Who Owns GasGas Motorcycles And Where Are They Made?

In the motorcycle industry, you have old conquerors, like Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles, that appeared over a hundred years ago and set the stage for what a huge portion of the modern motorcycle space would look like. Then, there are other manufacturers who are not only steadily establishing their names in the status quo, but also aiming to succeed in their chosen niches.

Among these is GasGas, a company renowned for its extensive lineup of off-road motorcycles, ranging from enduro and motocross bikes to cross-country, trial, and even electric motorcycles.

Compared to the big names mentioned above, GasGas is relatively young. However, that doesn't mean the company is new or inexperienced in off-road motorcycles. In fact, it was established in the 1980s, and has seemingly spent enough time perfecting its bike-making art, which is evident in the catalog it offers. Today, it operates under Pierer Mobility Group, formerly KTM Industries AG, through its subsidiary KTM Group, which acquired a controlling interest in GasGas. This makes GasGas one of the motorcycle brands owned by KTM. Let's take a closer look at its history over the years and where its motorcycles are manufactured.

GasGas started as a company focused on making off-road motorcycles in Catalonia, Spain, in 1985. The company, under founders Narcís Casas and Josep Pibernat, wanted to create trials-centered motorcycles that were not only innovative in their design, but also affordable for many off-road enthusiasts. It wasn't long before the company gained a reputation for building dependable motorcycles that could hold their own in trial competitions at the time. 

Throughout the rest of the 80s and the 90s, GasGas became synonymous with two-wheeled lightweight beasts that could tear up many a trail across the world. With the company's success came the need to expand into different sub-niches of the off-road scene, which led to GasGas producing motocross and enduro bikes. However, despite the company's success during these early years, it faced financial difficulties, which came to a head in the late 2000s and early 2010s, leading to it ceasing bike production in 2015. In 2019, KTM Group stepped in.  

Currently, GasGas builds its motorcycles in two facilities across Europe. The first is its manufacturing plant in Girona, Spain, which, according to the company's website, has been producing trial motorcycles before the company's acquisition in 2019. Alongside this plant is a new one in Terrasa, Spain, courtesy of Pierer Mobility Group. 

It has been operational since 2022 and serves multiple purposes, including building trial motorcycles, hosting sports activities for the brand, acting as a research and development center, and providing customer service. The company's third and final plant is in Mattighofen, Austria, and is known to build enduro and motocross bikes. 

While GasGas is seemingly finding its footing after reopening shop in 2019, the company has an interesting lineup of off-road motorcycles for various off-roading needs. In 2024 alone, it introduced a total of 16 new models, each with tantalizing features like new frames. There's a reason why we counted it among our rider-favorite dirt bike brands you didn't realize existed.