atomant

Superb video and fantastic editing and production. Bravo

I don't think the cost of manufacture comes into it too much as I don't think the vertigo will be priced on a cost + basis . The owner is a shrewd businessman and I am as interested to know how he brings the machine to market as I am in the machine itself. Will he price it at the top end of the market simply because he isn't geared up (yet) for mass manufacture so he may want to limit the sales to ensure they can meet demand?, or with his background of fast and efficient mass manufacture, will he want to price it lower, sell a lot more and ramp up production to suit and dominate the market? Pretty interesting I think.

No S**t Sherlock !

I have absolutely no doubt that whatever happens, Gas Gas will continue - In whatever guise that is we will find out in due time but the brand is too established and is too good for someone not to do something with IMHO. Raga may go to Vertigo ?

These pics made me giggle - All the blokes looking at this are interested in the bike and all the women looking at this are going " Get that ****ing thing off my mahogany table "

At last ! We have a businessman with a sound strategy owning/running a trials machine company! You have to admire the team that put this together and the way they brought it to us. It is fitting that they have done so well at the SSDT and proven a prototype before they take any money from the buying public for one. As a guy that designs and builds prototype manufacturing machines all the time, it is a luxury to be in the position of having so much time to get it absolutely right before it is used in anger and it makes all the difference. Total respect to the owner Manel Jane for his business nounce, To Dougie,James, all the other riders and the PR team that have done an amazing job to get it to this stage. Now the only thing to get right is the price, the distribution ,service and support and I can't see why it cannot become the best selling machine in the country

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RTX-Fantic-Twinshock-trials-Special-250cc-bike-/281674485985?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item41951b90e1

I was lucky enough to see Steve Saunders win here in 1988 and watched him clear that hill and the roar was deafening from the crowd! Still gives me goosebumps looking at it again now.. And what do you think of the conditions? p.s. Now the BBC haven't got TopGear anymore, maybe they could reinstate trials back in its place?

I think the strategy is to get sales in emerging markets outside of Spain. I thought that was the basis of one of the investors proposal to put cash in?

What do you call an Asian Lesbian? Q: If mothers have Mother's Day and fathers have Father's Day, what do single guys have? 2 Blondes walk into a building.......... You would have thought one of them would have seen it

Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked, "What is wrong with you?" Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said he was going to give him a companion. God said, "This person will cook for you and wash your clothes. She will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you, and she will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache, and she will freely give love and compassion whenever needed." Adam asked God, "What will this woman cost?" God replied, "An arm and a leg." Adam said, "What can I get for just a rib?"

Please remember it is still a PROTOTYPE and they haven't sold any bikes to the public yet so finding these things out now and fixing them is par for the course.

In the promo video they have put as a backing track a really cool tune ( IMHO) - Urban Cone - New York (Oliver Nelson Remix) Just in case anyone who likes the track wants to know what it is

As you went into accounting, I find it hard to believe you cannot see the problem yourself? The main issue is the debt they have to service. They have traded on the goodwill of their suppliers for too long and they now want their money they are owed paid back otherwise no more parts will be shipped. so it is obvious really.. isn't it ? They obviously have some operating costs to sort as well I must add...

Of course it gives a competitive advantage. You can change the set-up from section to section and even in a section as I just mentioned. It HAS a competitive advantage over a carburetor . Just ask Toni Bou eh ?

All of this just because Dadof2 says EFI is no good for a trials bike This argument is futile because you are not comparing like for like . The only similarity is that they both deliver fuel into an engine. The mechanics are obviously much different and with this comes a whole lot of other parameters to consider. EFI is FAR superior to a carburetor in a sport where you could possibly need a variety of tune-able options to meet the terrain/climate/conditions of a trial on a weekly basis. You can even control how the fuel/air is delivered through a section if you want to. Weight is not even worth considering as there isn't a rider here who could make use of any advantage of a few grams here or there. And regards the cost, what about the costs of maintenance? Riders do not take that into consideration - They might like to fettle away in a shed playing with this and that but it all costs ( marriages mostly ) EFI is here to stay and all you will see carbs on in the future is chainsaws/lawnmowers/hedge-cutters and the like ! IMHO

I have read that Ramon Puente, (CEO GasGas) has announced to the local press (Diari de Girona) that an investor group is willing to pay €9m to see GasGas extend their market into South America and Asia ... so someone must have faith in the company.

I agree, and why has this come about? Money is cheap at the moment - They have good sales and why aren't they making enough money on a 45m turnover? There will be people who could sort this out. I hope they do..

I didn't say John Harvey Jones was a genius, I didn't like his style and his ethics and was using him as an example like Dabster said , I was merely pointing out that it's people that run businesses and if the company is failing or succeeding, that's where you look..

Does it need a carburetor or can it work with the highly complex EFI systems?

Put it like this - If you were given a lump sum of money. would you be certain you could make your product the no.1 choice in your industry? It would be extremely hard to do so.. but where GasGas is concerned, when they have the no.1 product with a company that has potential sales of 45m/year, there will be people who could re-finance it and run it better to turn that around. It is easier to do that in a lot of cases than the other way around. This is my point. Do you remember Sir John Harvey Jones looking at failing companies and seeing how they can be turned around. It was nearly always a good product being badly managed. GasGas can be fixed with the right people..

That wasn't predictable was it

They are a huge success story because they have taken a niche market and dominated it - gas gas have sold more trials bikes than any other manufacturer, obviously the importers/franchises have a lot to do with that but they still need to be selected and supported. They also went into the enduro market and have done well there too. From a business point of view, you can see that is a success story. The fact that they haven't been successful managing the business from a financial perspective is a different story.. somebody else could come along and do that where they are failing.. If you think that then you are misguided. The FIAT money system... take a look at that and you will see why we are in the mess we are..