Yamaha Motor Company Limited, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company,
is part of the Yamaha Corporation. After expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's
biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of
motorized vehicles on July 1, 1955. The company's intensive research into metal alloys
for use in acoustic pianos had given Yamaha wide knowledge of the making of lightweight,
yet sturdy and reliable metal constructions. This knowledge was easily applied to the
making of metal frames and motor parts for motorcycles. Yamaha Motor is the world's
second largest producer of motorcycles. It also produces many other motorized vehicles
such as all-terrain vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, outboard motors, and personal watercraft.
In 2000, Toyota and Yamaha Corporation made a capital alliance where Toyota paid Yamaha
Corporation 10.5 billion yen for a 5 per cent share in Yamaha Motor Company while Yamaha
and Yamaha Motor each bought 500,000 shares of Toyota stock in return...
