The Real-Life Yamaha Motorcycle That Inspired Final Fantasy 7's Signature Bike

The "Final Fantasy" gaming franchise is nothing short of a dynasty. The series has been around since 1987 and quickly became a role-playing game favorite. Now, knee-deep in the 21st century, it remains one of the most widely known and adored sagas in the gaming world, with several legendary pieces of iconography. One of the most prominent is the Hardy-Daytona motorcycle, which takes center stage in 1997's "Final Fantasy 7" and its 2020 remake as Cloud Strife's (Steve Burton, Cody Christian) ride of choice.

Though it seems the Hardy-Daytona could fit right among the coolest motorcycles in all of science fiction, it has a far more real-world connection. The January 1998 issue of Computer and Video Games Magazine says that the bike is inspired by the Yamaha V-Max. Introduced in 1985, the V-Max of the era was a solid bike. Featuring a 1,198-cubic-centimeter engine and a manual five-speed transmission, it packed 140 horsepower and 84.63 pound-feet of torque, and could reach a top speed of over 150 mph. Later iterations rank among the fastest motorcycles Yamaha ever built, though the V-Max was retired in 2020.

Chatter regarding the Hardy-Daytona being influenced by the V-Max hasn't endured throughout the years. However, that hasn't stopped some "Final Fantasy VII" fans from going with it in a major way.

When looking at the Hardy-Daytona and the Yamaha V-Max side-by-side, it becomes clear that there are aesthetic similarities, especially the large exhaust pipes, black-and-silver color scheme, and overall proportions. But with little word on the connection between the two beyond the 1998 article, these visual overlaps could just be coincidental. As it turns out, though, that was enough for some "Final Fantasy VII" fans to take on a fascinating project with the claim at the core of it.

On YouTube, a channel called Cashman's Garage has two videos up regarding its efforts to convert a V-Max into a Hardy-Daytona. A 1988 V-Max was used as the base, with the first video simply explaining what's planned, and the second saying that electrical and mechanical issues have slowed the project, but steady progress is still being made. Other fans cheered the project on, but since no updates have hit the internet since 2020, we don't know whether it was a rousing success or was abandoned. Either way, this ambitious undertaking shows just how committed "Final Fantasy" fans are to the series and its lore.

Overall, the Yamaha V-Max is an exceptional bike. It's a standout in the brand's catalog — enduring as one of the most successful Yamaha motorcycles in history – it might be the basis for a classic "Final Fantasy" vehicle, and it has bridged the gap between gamers and motorcycle enthusiasts. It doesn't get much more impressive than that.