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“We are excited about this relationship and the opportunities it creates for Yamaha, John Deere, our dealers, and most importantly, our customers,” said Yamaha Motorsports President Dean Burnett in announcing the joint venture on October 8, 2026.
While news of Yamaha’s collab with John Deere was breaking, multiple published reports called out that Yamaha’s former Cypress, California, campus had been sold to the Walt Disney Corporation for $115 million.
When AIMExpo 2027 concludes, it is off to the races for the powersports industry, quite literally!
A lawsuit between Hard Knocks Media and the Barber Museum comes just days before the 2026 Barber Vintage Festival, set for October 9–11 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
Heads up! Industry icon Teri Lynn shifts from Troy Lee Designs to the protective specialty experts at D30.
Shifting Gears
Heads up! Industry icon Teri Lynn shifts from Troy Lee Designs to the protective specialty experts at D30.
Continuing its charge as a leading American manufacturer of powersports batteries, Yuasa Battery, Inc. has appointed Thomas Charno as Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
Massimo is on the gas heading into the SEMA show with expanded leadership and some class-leading vehicles. Back in April, Massimo Group (Booth # 56217) announced the appointment of Quenton Petersen as Chief Executive Officer.
Wait, what? The Creative Director for iconic AXO gear circa 1984-1993 and later Art Director for Alpinestars circa 1993-2004 Kenny Safford is now the Chief Designer at Thrashin Supply Co.
Industry stalwart Anders Pigorsch is Herohub’s newest Performance Coach. He adds more than 20 years of Harley-Davidson and metric dealership experience, as well as action sports and outdoor retail leadership roles.
LAWSUIT LODGED ON EVE OF VINTAGE FESTIVAL A lawsuit between Hard Knocks Media and the Barber Museum comes just days before the 2026 Barber Vintage Festival, set for October 9–11 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Case No. 2:26-cv-07623), alleges that Barber used Spain-Smith's copyrighted photographs of Eraldo Ferracci without permission in connection with the 2025 Barber Vintage Festival. The complaint alleges the photographs were used across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, promotional and press materials, and in commissioned artwork, posters, auction materials and fundraising content. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/lawsuit-lodged-on-eve-of-vintage-festival/
AIMExpo RACING INTO SUPERCROSS When AIMExpo 2027 concludes, it is off to the races for the powersports industry, quite literally! “We’ve teamed up with Daytona International Speedway to give AIMExpo attendees the opportunity to extend their experience with an unforgettable weekend at Daytona Supercross,” says Cinnamon Kernes, Motorcycle Industry Council's VP of Market Expansion. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/aimexpo-racing-into-supercross/
YAMAHA + JOHN DEERE JOINT VENTURE “We are excited about this relationship and the opportunities it creates for Yamaha Motor USA, John Deere, our dealers, and most importantly, our customers,” said Yamaha Motorsports President Dean Burnett in announcing the joint venture on October 8, 2026. “Together, two trusted global brands can accelerate innovation and bring greater value to the market.” The plan is for the companies to collaborate on the development of certain future Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicles. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/yamaha-john-deere-joint-venture/
THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH? While news of Yamaha Motor USA’s collab with John Deere was breaking, multiple published reports called out that Yamaha’s former Cypress, California, campus had been sold to the Walt Disney Corporation for $115 million. “I can confirm that the property is sold, and the transaction is complete,” said Yamaha spokesman Martin Peters in a statement provided to the Southern California News Group. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/the-happiest-place-on-earth-2/
#ShiftingGears Heads up! Industry icon Teri Lynn shifts from Troy Lee Designs to the protective specialty experts at D3O. “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined D3O as Director of Sales Operations, North America.” In her spare time, she will continue as Chair of the Motorcycle Industry Council's Aftermarket Committee. “What an opportunity to work alongside some of the best brands in the business, while expanding my reach into new markets and industries,” she says. Subscribe To #Dealernews To See The Full Story: https://dealernews.com/Home/post/shifting-gears-from-tld-to-d30/
In Case You Missed It
Stars want to get discovered in Hollywood, but bike builders go to Born Free instead of a Los Angeles soda fountain like Lana Turner to make their mark.
Founded in Rimini, Italy in 1973, the Bimota brand has become synonymous with groundbreaking engineering, handcrafted quality and a relentless pursuit of performance.
Bimota was bought by Kawasaki in 2020, and this began a new phase in the brand’s history.
“It is with great pride and a touch of madness that, after almost five years of hard work and an investment of over 50 million euro, we are launching the new chapter in the life of Moto Guzzi,” says Piaggio Group CEO Michele Colaninno.
With 2 Old Guys Racing/Dealernews columnist Bill Little going down, Beta USA has officially signed Shane McElrath to a two-year contract to campaign the Factory Beta RX 450F in the highly competitive 450SX division.
