KTM PRESIDENT/CEO STEFAN PIERER: PART 1
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Feature
transfer it to KTM in Austria as you
did with Husqvarna?
We'll keep it in Spain, because it's a
real joint venture, not a takeover, and
because Spain is a very important motorcycle mar-
ket. Anyway, you must remember that we already
have an R&D hub of almost 50 people in down-
town Barcelona, which we plan to enlarge to up to
100 strong. And Girona, where the GasGas factory
is, is not that far away, so it's a perfect fit for us.
Anyway, we like visiting Spain!
Barcelona is the number-one motorcycle city
in Spain, but it's also very electro-centric. Will you
continue the production of GasGas electric bikes
under their Torrot parent company's brand?
Yes for sure—I'm convinced that in the next
couple of years trials will be the first off-road seg-
ment which adopts electric almost 100%, because
the electric motor is the perfect fit for that, where
mileage is not that big an issue, and we want to be
environmentally friendly—it's perfect. Also, for kids'
bikes, electric is important; for sure, Barcelona will
become a strong R&D hub for electro-mobility.
But will there also be electric GasGas street
bikes as well as trials bikes?
No, not yet. Maybe there's a future there
for GasGas in on-road, but for the next three
years, I'm going to focus on GasGas as a
Spanish-origin brand in off-road competition from Tri-
als to Motocross.
Will there be a GasGas Rally team for the
African rallies and the Dakar??
It could happen. Remember we have a very fa-
mous Spanish woman rider, Laia Sanz. Hmm, Laia
on a GasGas would be very nice!
How does this affect your relationship with
Beta, which is, after all, also a major trials
brand?
We don't have any relationship with Beta anymore
or its owner. I had a relationship with his late father,
but unfortunately, the next generation didn't work out.
Will there be any GasGas models made in
India in the future?
Before you decide that you have to make a strate-
gic decision—is GasGas going on-road? So far, that's
a big question mark—but as the main title in all the
famous James Bond movies goes, never say never!
Continued next week. CN
KTM 790 Dukes
fresh off the assembly
line in India.
