Questions for Brett Saunders...

[webmaster]

I e-mailed brett saunders and asked him to send along the press releases when they are available. He is marketing director for barrett marketing's division that will take over gasgas distribution in the united states.

I also talked to him on the phone - an outstanding individual. I have absolutely no doubt that this is a very, very positive thing for the entire gasgas community.

I suggested putting together a Q and A article - "A Q & A session with Brett Saunders". He thought it was a great idea. So if you have any questions or concerns about the change in gasgas distribution for north america, please post them in this thread.

Brett can either respond here, or I will forward him all the questions and he can respond to them as best he can (things are still "gelling" in some areas)... Either way we do it, I'll summarize everything into an article so that it is easier to read and easier to find...

thanks,
jeff

 

[gasgasman]

Brett.
Are there any plans for Gas Gas to race some of the high profile races, such as GNCC or WORCS?

 

[MattR]

Alright, since no one is jumping in yet... here I go!

• Is Barrett planning to distribute both the Husaberg and GasGas lines or drop Husaberg to focus only on GasGas?
• Isn't there a conflict of interest having two competitor brands under the same management?
• With the trend going to "street-legal" enduro and supermoto bikes (such as Husqvarna and 2007 KTM), does Barrett plan to have GasGas bikes imported as "street-legal" in the USA? If so, what product lines (2T, 4T, Supermoto, or all)?
• I hope Barrett has plans for a significant marketing campaign to compete against KTM. KTM has done an excellent job marketing their brand as the dominant euro brand. The sea of orange at any enduro race shows the strong foot-hold they have created. What is Barrett's plan to make GasGas become the #1 brand in the USA?

 

[fattfreddie]

Brett.
Are there any plans for Gas Gas to race some of the high profile races, such as GNCC or WORCS?

If the right deal comes along, we will participate in pro racing.
The right deal means a well-run team that has existing sponsorship relationships, professional experience, and a realistic budget.

 

[fattfreddie]

Alright, since no one is jumping in yet... here I go!

• Is Barrett planning to distribute both the Husaberg and GasGas lines or drop Husaberg to focus only on GasGas?
• Isn't there a conflict of interest having two competitor brands under the same management?
• With the trend going to "street-legal" enduro and supermoto bikes (such as Husqvarna and 2007 KTM), does Barrett plan to have GasGas bikes imported as "street-legal" in the USA? If so, what product lines (2T, 4T, Supermoto, or all)?
• I hope Barrett has plans for a significant marketing campaign to compete against KTM. KTM has done an excellent job marketing their brand as the dominant euro brand. The sea of orange at any enduro race shows the strong foot-hold they have created. What is Barrett's plan to make GasGas become the #1 brand in the USA?

Matt:

Sorry, but I could not figure out how to quote and answer your questions line by line, mainly because of the little dots

1. We have no plans to drop Husaberg. We have expanded Husaberg sales approximately 50% a year for the past two years, and we are gaining momentum.
2. Not that I am aware of. Multiple brands co-exist happily at most motorcycle dealerships. And the economies of scale that come with increased volume will allow us to serve the customer (dealer or consumer) better.
3. Yes, at some point, any line that will pass the federal tests.
4. That is not a realistic question. Our plans are to serve the customer and grow the brand. We have realistic sales goals over the next three years which we will certainly revise as we learn more about the marketplace. Exotic brands require a different sort of marketing than do mainstream brands. KTM evolved from an exotic brand to a mainstream brand over a ten year period. Ask me again in three years

 

[Eric K]

Brett Saunders,

Welcome to the GasGas community! Many GasGas owners are baby boomers, with maturity, stability and disposable income to spend on toys, like GasGas motorcycles.

I have an '06 Euro EC300, (complete with lights, turn signals, horn, mirrors, speedo/odo and Euro emission compliance parts) that was a special order import into the US. It is a superb motorcycle and I have it street licensed.

I am a long time 2 stroke fan. My oldest son will get a drivers license in about 1 year and I am interested in getting another full Euro EC300. However, many states are becoming very restrictive on what they will street license. Further, by 2007 all off-road motorcycles used for other than closed-course riding need to meet US EPA emission standards. With these changes, I have some questions...

Will you continue to import into the US the EC 2T's complete with lights, turn signals, horn, mirrors, speedo/odo and European emission compliance parts?

Do you have plans to certify compliance with the US EPA off-raod emission requirements for EC and/or DE 2T's?

Do you have plans to get Federal street compliance certification for the EC 2T's in the US since they are set up to meet European street and emission requirements?

 

[Mark Tracy]

WOW - this is great to have distributor feed back on the sight - I am very pleased and wish Gas Gas USA great success!!! I plan to discuss some detailed questions in the general forum and compare the factory WEC bikes to my 05 KTM 300 in a palatable way. I am seriously considering, and have been for 6 months a 2007 Gas Gas 300.

Some quick questions:

1. What will the 300 be a XC, DE, EC, or a special "build to order"?
2. Since Husaberg has an unprecedented 1 year warranty - what will the Gas Gas warranty be?
3. Will there be a contingency program for general rider classes in state series?
4. What is the MSRP for a 2006 300?
5. What is the cost premium for the Olins forks - are the worth it for Joe average?

THANKS!

I too am a baby boomer...

 

[MattR]

Brett,

Welcome to the site! Just you being here shows the commitment of Barrett. I really appreciate your honesty in all questions. Thanks!

I do have another question if you don't mind...
I have heard several complaints about owners having a difficult time registering their newer GasGas bikes in the USA. GasGas is using a European VIN with a non-conforming letter to designate the model year. On the older bikes like mine, there was no issue however I think this started around 2004 or 2005.

Will Barrett make sure that all Certificates of Origin on new bikes sold to U.S. customers get the proper VIN designation?

 

[eff]

Brett,

Welcome to the site! Just you being here shows the commitment of Barrett. I really appreciate your honesty in all questions. Thanks!

I do have another question if you don't mind...
I have heard several complaints about owners having a difficult time registering their newer GasGas bikes in the USA. GasGas is using a European VIN with a non-conforming letter to designate the model year. On the older bikes like mine, there was no issue however I think this started around 2004 or 2005.

Will Barrett make sure that all Certificates of Origin on new bikes sold to U.S. customers get the proper VIN designation?

I have to say that is very important here in the northeast. All enduros and turkey runs require a street plate. No plate, no ride = no sales.

 

[ScottyR]

Whether you guys at BMG are aware of it or not, the non-conforming VIN is a HUGE issue to many people. This issue should be at the top of your list of priorities before bringing any 07 bikes into the US.

As far as "officially" street legalizing the 2Ts, it is NEVER going to happen. US and Canadian law states that no 2T over 50ccs can be again, "officially" street plated.

 

[fattfreddie]

Whoa Nelly

Wow, lots of questions !
I cannot answer everything right now, but I promise I will get to all soon.
Here are some general answers:

The VIN thing sounds like a major issue, and we will investigate it right away.
If someone can send me an email - brett@gasgasrider.org - and give me the exact details about what is wrong, that will help.

Re: Warranty - more details to follow.
Re: MSRP - more details to follow.
Re: Street/license/plate issues - Believe me, we want it to happen as much as you do. If it's financially feasable to make it a reality, we will.

As soon as I have some more details for you, I will follow up.

Thank you for the questions.

 

[ScottyR]

I just emailed you.

 

[hudson_hollow]

Great to have a direct line of comunication. I had a few problems with the direct distribution. Unsettled contigency claims, etc...
I own a 2004 300EC and a 2004 300 HP Quad. Can't really decide which is the most fun, but both are excellent machines. I certainly plan on sticking with Gas Gas.
The local Husaberg dealer is also the KTM dealer and the Gas Gas dealer is a competetor. Will this be a problem?

 

[MattR]

Brett,

I wanted to pass along a link from an unhappy GasGas owner. Personally, I have not had too much issues with getting parts. I've heard others complain by long delays and these types of comments (see link below) really hurt the GasGas future. A few bad remarks on forums and wham... our brand looks like garbage. PLEASE do not let parts be an issue.

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399889

 

[webmaster]

This thread is definitely getting off-topic on the two stroke emissions -> I split the "discussion" about 2 stroke emission requirements off into it's own thread, so that it can be discussed (or argued) in greater detail over there.

Sorry - just trying to keep this discussion on track and somewhat easy for Brett to deal with. Hope you guys don't take offense.

Any more questions for Brett?


jeff

 

[fattfreddie]

The local Husaberg dealer is also the KTM dealer and the Gas Gas dealer is a competetor. Will this be a problem?

I don't think it will be a problem at all.
In fact, I think it's a very positive thing.
Two competing dealerships, in my opinion, sell more motorcycles than a single dealership. You can bet that those two shops have the same Parts Unlimited rep, and I bet he (or she) is not complaining.

 

[fattfreddie]

PLEASE do not let parts be an issue.

Parts will be a huge issue for us.
A huge positive issue.
I cannot go into detail regarding this matter at the moment, but suffice to say that once we go through a transition period (which is natural), our parts distribution will be a major selling point for the brand.

 

[GMP]

Brett,

Welcome, and I wish you success in making this work.

The VIN problem is because it is non-conforming. The VIN must conform to a standard 17 digit code. Part of this is a mfg. ID so I'm sure it must be assigned by some governing body, DOT maybe?

Personally I've been very lucky with parts. I also have a very good local dealer, Town & Country Cycle, who has been supportive of GasGas for a long time. Since the parts trail starts at the factory, does the new parts distribution system include changes there as well?

FWIW, KTM may be mainstream now, but don't think that parts are a non issue with them. If its not in Ohio, you could be screwed for weeks. It has happened to a friend of mine who needed a radiator. The thing is most dealers are well stocked as the brand sells very well.

 

[hudson_hollow]

Parts have never been a problem for me for either the bike or quad. Don't think that the big Japanese companies don't have occasional parts problems. Most of the exotic brand's dealers stock more of what you need because they can stock less with fewer models to keep up with. Most of the big brand dealers have to order most of the stuff you need and if it's on backorder, who knows when you will get it.

 

[ScottyR]

Glenn, the problem with the VIN is in the 10th digit. In NA, the 10th digit signifies the model year of the vehicle. An 06 bike will have a 6. In Europe, they use letters and it really screws up DOT/MTO(Canada) computers systems.