New 2015 Jgas Factory Photos And Information

[micm]

Integrated light industrial design with a smattering of cool graphics and other smarts has never been the forte of the UK.

If enough money is flying about like in F1 we can do it, otherwise it all ends up a bit Wallace and Gromit.

On the other hand, maybe the trials world is ready for a 'steam punk' style bike!

[africanjon]

Small, streamlined and running a tight ship seems the business model for all manufacturers of trials bikes (except Honda obviously).  If Ossa had stayed independent they would not be in the mess they find themselves.

[ruffmutt]

Whatever happened to the new " World class " Greeves?

[eddie_lejeune]

Whatever happened to the new " World class " Greeves?

 

dont knock a guy for having a go

[biffsgasgas]

James you are at least right in that there's no money in it so perhaps Vertigo have some chance as that looks like a rich mans folly which is fine and they are actually testing it instead of selling a POS that's untested.

I ride a Honda it's quality is miles ahead of the ***** the Spanish knock out,as a betting man I'd be happy to bet you 100k JG are not around in 5 years time.

You can keep your additional weight and perceived quality for that 100k... Pesos right? As a betting man myself I figured....

You've established in about a dozen posts that all of us who ride fly by night "POS" bikes are wrong. Where is rothmans honda? Love the bike but appears to be the same business model by the same company with different money arm.

So bike manufacture vs bike manufacture:

Bike one: Designed and built by those who live eat and breathe the sport backed by generations of experience.

Bike two: used as a promotional arm of a Fortune 500 company who wants another trophy at any cost.

I don't want a trophy bike. I want to ride a bike that wins me trophies and have been riding them for years.

--biff

PS I'm thinking an Eye-Talian (in my native NY accent) "POS" touched you in a bad way on an amateur track day in your past. Show us where it touched you.

Edited April 27, 2015 by biffsgasgas

[lineaway]

That's more of a shed than a factory to me,a deeply flawed business model too I'd say.

 After World War two your beloved Mr Honda did work from a SHED 12 meters square.   

[gasgas249uk]

Small, streamlined and running a tight ship seems the business model for all manufacturers of trials bikes (except Honda obviously).  If Ossa had stayed independent they would not be in the mess they find themselves.

 

Your dead right about small and streamlined. Theres no money in trials so dont go spending it..................and that in my opinion was just one of the reasons where Ossa did go wrong. The bike is excellent , i loved riding it..........but those snr guys at the factory -  Christ they could spend money.

 

Sexy  factory 

Company uniforms for everyone

35 staff in the factory when i visited

Full liveried factory race truck

Factory riders from the outset

Custom commissioned architectural factory sculpture

Computer controlled parts shelves

An expensive bike to actually put together 

 

And all of this money was spent on the back of a bike that had some problems

 

This is modern Trial history and theyre still making mistakes.

 

Ouch !!.Its such a pity but  it was written in stone . The management just spent way to much and didnt sell enough.

 

I have some photos of Ossa 2 weeks ago and Christ ....the difference between then (2012) and now is startling . Talk about bush weed blowing across the factory floor.

 

I met one of the 2 the bosses and some staff for a chat

 

Ill get them online soon.

 

Ossa and GG are still separate companies . The general hope is that Ossa and GasGas will be sold for a Euro - loose its debts and rise again.

 

I hope so .

[nigel dabster]

its only sold for a euro if someone takes on the debt..................................

[crazybond700]

I reckon Piebernat has it about right, much easier to keep control of a small enterprise. I also think he has so much experience of making trials type engines he does not need much R and D. Nice wide gasket faces on the engine for example.

 

Why can't we do it in Britain?  Several have tried (Armstrong, Hiro, CCM etc) but for some reason never sold in economic quantities. Spain probably has developed a cluster of competent parts supplies and expertise in the Barcelona area as well as necessary import contacts, bit like Oxford / Silverstone corridor is Heart of F1 engineering.

 

I could pretty well source all the parts to build a trials bike within 40 miles of where I live and certainly within the UK or readily imported but the engine design and development costs would be the major obstacle. 

Perhaps someone could persuade Triumph to make a 250 4T engine that could have easy variants for Trials, Trail, Enduro, Commuters and Scooters

Dont forget the long, long, long history of trials in the barcelona area. All brands can be back traced to that area. Montesa, scorpa, sherco etc etc. All the ''ascescoires'' companies are there for parts (because of the history). And if the trial industry would be a family we would probably call it isest, there are so many connections, and its a small world.

 

The problem is that the trials market basically is a prestige project, build out of passion, with the heart, not the mind. I think great of KTM company, and I dont see them producing trials bikes because there is just not true money to be earned. Maybe they could take a project for research purposes, but I quess all the types of motorsports they are doing now will be enough.

Edited April 28, 2015 by crazybond700

[gasgas249uk]

Yes Andrew.

This debt issue is of course part of business.

I remember Estonia So let explaining to me that Bultaco were always having cash problems and always running for more credit notes from Francos government.

The old Montesa on the other hand were much more financially secure ..... but not because of family money but because non motorcyclist mad Pere Permanyer revelled in designing smooth manufacturing processes that made money. So it was money first. .. then bikes ?

I was lucky enough to meet and interview Jordi Permanyer recently . He led old Montesa and negotiated the deal with the Japanese , staying on with them until the 90s.

It's very interesting and throws a different light on the whole Montesa operation . I'll get the interview online soon.

It explains how to make bikes on a big scale.

[crazybond700]

Yes Andrew.

This debt issue is of course part of business.

I remember Estonia So let explaining to me that Bultaco were always having cash problems and always running for more credit notes from Francos government.

The old Montesa on the other hand were much more financially secure ..... but not because of family money but because non motorcyclist mad Pere Permanyer revelled in designing smooth manufacturing processes that made money. So it was money first. .. then bikes ?

I was lucky enough to meet and interview Jordi Permanyer recently . He led old Montesa and negotiated the deal with the Japanese , staying on with them until the 90s.

It's very interesting and throws a different light on the whole Montesa operation . I'll get the interview online soon.

It explains how to make bikes on a big scale.

Stories are always nice to read! (it was me recently who emailed you because of student questions )

[gasgas249uk]

I remember. Good luck with the course.