A lot of people can ride a dirt bike, but being able to ride one well is a different matter. Speed comes with good technique. That’s the thinking behind Lyndon 'Heffo' Heffernan's Yamaha-supported Off Road Academy – the go-to place for honing dirt bike skills

When Anita Yusof arrived in Brisbane on the final leg of here global ride with nearly 200,000km on the clock of her Yamaha FZ150i, the Yamaha Racing Team offered to give her beloved commuter a new lease on life while she told her amazing story.

Three decades ago, in the heart of Wagga Wagga - far from the rolling waters of the coastline, a successful marine businesses was born. Riverina Marine Centre is the brainchild of Peter Artemiou, a man determined to offer the local community something better.

At just 30, Casey Adams is leading Inverell Boating Centre into a new era with Yamaha Marine. From farming roots to dealership success, discover how Casey’s passion, leadership, and customer-first mindset are driving business growth.

Master Restorer and mechanic, Shinichi Hanai, is the Hercule Poirot of motorcycles— the Sherlock Holmes of two wheels, his brilliant powers of observation and deduction can paint a picture of a bike’s history as well as its owners, bringing long-forgotten stories back to life.

Join Natasha Miranda as she takes on her very first motorcycle track day during the Yamaha YZF-R9 launch. Packed with beginner-friendly advice, her story is a fun and inspiring read for any rider curious about hitting the track for the first time and making the most of it.

Over the past three decades, Jades Oates has worked hard to become one of the pre-eminent motocross coaches in Australia. For last nine years he has been a valued member of the Yamaha bLU cRU fraternity. Of course, a lot happened in between.

Wendy White, Yamaha Motor New Zealand’s Dealer Support Parts & Accessories specialist, recently took part in the PlaceMakers Southern Scooter Challenge, a 220-kilometre fun-filled scooter endurance ride across New Zealand’s South Island from Bluff to Frankton. 

What started as a bold university project for Adam Howe, soon turned into a full-fledged attempt at a land-speed record. The challenge was set—take a Yamaha YZF-R3, a reliable yet modest learner bike, and push it well beyond its intended limits. 

From post-war beginnings to an industry icon, South Australia's Yamaha Pitmans has been at the heart of Australian motorcycling for eight decades. A family-run dealership with a passion for racing, tuning, and supporting all enthusiasts, from racing legends to everyday riders. 

Aiden ‘Aido’ Gale creates content for the Aussie Adventure Bike Show that airs on Channel 7Mate. He recently headed to New Zealand to attend the New Zealand Yamaha Adventure Ride, the brainchild of former World MX Champion Ben Townley and his 101 Adventures company.

Yamaha Motor has released a new BLU CRU logo, vision, and a dedicated episode in Yamaha’s Moving You film series.  Whether tearing up the track, exploring off-road trails, or cruising the streets, BLU CRU is your gateway to the incredible Yamaha community.

Despite her young age and quiet demeanour, 23-year-old Abbey, known by everyone as "Abbey The Sweep," has established herself as one of the best in the game working with the Ride ADV team. Her real name remains a mystery to many, but her reputation as a Sweep Rider is well-known.

Debi Bancroft hadn't ridden a motorcycle prior to her 50th birthday, but she founded the Bingara Scrapheap Adventure Riders and now participates in the annual Scrapheap Adventure Ride to help raise awareness and funds for Down Syndrome Australia. Read her entertaining story.

We dipped into the pool of experienced riders walking the halls of the Yamaha Motor Australia head office, and gave two of them the keys to a pair of shiny new Ténéré 700 World Raid for a week. I return we asked them to make a video log of their thoughts on the new machine.

If you have ever wondered in if vintage dirt bike racing delivers good bang-for-buck, look no further than Sean Goldhawk. Sean took an $1800 1970’s Yamaha DT250 and hit the the track with the Jerkyls. While the ride hasn’t always been smooth, it’s been unforgettable.

Salt racer rookie Adam Howe took his turbo-charged Yamaha YZF-R3 to Lake Gairdner Speed Week and set a new Australian record. Battling tough conditions, Adam achieved his goal. Read about his incredible journey and what it takes to go flat out on the salt: 

For Tahlia Hotchin, riding is more than just a way to get around—it’s a lifestyle. After nearly a decade on two wheels, her first-gen Yamaha MT-07 remains her go-to for city commutes, twisty roads, and epic road trips. Her MT-07 is the perfect companion.

Jay Wilson’s journey from motocross prodigy to a champion in Japan is a story of grit, passion, and resilience. In 2021, Jay, his wife Misty, and daughter Poppy made a bold move to Japan, embracing a new culture and lifestyle, it's a tale Jay enjoys sharing. 

Yamaha bLU cRU ambassador Cheyne Boyd has now been retired for a decade, and it would be hard to meet a more humble servant of his craft. Cheyne continues to give all his heart and soul to the sport, even though it nearly took his life.

Sam transition from riding tarmac to adventure trails was sparked by an epic weekend with RideADV. Sam recently traded his road bike for a Ténéré World Raid and has not looked back since. With expert guidance from Lincoln Brien and RideADV’s intro course, Sam in now ready to explore the off-road world.  

Russell Jansz has owned three Yamaha Tracer 9GTs and recently took delivery of the Tracer 9 GT+. After thinking long and hard, Russell said he could not think of a single thing he would change on the Tracer 9 GT+  to make it better. For him, it's the perfect bike. 

At the JGR Women Only Coach and Camp weekend, a group of girls gathered to hone their dirt bike skills under the guidance of Australian enduro champion Jess Gardiner. More than just a riding clinic, the event focused on the mental and physical aspects of conquering the trails.

Motology Films adventure guru Adam Riemann and long-time Yamaha dealer and former Yamaha Factory Dakar Rally racer Rodney Faggotter have completed an epic off-road trip across Australia on a pair of Ténéré 700 World Raids. They even filmed it for your enjoyment.

To celebrate International Female Ride Day 2024, six female riders from vastly different riding backgrounds were asked to explain what IFRD means to them. All have had a spotlight placed on their achievements with Motor | Life | Passion feature stories.

Legendary adventurer Nick Sanders has completed another record-breaking adventure. Swapping his motorcycle for a Yamaha e-Bike Sanders circumnavigated the globe. His 229-day journey across five continents and 28 countries tested not only the limits of the e-bike but also his own endurance and resilience.

Joann Atherton, the focus of the 2022 #UnitedByYamaha short feature film Out There, recently participated in the RideADV Orange Two-day Navigation Ride. For Joann, the event marked a notable change in her choice of transport. Gone was her trusty WR250R, replaced by a Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Yamaha Motor Australia staff members Michelle Eastburn and Shane Rawlings were so impressed by Yamaha's new Tracer 7 Sport Touring model when it was release that the pair we straight out and purchased one each. We asked the them what made the Tracer 7 so special.

Leanne Nelson is not only one of Australia's fastest female riders, she is one of the fastest of all riders. For 2024, Leanne is taking it to the best ASBK riders in the country on her Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike. Despite arriving at this point well after reaching a half-century of years, Leanne says there is more speed to come.

The off-road riding region surrounding Stroud in New South Wales was filled with the thumping sound of four-stroke enduro engines recently when Yamaha dealers and staff from across Australia gathered for a special product WR450F immersion event hosted by the Yamaha Motor Australia Land Mobility team

Avid Yamaha motorcycle enthusiast, Bill Bryant, has enjoyed a life enriched with the joys and excitement Yamaha products can deliver. The racer-turned-part-time-restorer cheerfully admits to becoming a dedicated Yamaha fanatic through a process of osmosis, a conversion that happened a long time ago.

Jay Prince never backs down from a challenge, so when his friend Jordan scoffed at Jay's plan to ride an XMAX 300 scooter across Australia - and back - the fuse was a lit on an epic 9000km journey that needed to be completed in just 14 days. What followed was two weeks of awesome long-range commuting.

Dare Jennings is the creative mind behind two of Australia’s most recognised brands, Deus Ex Machina, and Mambo. His love of surfing and motorcycles led to the establishment and ultimate success of both brands- as Dare likes to say, it’s all the same juice.

The Jerkyls epitomises everything we love and sometimes miss about motorcycles and the accompanying lifestyle. The group's eclectic mix of members serves as a refreshing reminder of the simple pleasures that attracted us to motorcycles in the first place - fun, riding, and mateship.

Natasha Miranda's journey from absolute motorcycle newbie to daily Yamaha YZF-R3 rider, was driven by an unwavering desire to join the two-wheeled lifestyle. She now racks up hundreds of kilometers each week and loves every one. It all started with methodical planning and expert guidance. 

After years of waiting, Yamaha Technical Academy graduate, Bevan Holmes, from Brisbane's TeamMoto Yamaha Northside, finally headed to Japan to celebrate his win at the 2019 Oceania Technician Grand Prix. Bevan was joined by a select group of global technicians that had topped the class of 2019.

Yamaha Financial Services team members across Australia are joining forces to support Black Dog Institute. Throughout March, employees armed with Yamaha YDX-Moro 07 e-MTBs will be cycling as far as they can to raise funds and awareness for mental health.

When the second round of the Australian Superbikes Championship (ASBK) roared to life at Sydney Motorsport Park recently, it marked the only night race of the 2024 ASBK season, and an opportunity for Yamaha staff to be immersed into the exciting world of superbike racing.

Yamaha enthusiast, Glenn Besso, loves motorcycles powered by a large-capacity single-cylinder engine. The bigger the better. Throw in a bit of retro styling with enough room for modern customisation, and Glenn is in seventh heaven. Yamaha's SRX 600 ticks all the right boxes for Glenn, and this one is his daily rider.

At New Zealand's idyllic Kaipara Harbour, Andrew Maclean is working hard to turn back time at the Tàmata Hills property he owns with Paul Van Dorp. Their goal is to see 140ha returned to its natural state for the first time in almost 200 years. 

Pinpointing just one highlight from a week-long Yamaha Variety Jet Trek odyssey might be challenging for some people. However, Jason Cowley had no hesitation  “Spending time with my little mate Rowan Gillam,” he replies. “What a champion kid he is.”

Remember those little 80cc motocross bikes that only the coolest kids - the ones who graduated from sticking cards on their bicycle spokes - had back in the ‘70s and ‘80s? While the owners have grown up, the bikes have attracted a very niche following of people wanting to relive the youth they dreamed of.

Natural disasters have the potential to strike at any time. In Japan, the Yamaha Motor group calls on its technologies, products, human resources, and networks to assist with disaster response and supporting the work performed by first responders.

Television celebrity Grant Denyer's decision to attempt an unaided  double crossing of Australia's Simpson Desert would see him experienced spectacular desert nights as he pushed himself to the limit on a brutal but brilliant adventure out into the unknown.

It takes a special person to dedicate their life to making a difference to the environment. When Boe  Langford met Kim Baraiolo, the pair realised they shared the passion. The partnership blossomed into Outback Cleanups Australia, 

Anyone associated with motorcycles over the past 50 years, and a postcode that places them in or around the coastal Illawarra region of New South Wales, would most likely refer to Geoff Sim as a friend. As the founding owner of City Coast Motorcycles, he built the business into the institution it is today. 

Areas of Australia are facing damage to local biodiversity and agriculture due to invasive ants introduced from overseas, and Norfolk Island, a small but beautiful island located in the South Pacific Ocean, is one of these places. 

Danielle Gardner is cut from a different cloth to most of her friends, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. The 19-year-old from Sydney has always been a motorcycle devotee, a passion fostered by like-minded parents, two brothers and one sister, and a family farm in country NSW that served as a regular riding outpost.

The Jansz boys love of all things outdoors led to a memorable multi-day Daintree off-road ride from Cairns and back again 2006. With 18 years passing since that memorable trip, it was youngest brother Paul who suggested a father and son adventure.

Yamaha Motor Australia is a major sponsor of the Seabin Project through its Rightwaters program, an initiative committed to the conservation and sustainability of our oceans and waterways

The family-owned Cruise Craft brand is enjoying an amazing journey that shows no sign of reaching its destination. The Australian boat building company was founded in 1946, and over the past 75 years there has been three generations of the Nichols family at the helm.

Many of the unique native plants and animals that inhabit the picturesque Norfolk Island, situated just three hours off the coast of Australia, live under the threat of extinction from an introduced pest. Yamaha's FAZER R is tackling the issue from the sky.

Yamaha Motor Australia's Internal Sales Consultant, Benjamin Cade, may have only been with the company for a short time, but the 21-year-old has already become the star of the show - literally. Ben is one of the faces in the new global short film from Yamaha Motor Company.

When beauty therapist Larissa Rogers experienced her first real taste of the ocean lifestyle she had agreed to be part of when she met 25 year old Josh Matulis. It was the catalyst for the hugely popular Reef Addicts social media channels.

As an IT Manager, Dan Camilleri’s days are spent dealing with complex technology systems. To escape the demands of the ever-changing IT world, Dan has spent the past few years restoring a 50-year-old fishing boat that has been in his family for three generations. 

At just 29 years of age, Australia's queen of off-road racing, Jess Gardiner, has already claimed just about every major title she set her sights on. While her forward progress has always been rapid, Jess always takes time to give back to the sport. 

The Bulli Antique Motorcycle Show attracts unique and interesting machinery, and the tuning fork faithful always turn out to display some classic Yamaha machinery. We discovered Geoff Bamford's  52-year-old Yamaha XS1 that has never been started or ridden.

Yamaha Motor Australia staff and their family members have become the stars of the recently released #UnitedByYamaha brand campaign film, revealing hidden talents beyond the capabilities displayed in their daily roles. Who will get the Logie?

If you're going to take the plunge, you may as well throw yourself in at the deep end. That's the approach taken by 24-year-old Veronica Cuiuri when she decided to obtain her motorcycle licence to join the two-wheeled community, and hit the road for the Aus MotoGP.

Jake Belford's, racing aspirations may have been delayed by the COVID pandemic, but the nerves and excitement of competing at his first-ever motorcycle road race meeting were everything he had expected and hoped for when he finally lined up on the starting grid.

When Steve Saunders and Dr Alistair Scarfe founded New Zealand-based tech company, Robotics Plus, their vision was to develop state-of-the-art technology that would free workers from traditional high labour and menial tasks, so they could be upskilled to work alongside the new tech.

A quick holiday getaway provided an unexpected example of Making Waves through music. Chris Dobie and his guitar made a host of new friends, as well as a  contribution to Bali's healing process after two years of COVID lockdown.

Each year the Make-A-Wish foundation grants wishes for children who deserve it most. These brave youngsters are no different to all children their age, so it’s not surprising that the wish for a new motocross bike is a regular one. 

Following years of working towards ticking "Do A Motorcycle Track Day" off his bucket list, 21 year old Yamaha-fanatic Ryan Wilson’s recent decision to purchase a Yamaha YZF-R7 finally provided him with the right bike to do it. 

A chance meeting between Greg Yager, the owner of bLU cRU-supported motorcycle adventure company RideADV, and enthusiastic but inexperienced rider, Joann Atherton, has resulted in a partnership with mutual benefits for both.

Armed with a fleet of Yamaha D'Elight 125 scooters and a goal to raise funds and awareness for his local Men's Shed and men's mental health, Ben Humphries from Two Wheel Obsession was joined by 10 friends on a multi-day ride to visit lots of big stuff.

Each year, the three cycling events that make up the European Grand Tour – the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and La Vuelta attract a global television audience of more than 100 million. Yamaha Motor Europe supplies a fleet of motorcycles for these events.

Darren Taylor recently pulled the covers off his beautiful Yamaha TRX850 Café Racer custom build. The eye-catching machine is inspired by Yamaha's TZ750, a machine once described as the most notorious motorcycle of the 1970s.

Innovation is something Yamaha Motor Company is always striving to achieve. It's this desire for innovation that led Yamaha Motor Company engineers to take a fresh look at 50-year-old wheel-casting technology and give it a 21st-century upgrade.

Imagine having your fish meal delivered from the ocean to your restaurant table by a remote-control helicopter! The idea may not be as outrageous as you think. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd engineers undertook the challenge to transport 20kg of freshly-caught fish using its UAV.

Motorcycle enthusiast, Nicky Steps, was born with two-stroke Yamaha DNA in his blood. His dad owned and raced an air-cooled Yamaha RD350 in the 1970s, and Nicky grew up with the smell of burning two-stroke oil in his nostrils. Now he can’t kick the two-stroke bug.

The floods that ravaged regions of northern NSW made news headlines around the world. However, it was when the water subsided - and the news cameras turn to the next developing story - that the hard work began for Yamaha dealer, Lismore Motorcycles. 

A modest brass trophy recently arrived at the Yamaha Motor Australia from Yamaha Motor Head Office in Japan. While its size may be diminutive, the way it was created reveals the significance of the honour bestowed on the Antipodean Yamaha offices.

Did you know that a Yamaha outboard engine can contain up to 3000 individual components? From selecting raw materials, to conducting the final inspection, a Yamaha outboard is passed through the hands of numerous expert craftsmen