It's less of a "yamaha" thing and more of a torque and international standards thing. Even if you look at all the other hondas than the garbage we have here, they too used 1-N-2.... gear system. This helps in downshifting in a hurry so you don't end up in neutral when braking. Also, I find it convenient that way when going downhill sometimes as you descent using gears and not your brakes. That way I know what gear I'm on , and as in the case of YBR , the position indicator helps as well.
