The first Yamaha YA-1 left the Hamana factory on 11 February 1955. Developed within musical-instrument maker Nippon Gakki, it preceded the creation of Yamaha Motor: the motorcycle division became a separate company on 1 July that year.
The DKW RT125 provided the starting point, but the YA-1 gained four gears instead of three. Cream and chestnut-red paint helped earn its Red Dragonfly nickname. Its air-cooled, two-stroke single-cylinder engine displaced 123 cc.
In its debut year, the YA-1 won the Mount Fuji Ascent Race and swept the ultra-light-class podium at Asama. Those results gave the new manufacturer an opportunity to demonstrate its first motorcycle’s capabilities beyond everyday road use.