Comments on: The German Roots of Yamaha Motorcycles http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/ Motorcycle News for Positive People Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:34:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Musicman http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/comment-page-1/#comment-254273 Musicman Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:36:14 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/#comment-254273 As the article points out in the very beginning, the Yamaha "was copied from the DKW 350cc and manufactured under license". Key words being "manufactured under license". That doesn't make it a copy, but rather a design that was licensed to Yamaha for production. Manufacturers have done this for years and continue to do it to this day. That's very different from what the Chinese practice. And the Chinese do this in every industry from automotive, to musical equipment (Oktava Microphones of Russia had their high end mic designs completely ripped off by the Chinese, INCLUDING the logo!). Same with Nady, Shure, and countless other musical/audio equipment manufacturers. So, what Yamaha did back then is very different from what the Chinese are doing now. It's one thing to make a product under license, or, to even use the original for inspiration, but it's completely different to carbon copy the design (all excepting for the quality part!) and pass it off as the original. As the article points out in the very beginning, the Yamaha “was copied from the DKW 350cc and manufactured under license”. Key words being “manufactured under license”. That doesn’t make it a copy, but rather a design that was licensed to Yamaha for production. Manufacturers have done this for years and continue to do it to this day. That’s very different from what the Chinese practice. And the Chinese do this in every industry from automotive, to musical equipment (Oktava Microphones of Russia had their high end mic designs completely ripped off by the Chinese, INCLUDING the logo!). Same with Nady, Shure, and countless other musical/audio equipment manufacturers. So, what Yamaha did back then is very different from what the Chinese are doing now. It’s one thing to make a product under license, or, to even use the original for inspiration, but it’s completely different to carbon copy the design (all excepting for the quality part!) and pass it off as the original.

]]> By: Gerry Frederics http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/comment-page-1/#comment-175312 Gerry Frederics Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:14:29 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/#comment-175312 Yamaha did not copy the DKW or Adler designs, they STOLE them. Ditto with Ariel of England. The Ariel Leader was a slightly modifed Adler SB250. ALL BSA 2-strokes were STOLEN DKW patents. The Honda empire is based on the STOLEN NSU Supermax and the ENTIRE Russian motor cycle industry is STOLEN BMW, ZÜndapp and especially DKW technology. I know it´s not polite to accuse people of wholesale theft but facts are facts and I call a spade a spade. Gerry Frederics Yamaha did not copy the DKW or Adler designs, they STOLE them. Ditto with Ariel of England. The Ariel Leader was a slightly modifed Adler SB250. ALL BSA 2-strokes were STOLEN DKW patents. The Honda empire is based on the STOLEN NSU Supermax and the ENTIRE Russian motor cycle industry is STOLEN BMW, ZÜndapp and especially DKW technology. I know it´s not polite to accuse people of wholesale theft but facts are facts and I call a spade a spade. Gerry Frederics

]]> By: red tombo http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/comment-page-1/#comment-92930 red tombo Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:55:29 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/#comment-92930 This was an interesting article. For the past 10 years I've been working for a Japanese machine tool company, of which 20% is owned by Yamaha Japan. And recently, I had a chance to look thru a company publication that celebrated 80 years of existence and it outlined how the company came to relations with Yamaha and how the first bike was engineered. It falls in line with the article here on this website! This was an interesting article.

For the past 10 years I’ve been working for a Japanese machine tool company, of which 20% is owned by Yamaha Japan. And recently, I had a chance to look thru a company publication that celebrated 80 years of existence and it outlined how the company came to relations with Yamaha and how the first bike was engineered. It falls in line with the article here on this website!

]]> By: Prester John http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/comment-page-1/#comment-81115 Prester John Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:02:40 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/#comment-81115 Oh, about the "disapearance" of DKW: Their factory was in Zschopau, in what became East Germany. A very fine little motorcycle also called the RT125 is still built there by the grandsons and grandaughters of the builders of the original. http://www.muz.de/ Tom Oh, about the “disapearance” of DKW: Their factory was in Zschopau, in what became East Germany. A very fine little motorcycle also called the RT125 is still built there by the grandsons and grandaughters of the builders of the original.

http://www.muz.de/

Tom

]]> By: Prester John http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/comment-page-1/#comment-81112 Prester John Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:49:56 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/19/the-german-roots-of-yamaha-motorcycles/#comment-81112 In the 1930's, DKW became the world leader in two stroke technology, and ran the world's largest motorcycle factory in Zschopau, Germany. Also during the 30's, DKW competed in Motorcycle GP racing with some very high-tech watercooled, supercharged two strokes, and while we think of BWM as the German military motorcycle of WWII, the little DKWs served everywhere with the Wehrmacht, too. The DKW RT125 was easily the world's finest small displacement motorcycle of its time. After the war it became not only the Yamaha YA-1, but also the BSA Bantam, the Moto Morini 125, the Russian Mockba M1A and even the Harley-Davidson Hummer! The RT's two stroke engine also powered Harley's Topper and Triumph's Tigress motor scooters. Oh - and if you think the old RT's "streamline" tank profile looks familiar, you're right - it sits, as it has since 1957, atop the H-D Sportster, a on-going tip-of-the-hat to one of the greatest European motorcycles of all time. Tom In the 1930’s, DKW became the world leader in two stroke technology, and ran the world’s largest motorcycle factory in Zschopau, Germany. Also during the 30’s, DKW competed in Motorcycle GP racing with some very high-tech watercooled, supercharged two strokes, and while we think of BWM as the German military motorcycle of WWII, the little DKWs served everywhere with the Wehrmacht, too.

The DKW RT125 was easily the world’s finest small displacement motorcycle of its time. After the war it became not only the Yamaha YA-1, but also the BSA Bantam, the Moto Morini 125, the Russian Mockba M1A and even the Harley-Davidson Hummer! The RT’s two stroke engine also powered Harley’s Topper and Triumph’s Tigress motor scooters.

Oh – and if you think the old RT’s “streamline” tank profile looks familiar, you’re right – it sits, as it has since 1957, atop the H-D Sportster, a on-going tip-of-the-hat to one of the greatest European motorcycles of all time.

Tom

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