Yamaha Motorcycle Day Experience: 7 Decades Of Revving The Hearts

Sendai: Scores of vintage, modern classic, and performance Yamaha motorcycles lined up across the three full-blown, racing circuits on a breezy and overcast Saturday morning in Sportsland Sugo. Located 300 kilometers north of Tokyo, the 50-year-old infrastructure turned into a happy place for thousands of enthusiasts, fuelled by the passion for two wheels. The occasion was Yamaha Motor Corporation's 70th anniversary.

Petite yet timeless two-stroke Yamahas purred on the West Coast. From the YA-One to Zippy, Pocke to RD250, motorcycles of various shapes and sizes from different eras went round and round the go-karting track. Spanning under a kilometer in length, the FIA-certified West Coast facility has hosted All Japan Gymkhana and All Japan Kart championships in the past.

Established in the Tohoku region, the Sugo Sportland is breathtakingly picturesque with lush hills in the background. The main, 3.6-kilometer-long racing course was where most action happened. Yamaha owners or otherwise, the motorcycle day was a spectacle that welcomed all. Enthusiastic riders, be it Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, or otherwise, the liveliness was visible all around in the rather quaint environment.

The action on the racing course, which has held marquee events like SRO Japan Cup, Super GT Cup, and Formula Drift Japan in the past, commenced with a unique automobile. The supercar-inspired Yamaha OX99-11 raised the tempo with its V12 growl. Extraordinary by all means, and the two-seater sports coupe has a fighter jet canopy, and back in the day, 0-100 kmph in 3.2 seconds was lightning quick. The OX99-11 was an eye candy, as loud as it could be, setting the ball rolling with the Yamaha big bikes for their laps on the track. 

There was something for everyone. The paddock and inner hub of the track hosted stalls that explained the basics behind the machines. Technology that's often restricted to testing facilities and engineers was open to all. For instance, the engine cross-section of the MT09 equipped with the latest Y-AMT gearbox was on display. Things like semi-active dampers, headlights, and brakes were dissected and simplified for all. Interestingly, visitors queued up to have a look at them. 

Yamaha's ship over the last seven decades have sailed to several shores across the globe. Like most others, Yamaha's multi-product strategy for different markets amazes me. I often wonder model line-ups like Tenere, VMax, and XSR, among the many, could be a right fit for India. While that wait continues, I chose to make the most of my time at the Sugo Sportland, where almost every model that Yamaha sells across regions was on display. I returned with memories and countless photos of two wheels that filled my cell phone storage. 

(The journalist visited Sugo Sportland, Japan on the invitation of Yamaha Motor Company.)