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18 - Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder
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Did you buy Merlin?
I take the building of Merlin and the materials and after I sell everything and it is finished
Did you give them money for the Merlin name?
No no no. We take the materials, sell this and pay Pedro and Ignacio take 800,000 pecetas.
Was that a lot of money?
No no. He sells the materials this and this and finish finished finished, everybody is happy
I take the building of Merlin and the materials and after I sell everything and it is finished
Did you give them money for the Merlin name?
No no no. We take the materials, sell this and pay Pedro and Ignacio take 800,000 pecetas.
Was that a lot of money?
No no. He sells the materials this and this and finish finished finished, everybody is happy
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In your opinion, why did Merlin finish?
It is difficult. The people, they did not have ....one day they work, next day they no work. Money was no problem. One day they go, another day they no go. The engine is very big, the Cagiva engine is not ideal. Pedro Arpa have a lot of work with the building and a lot of other things. It was no possible to think about the motorbikes. Some people treat it like a game and then one day the boss he say stop, finish. Maybe they no invest the time, maybe they have a lot of work in another business. I think you then used some of the remaining Cagiva engines in the early GasGas bikes? With the 4 strokes? No two stroke bikes. John Shirt in England. He has some very early GasGas Trial with Cagiva engine. No, the enduro. No Trial No no zero …zero. Ha ha (In fact 12 of these 1989 Cagiva engined 125cc trial bikes were imported into the UK. It was a long time ago and there were only a few so its understandable how this has been forgotten). With enduro because I buy 3000 enduro Cagiva. I buy complete 3000 bikes. I take the stickers and put GasGas and sell enduro. 125 and 250 engines. They were very good bikes, very good bikes. The 125 was a very powerful engine. |
John Shirt Snr and Jnr with some nice Garibaldi gloves.
Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com photo Trial Journal
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What was Remoto?
Remoto was recambios motos. Spare parts for motorcycles. Hebo mean “It’s good”. “What is this? “ “It’s good”. Ah ok, I did not know that. What was the group organisation called that had under its umbrella Hebo Remoto and Megamo. 
GasGas was the group name. Megamo make bicycles and GasGas own 100% of Megamo and it was the same for the others as well.
So you went from the small shop in Salt and other small workshop and then you go to the Fornells factory? Before Fornells we are at Dani Fonts place and the other small place, yes. This move from small places to the big Fornells factory must have been excellent and given you a great opportunity. Yes, very big and in one year I make 1000 bikes and then next year 5000 bikes. In 1985 we make 30. 1986 200 1987 1000 then 5000 later. What was the largest number of people you employed at the GasGas? 180 How many people were employed with Remoto? Maybe 50. Narcis looked after Remoto. GasGas had a maximum turnover of 60,000,000 euro and Remoto or Hebo 12,000,000 euros. When you moved to the factory at Fornells, were you still riding in competitions? Yes. I only ride the enduro and I never ride the trial. I try and I test many but I never ride these in competition. I test mostly the bikes much earlier like the Bultaco and SWM. I arrive in the last Six Days in I think, 81 and after make The Paris Dakar in 86 and the Inca rally in 86 ,87. |
Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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Through the power of people I have tracked down both partner's business cards showing their responsibility.
Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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As well as making motorcycles in the 1990's GasGas motors .SA also had a motors division producing engines and accessories for other manufacturers around the World
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Piber is an experienced and internationally successful enduro rider who was not afraid to hang off the bike and wind it open.
Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive Interview with GasGas co Founder Josep Pibernat www.retrotrials.com
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In 86, 87 what bike did you ride in the Dakar?
I buy the Suzuki and in the Inca rally a Husqvarna. I not have made ready bikes so I buy. Did you ever think that GasGas would get so big? No, I expected that with Narcis we would make 1000 bikes and then stop. I make 30, then 300, then 1000, then 5000, then 15000. We make the investment of 200 euros and factory was worth 60 million ha ha. Did you have any big problems with warranty issues with the early bikes? No, every bike have a lot of problems but with the suppliers we work very hard for repair and help a lot, a lot a lot. John Shirt and others. I make the mistakes and we repair and this gives me a lot of experience “Hey this should be made in this way “,help help help help. Everybody help a lot. Can you remember a specific idea for a bike that you had and that you tested but it went bad and no make production? |
Oh this happen many times. I cannot remember one thing but for sure this happen many times. Something I make is fantastic but after it is not fantastic. Some material you use is very good very expensive but you don't need the strength you need more elastic metal. After we change to this different metal the little pinion is not broken no more. There were always surprises for me and the team but it was not bad. This is just the way of the work. Sometimes we make and is fantastic, other time is no good ha ha. Nothing works right immediately. We try many things always. We are always trying so many things to make improvements.
Sometimes even the finish of the component would make the component bad. Then we would change the finish and polish with oil the component and then when polished the component would be fantastic. The balance of components is also very important and we work hard with this to make smooth engine with no vibration. The parts are placed on the competition bikes for testing and it was only after the big test for months that they go production. Different from the trial normally if the part works well in the motocross it works well in the Enduro ...normally, but trial is completely different.
Sometimes even the finish of the component would make the component bad. Then we would change the finish and polish with oil the component and then when polished the component would be fantastic. The balance of components is also very important and we work hard with this to make smooth engine with no vibration. The parts are placed on the competition bikes for testing and it was only after the big test for months that they go production. Different from the trial normally if the part works well in the motocross it works well in the Enduro ...normally, but trial is completely different.