Will Gasgas make a bigger impact in the US market?

[Clay]

Originally Posted by john01

I Think the future for GasGas is very bright. Less than a year ago I didn't even know they made enduro bikes. Since then I purchashed a new 2010 sight unseen. Fell in love with the bike and getting ready to pull the trigger on another one; a 2011 this time. A couple of the top riders in our VCHSS series will be on GasGas bikes next year. Local club members have taken a spin on our 2010 and can't believe how great the bikes are. Being mostly woods riders they thought they had to go orange. Now the club members know they have a choice. Getting the dealer network set up is going to make a huge difference I think. People need to at least see a bike to have an interest. To take it a step further I think GasGas needs a bike finance plan of some type for it customers. Anyway I plan on doing my small part to help what I think is the best bikes being made. Hey Clay, you can call it perfect timing, blind dumb luck, but it sure feels good to know a company has people like you and you crew guiding the ship. It's also awesome to have you on this site, thanks.

John,
Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.
We are working on a retail finance program but that is tougher to get than I thought it would be.
Clay

[JRH250XC]

The solution to that is simple....buy a new Gas Gas motorcycle and help strengthen the brand!



Good question and great answers but this is definitely the key.

[firffighter]

Man, great info. and very exciting!

Rod, great point about KTM. Yes, I completely agree that if the big 4 had put R&D into the off-road 2-stroke market, KTM would not have taken off like they did. And it is true that if you branch out too much with a wider line-up you can spread yourself too thin and by focusing and refining what you already do well will bring great results.

So, timing seems to be key and Gasgas is timing things perfectly IMO. There is a buzz and excitement about the brand, and here in the NW Gasgas is becoming more popular which is very exciting!

Great answer in regards to the GNCC. It is certainly true that in GNCC and WORCS, the big thumpers rule and it is a great strategy to make a impact into the local race scene where your average will gain greater access to the brand name, especially in the enduro and woods riding where the bikes are so darn effective.

I really am excited about where things are headed and I hope I haven't offended anyone by my questions. I just am hoping to see Gasgas stay around for years to come because they are such great bikes and I plan on keeping one in my stable indefinitely. My brother also has a Gasgas and has the same sentiments. We absolutely love these bikes and they are perfectly suited for the tight NW woods.

Now, if they weren't so well built and so reliable I might find a reason to go get a new one. I do wish I had the dough for a new one, but just not in that season of life... yet.

[Berkyboy]

It's kind of a lengthy quote from a post I made last summer just hour's after Clay and his brother signed their (GasGas Offroad US) contract with GasGas that I think adds to this thread, especailly for the newcomers to this forum.

Just a little backstory myself (GoFasters) and GasGas Offroad US (Clay and Ted) had been invited to Spain to finalize our contracts with the GasGas factory.

The link to the original post is here

http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7684


the quote is below

Originally Posted by Berkyboy

As I sit here in my hotel room in Barcelona waiting for my flight back home to the US I can't help but smile.

Most of you know that I just spent the better part of this week at the GasGas factory in Spain and I can tell you and the rest of the world that GasGas is definitely on its way to being seriously considered as one of the best made enduro motorcycles brands in the world.

Since being reorganized in May 2008 and now completely purchased from the original founders Narcis Casas and Josep Pibernat, the company has spent the last two models years remaking itself where it is now a profitable company again making competitive trials and enduro motorcycles.

Under the direction of minority stock holder Ramon Puente the company appears to be on the verge of re-establishing itself again as one of the world's premier off-road enduro motorcycle builders.

While other European enduro motorcycle companies, namely KTM / Husaberg and BMW / Husqvarna, seemed to loose focus during the last couple of years by building sports cars and re-inventing the enduro motorcycle GasGas rolled up its sleeves and went to work on making itself a leaner, meaner off-road motorcycle company investing in and refining its proven technology.

Over the last decade all of the world's off-road motorcycle manufacturers seemed to be following each other down the path of spending most of their R&D money on emerging four-stroke technology, all but abandoning their already successful two-stroke machines.

KTM and BMW made mistakes along the way, both eagerly spending millions and millions of dollars chasing "cutting edge" four stroke technologies that they were sure the world's off-road market wanted, which have now left their warehouses and their dealer's showroom floors often overstocked.

GasGas had its share of problems chasing the four-stroke "Holy Grail" as well, namely by premiering the world's first production off-road EFI motorcycle, the FSE 400, which all but brought the company to its financial knees with reliability problems when it debuted in 2003. That basic design continued having "teething pains," tarnishing GasGas's overall reputation until the FSE it was completely phased out and redesigned in 2007 (FSR.)

The difference is while KTM / Husaberg and BMW / Husqvarna continued to bet big on four-stokes, GasGas cleaned house "cutting its operating overhead" and re-investing in refining it's already proven two-stroke enduro motorcycles. According to Puente that was the whole idea when he took over the reigns in 2008 of the Catalonian (Spain) based off-road motorcycle company.

Puente said it was obvious GasGas was going in the wrong direction when it prematurely put its financial future into four-strokes and so they've made an effort to reinvest in their most successful models, the EC two-stroke line up. Puente said, "We spent the first two years (2008 and 2009) cutting costs trying to be profitable again and last year (2010) we went to work on refining our two-stroke enduro motorcycles.

"While other manufactures start over with their designs every three or four years we went back to work making our already proven designs better." Puente's claim is easy to back up as historically a majority of its two-stroke enduro motorcycle parts are mostly interchangeable over the years with minor improvements and subtle fitment revisions being made every couple of years.

This year's 2011 enduro model's are a testament to that concept as the now distinctly red framed machines, following in the color scheme footsteps of the 2010 GasGas trials motorcycles, have been refined once again.

The 2011 GasGas enduro bikes (for the US market) now come stock with FMF Q-series muffler, re-valved 48mm Sachs front forks (as well as the more traditional 45mm Marzsochi's), a thermostat has been added to the cooling system along with a 1.8 radiator cap (gone is the 1.2 cap and coolant expansion tank), "a grip tape like finish" on all side graphics, new front fender, new headlight, new graphics, engine specific (125cc/200cc/250cc/300cc) power valve actuator assemblies and a two-stroke e-start model that will officially roll off the assembly line sometime in September.

While I may be biased to the GG brand, I've personally been involved with the brand since 1999, I'll have to say that GasGas the company has made an even bigger commitment to future sales this year as they pre-produced nearly nine hundred 2011 motorcycles prior to their three week August break.

That's a big step for a factory that historically delayed the debut of their "new models" by up to 2 to 3 months from the other manufacturers' new model launchings until after the factory opened after the summer holidays in late August.

That commitment, and the continuing refinement to their two-stroke enduro lineup, now seems to have the Girona based motorcycle brand, with the funny name that repeats itself, ready to establish itself as a leader in off-road motorcycles again.

Over the next couple of months you'll hear more official announcements coming from the GasGas factory that are going to get noticed. In confidence I've learned of some very exciting upcoming news that's soon to make off-road headlines worldwide.

And as far as GasGas and their future four-stroke models, don't worry GasGas plans on continuing their popular Yamaha powered FSR250 and their refined FSR450 for another year. Puente assured me that GasGas is planning competitive four-stroke models in the 250 to 450 displacement classes as well but wants to make sure those models are ready before committing to producing them.

When asked about two-stroke direct injection technology, that seems to be just a model year away from the other manufacturers, Puente just smiled with a grin which only caused me to wonder what GasGas is up to.

So what was the view like from the GasGas factory? I would have to say I came away with the same size grin that Puente used when he tried not to respond to my question in the paragraph above.

[Clay]

Originally Posted by firffighter

Man, great info. and very exciting!

Rod, great point about KTM. Yes, I completely agree that if the big 4 had put R&D into the off-road 2-stroke market, KTM would not have taken off like they did. And it is true that if you branch out too much with a wider line-up you can spread yourself too thin and by focusing and refining what you already do well will bring great results.

So, timing seems to be key and Gasgas is timing things perfectly IMO. There is a buzz and excitement about the brand, and here in the NW Gasgas is becoming more popular which is very exciting!

Great answer in regards to the GNCC. It is certainly true that in GNCC and WORCS, the big thumpers rule and it is a great strategy to make a impact into the local race scene where your average will gain greater access to the brand name, especially in the enduro and woods riding where the bikes are so darn effective.

I really am excited about where things are headed and I hope I haven't offended anyone by my questions. I just am hoping to see Gasgas stay around for years to come because they are such great bikes and I plan on keeping one in my stable indefinitely. My brother also has a Gasgas and has the same sentiments. We absolutely love these bikes and they are perfectly suited for the tight NW woods.

Now, if they weren't so well built and so reliable I might find a reason to go get a new one. I do wish I had the dough for a new one, but just not in that season of life... yet.

I can tell you I was not offended. You gave me a chance to answer some good and pertinent questions. The consumer has the right to ask thses type questions when a company is asking him to plunk down close to $8k in this economy.
I had also forgotten about Steve's post from last summer. Seems he nailed it back then!
Clay

[firffighter]

Big thanks Clay.

To have such concern for "average Joe" customer is to applauded. I appreciate the forthright answers and vision for the future of Gasgas.

And yes, Steve, you certainly nailed it on the head with you comments from last year. My bad for not picking that up earlier.

[Berkyboy]

firffighter

Not to worry, it's something like -23 (farenheit) here in Minnesota tonite and I have nothing better to do then get caught up on some GasGasRider.org stuff.

[prk03]

When I bought my 07 250 GG I had never even sat on one. I tried a couple of KTM but just didn't feel right. When I got back into riding after 25 years of school and work I got a KDX just to see if I could find the old flame and enjoy it like I used to. Well I did but wanted more performance that the KDX seemed to lack. The GasGas seemed to be the answer as I wanted a two stroke but also something that was not "plain jane". I did alot of research on this forum and read all I could about GasGas and knew of the potential problems. I found that the bike was perfect and would "take over" when I ran out of talent. With the help from Gofasters for parts and this forum it has been tons of fun. It is now even better when I see what Clay has done but also to see top talent running up front on GasGas. I think if the leadership continues to move forwards and keeps up the good fight then more riders like myself will buy a GasGas.

[biggstr6]

I took a chance two years ago and bought a left over 08 EC300. Had never heard of gasgas before ,but had been on a DRZ400 (anyone want to buy) I started looking for a off road 2t. I narrowed it down to a KTM,Husky or gasgas.I decided on the gasgas and have no regrets . Love the bike.

In the two years that I've had my gasgas They have had dramatic increase in presence where I am. And this year our series the VCHSS will have alot more gasgas than last year (we had about 6 or 7).

I get the feeling ,and have had it for about a year and half that gasgas is getting ready to really take off in the US.

Be the first in the neighborhood to enjoy them.

[firffighter]

Well, looks like marketing is working well. 2 new folks added to this site as of yesterday!

Exciting times indeed!