One of the best things about motorcycle design lately are the anniversary throwback editions. Suzuki gave its fans what they wanted when the Japanese manufacturer let riders choose a graphics kit from their favorite decade of the RM. For 2026, Yamaha is giving us its 70th anniversary edition models, and they're absolutely savage.
You might be thinking, "Didn't Yamaha just launch 50th anniversary edition models in 2024?". Yes, it did, but those models celebrated 50 years of the YZ range, whereas these 70th edition anniversary models commemorate the founding of Yamaha Motor Company in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan, on July 1, 1955, when the manufacturer separated from Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd – now the Yamaha Corporation.
The purple and white 50th anniversary edition models were breathtaking; I was lucky enough to ride the entire range, and I wouldn't change that, despite fracturing a rib on a YZ250. So, where is the red and white inspiration coming from?
