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Edited Date/Time
10/17/2019 10:58am
Cycle News. GasGas to enter motocross in all classes. Stefan Pierer.
I get it, when you has the $$, you makes the calls....
Casting essentially the same motorcycles as new brands was a masterstroke.
It becomes inefficient if you let quality slip as we saw with the Detroit automakers, but I suspect GasGas will just add to their strength and overall share.
The Shop
Why not keep GasGas as a brand unique - introduce it to the GNCC or Worcs arenas where they have got tons of existing R&D data which is a directly transferable...
Hard to argue against that.
But, it saddens me to see a unique bike brand essentially, dissapear.
Though, I'd guess they won't mess with the Trials engines / bikes, much, at all.
If only because I see - and Peirer alluded to - the fact that Trials will probably be the most rapid 'change over' to all Electric. It's the perfect branch of the sport for it. Though, SX and RBSR - which may well become the successor to 'SX'
I've truly enjoyed seeing Kovar out there, in the EMX250 class (at times) and EMX300 and now EMX2T classes the last couple of seasons on the Gas Gas. That big bearded bloke is bloody quick, on an Enduro bike. He was on a 4t at the MXDN - I wonder if it was because 250 / 300 2ts were still not regarded as an 'Open' bike. A 300 would have been pretty good in those conditions. Though, the 450KTM (I think) he was on, was probably lighter than the GG.
If the rumours that KTM wants to make one of their supported teams into Factory Gas Gas in 2020 true, who would they make Gas Gas factory team? Below you can see the keyboardvomit that came into my mind without any hints or sources - a.k.a. just a rant.
The first team that comes in mind would be Standing Construct but Hoff there has contract directly with KTM. That would be a little poopy if you ask me. And Standing Construct has team only for MXGP
The second option that came into my head is czech JD Gunnex racing team... Now, listen a minute... I try to not toot my own horn very, very hard here *starts sweating*.... but they are already familiar with Spain, spent good chunk of time in spring in bootcamp of Jose Butron and are stil linked to sign him for 2020. But wait, there is more. They have also riders in MX2 and since Petr Polák did get the boot lately, there is atleast one free place where they could place idk... Ruben Fernandéz (idk if he hasn't aged out of MX2)... and boom. Bob is your spanish uncle.
The third option would be Marchetti racing. They have riders in MXGP and MX2 but they already announced the team and look set sail under the orange banner.
One way or another the world looks a bit dimmer because with another colour variation of KTM there is a dusk of aluminium (frames) ahead.
Guess its easy to win when the same bike takes up 50% of the field.
But 1 company taking up 50% of the field turns racing into a numbers game rather than a race between mfgs.
Vital: “we need more factory teams. These guys deserve to get paid!!”
Ktm: “we hear you loud and clear vital. We’re gonna get these guys on a bunch of different teams and bikes to give them the best chance possible to succeed. While doing so we also want our company to be highly successful.
Vital: fuck ktm. They offer too many bikes in different brands/colors. They need to stop paying these athletes money to ride their bikes because the majority will be on those brands rather than my beloved Suzuki’s!
Pit Row
Eventually the racing goes from a battle of riders and manufacturers to only riders all riding the same bike. Then all the best riders are signed on by the same company which leaves others like suzuki unable to be competitive and ultimately drop out of racing like theyre already doing.
What happens when you got 10 factory KTM guys all on different “brands” and them forming a giant roadblock to skew the outcomes of races.
Just have to open up the wallet and support more riders/teams.
What KTM group has done for racing worldwide is nothing but admirable. It's not their fault that they spend more money on racing compared to all the other brands.
I’m gonna go ride my white KTM now.
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