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Exclusive interview with Albert Callis - PXC development rider. Manager to Renales. Minder to Eddy Lejeune + Lluis Gallach. Special behind the scenes fixer for GasGas. The untold story
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This was not just the standard engine from the Villa factory. We started with a stock off the shelf Villa engine, but inside there was change, many many things immediately changed, right from the start and then later on as the model developed.
You explain to me that you worked as a go-between, between the Paxau workshop in Torello and the Gas Gas factory, tell me about that?
You explain to me that you worked as a go-between, between the Paxau workshop in Torello and the Gas Gas factory, tell me about that?
One of the first GasGas motorcycles promotional photos. From left to right Josep Paxau, Albert Callis, Gabino Renales, Josep Pibernat and Narcis Casas.
An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com
Well, not many people know about this but it is something for sure that happened. Paxau has a very strong character, Pibernat who worked at the Gas Gas factory, also a very very strong character, strong enough for sure at the very start there was no problem and the work happened without any delays or any friction, but then things got worse and he got to the point where there were massive problems developing between the factory and Torello and in reality just these two men and I am not talking too far down the road here either, the problems really started to get very bad on the second year of the Halley, so this was in 1988, very near the start of the company.
Austria 1986 and the Spanish team supported by the federation get to work prepping the bikes.
An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com
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An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com
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An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com
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Why do you think this happened?
Well it was a great bike it really was terrific, like we sold so many of them and everybody was happy with this. Once again inside it was not good because sometimes they were fighting inside.
Well it was a great bike it really was terrific, like we sold so many of them and everybody was happy with this. Once again inside it was not good because sometimes they were fighting inside.
More of Albert's photo collection from his time on the road in Italy, New York and Scandanavia. Albert Juvantany was at this time minding for Gallach on Montesa and at this time according to himself was totally fed up with bikes, after spending most of his life riding and minding. At this stage, little did he know that the worst was yet to come :). Note the japanese chap is the highly respected photographer from THE magazine of all magazines "Trial Journal", during his years on the road.
An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com
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Can we talk about them being jealous of one another?
Yes, I think jealousy was the main motivation behind the bad relationship, between Paxau and Piber, things got so bad, that it arrived at the situation where they would not talk to each other at all, not a little bit, this is a critical situation for the company because things could not continue like this. This was very early into the company, so at the start Piber pursued Paxau to work for Gas Gas, but at this time I don't think you realise how strong, Paxau was in the work of developing bikes.
Yes, I think jealousy was the main motivation behind the bad relationship, between Paxau and Piber, things got so bad, that it arrived at the situation where they would not talk to each other at all, not a little bit, this is a critical situation for the company because things could not continue like this. This was very early into the company, so at the start Piber pursued Paxau to work for Gas Gas, but at this time I don't think you realise how strong, Paxau was in the work of developing bikes.
As well as being paid to produce every GasGas Trial model, Josep Paxau ensured that many model's were marked with his "PXC" logo. This wasn't simply a donation by GasGas, it was advertising for Paxau.
Commissioned by GasGas, built by Paxau, mass produced by GasGas.
Of course this account of completely contrary to that of GasGas founder Josep Pibernat. During his Retrotrials interview where perhaps Piber did not understand my question, he claims there that Paxau did not contribute at all and that he designed and created the machines.
Let me clear this up - Paxau created them.
Commissioned by GasGas, built by Paxau, mass produced by GasGas.
Of course this account of completely contrary to that of GasGas founder Josep Pibernat. During his Retrotrials interview where perhaps Piber did not understand my question, he claims there that Paxau did not contribute at all and that he designed and created the machines.
Let me clear this up - Paxau created them.
An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com Trialsjournal
Paxau had a very strong ability to be able to interpret what the market wanted and then provide that product, this was the prime reason for the jealousy between the two men because Piber not wanted this relationship with the public and he never had it because and he never received it because he was involved with a different area of the company, with suppliers and manufacturing processes, so all of this work was going on by Piber, not in the factory and this separate development work by Paxau and really Piber was receiving the acknowledgement of the development work and the development of the Gas Gas brand.
A great 1987 photo of Paxau at his workshop.
A great 1987 photo of Paxau at his workshop.
An Interview with Trials insider Albert Callis www.retrotrials.com Trialsjournal
I think in one week he was receiving 100 phone calls from different people about the year, said about that he was very much one of the centre Gas Gas people to talk to and people worse I think not getting this level of communication from others, Piber got zero, he was hidden, Paxau, didn't engineer this situation it's just something that happened and when he received the attention from the press and the public he enjoyed it and he like this but probably Piber did not receive this attention like an equal, this generated great great problems, for example at about 10 at night one evening at night Narcis contacted me at home on the phone and he asked me please can you help me resolving this critical situation, the situation of Piber and Paxau are not talking. Narcis offered me a permanent position as a middleman between these two men.