4 • April 2026 • Powersports Business
NEWS www. PowersportsBusiness. com
Yamaha to relocate U. S. headquarters to Georgia, sell California campus
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has announced plans to relocate its U. S. subsidiary, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U. S. A.( YMUS), from Cypress, California, to Kennesaw, Georgia, in a multiyear transition that will run from late 2026 through the end of 2028.
In conjunction with the move, Yamaha will sell all fixed assets at its 25.1−acre Cypress campus, including land, offices, and warehouse facilities. The company said it plans to utilize a sale-and-leaseback arrangement for a period of time to maintain business continuity during the transition. Details regarding the sale price, buyer, and timing are still under review.
Yamaha has announced plans to relocate its U. S. subsidiary, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U. S. A., from Cypress, California, to Kennesaw, Georgia, in a multi-year transition that will run from late 2026 through the end of 2028.( Photos: Yamaha Motor Co.) www. powersportsbusiness. com Editorial and Sales: 763.383.4400 Subscriber Service: 763.383.4492
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OPERATIONAL SHIFT The relocation formalizes a shift that has been underway for decades. While the Cypress site has served as Yamaha’ s U. S. headquarters since 1979— after the company acquired the land in 1978— major operating divisions have already moved east.
Yamaha’ s Marine Business Unit relocated to Kennesaw in 1999, followed by the Motorsports business in 2019. Today, the Cypress facility primarily houses corporate administrative functions and Yamaha’ s Financial Services operations.
For dealers, the consolidation places Yamaha’ s core U. S. operations— including marine and motorsports— under a unified Georgia base, potentially streamlining decision-making, logistics coordination and cross-division strategy. However, it does leave a void on the West Coast.
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PROFITABILITY AND TARIFF PRESSURES
Yamaha positioned the move as part of broader structural reforms aimed at improving asset efficiency and enhancing profitability in the United States.
The company cited rising costs associated with U. S. tariffs and shifts in the market environment as factors driving the restructuring. In addition to cross-business cost reductions, Yamaha said it is working to build a profit structure“ not solely dependent on top-line growth,” to create a more resilient and adaptable organization over the medium to long term.
The announcement reflects a wider trend among OEMs reassessing real estate footprints, overhead costs, and regional operating efficiencies as the post-pandemic market normalizes.
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A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT IN U. S. HISTORY
Yamaha first entered the American market in 1960, establishing Yamaha International Corporation in Los Angeles after determining that reliance on third-party trading companies limited growth and profitability.
Under then-president Genichi Kawakami, the company shifted to direct wholesale distribution and aggressively developed a nationwide dealer network. That direct-to-dealer strategy fueled Yamaha’ s early growth in the U. S. powersports market.
The Cypress campus became symbolic of that expansion. Now, nearly 50 years after establishing its Southern California headquarters, Yamaha is consolidating around Georgia, where its marine and motorsports divisions have already operated for years.
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RideNow dealerships post doubledigit sales increase at Bike Week
Despite a significant dip in visitors to Daytona Beach Bike Week in 2025— and what could be the start of a trend— two RideNow dealerships made their stores a destination, increasing their new unit sales by double digits.
The team at Indian Motorcycle Daytona Beach announced a 40 % increase in new-unit sales compared to last year’ s event. While RideNow Daytona Beach, a sister store to the Indian dealership, improved its sales by over 32 % during the rally.
“ We didn’ t just wait for people to walk through the door; we went out and met them where the passion is,” says Kevin Dunn, general manager of Indian Daytona Beach.“ My team’ s focus was 100 % on creating moments
where we could really connect with riders. When you prioritize that level of engagement and have a great selection of products, the sales follow naturally.”
Lyle Kramper, regional director for Ride- Now Group, referenced the company’ s“ Ride- Now Way” motto, which focuses on efficiency and engagement to boost performance.
“ We know what the company and our customers expect from us; that makes it far easier to deliver what we did last week.”
TURNING THE DEALERSHIP INTO A DESTINATION
RideNow says the record-breaking sales effort was supported by a non-stop calendar of
events that made the Indian dealership a must-see destination. Events included:
• A full slate of riding activities, including the first-ever Indian Motorcycle Ladies Ride, which included 123 riders, and the official Indian Owners Ride, which featured more than 220 motorcycles.
• A 125th anniversary concert with Kip Moore and the first look at the Limited Edition 125th Anniversary 2026 Elite Lineup.
• Every day featured Indian demo rides, vendors, great food, while special events like the Rat’ s Hole Custom Bike and Tattoo show, two motorcycle audio competitions, and the V8 Motorcycle Parade.
DEALER TAKEAWAY RideNow says its dealerships will continue to leverage their focus on customer engagement at its 47−dealership network— especially at locations with major events and races. And numbers don’ t lie. RideNow credits the success during Bike Week to the emphasis it puts on demo rides and other community events. With the warmer weather on its way and selling season upon us, dealers can use this customerengagement approach to gain foot traffic and attract new riders.
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Indian Motorcycle Daytona Beach packed its community events calendar during Bike Week, which generated large crowds, and helped unit sales increase by 40 %.( Photos: RideNow)