Sensational Despite Shortcomings

‘This bike had one major difference—the name on its petrol-tank made that quite clear. The look, the feel, the sound; all the characteristics would have been familiar to the rider of a typical British twin back then. But this bike was built by Yamaha of Japan. The last area of Britain’s two-wheeled domination was about to be lost’

- ROLAND BROWN

IT FEELS GOOD NOW AND IT MUST HAVE felt even better back in 1969. On a narrow and winding road in the country I am cruising lazily along, sitting comfortably upright, engine pulsing gently below, my ears filled with the deep twin-cylinder burble of the exhaust note. When a short straight appears, I flick up a gear, roll open the throttle, grip the wide 'bars slightly harder, and enjoy the acceleration as the torquey middleweight surges crisply forward.

Sensations like these had made 650-cc parallel twins from Triumph and BSA hugely popular throughout the 1960s, but this bike had one major difference-the name on its petrol-tank made that quite clear. The look, the feel, the sound; all the characteristics would have been familiar to the rider of a typical British twin back then. But this bike was built by Yamaha of Japan. The last area of Britain's two-wheeled domination was about to be lost.

Back in late 1969, when the XS-1 arrived in the United States (it took longer to reach Europe and other export markets), the name Yamaha was by no means unknown. The Japanese firm's smaller two-strokes were well established and factory rider Phil Read had won both 250- and 125-cc world championships in 1968. But until the XS-1 came along, Yamaha had never built a four-stroke roadster, let alone a 650-cc parallel twin that was so obviously aimed at the British opposition. 

And which scored a direct hit, too. For although many riders questioned the wisdom of taking on machines such as Triumph's Bonneville and BSA's Lightning with such a similar bike, those doubts were rapidly blown away. The XS-1-and particularly its descendants, the XS-2 and XS650, for the original model was promptly updated-soon became strong sellers in the massive US market, firmly establishing Yamaha as a manufacturer of large-capacity machines.