Honda and Yamaha in talks to work together on range of bikes – yeah, really.

Honda and Yamaha in talks to work together on range of bikes – yeah, really.

An announcement has found its way to us from Japan which says that the two companies have started discussions toward an ‘alliance’ that will see Honda providing engines for certain Yamahas.

So far, the only bikes that have been included in the discussions are the Japanese ‘Class-1’ bikes which includes scooters with a 50cc engine or electric motor.

The timescale for the team-up is planned to happen before the end of 2018. Whilst this is currently only about the smallest motorcycles in the domestic market, there’s surely some chance of this proposal to cut production costs and advance tech in the electric-motor sector being spread to other, larger motorcycles on the horizon.

Here’s the actual outline for the proposal from Honda and Yamaha directly, what follows is in the official company-speak of the pair of factories so it’s a bit waffly, but you can see how serious they are from the way the plan is laid out in the following statement:

＜ Key plans to be discussed toward collaboration＞

• Supplying 50 cc scooter models as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
  With a target timetable of before the end of 2018, Honda would begin supplying 50 cc scooter models to Yamaha as an OEM that are developed based on the Honda TACT and Giorno, 50 cc scooter models Honda currently produces and sells in Japan. Yamaha will sell these models as corresponding models of the Yamaha JOG and Vino.
• Joint development/OEM supply of next-generation 50 cc business scooter models
  Honda and Yamaha are currently developing, producing and selling 50 cc business scooter models for the Japanese market, namely the Honda BENLY and Yamaha GEAR, respectively. The two companies will look into the feasibility of the joint development and OEM supply from Honda to Yamaha of a next-generation version of these business scooter models.
• Collaboration toward the popularization of electric motorcycles in the Class-1 category
  For the purpose of further popularizing electric motorcycles mainly in the Class-1 category in Japan, the two companies will look into possible collaboration in the area of establishing the foundation necessary to address various issues relevant to electric motorcycles such as range, charging time, performance and cost. By broadly sharing the achievement of such collaboration with other motorcycle manufacturers and relevant industries in the form of proposals, the two companies will strive to further facilitate the electrification of motorcycle products.

With these future collaborative efforts, Honda and Yamaha will strive to make people’s lives more enjoyable through Class-1 category vehicles, which are accessible and a user-friendly means of transportation for many people. Moreover, the two companies will work toward the further revitalization of the Japanese motorcycle market.

＜ Comment by Shinji Aoyama/Operating Officer and Director, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.＞
“Through this collaboration with Yamaha, we will continue to offer Class-1 category products that go beyond the expectations of our customers. With that, we will devote all of our efforts to revitalize the motorcycle market in Japan and establish a market environment that enables the popularization of electric motorcycles at the earliest possible timing.”

＜ Comment by Katsuaki Watanabe/Managing Executive Officer and Director, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.＞
“We believe that our collaborative activities, which will start with an OEM alliance, will go beyond the framework of a mere product supply alliance and carve out a future motorcycle culture in Japan.”