdplace Jim Dorval from R.L. Equipment Sales and Service of Ontario in a closecompetition marked by very high average scores on both the written test andpractical exercises including troubleshooting on machines like the R6 and

FJR1300, spec searches on the DRL network and customer interactionskills.The winner, Mr. Welch, will now travel to Japan to compete in the“World Technician Grand Prix” on October 3, 2003. YMCA understands the importance of skilled technicians in our deal-erships, and is working with the Motorcycle and Moped IndustryCouncil (MMIC) and industry peers to find solutions to the currentshortage of technicians. YMCA believes that the Canadian YamahaTechnician Grand Prix provides recognition, promotion, and develop-ment of a skilled labor force for the motor sport industry.From Andy Gale, Service Div., YMCA, Canada

The 10 finalists in their “One to OneService” YTA shirts (front row) andYMCA staff

(From left) Mr. Jeff Waite of YMCA,Mr. R. Kojima, President of YMCA,and winner Mr. Richard Welch ofKamloops Yamaha

A dance performance was part ofthe “Yamaha Showroom” event

YRS classes were held for a week


Nile Fishing Co., Ltd. (NIFCO), an importer and distributor of Yamaha products in theRepublic of Uganda, held an unveiling ceremony for the new model Yamaha out-board engine E15D at Kasensero on Lake Victoria on August 2, which attracted a lot

of attention from local fishermen. Victoria is Africa’s largest lake and the third largest in theentire world and the Nile Perch, a white-meat fish commonly used in fast food and restaurantdishes, is a main catch in the lake. Nile Perch is exported to Europe, America, Australia andJapan and Yamaha outboard engines play an important role in this vital fishing industry.On the roughly 300 boats in the village, motors such as the E15C have been widely used, butnow the appearance on the scene of the E15D, which boasts evengreater reliability, is big news for local fishermen. Other productssuch as generators and motorcycles which were also displayed at theceremony were another focus of attention for young and old alike.NIFCO has also established 10 service locations in the Lake Victoriaarea alone and is building a reputation for complete and reliableafter-sales service.From Kazunori Sasaki, Africa Group, OMDO, Japan

Finland

Yamaha distributorship united under Kesko Machinery

K esko Machinery Ltd. is now distrib-uting all products of Yamaha Motorin Finland. Yamaha business opera-

tions were transferred from Oy ArwidsonAb to Kesko Machinery first for July, 2003.The agreement applied to the Yamahamotorcycles, mopeds, ATVs and snowmo-biles as well as their after-sales service. Kesko Machinery (Kesko Marine is a divi-sion of Kesko Machinery) has already beenrepresenting other products of YamahaMotor in Finland, like Yamaha outboard

motors, electric drives, WaveRunners andgenerators. The purchase of Arwidson’sYamaha business operations will furtherimprove opportunities to strengthen KeskoMachinery’s and Yamaha’s position inthe Finnish market of recreationalmachines.The 23 employees of Arwidson’s Yama-ha Division were transferred to KeskoMachinery under their previous condi-tions.From Kirsi Puro, Kesko Marine, Finland

The Yamaha Distribution Agreement was sealed with hand-shakes by Yamaha Motor Europe N. V. ’s President Inumaruand Kesko Agro Ltd’s President Halmesmäki

Uganda

Debut of the even more reliable E15D!

Fishermen listen to NIFCO,Director, Christopher Saazigive a product explanationfor the new E15D

Children also enjoyed the E15D demonstration boat rides

AustraliaYamaha Prepares For Australian Safari Y amaha Motor Australia Pty. Ltd. (YMA) is preparing a six-person team of talent-

ed off-road racers and proven safari performers to tackle the grueling 2003 Aus-

tralian Safari, which begins in Bathurst on August 23 and lasts until August 30,

covering 4,604 kilometers of the Australian outback. This environment is a perfect place

for YMA to torture-test its Australian enduro championship-winning WR250F and

WR450F machines.Using knowledge gained from last year’s womenclass win, Team Manager Ms. Cheryl Muldoon ispreparing a full team of six bikes and riders plus anutritionist, chef and even a team masseur. In addi-tion to Muldoon, YMA Marketing Assistant andwinner of the 2002 250cc class of the AustralianSafari, consistent top five racer Casey McCoy andlast year’s newcomer sensation Sam Machlachlanwill be riding for Yamaha. Yamaha will also be represented by recent Australian Four

Day Enduro winner Stuart Morgan and two-time silver medal winner in Four Day

Enduros Allison Parker. Backing these efforts will be Australian off-road legend and

eight-time national champion Stephen Gall serving as the trainer and most honored and

respected member of the support crew.The standard WR enduro machines will be fitted with long-range fuel tanks and naviga-

tional equipment for the week-long event, which takes in overnight stops in Narromine,

Bourke, White Cliffs, Broken Hill, Balranald, Condobolin and Mudgee, before returning

to Bathurst. From Cheryl Muldoon, Team Manager, YMA, Australia

2003 Team Manager Cheryl Muldoontakes the flag at last year’s event


Two YZF-R1 machines take it to the wire in Suzuka 8-hour

Japan

Long known as Japan’s Summer Festival of motorcycle sport, theSuzuka 8-hour was more like a circus of surprises with great per-formances by Yamaha YZF-R1 machines when the race was run

on August 3. A change in the class regulation of this season’sAll Japan Road Race Championships created the newJSB1000 class, which became one of five classes competingtogether in this year’s Suzuka 8-hour. Being a class thatallows only minimum modifications of production models,there was a lot of the pre-race speculation about how wellthese new JSB1000 machines would do against the morehighly modified machines of other classes, including theSuperbike Class, Super Production Class, Stock Sport Classand an XX-Formula class. The regulation changes effectively eliminated the presenceof former “factory teams,” leaving Yamaha fans to pin theirhopes on two satellite teams, the YSP (Yamaha SportsPlaza) & PRESTO Racing team with machine #21 ridden byveteran Yamaha rider Wataru Yoshikawa and All Japanracer Shinichi Nakatomi, and TEAM CHALLENGER withmachine #39 ridden by another Yamaha veteran, NorihikoFujiwara, and All Japan competitor Tekkyu Kayo. Bothteams competed in the JSB1000 class with near-production-

spec YZF-R1s. In the final minutes of a drama-filled 8 hours, the #21YZF-R1 was closing on the lead Honda when the race ended, leavingthem proud winners of a hard-earned 2nd spot on the podium.

Yoshikawa and his YZF-R1 were competing for the lead the whole race

First Export of Yamaha Water Purifiers Indonesia

O n June 28, Yamaha Motor Nuansa Indonesia (YMNI) shipped itsfirst export order of the Yamaha OH300 FRP Series Water Purifiers.The export destination was Vietnam, where the purifiers will supply

quality water for factory and employee household needs. YMNI hopes thatthis shipment will be a first step toward opening up a worldwide export mar-ket for its Yamaha water purifiers. Present plans are to begin full-scale exportefforts in the first half of 2004, and it is clear that the demand for clean wateris on the rise in many countries. In 2004, YMNI plans to begin exports toother Southeast Asian countries. Securing clean water for everyday use isbecoming increasingly difficult in countries where population growth andurbanization are proceeding at a fast pace,and this makes Yamaha Water Purifiers aproduct with high potential export demand.Using the latest FRP (Fiberglass ReinforcedPlastic) technology to guarantee strengthand durability, these Yamaha Water Puri-fiers employ a four-layer sand filter insteadof the conventional single-layer ceramic fil-ter of other products to increase the waterpurifying quality.Marketing and user services relatingto these purifiers will besupported by a Yamaha Water Purifierwebsite which has movedfrom www.yamaha-motor.co.id/water towww.yamaha-water.com. From Riecky Patrayudha,Planning Div., Indonesia

This year’s distributor convention held on May 28, 29 and 30 byYamaha’s Colombian marine distributor EDUARDOÑO S.A. wasa special one marking the 30th anniversary of the EDUARDOÑO

and Yamaha relationship that has made Yamaha outboards a dominantforce in the Colombian market with a roughly 80 percent market share. Onhand for the celebrations were President Sato and General Manager Koideof YMC’s ME Company and General Manager Tazura of Marine Opera-tions. In his speech before some 90 distinguished guests at the ceremony,EDUARDOÑO’s Manager, Mr. Johnny Londoño spoke about the dayssome three decades ago when his company first decided to handle the thenlittle-known Japanese outboard motor brand and the relationship of trust

and cooperation thatEDUARDOÑO and Yama-ha built up over the years.Today, EDUARDOÑO is acompany with 360 employ-ees facing new challengesevery day, but they are confi-dent that with the nationwidedealership network theyhave built up over the yearsand a reputation as No. 1 inservice, they can maintaintheir position as the undis-puted leader in the Colom-bian outboard motor market. From Takuya Nagatani,Latin America Dept., Over-seas Marketing Div., MECompany, Japan

Colombia

EDUARDOÑO and Yamaha celebrate 30 years of teamwork

The OH300FRP is now introducedglobally through the website

The satisfied smiles of the participants show the success of themeeting

A pleasant dinner followed the meeting with Mr. andMrs. Londoño and distinguished guests

On July 2, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.(YMC) held a “Technology Expla-nation Seminar” in Tokyo for jour-nalists and industry analysts. The firstevent of its kind for YMC, it wasaimed at familiarizing a wider sectionof the population with the efforts thecompany is making to “EnsureGrowth Capability” under its present mid-term management plan. On hand to talk with some 101 members of the press and 78 analystsabout the directions of YMC’s technology development efforts and newtechnologies being put to use in main product operations like motorcy-cles and new businesses were the company’s President Toru Hasegawa,Senior Managing Directors Takashi Kajikawa and Tsuneji Togami,Managing Director Kunihiko Nakajima of YMC’s Motorcycle Opera-tions and Managing Director Norimichi Harada of Yamaha Marine Co., Ltd. Also available for study tours in another hall were displays of examplesof applications of new technologies complete with explanation panels.These included a chassis of the YZF-R6 with a rear frame and rear armmade by the new Yamaha CF Aluminum Die Casting Technology andthe new liner-less “DiASil Cylinder” made possible by the same castingtechnology, a unit of the simple, compact fuel injection system for small-er motorcycles now adopted on the “Majesty 125” model released inSeptember 2002, a cut model of the power unit of the electric commuter“Passol,” the world’s first 3.3-liter V6 4-stroke outboard motor “F225A”and the newly developed “Bio Reactor,” a facility that enables high-con-centration photosynthesis (culturing) of microscopic algae. Special atten-tion centered on the world’s first “direct methanol type fuel cell system”for small motorcycles, which drew an especially large number of ques-tions from the press and analysts.


Motorcycle Operations: By 2010, the world’stotal motorcycle demand is expected to reach35 million units, and by working to increaseour sales in markets like Asia, Yamaha is aim-ing to achieve a world share of 20% (7 millionunits) in 2010. Toward this goal we are work-ing to equip all models with fuel injection andstrengthen our aluminum and component tech-nologies and developing “smart power” mod-els that run on clean energy sources.

Directions in Yamaha Motor Technology DevelopmentIn April of 2002, Yamaha Motor set for itself a three-year mid-termplan named “Next 50” with the purpose of strengthening our corpo-rate state as we look toward the 50th anniversary of our company’sfounding in July of 2005. In this plan we also set the brand slogan“Touching Your Heart” as an expression of the exciting world wewish to bring to our customers under our corporate mission of “Wecreate Kando.” At the same time, we clearly stated our commitmentto “Clean Skies, Clean Water and Unpolluted Soil” as the directionfor our efforts to preserve the Earth’s environment. Based on these

aims, we have taken on the task of creating technologies that helprealize these two important but often opposed goals in order toachieve a marriage of “Environment Friendliness and Excitement.” From this, we recognize two prime directions for Yamaha technolo-gy development: “Developing technology that strengthens the com-petitiveness of our existing operations” and “Building the founda-tions for big-growth potential businesses of the future.” As a part ofthese efforts, we will also work to strengthen our fundamental tech-nologies (basic research).

Marine Engine (outboard) Operations: Tocement our position as the leading company inthis field, we are developing technologiesaimed at further strengthening the product reli-ability for which we enjoy a hard-won reputa-tion over the years. At the same time, to offerthe right marriage of environment friendlinessand excitement, we are also working towardnew advances in environmental technologiesand with our customers to further strengthenthe “basic performance” and “speed perfor-mance” they want.

IM (industrial robot) Operations: YMC is anactive competitor in the field of surfacemounters and industrial robots used toassemble the circuit boards used in electron-ics products and building semiconductorchips. We are now working to build on ourexisting business with the aim of doublingsales by 2007.

As future technologies to support our existingbusinesses, we are applying ourselves to the“Ubiquitous” field that includes InformationTechnologies and “Water-related businesses”and the bio-mechanics that are one naturalextension of them.

Attention centers on first-ever methanol type fuelcell for motorcycles at theYamaha “TechnologyExplanation Seminar”

Attention centers on first-ever methanol type fuelcell for motorcycles at theYamaha “TechnologyExplanation Seminar”

Printed in Japanhttp://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp

YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD. Public Relations Division 2500 Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka, 438-8501 Japan Telephone: 81-538-32-1145, Facsimile: 81-538-37-4250

Z O O M I NZ O O M I N

tuate the dynamic intake of airflow.Meanwhile, the upper cowling has beenshaped to highlight the aerodynamics ofa smooth flow of air from the front endback along the body and into the intake.The tail design shows unique designtouches. The exposed “up-muffler”brings an expression of high perfor-mance while also expressing highlyrefined aerodynamics in its integrationwith the tail cowling. “This new model is a product thatachieves our development goal of acombination of Beauty and Beast in oneexciting package. Although we had nospecific single image, we took hintsfrom the aerodynamic lines of marinecreatures like the shark in shaping thesurfaces. At the same time, we alsotried taking ideas from animals like thecheetah in search of sculptural expres-sions of explosive power,” said one ofthe Yamaha designers. In short, it is adesign that expresses both “Yamahahandling” and refined “Yamahadesign.”

of the art technologies have beenapplied to realize the new model con-cept of a “beautiful and exciting sportsbike that is the fastest around in sec-ondary-road riding.” The new specifica-tions include a closed-deck combustionchamber, high-strength FS (FractureSplitting) connecting rods, a fuel injec-tion system with sub-throttle, a compactEXUP system that services the cylin-ders in pairs and an up-slanted mufflerdesign. But, the first thing that younotice when you see this model is theimpression of its striking new styling.The biggest changes are in the frontview and the rear view. The front fea-tures a new headlight design that helpscreate an expression of potent power.At the same time the front lines accen-

Wild new beauty unveiled, 2004 European model YZF-R1Wild new beauty unveiled, 2004 European model YZF-R1

Dazzling journalists at the earlySeptember press intro and thenstealing the spotlight at the

Milano Show was the new 2004 Euro-pean model YZF-R1, a full-fledgedremake of Yamaha’s popular 1,000ccsupersport flagship. This 2004 YZF-R1boasts a newly designed liquid-cooled4-stroke, forward-inclined, 4-cylinder,DOHC 5-valve engine with fuel injec-tion on the new Deltabox V (victory)frame with 2.5 times greater rigiditywith regard to lateral torsion than theexisting model.While holding true to the engineeringand technical philosophy that hasdefined the YZF-R1 through the ongo-ing maturation and evolution since itsoriginal release as a 1998 model, state

Double Take - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

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