GasGas, New Investors

[Vindicator]

I'm sad. I really am.
For all that GasGas represented to all of us but most important for all the hard working staff that regretfully, again, face an uncertain future with this company.

I would like to believe that SP has the nicest plans for the brand but simply don't see it that way. They don't need/want any of the technology GG has to offer but does cut some corners on developing a trials bike. What for? MotoGP is their goal now. Electric bikes from Torrot ? Could be but have my doubts.

How much represent the sales of GG worldwide ? 5000 bikes ? Are these numbers that really appealing ? Knowing that a GG rider will not, most likely, buy a Red KTM ?

Whatever he has in line for GG, this is the end of "The GasGas".

P.S. - It just came to mind that my bike is now worth zero euros...

[Vindicator]

Originally Posted by Darkside

remember the Italian Husky's? order your spare parts now while they are still available

A good advice is where you read it .

[swazi_matt]

I would like to think they are looking at the trials side (i believe tarrot and GG are seperate entities so it would only be a relationship they will purchase of tarrot). I Still don't understand the ktm logic on husky and husaberg, buy them and then close them down. Is it just a way of eliminating opposition one brand at a time?

It would be nice if they were thinking it would be cheaper to build ktm's in spain, but that didn't happen with the other brands ... only time will tell

[gasgasman]

We can complain about KTM shutting down Husqvarna.
But, look at their sales. Through the roof is an understatement.

[shawbagga]

Haha but they're just white KTMs. Husky was bought for peanuts purely for the name(as no one in the US knows Husaberg) & to eliminate competition(cheap bikes). Italian Husky/BMW had nothing else to offer KTM.
Why wouldn't Pierer want 5000 sales a year?! Even 2500 makes his bottom line bigger. He's about making money! This way he eliminates competition & gains more sales.

[SS109]

Originally Posted by Vindicator

P.S. - It just came to mind that my bike is now worth zero euros...

Yeah, imagine how I feel owning a 2011. However, I will continue to enjoy it regardless of what it's worth to anyone else.

[Zman]

Originally Posted by shawbagga

Haha but they're just white KTMs. Husky was bought for peanuts purely for the name(as no one in the US knows Husaberg) & to eliminate competition(cheap bikes). Italian Husky/BMW had nothing else to offer KTM.
Why wouldn't Pierer want 5000 sales a year?! Even 2500 makes his bottom line bigger. He's about making money! This way he eliminates competition & gains more sales.

It was my understanding that the White and Blue KTMs (called Husqvarna) were supposed to be the premium version of the orange and black KTMs. They did include the linkage suspension on the white and blue where they used the PDS on the orange and black.

[sneaky98gt]

It seems obvious to me. Think about it, what's the only type of motorbike in the world that KTM doesn't already have a very strong place in the market?

Answer: trials bikes.

Acquiring GG (I know, they didn't technically acquire them, but at 60% ownership, they may as well have) allows them to jump straight to the front of the line with very competitive trials models, with lots of history and expertise. A little tweaking of a few technical details, manufacturing processes, and management practices, plus some of the KTM mothership's marketing budget to promote them more, and they'll be seeing an ROI on this deal in a hurry. 100% business decision.

That's what this is about. Which isn't entirely a bad thing. We will almost certainly see strong, competitive, updated trials bikes for the foreseeable future. While some of us certainly won't care for them being tainted with orange blood, it looks like this was better than the alternative of closing up shop forever.

The big downside I see in this is that the enduro line won't likely survive. Husaberg brought a lot of technology to the table to a young, unknown KTM. Husqvarna brought fantastic name recognition, and a great opportunity for KTM (now well established) to brand and up-sell a "premium" bike. GasGas enduro brings nothing of this sort to the table, and if they're not able to differentiate it substantially (not from a technical standpoint, but from a sales standpoint), then they'll kill it.

The only way I could see it working, is that if Husqvarna is the premium brand, GasGas could be the budget brand that competes with the Japanese bikes' price points (or maybe the other cheaper Euro bikes). That said, they'd have a veeeeery fine line to walk to avoid cannibalizing the sales of their higher priced (and higher margin) orange and white bikes. While I as a consumer would love to see a model lineup like this, I doubt seriously they'd actually do it.

Either way, I wish all at GasGas the best of luck, and certainly hope to see them prosper over the coming years in this new relationship.

[(F5)]

Originally Posted by Darkside

remember the Italian Husky's? order your spare parts now while they are still available

Do you remember the Swedish ones?

[webmaster]

Originally Posted by Darkside

remember the Italian Husky's? order your spare parts now while they are still available

You can get parts for the bigger Italian 4 stroke motors and chassis too....

Take a look at SWM. They are building and selling the old Italian huskies today and you can get parts through them....

Jeff