Questions & Thoughts For The Gaser Company

[Boomhauer]

My Gaser Brothers:
I typed this up because I am confused at why Gas Gas is not more known out there. These were just some of my random thoughts/ideas. They may sound stupid or crazy but hey that is just me. Feel free to add your opinions/thoughts.

We are just little voices out there.



To: Gas Gas Company President

From: Loyal Gas Gas Enduro Bike Rider

Kind Sir,

Why is it that we (Gas Gas Riders)do not have some of the goodies or hard parts stuff such as the KTM guys? I recently bought an off road video and after every segment there were KTM advertisements for hard parts, dealers, aftermarket parts, etc.

I bought my 04 DE 300 used and have loved it from day 1 of owning it minus some of the issues the bike had due to the previous owner. Before purchasing my Gas Gas I owned a KTM. I went to a local enduro where I was introduced to Jim Cook. He let me take his Gas Gas 300 for a quick spin and that was all it took to convince me that the Gasers are better than the KTM's and many of the other Euro bikes on the market. I sold my KTM that following week and purchased my Gaser.

Why are you not "Pushing" your products? There are many more folks just like me that love your bikes, but it just seems to me and some of the others here that you guys don't really care. There is a serious lack of advertisement on your end. I have turned many guys that I ride with to the Gasers but I am only one person.

I will tell you that they will have to pry my Gaser out of my cold dead hands before I buy another brand name of bike. Your bikes are awesome! Your products are good so what is the problem? I am very loyal to the Gas Gas brand as many others here are also.

I work for the the #1 Soft Drink Bottler and the way we keep the consumers aware of new products or even old products is by awareness.

Why does Gas Gas not have it's very own finance company like KTM? That way the guys that can't throw down $6000 on a bike can finance one. Why don't you advertise in some of the off road magazines. I am not talking about 1 picture with a phone number below it. It's called product awareness. Let everybody in the world know that you are producing great products and that you stand behind all of your products.

I do understand that it costs money to advertise. In my line of work you have to spend money to make money.

Please understand that I am not mad here. I am just trying to understand why "We" as a whole do not have more things out there to bring the consumers in and buy what we all here love.

 

[JTT]

Boom, I think it all comes down to money. You can't "push" without cash...but it's hard to get cash without "push". Comparisons to KTM are obvious, but unfari as they are MUCH better funded.

 

[flybars]

Did Ktm start out like gasgas with little funding, or did they have funding all along? If Ktm did not have much funding then gasgas needs to rethink the US market strategies.

 

[Boomhauer]

Did Ktm start out like gasgas with little funding, or did they have funding all along? If Ktm did not have much funding then gasgas needs to rethink the US market strategies.

KTM had very little funding at the start.

 

[KicksonR66]

I would have to think it's all about marketing, think about it, even if you didn't have a good product and you spent a ton of money on advertising you still could sell your product.

Look at Husky, they we're almost non-existent here just eight or nine years ago but with some advertising, product support and a loyal following they are climbing back into it. I just got back into riding a few yrs ago after a 20 year hiatus and purchasd a used Husky soley because they we're such a powerhouse in the '70's and I never thought they would have lost thier market share like they did and ultimitley I felt like it was a bad purchase.

So I decided to sell the Husky and look for a KTM in my price range and all would be good. After several weeks of looking I noticed there was a used Gas Gas for sale locally and because of a few local sites and ones like this one I knew this was a well built bike so I pulled the plug on it. I haven't got any real time on this thing yet because of mechanical issues but I believe it was a good purchase although if I was a better mechanic it might be a better one. Even if I had plenty of money to have all the repairs and maintence done I would have a hard time finding anyone to do the work so i've come to the realization I better learn fast. Product support and service after the sale is the main oppstacle GAs Gas must over come to be sucessfull.

Look at KTMTALK, that site has grown into an entity, I was sold on them because of it alone. (And I never have ridden one)The support from dealers and riders is awsome, that site alone is worth more than all there advertizing imop.

So as I sit here in my robe, drinking coffee when I should be mowing the yard I still have a bit of anxiety about my purchase. After just a few weeks of being on this site I've noticed a decline in posts and responces and hoping it won't fade away into oblivion. (Like Husky talk did) I don't have much to offer but as I learn from guy's like you I will be sure to pass it on down the road to newcomers so please be patient with my stupid questions and answers.

Sorry for the long post and typos,

John

 

[flybars]

If U own a 2 stroke You'll be happy with this site. If U own the 4 stroke, you will have to use 3 or 4 sites to gain a grain of knowledge here and there. My thoughts mirror yours to the T. Very uneasy feeling not having anyone within the state of Wash. that knows the in's and out's of the FSE's. By the way, welcome to gasgas!

 

[webmaster]

So as I sit here in my robe, drinking coffee when I should be mowing the yard I still have a bit of anxiety about my purchase. After just a few weeks of being on this site I've noticed a decline in posts and responces and hoping it won't fade away into oblivion. (Like Husky talk did) I don't have much to offer but as I learn from guy's like you I will be sure to pass it on down the road to newcomers so please be patient with my stupid questions and answers.

The software for the bulletin board does have the ability to report statistics and the activity on this board ebbs and flows with less activity on fridays and weekends (most browse from work! ) Based on what I see - your comment that activity is down isn't accurate.

Activity has been increasing on this bulletin board consistently for the last 3-4 months. The increase in activity and membership, to be honest, surprised me... On average, several new users are joining per day....

jeff
webmaster
GasGas Riders Club

 

[dirk]

well i race a lot and i come in first almost every time. most people think that i am riding some korean off brand bike that is how little known gasgas is where i am from.....ya it is sad their rider payout program sucks also. i mean i wish the i could get a little help from them.

 

[KicksonR66]

Sorry Jeff, I hadn't noticed that. I usually check the site twice daily, morning and evening just to see if I could get some info from a post and hadn't seen too much in a few day's. I'm a little impatient it seems, I think you and the moderaters are doing a fantastic job and I'd be happy to contribute to this site if thats an option. I truly hope this site and Gas Gas are great successes.

I would like to know how KTMtalk was able to get a bike to Dirt Riders 24HR test, this would be a great way to get attention. Was the bike donated by KTM? I think things like this and having corporate at all major and smaller events with there banners flying and bikes to see would help tremendously. They have a guy from GB riding a Gas Gas thats riding on Knights tail and there missing a great opportunity. The most recent Dirt rider magazine mentioned Knight coming in first with a pic of him on his KTM but only mentioned the Gas Gas rider. I know this is easier said then done but IMOP without things like this Gas Gas will remain unkown. Korean? OMG! and thanks Flybars, good to be here.

John

 

[bukwheat]

I have always liked being a little different, I like to think, original.

Back in the early 70's, 71 to be exact, I lived in a small town in central Kentucky and had just got bitten by the MX bug. At that time, there was one motorcycle shop in town, a Honda dealer in a hardware store. Honda didn't make a MXer. I went to the closest mult line MC shop which was 100 miles away and bought a Penton 125. I was the first guy in town to have one. I got a lot of flak from all my riding buddies for riding something that you couldn't get parts for quickly. About 3 months later, there were 4 other
Penton riders in my town. If we needed parts, we would either all load up in the car and go get them or who ever went, would take orders. It proved to
build a good comraderie between us, but also I learned to work on it, to improvise, to make do with what I could muster up.

The next bike I bought was a brand new 72 DKW! Same engine as the Penton
and overall, pretty much the same bike except for the leading link forks. I got to say that every race I went to when I owned that DKW, it was the only DKW there! I did well on it and ended up getting sponsored by the
new Yamaha shop in town. I rode Yamahas for a couple of seasons but the old "being different" bug got me again and I bought a 73 Bultaco 125 Pursang.
That one was probably the worst decision I made, not that I needed parts for but just for the simple fact that it shifted on the right and brakes on the left and I never quite got use to that deal.

In 74 I went back to Yamaha, I was racing in MS. and while I did great on the bike as far as results, it took every cent I had to keep it running. I was
on the 4th oversize piston when I traded it in on a 75 Bul 250 Pursang.
There again, the closest Bul dealer was 150 miles away but as it turned out,
I never bought one part for it and I raced it hard for one season.

Well to shorten this diatribe up a bit, in 03 I bought a KTM 200exc and while its been a good, reliable bike, I would go to a race and its a sea of orange. In Feb, I was thinking I needed a new bike and to tell you the truth I never was happy with the linkless suspension of the KTM and its handling. It was good but I thought there was better out there. I found out that there was a small machine shop in Tuscaloosa who sold GG's. I went to pay him a visit and bought my 06 250 ec. While I don't really think the shop I got it from has much in the way of parts, I'm surely not worried especially since we now have the internet and this great site and all the available info here.

So while I would like to see a little more effort on the factory's part to promote themselves, it kind of makes me feel good to go to an event and be the only GG there. I guess I don't like to be one of the "sheeple".

 

[KicksonR66]

That was a good read Bukwheat, you've been doing this a long time. When I told a buddy of mine I got a GG he said " What is wrong with you? Why didn't you buy a good ole American Jap bike?" He'd been raggin me about my Hunkofvarnish now he's really having fun with this. Too bad he's 1800 miles away or I'd let him ride it to see his expression.

Your right Bukwheat, it's good to step outside the box and I'm sure i'll learn from the experience.

 

[Metalefty]

I would like to know how KTMtalk was able to get a bike to Dirt Riders 24HR test, this would be a great way to get attention. They have a guy from GB riding a Gas Gas thats riding on Knights tail and there missing a great opportunity. The most recent Dirt rider magazine mentioned Knight coming in first with a pic of him on his KTM but only mentioned the Gas Gas rider.

John

Two years ago Dirt Rider had a GasGas in the 24hrs and a lot of the things they said were not even true, what's the use in letting a magazine have your bike if they just print false statements. Seems more clear now than ever, if your not advertising in a mag the mag will subtly ignore you or print crap.

 

[KicksonR66]

What did they say? I suppose it doesn't matter, I have read some of those same statements by readers of the mag. Just thought I would put my 2 cents in.

Good Day

 

[barkeater]

I don't think it's all about advertising.

The main problem was that Gas Gas sent bikes in a crate and no one to set them up or maintain them, so they got beat up in the testing. They just didn't have the resources to supply both a crew AND a bike.

They decided it was better to not send a bike - rather than get beat to snot in a national mag because no one at the test knew how to adjust their own clickers on the forks.

Husaberg has done well in the mag tests because they have regional dealers who have stepped up to the plate to support the bikes at the national level by assembling a crew to set up and maintain the bikes. I can see Iron Mountain doing more of this type of promotion with Gas Gas.

GG needs to find a dealer willing to support the bikes at a national level and a good crew of volunteers willing to follow the bike around and take care of it.

 

[west aussie gas 450]

Your on a what!

It makes me laugh when some people i pull up an have a yarn with ask is it a 250 or 400 honda,about the only people who know what a gas gas is, are people who have come England .It's a bloody great product an good on anyone who have the balls an go out an get hold of great bike.My dealer in Perth W.A Tyres for Bikes sticks his neck to supply these great bikes only one in western australia , if they were better advertised i'm sure he would be swamped with orders an everything follows from that like parts supply an more dealers.Keep up the good work on the site it's easier to look after 20 kids than a internet site. Cheers Barry.