Major Moto Moves

Major Moto Moves

 

This past week, two major motorcycle companies announced plans to relocate large portions of their operations, on opposite sides of the United States. Both moves came as a surprise to industry insiders, yet both companies see great prospects in their new locales.

Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited_Touring

 

 

Harley-Davidson announced plans to locate an all-new R&D division in the Silicon Valley of California. The company is moving forward with plans for a complete line of “E-Bikes”, electric motorcycles, and sees the tech center of the world as the perfect location to assist development. As H-D seeks to reinvent and reposition themselves for the future, the move to Silicon Valley makes sense, with so many cutting-edge technology companies at their immediate disposal there.

 

Yamaha Star Eluder

 

 

Yamaha Motors USA also made a relocation announcement this week, notifying the industry press that they will move their stateside headquarters from Cypress, California to Atlanta, Georgia. Given that Southern California has traditionally been the epicenter of American motorcycling, this declaration came as a surprise. Yet other motorcycle manufacturers have made the move east as well, such as Triumph and Pirelli, finding the lower corporate tax rates, property taxes, and standard of living very appealing.

 

Both companies plan to transition to their new facilities across the next 2 years, and we will follow developments as both Harley-Davidson and Yamaha USA move forward.

 

Rob Brooks