YAMAHA YA-1

Built: 1954-1956

Motor: Single-cylinder unit construction two-stroke Capacity: 123.2cc

Power: 5hp (claimed!)

Top speed: 80kph

Price new: 138,000 JP Yen

Conclusion: The Akatombo (Red Dragon) was the first motorcycle to carry the triple tuning fork badge. Finished in maroon with cream tank panels, legend has it that the first bikes were hand-polished by workers from the Nippon Gakki piano division. In the first three years of production, 11,088 were built. One of the best of the DKW copies.