Did you know KYB + Yamaha = cool stuff

[XtreemLee]

KYB and Yamaha
KYB Corporation has agreed a new motorcycle joint venture with Yamaha.

By combining the resources and know-how of KYB, a manufacturer of hydraulic shock absorbers, and Yamaha Motor, a manufacturer of motorcycles, the two companies will establish a global supply capacity for motorcycle hydraulic shock absorbers and other products. These products will be sold to motorcycle manufacturers worldwide, including Yamaha Motor.

The joint venture company is called KYB Motorcycle Suspension Co Ltd. KYB will own 66.6% and Yamaha Motor will own 33.4%.

http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/ANOTHER-INDUSTRY-SHOCKER-YAMAHA-BUYS-34-OF-KAYABA-9764.aspx
http://www.kyb-europe.com/news-info.asp?id=84&OffsetFrom=

For those that wanted to know who makes the new ES suspension...

 

[Scoobynut]

Good info. there Lee, thanks for posting it.

 

[avc8130]

Old news? The press release is Jan 2013.

ac

 

[Big Blu]

It was new news to me.... thanks for posting! ::008::

ES on the 2014 FJR is a KBY unit and has gotten good reviews by at least on magazine test rider at Rider Magazine. I suspect the KBY units are also on the 2014 S10 ES model. Even the standard Yamaha suspension is pretty darn good, it got Ohlins genes in there. Nick Sanders rode his stock suspension for 50k miles. If it's good enough for Nick, it's good enough for me! ::024::

Paul

 

[kmac]

Lately I have been fascinated with the intertwining of big corporations...everyone is in bed with everyone else in the corporate world.
KYB has been partnered with Yamaha for MANY years and supplier of their suspension on MX bikes for longer than I can remember. I believe {can not find facts on this though} that Yamaha has been a part owner for some time...{less that 33% though} and yet, Yamaha is a major share holder in Showa suspension which is KYBs major competitor and is Hondas exclusive suspension supplier as well as a major supplier of forks for Harley for 40 years or so.....so Yamaha in part owns Showa AND KYB, uses KYB and sells Showa to its biggest competitors, build motors for Ford AND Toyota 2 of the biggest world competitors, Toyota and GM own some joint companies, GM owns Isuzu which supplied SUVs and trucks to Honda, wait...my head is spinning. I feel like there is gagillionaire who is playing the whole world like a marionette and laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Scoobynut]

According to the Yamaha Canada website, the 2014 base model now uses KYB front forks, which makes it sound like the rear shock is a carryover for the 2014s.

 

[kmac]

What brand do you guys all think the forks are in 2010-2013?

 

[Dallara]

Lately I have been fascinated with the intertwining of big corporations...everyone is in bed with everyone else in the corporate world.
KYB has been partnered with Yamaha for MANY years and supplier of their suspension on MX bikes for longer than I can remember. I believe {can not find facts on this though} that Yamaha has been a part owner for some time...{less that 33% though} and yet, Yamaha is a major share holder in Showa suspension which is KYBs major competitor and is Hondas exclusive suspension supplier as well as a major supplier of forks for Harley for 40 years or so.....so Yamaha in part owns Showa AND KYB, uses KYB and sells Showa to its biggest competitors, build motors for Ford AND Toyota 2 of the biggest world competitors, Toyota and GM own some joint companies, GM owns Isuzu which supplied SUVs and trucks to Honda, wait...my head is spinning. I feel like there is gagillionaire who is playing the whole world like a marionette and laughing all the way to the bank.

IIRC, Honda owns a large interest in Showa, and has for decades (at least since the 1970's), and they are listed as the primary financial investment partner in American Showa, not to mention primary finanacial partner in Showa's operations in other countries. I have never seen anywhere where Yamaha owns any part of Showa.

OTOH, Yamaha has been connected at the hip with KYB for nearly as long, even during the years Yamaha owned a large chunk of Ohlins (which they have long since sold). KYB was instrumental in helping Yamaha build their own suspension building operations - Soqi - some time ago.

All of this is readily available with a quick Google search.

Just FYI...

And as far as the 2012-2013 Super Tenere's are concerned - Yamaha listed in their own press releases that the suspension was was Soqi (their wholly owned suspension division), but it was reported in numerous publications as being KYB, so who knows? Most likely the internals were R&D'ed, etc. by KYB, then produced by Soqi. I tend to believe Yamaha's own press releases on that kind of thing, and since I've never seen a KYB logo or stamping anywhere on my 2012 Super Tenere's suspension components I'm inclined to believe they were made by Yamaha/Soqi.

Dallara



~

 

[avc8130]

Produced by Soqi or KYB, it doesn't matter. The OEM deal is so tight you can't get any more spare parts than Yamaha will let you.

It's all pretty irrelevant. Soqi, KYB, whatever. It takes a tuner to make it work properly in the long run.

When they come with WP, then we can start talking.

ac

 

[snakebitten]

Even if it comes with WP, it still faces the obstacle of physics that all suspensions face.
How much weight is it suspending?
What forces will that weight (me & you) subject the suspension to?
And what are the "preferences" of that weight? (Buick smooth <> Ferrari stiff)
KTM provides pretty good stuff, no doubt. But it still has to aim at a specific target just like everybody else.

 

[avc8130]

Even if it comes with WP, it still faces the obstacle of physics that all suspensions face.
How much weight is it suspending?
What forces will that weight (me & you) subject the suspension to?
And what are the "preferences" of that weight? (Buick smooth <> Ferrari stiff)
KTM provides pretty good stuff, no doubt. But it still has to aim at a specific target just like everybody else.

I don't disagree, but generally speaking the WP stuff is good enough to work with. Springs and maybe a re-shim and they are good to go. The inherent component design and quality is right up there with most aftermarket suppliers.

What Yamaha gave us (especially on the back) was essentially worthless garbage. I don't care if KYB or Soqi or whomever made it.

ac

 

[XtreemLee]

I was hoping it was Ohlins that is why I was doing the research. But KYB may not be the fanciest name in the suspension business it does have a name. I have been playing with setting so far I am very impressed and I weigh 280 and my gf is a bigger girl also.

 

[snakebitten]

ALL of these manufacturers can build great stuff if they are budgeted to. They all have know how.
When you end up with a budget suspension peice, it wasn't their best product possible.

And yes, for this modern day and this otherwise magnificent machine, that rear shock was a budget piece. I agree AC.

 

[GrahamD]

Lately I have been fascinated with the intertwining of big corporations...everyone is in bed with everyone else in the corporate world.


...my head is spinning. I feel like there is gagillionaire who is playing the whole world like a marionette and laughing all the way to the bank.

Well here is the 2010 motor industry cross pollination head spinner for you. I can't find a motorbike specific one but I suspect the Bean counters are busy hedging just the same.

 

[kmac]

That chart needs more colors ::025::

I may be missing it, but I do not see Isuzu on that list which makes motors for GM, Iveco and Hino....all owned by different "groups"
It is mind bottling....to quote Will Farrell

 

[avc8130]

I was hoping it was Ohlins that is why I was doing the research. But KYB may not be the fanciest name in the suspension business it does have a name. I have been playing with setting so far I am very impressed and I weigh 280 and my gf is a bigger girl also.

Yamaha already played that game. All that came from it was sub-par Ohlins products fitted as OEM from Yamaha.

Rather than Ohlins bringing the OEM original fitment up to aftermarket levels, Yamaha budgeted them down to barely better than typical OEM level out of the box. Goes along with Snakebitten's theory.

ac

 

[snakebitten]

Yea, if it was some special limited edition and cost an additional $3000, it might be a real upgrade.
(still wouldn't be customer specific) But when it's a few hundred bucks and there is no real economy of scale to prop it up, then it just doesn't make economic sense that it is revolutionary better.
They, manufacturers, aren't Santa Clause.

Fortunately, progress is constant anyways. Technology improves. Engineering and methods and metallurgy.......etc insures todays budget item is superior to yesteryears best.
We live in amazing times. Even our windshield wipers are fantastic evolutionary improvements.

 

[avc8130]

Even our windshield wipers are fantastic evolutionary improvements.

Are you sure? My cages have had automatic head lights for 10+ years and they STILL don't turn on when the wipers are on! ::010:: ::010:: ::010::

 

[kmac]

Ohlins, Marzocchi, KYB {aka Kayaba}, WP, Girling, Koni, Cerriani, and Showa have all made GREAT products in their times and have all made crap in the same era...as Snake and avc says...it is all budget and intended demographic in a market.

I know people with new Multistradas with the Ohlins ESA that are respringing and looking at valving and mods because they are still not happy.
The wider the Demographic the more vague the product. The narrower the demo the closer to good the product will be...

MX bikes are a much narrower demo than a ST so the forks and shocks are very good overall in stock trim, but still need to be valved and sprung for my weight and personal preferances.

Even the awwwwwwmazing BMW GS often gets a personalized Ohlins set of shocks because stock is junk.

 

[GrahamD]

That chart needs more colors ::025::

I may be missing it, but I do not see Isuzu...

Bottom right just above the "key box"..