Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/789906
INTERVIEW SHERCO FOUNDER MARC TEISSIER P94 been one of the most positive things. How big is Sherco and what is the company's current busi- ness strategy? We are not so big, but like I said we are dynamic. Our total sales figures are 6000 units, trial and enduro combined. But there is possibility to increase. This is what we've been working on. We are pushing to increase our global distribution. We are open- ing to new markets—Australia, South America, North America— while also improving our existing sport in decline, especially at world championship level. For 2017, there is a new promoter and shakeup of the series, what advice would you offer on taking the sport forward? I believe you need to re- member the original roots of the sport. For me world trials competition is currently not a good promotion tool to sell my motorcycle and to sell the busi- ness. It's too elitist. The level is now so high that it's become difficult for the public to identify with the sport with what guys like Toni Bou and Albert Cabestany are doing. I think the new promoter wants to make a big show. But for me it's important not to confuse sport with show—it's also the same for extreme and enduro. Trials and extreme en- duro are at the same sort of risk. In extreme, there are currently many riders competing but in 10 years' time, if we keep making the rocks so big that only three people in the world can ride them, then people will say it's no good. I understand what people mean when they say, "look at F1 or MotoGP." But F1 or MotoGP is only a laboratory or showcase for the pinnacle of the motor ve- hicle industry. There are just 20 motorcycles or cars on the track and all of them are prototypes. They are not available to the public—you can't buy an F1 car to make sport at the weekend. In trials we race the bike we "It's been a big investment to make— three models in both two-stroke and four-stroke enduro plus three models in trials…" sales, too. We are now reaching the end of what will be our biggest ex- pansion phase and that is having a complete range of motorcycles for the consumer to choose from. We launched our new 125cc two-stroke at the EICMA show in Milan last November and in a few months' time it will be ready for market. Then we're complete. It's been a big invest- ment to make—three models in both two-stroke and four-stroke enduro plus three models in trials—but we are now almost finished with the process and it will be a good job. Your heart and Sherco's heart is very much in trials. But it also seems to be a Teissier seems to understand the difference between the needs of the high-end racers and the gen- eral off-road riding public. cont. on page 96