Introduced for the 1986 model year, this Yamaha nameplate was a short-lived U.S.-market sport-cruiser that paired the company’s high-revving 700 cc inline-four concept with relaxed, cruiser-inspired styling. Yamaha positioned it as a performance-minded alternative to conventional cruisers, drawing on the same Genesis-era engineering ideas that had helped define the brand’s mid-1980s four-stroke lineup. The bike stood out for its low-slung silhouette, exposed mechanical look, and the unusual blend of sportbike character with more laid-back ergonomics.
The model remained on sale through the 1987 model year, giving the nameplate a brief but distinct run of just two model years. It did not evolve into a long production series, but it has remained memorable among Yamaha enthusiasts as an early example of the “power cruiser” idea before that term became widely used. In period Yamaha material, the machine was presented as a new American model rather than a global mainstay, which helps explain its limited lifespan and its relative rarity today. Its significance lies less in volume than in its place in Yamaha’s mid-1980s experimentation with style, performance, and market positioning.