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Exclusive interview with josep paxau |
RT: What was the contractual relationship with Merlin and why did you leave?
P: I was self employed but they paid me every month. Pere Arpa was a partner and investor of Ignacio in Merlin and he proposed that I make a motorcycle for the following seasons. I developed the Merlin prototype that everybody knows and that I still have and at the same time Ignacio Bultó developed the Fius (3 spoked wheel).
P: I was self employed but they paid me every month. Pere Arpa was a partner and investor of Ignacio in Merlin and he proposed that I make a motorcycle for the following seasons. I developed the Merlin prototype that everybody knows and that I still have and at the same time Ignacio Bultó developed the Fius (3 spoked wheel).
Paxau's monoshock Merlin prototype. He had hoped that this would have been adopted by Merlin, but Ignacio Bulto
had other ideas.
had other ideas.
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Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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It was a very heavy and long bike in comparison to mine but in the end they went for it. I deduced that they didn’t need me any more and I left. As an anecdote, I must state that when GG bought Merlin, when we went into the factory I found the water-cooled prototypes that they were developing. At that moment I felt sad to throw it away, so I took it to my workshop and I still have it.
Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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RT: Which year did you go to GG finally? In 86 the Halley is presented, did you actually develop it or was it already done?
P: I signed in 85, I was friends with Casas and Piber, in the 85 motor show they presented a very strange motorbike, (blue with a Villa engine) they started asking me to work with them. We negotiated for 6 months until I joined them. The union lasted 13 years, until 1998.
P: I signed in 85, I was friends with Casas and Piber, in the 85 motor show they presented a very strange motorbike, (blue with a Villa engine) they started asking me to work with them. We negotiated for 6 months until I joined them. The union lasted 13 years, until 1998.
In this photo Paxau and Andreu Codina work with a Boge suspension engineer in their quest for improved suspension.
Exclusive interview with josep paxau www.retrotrials.com
The original prototype GasGas Halley made by Casas and Pibernat drew little attention at the Barcelona motorcycle show. Due to the poor reaction the partners were deeply concerned that they wouldnt sell any. They then employed Paxau to remake their bike . The finished Halley as we know today is the product Paxau produced.
1985 and Paxau tests the original GasGas Halley.
Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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I developed all the motorbikes from the prototype in the motor show up to the model that was commercialized. Even in Torelló, they manufactured 12 parts for it, that later on would be assembled at Gas Gas, from the exhaust pipe all the suspension linkage the cylinder head the fork yoke the con rod the tank and the air filter…..
Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
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The GasGas Halley used some commonly available internal engine components , left over from the early 80's Spanish motorcycle manufacturers crisis.
Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com
RT: How was your salary and dealings with GG?
P: I had a monthly pay slip although I was not one of their workers. I was always independent and I have freedom to do what I wanted. On top of that I earned commission on each bike, but the development of the prototypes and improvements were always made in my workshop as always.
P: I had a monthly pay slip although I was not one of their workers. I was always independent and I have freedom to do what I wanted. On top of that I earned commission on each bike, but the development of the prototypes and improvements were always made in my workshop as always.
Exclusive interview with Josep Paxau www.retrotrials.com