Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not even gonna try to hide my bias here—I love Yamaha. Over the years, I’ve owned a number of tuning fork bikes: three MT-07s, an MT-10, a Yamaha scooter, and right now, I’m head over heels for my XSR900—a bike I ride pretty much everywhere.
And it’s not like I’ve owned only Yamahas, either. I’ve had lots of other bikes, too—KTMs, a Triumph, Kawasakis, and even a CFMoto.
And so I’m convinced that Yamaha is the best motorcycle manufacturer in the world bar none. Sure, that’s just my opinion, but it’s based on cold, hard facts. OK fine, maybe not facts, but surely years of grinning ear-to-ear behind Yamaha handlebars, and reveling in their (most of the time) bulletproof reliability.
That said, even I must admit that Yamaha can feel a bit… stiff. For all the eargasmic, adrenaline-pumping thrill machines they build, there’s something undeniably corporate about the brand. It’s as if they’re wearing a suit and tie to an MX event, while everyone else sits on their camping chairs in tank tops with beers in hand.
Speaking of suits and ties, Yamaha HQ, over in Iwata, Japan, recently announced a "new" corporate logo. Now, if you’re expecting something big—a complete reinvention—you might want to take a seat.
