Will Gasgas make a bigger impact in the US market?

[firffighter]

I know that Gasgas has made major in-roads into the US market and this year with distributions increasing the future looks bright. This is very encouraging as these bikes are one of the best out there.

My question is what does the future really hold for Gasgas in the US?

Obviously KTM has things figured out and I know they have a bit more history in the US with the Penton background and have been in the US market for a longer period of time. But, KTM was not highly regarded untill the late '90's, early 2000's. KTM has also figured out the taking on the big 4 was not going to work and providing purpose engineered bikes, like 2-stroke woods bikes, is key.

Gasgas' small line-up seems like it might not be enough. Yes, the 200, 250 and 300 2-stokes are very highly regarded and are argueably the best bike out there, but is that enough to really last over time?

My fear is that they will at some point disappear or come in and out of vogue, similar to Husaberg and Husky.

I guess with their sales in Europe staying strong, that could help. And, it helps in Europe to have guys like Nabotin do so well in the WEC. Maybe if someone did well in the GNCC, WORCS or Enduro series on a Gasser it would help with US sales?

I guess it is a selfish question, because I believe these bikes are the best bike out there and I absolutely love mine. I was very nervous picking one up due to the "exotic" tag, but now having moved to my 2nd Gasgas, I realize they are simply amazing and I hope they stick around for years to come!

 

[CACTUSREID]

well i just put a deposit on a new Estart EC 300 up here in canada. so i'm doing my part, to help sustain the brand. gasgas has been getting bigger over the ten years or so that i've owned them, so i think, their slow and steady approach is working.

 

[bukwheat]

I think this is the best shot they have taken at the US market. The word is getting out even though the bike "speaks for itself". With Clay hiring a couple of factory rated riders to contest a couple of national series, I think GG USA is poised to make a "dent" in the orange grip of off road racing.

The product line is pretty decent with the 4st's that are available and the trials line that is very very popular with the "ballet" set, I think they have a pretty good chance of sticking around for quite awhile. Heck, look at the off years that they've had in the US (pretty much all years up to when Clay took over), and they have survived those discouraging times. They kept up with
updates to the lines and didn't let the bikes go dormant, technology wise.

I hope the future is rosy for the GG brand especially here in the states.

 

[gasgasman]

These same issues were brought up in 1998 when I bought my first Gas Gas.
Life is short, enjoy it while you can.

 

[Clay]

Firffighter,
You bring up some good points. One thing that this brought to mind is your mention of John Penton. In no way does our group have the vision that Mr. Penton had. His understanding of the future of the off road business was absolutely amazing and his influence is still being felt today. However, we do have one advantage over him and that is experience. Mr. Penton was breaking new ground. We are not. We're simply using the orange bike play book. They threw it in the trash for some reason. We got it out, dusted it off and re-implemented it. Chuck, Ted, Bob, Rod and I have a combined 65 years in this industry. Chuck and I have 19 years combined at KTM alone. KTM has also lost some very key people that we plan to hire when the time is right to help us grow. Honestly, I don't have an original idea in my head. I really don't need to. There are enough examples of how to do this thing right and wrong in this industry.
One other thing that adds to the ability for GG to grow in the US is the change in leadership at the factory. I think Ramon Puentes is really going to step up the quality in the bikes and bring in new technology to keep the momentum going.
It seems our timing is perfect out of dumb, blind luck!
Clay

 

[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.

 

[firffighter]

I agree that the future does seem bright and Gasgas seems to have been becoming more mainstream with some write-ups in the larger dirt rags that have given Gasgas glowing reviews. I do see a few more of them at local events here in the NW and anyone who recognizes them states that they have heard nothing but great things about the bikes. As the word spreads and more Gassers show up at events, surely nothing but good will come.

To have added the Gasgas line to already reputable existing dealers is a great move as those not familiar with the line will no doubt be interested in the bikes along side other comparibles.

Not being a trials guy, I had not taken into consideration their sales in that market which seems to have always been steady, and I forgot to mention their 250 thumper which has received some good reviews as well.

Clay, you bring up a great point in borrowing from the success of others. Not re-inventing the wheel is smart. I have seen this work time and again and it took KTM many years to really make an impact in the US market.

A few questions:

*Will the success in Europe eventually result in success in the US? In other words, Gasgas is certainly more mainstream in the Euro market and they have had great success in the WEC which can only translate into greater sales.
I read 2 Euro rags on a regular basis (TBM and Enduro Extreme) where Gasgas is not only featured, but is pasted all over the mags. Not that magazine exposure is the exclusive way to market, but it does help as it reaches a broad audience of off-road enthusiasts.


*How did Beta land 2 up and coming GNCC riders for next year? Doesn't seem like they are at the point of success that Gasgas has had to be doing that already. Guess we will see how that works out.

 

[REVERUP]

I have noticed over the years since my interest for Gas Gas motorcycles started back in 2003, some Gas Gas owners step away from the brand when other brands new model hits the airwaves and is all the buzz. It's human nature, they take the plunge for whats said to be the latest greatest, then realize what they had with their Gas Gas was more right than even they knew. More times than not it seems they find their way back on a Gas Gas.

If this trend continues, and with the recent upswing in popularity due to GasGasoffroadUS doing things right and the way these bikes are continually refined it is only getting brighter.

That is, bright Gas Gas red. We are in for a ride.

And to further help the trend I think Gas Gas Offroad U. S. needs a new catchy motto. I came up with this one when FMF first came out with the Q muffler for Gas Gas bikes.
Now that the FMF Q is standard equipment its a no brainer....... "GAS GAS SILENT BUT DEADLY!"
Roscoe

 

[Rod Overstreet]

In order to prevent typing out a novel, here is my 2 cents for what its worth

My question is what does the future really hold for Gasgas in the US?

Consider where the brand stood, was less than one year ago, and where it is at today here in the U.S. Last April, there were less than 8 "dealers" in this country that actually stocked Gas Gas off-road motorcycles. Today, there are over 50 + and I'm talking about QUALITY dealers... not some "goober smootch" working on chain saws out back in his woodshed that got to call himself a GG dealer because he bought 1 bike for his kid, thru the past distributor. One year ago, while other manufactures were offering the new year models in Aug / Sept in the U.S.....Gas Gas motorcycles of the same year model, were being imported 5-7 months later, however...that is NOT the case today. One year ago, what few dealers did stock GG motorcycles, had to floor them out of pocket. That is not the case today. I could go on and on but I think you see where I'm coming from. The future is never certain for any brand, but it's looking allot better for Gas Gas right now, than ever before.

Obviously KTM has things figured out and I know they have a bit more history in the US with the Penton background and have been in the US market for a longer period of time. But, KTM was not highly regarded untill the late '90's, early 2000's. KTM has also figured out the taking on the big 4 was not going to work and providing purpose engineered bikes, like 2-stroke woods bikes, is key.

First, Let me say that KTM is a good motorcycle and this is no way a slam against the dealers or its riders BUT...I wouldn't be so quick to say they (KTM) have the game "figured out". What about X-Bow, Super Duke and RC8? I would also dare say you won't find too many KTM dealers that are real happy with the road Big Orange has taken with other issues these last 2 years either. Back on track, lets also not forget why KTM didn't explode until the late 90's early 2000's, which is because the Japanese had stopped manufacturing 2 stroke off road bikes. Had Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki continued offering WR's RMX, and KDX with the same improvents used on their MX models, do you really think KTM would have experienced the same level of success? Imagine this...what would happen today if the Japanese suddenly jumped back into the 2 stroke off road market with just a 250 and 300cc model?

Gasgas' small line-up seems like it might not be enough. Yes, the 200, 250 and 300 2-stokes are very highly regarded and are argueably the best bike out there, but is that enough to really last over time?

But isn't that exactly what KTM has done? What other options would there be? I would much rather see GG continue improving these exisiting models, rather than spending R&D money on models that have already been proven to be a mistake in the U.S. market by other manufacturers, time and time again.

My fear is that they will at some point disappear or come in and out of vogue, similar to Husaberg and Husky.

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

I guess with their sales in Europe staying strong, that could help. And, it helps in Europe to have guys like Nabotin do so well in the WEC. Maybe if someone did well in the GNCC, WORCS or Enduro series on a Gasser it would help with US sales?

GGOR.US is fielding a VERY strong team this year that will participate in both regional and National off-road events. I agree, putting a Gasser "on the box" every weekend is a great promotional tool, but at the end of the day...what HAS to happen with any brand, is for the consumer to walk into his/her dealership and buy a new motorcycle.

 

[Clay]

A few questions:

1.*Will the success in Europe eventually result in success in the US? In other words, Gasgas is certainly more mainstream in the Euro market and they have had great success in the WEC which can only translate into greater sales.
I read 2 Euro rags on a regular basis (TBM and Enduro Extreme) where Gasgas is not only featured, but is pasted all over the mags. Not that magazine exposure is the exclusive way to market, but it does help as it reaches a broad audience of off-road enthusiasts.


2.*How did Beta land 2 up and coming GNCC riders for next year? Doesn't seem like they are at the point of success that Gasgas has had to be doing that already. Guess we will see how that works out.
__________________
Well....to question #1...it already has. GG's success in Europe is what made them realize that they were badly under represented in the US market. It was a tough decision for GG management to seek out someone else when the old distributor had been with them for so long. They knew they should be doing better in the US, the appointed a new distributor and we are going to sell 10 times in the US what they did last year. It will take us a while to be as popular here as GG is in Europe but I think we can get there, especially if we get some help on some small improvements on the bikes. The factory is paying a lot of attention to us. The new export manager visited us here last week and says he plans to come here every two or three months to work with us because this is such an important market for them.
On question #2.......Either Beta is betting that Chris Bach will sell a lot of bikes for them or they are getting help from Beta in Europe. I believe that GNCC is a harder nut to crack than enduro and regional hare scramble. I think the GG is more suited to tighter single track and more technical races. I think the buyer is a little older than the GNCC guy and more likely to buy a smaller Euro brand. The Japanese MX bikes do better in GNCC than in enduros. Same for WORCS. So, if we had to start somewhere, enduros are the place for us. However, all of the guys we have riding in the National Enduro series have committed to riding regional series. Regional series have much more influence on Joe Average than the national series. One other issue is the expense. When I supported Jesse Robinson on a HB when I managed that brand, Jesse cost us more money than almost all of the regional guys combined. Those guys ride and train a lot and really go through bikes and parts. GNCC riders expect more than enduro guys. The GNCC guys want contingency and expenses on top of bikes and parts. The enduro guys are pretty happy with bikes and parts.

 

[Clay]

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

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]

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!