Yamaha’s new ‘Communication Plaza’ in Iwata, Japan

YAMAHA will open a revamped ‘Communication Plaza’ at its Iwata headquarters in Japan next week, including an exhibition of current and past machines.

But surely the best bit is the way the lattes will be served at the firm’s Plaza Café, with a motorbike-shaped chocolate topping as shown in our picture. The café opens alongside the rest on July 21.

There are around 200 exhibits on display, including pretty much every current bike plus a selection of oldies, watercraft, snowmobiles, Yamaha-engined cars (the Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA). There’s a classroom for kids and even facilities for holding concerts. The refurbishment is the first in 10 years, and since it originally opened the Plaza is reckoned to have seen 1.9 million visitors.

• Sign up for Visordown’s weekly newsletter, Bugsplat, to get the best motorcycle news, road tests and features plus exclusive competitions and offers direct to your inbox. Register as a Visordown member here and tick the box for Bugsplat in your newsletter settings here.