Does Fantic/Manarelli make the YZs??

KTM

They helped develop the new 125 engine. When it came out  I remember seeing it talked about in the press info and bike tests. 

Wouldn't surprise me if they made some parts for Yamaha, or were part of refining the 2 stroke bikes overall. 

Some people at dealers will have access to info that is not public that they have to sign NDA's to see.  In my limited experience its just early info that becomes public after a product is available. Its not going to be everybody at the dealer. Might just be a manager or the people responsible for placing  orders that have some earlier info. I would agree that most people at dealers do not know as much as they may make it sound like.

The manufacturer's relationship is known as a joint-venture or joint partnership. Its a strategic partnership between 3 companies that creates value streams for all parties involved. 

Motori Minarelli was 100% owned by Yamaha Motor Europe. They were brought into Yamaha's corporate structure in 2002. Minarelli was well known for their small displacement two-stroke engine manufacturing expertise. In 2021, Fantic took full control of Manarelli and in the process, they bought Yamaha out of the previous deal with Minarelli. Fantic offered motorcycle manufacturing & export expertise, which enabled them to tap into Yamaha Motor Europe's engine supply (built by Minarelli) but also gave them the flexibility to design & source the remaining bike components in order to offer a "YZ" model at a cheaper price point than the true Yamaha YZ. 

The 3 companies mostly collaborate on engineering/design expertise for engine & powertrain development & manufacturing. With the recent e-drive movement, Yamaha is also relying on Fantic for e-drive powertrains that will certainly be used on upcoming models.