Interview with owner francisco almirall - 5/12/11.
Who started Alfer?
Me and 2 friends, Bravo Fernandez and Nithan Fernandez , many , many , many years ago. The name Alfer comes from AL- Almirall and FER- Fernandez.
When was this?.
I was in the University . I finished the University ,30 years ago.
Why did you start it?
Because we were enduro drivers and we race in Spain. The market was closed for the import of Japanese bikes and the Spanish market needed bikes. The Montesa was an old bike , very heavy, and basically the Spanish market was supplied with SWM from Italy , some Apillia's ok and some KTM. KTM was in the beginning here in Spain. There was a good market place here in Spain so we started.
We began making enduro bikes using the Hiro engine , made in Milano. By our 2nd year we had some important orders and business was improving well. Unfortunately Hiro close and our supply of engines was gone. This was our first major problem. We then made an agreement with Italian engine builder Villa to supply us. We were big back then friends , but also Villa have problems after 2 years. Villa always had a lot of engines but they would never finish something off well and perfect, you know. We started by begin using some of their bikes more or less , less swinging arms frames. After a while we made all of the bike here using the Villa engine. Finally we sell him our bike with his engine. But again Villa closes , another time with this problem. What can we do?.
So you sell Villa your bikes?
Yes
They put their name on our bikes?.
Yes , I do not know the quantities. We sell them frames , swinging arms plastics
So now they close, what do we do now - close?
One mistake we make is small company is make bikes for enduro and bikes for Trial - big mistake.
In the factory we have fights between the people that make the trial and people who make the enduro in a small company.
This happen everywhere I am sure , but we all make the same mistakes you know
We decide do spend no more money in the trial market because the heart of the company was in enduro
Then we decide to use Rotax engines. They had big quantities of engines in stock that were really powerful but they decided to stop making them. At the same time began the evolution of the 4 stroke. We say ok Rotax , we love this engine but the engine was difficult to drive .It was very powerful but the power come in too quickly. With rotax there were some problems but we were used to this.
The market needs change every year. The 4 stroke was arriving. Now it change again and people go back to 2 stroke. After 25 years we are faced with the same problem again of engine suppliers. We have to make the decision. Do we make and an engine or change the bikes we make
We work with another company and make bikes for children for 1-2 years in France. About 5-6 years ago Derbi make the 75cc and 80cc motocross engines. We buy them and we produce a lot of 80cc motocross bikes. When Piaggio buy Derbi they decide to produce the engine in Italy with another adjustment that was not right for these bikes.This is yet another problem that we have to deal with.
Finally I say , alright my friends I am tired ,working working working.
The suppliers of the engines don’t help us.
Then mini bikes come from china at zero prices . They were rubbish bikes at cheap price. Our sales go down. My friend in France who was selling our bikes for us saw this as well and his market died.
About 5-6 years ago with develop a 125cc 4 strokes bike . We sell a lot of them. We then go to China and ask them to produce them. It was a simple bike for fun at the weekend. When we have our backs turned they copy the bike and sell to others. The bikes arrive in Spain with a different name.
Unfortunately they have no respect for intellectual property. I said finish , no more.
The market was too difficult. Game over.
But then you come back with the electric bikes?
This is a team of people who work with me and with another electrical company who develop the bike. It is running. They approach me and he wants to use our Alfer name and building. He asks me to help. I say ok ,if you don’t use my time and you don’t use my money.
The project is doing well. They have a company who is making an investment to make it all come together and the government provides help for the electrical bikes. I do not know yet if the machine will go into production. It has no clutch.
How long has Sucrame the brick and ceramics company been in your family?
50 years
You have Sucrame and Alfer , why do both when you could have an easy life?
Because Sucrame in the beginning an easy job and I had a keen interest in motorcycles .I had time to work at Alfer. In the start it was easy to do well, but then the Japanese come with water-cooling , after disc brake ,after aluminium, after electric valve. We arrive each year too late. The Japanese don’t compete in enduro and we have a good market for many years and good results with 2nd and 3rd place . The no 1 was Paul Edmondson with the Gas Gas. We were the 1st and 2nd with the Spanish drivers .
Alfer have big success with enduro?
Yes we win the championship in the 80cc class in Spain
IT was very good
Yes , was very good
Nothing lasts forever
Was Alfer ever the way to get out Sucrame?
Yes , but was not possible
Were your engines from Moto villa complete or did you have to assemble?
The trials bike engine was complete - yes we alter nothing.
At your height , how many employees did you have?
Alfer - 10 plus more drivers ,
Did you ever take workers from Sucrame to Alfer?.
No , because the work is different. Some workers from Alfer do work here
How many bikes did you make each week at the peak?
It is difficult to say. We built each bike for a few month , then stop and set up to start building another different bike.
Which was Alfer’s best bike?
The enduro vr250 enduro , was wonderful
Coming onto the TX300 , the trial bike
Who designed the trial?
Albert Juvanty , he was a trial rider. He was a friend of mine but I have not seen him for many years. He want to make bike so he developed the bike. We make agreement and work with us. It was a good bike . The trouble is that you want to take first place you need a good driver and a good team and the team spend a lot of money. If you don’t have a capacity to build thousands of bikes you do not have the money to do it. Making 200 bikes a year you cannot have team for world championship
How long did Albert stay at Alfer?
From 88 for 3 - 4 years
How many trial you make?
200 - 300 total .2 models, The green and the red.
You have engineer named Martin Clerch. What can you tell me about him?
Francisco starts to laugh
Why are you laughing?
Martin Clerch spends a lot of money on the development of the engine
You know Martin Clerch?
No ,I have read about him in magazine.
He is a very good technical man, he was my friend
One day we sit at the table and I ask Martin let me know when this engine will be ready for the trial. I spend lots of money on the development of the new engine. I said I know you work a lot but let me know when this project will be ready.
He says it will be ready , when it will be ready?..I say ok , I cannot do anything with this. He then finishes because I cannot work like this.
What sort of engine was this?
It was water-cooled with electric pump. He has some very new ideas of the engine but to be the first with new ideas there is risk. He wants to be the first and make things that no other person does.
Does Martin have his own company
He works for a company that sell oils or something like this. He doesn’t do a lot with engines , I think.
I see a photo of the prototype water-cooled engine in an Alfer
Yes , it was at a show , the prototype
Did it work
This bike never ran ,the engine was empty.
In France there was a motorcycle manufacturer called Alpha. The trial bikes they produce are exactly the same as Alfer , but a different colour
We make collaboration with a French company that is now Sherco , they were called Scorpa. Scorpa produce trial bikes , we produce enduro. We decide to make collaboration. We sell them bikes to them and we buy bikes from them , but use the original names of the bikes. This was the agreement but after he say we want to sell the bikes in France with the name ALPHA and you must sell bikes in Spain with ALPHA.
I say no , both with same condition or nothing
He show their new bike in a newspaper with the name ALPHA. It is really our Alfer Trial. After the people see , they know It was an Alfer. They know ALPHA – Scorpa lie. It was a problem for them , not for me.
Me and 2 friends, Bravo Fernandez and Nithan Fernandez , many , many , many years ago. The name Alfer comes from AL- Almirall and FER- Fernandez.
When was this?.
I was in the University . I finished the University ,30 years ago.
Why did you start it?
Because we were enduro drivers and we race in Spain. The market was closed for the import of Japanese bikes and the Spanish market needed bikes. The Montesa was an old bike , very heavy, and basically the Spanish market was supplied with SWM from Italy , some Apillia's ok and some KTM. KTM was in the beginning here in Spain. There was a good market place here in Spain so we started.
We began making enduro bikes using the Hiro engine , made in Milano. By our 2nd year we had some important orders and business was improving well. Unfortunately Hiro close and our supply of engines was gone. This was our first major problem. We then made an agreement with Italian engine builder Villa to supply us. We were big back then friends , but also Villa have problems after 2 years. Villa always had a lot of engines but they would never finish something off well and perfect, you know. We started by begin using some of their bikes more or less , less swinging arms frames. After a while we made all of the bike here using the Villa engine. Finally we sell him our bike with his engine. But again Villa closes , another time with this problem. What can we do?.
So you sell Villa your bikes?
Yes
They put their name on our bikes?.
Yes , I do not know the quantities. We sell them frames , swinging arms plastics
So now they close, what do we do now - close?
One mistake we make is small company is make bikes for enduro and bikes for Trial - big mistake.
In the factory we have fights between the people that make the trial and people who make the enduro in a small company.
This happen everywhere I am sure , but we all make the same mistakes you know
We decide do spend no more money in the trial market because the heart of the company was in enduro
Then we decide to use Rotax engines. They had big quantities of engines in stock that were really powerful but they decided to stop making them. At the same time began the evolution of the 4 stroke. We say ok Rotax , we love this engine but the engine was difficult to drive .It was very powerful but the power come in too quickly. With rotax there were some problems but we were used to this.
The market needs change every year. The 4 stroke was arriving. Now it change again and people go back to 2 stroke. After 25 years we are faced with the same problem again of engine suppliers. We have to make the decision. Do we make and an engine or change the bikes we make
We work with another company and make bikes for children for 1-2 years in France. About 5-6 years ago Derbi make the 75cc and 80cc motocross engines. We buy them and we produce a lot of 80cc motocross bikes. When Piaggio buy Derbi they decide to produce the engine in Italy with another adjustment that was not right for these bikes.This is yet another problem that we have to deal with.
Finally I say , alright my friends I am tired ,working working working.
The suppliers of the engines don’t help us.
Then mini bikes come from china at zero prices . They were rubbish bikes at cheap price. Our sales go down. My friend in France who was selling our bikes for us saw this as well and his market died.
About 5-6 years ago with develop a 125cc 4 strokes bike . We sell a lot of them. We then go to China and ask them to produce them. It was a simple bike for fun at the weekend. When we have our backs turned they copy the bike and sell to others. The bikes arrive in Spain with a different name.
Unfortunately they have no respect for intellectual property. I said finish , no more.
The market was too difficult. Game over.
But then you come back with the electric bikes?
This is a team of people who work with me and with another electrical company who develop the bike. It is running. They approach me and he wants to use our Alfer name and building. He asks me to help. I say ok ,if you don’t use my time and you don’t use my money.
The project is doing well. They have a company who is making an investment to make it all come together and the government provides help for the electrical bikes. I do not know yet if the machine will go into production. It has no clutch.
How long has Sucrame the brick and ceramics company been in your family?
50 years
You have Sucrame and Alfer , why do both when you could have an easy life?
Because Sucrame in the beginning an easy job and I had a keen interest in motorcycles .I had time to work at Alfer. In the start it was easy to do well, but then the Japanese come with water-cooling , after disc brake ,after aluminium, after electric valve. We arrive each year too late. The Japanese don’t compete in enduro and we have a good market for many years and good results with 2nd and 3rd place . The no 1 was Paul Edmondson with the Gas Gas. We were the 1st and 2nd with the Spanish drivers .
Alfer have big success with enduro?
Yes we win the championship in the 80cc class in Spain
IT was very good
Yes , was very good
Nothing lasts forever
Was Alfer ever the way to get out Sucrame?
Yes , but was not possible
Were your engines from Moto villa complete or did you have to assemble?
The trials bike engine was complete - yes we alter nothing.
At your height , how many employees did you have?
Alfer - 10 plus more drivers ,
Did you ever take workers from Sucrame to Alfer?.
No , because the work is different. Some workers from Alfer do work here
How many bikes did you make each week at the peak?
It is difficult to say. We built each bike for a few month , then stop and set up to start building another different bike.
Which was Alfer’s best bike?
The enduro vr250 enduro , was wonderful
Coming onto the TX300 , the trial bike
Who designed the trial?
Albert Juvanty , he was a trial rider. He was a friend of mine but I have not seen him for many years. He want to make bike so he developed the bike. We make agreement and work with us. It was a good bike . The trouble is that you want to take first place you need a good driver and a good team and the team spend a lot of money. If you don’t have a capacity to build thousands of bikes you do not have the money to do it. Making 200 bikes a year you cannot have team for world championship
How long did Albert stay at Alfer?
From 88 for 3 - 4 years
How many trial you make?
200 - 300 total .2 models, The green and the red.
You have engineer named Martin Clerch. What can you tell me about him?
Francisco starts to laugh
Why are you laughing?
Martin Clerch spends a lot of money on the development of the engine
You know Martin Clerch?
No ,I have read about him in magazine.
He is a very good technical man, he was my friend
One day we sit at the table and I ask Martin let me know when this engine will be ready for the trial. I spend lots of money on the development of the new engine. I said I know you work a lot but let me know when this project will be ready.
He says it will be ready , when it will be ready?..I say ok , I cannot do anything with this. He then finishes because I cannot work like this.
What sort of engine was this?
It was water-cooled with electric pump. He has some very new ideas of the engine but to be the first with new ideas there is risk. He wants to be the first and make things that no other person does.
Does Martin have his own company
He works for a company that sell oils or something like this. He doesn’t do a lot with engines , I think.
I see a photo of the prototype water-cooled engine in an Alfer
Yes , it was at a show , the prototype
Did it work
This bike never ran ,the engine was empty.
In France there was a motorcycle manufacturer called Alpha. The trial bikes they produce are exactly the same as Alfer , but a different colour
We make collaboration with a French company that is now Sherco , they were called Scorpa. Scorpa produce trial bikes , we produce enduro. We decide to make collaboration. We sell them bikes to them and we buy bikes from them , but use the original names of the bikes. This was the agreement but after he say we want to sell the bikes in France with the name ALPHA and you must sell bikes in Spain with ALPHA.
I say no , both with same condition or nothing
He show their new bike in a newspaper with the name ALPHA. It is really our Alfer Trial. After the people see , they know It was an Alfer. They know ALPHA – Scorpa lie. It was a problem for them , not for me.