Out of the 764-odd stands at EICMA, there were a few that grabbed everyone’s attention, while others were simply packed from wall to wall. One of those was Yamaha, along with its in-house performance and racing parts division, GYTR. Honda may have had one of the best-looking stands at the show, but you certainly couldn’t move an inch at Yamaha’s.
Until I witnessed the crowds, the merchandise departments and the sheer number of motorcycles on display, I hadn’t quite appreciated just how popular Yamaha is across Europe. I’ve said it many times before, but if you cut me open, I bleed blue. So, seeing that level of enthusiasm for the brand at my first EICMA was seriously something to behold.
Yamaha’s extensive lineup, covering everything from Adventure and Scooters to Dirt Bikes, Heritage and Sport, brought all walks of life to the stand. The Ténéré 400 Concept and the RW350 and RW700 adventure scooters were among the big attractions, but there was plenty more happening behind the scenes.
GYTR took things a step further with a fully equipped, working workshop, complete with genuine Yamaha spares and a selection of performance-focused GYTR components. There’s just something about a properly kitted-out factory workshop that gets the inner grease monkey excited. Getting to see skilled technicians working with the machinery and components in a live environment was a real highlight.
And it wasn’t just the parts and workshop that drew a crowd. Yamaha also had its current crop of racing machinery on display, with several of the riders behind the machines making appearances throughout the event.
Among those in attendance were Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli and 2026 WorldSBK rookie Alberto Surra of Motocorsa Racing. They were joined by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK teammates Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi, alongside independent riders Lorenzo Baldassarri of Team GoEleven, Sam Lowes of ELF Marc VDS Racing Team and Tommy Bridewell of Superbikes Advocates.
Having these riders and their race machines together at the stand was a real treat for fans. More importantly, it gave visitors the opportunity to get up close to genuine factory racing machinery and see the GYTR components that play a role in Yamaha’s competition programmes. There’s only so much you can appreciate from watching a race on television. Seeing the engineering and hardware in the flesh is something else entirely.
Shiny blue jewellery and famous riders aside, what really stood out to me was the sheer breadth of performance parts available to Yamaha owners. From the smallest accessories to serious competition-focused components, the attention to detail and quality of manufacturing were remarkable.
A catalogue and a list of race victories can only tell you so much. Seeing these parts in the flesh, understanding where they come from and getting a glimpse into the people and processes behind them really highlights Yamaha’s commitment to its riders.
For South African Yamaha owners, GYTR is more than something to admire at EICMA or on a factory race bike. Genuine GYTR products are available here through Yamaha South Africa—bringing that performance-focused engineering within reach of riders right here at home.
