GASGAS
Brand DNA
GASGAS is all about fun. Born in the ultra-technical world of Catalan trials, the brand has always cultivated a carefree approach to off-road riding: lightweight, agile, bright red machines designed for pure riding enjoyment on any terrain. Since joining the KTM Group in 2019, GASGAS benefits from proven Austrian engineering while positioning itself as the most accessible and playful option in the KTM/Husqvarna/GASGAS trio. With 16 trial world titles, a Dakar win, and back-to-back MXGP championships, the results speak for themselves. The slogan "Get on the Gas" says it all: hop on and send it. If you're after a high-performance off-road bike without breaking the bank or taking yourself too seriously, GASGAS was made for you.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros
- Exceptional trials heritage: 16 FIM World Championship titles, among the most decorated trials brands alongside Beta
- Attractive pricing: 10-15% cheaper than equivalent KTM models built on the same platform
- Access to cutting-edge KTM technology (engines, WP suspension, chassis) while maintaining its own identity
- Complete off-road range: trials, motocross, enduro, cross-country, from beginner to professional level
- Impressive recent competition results: MXGP titles, Dakar victory, Supercross wins, Moto3 championship
- Fun, laid-back brand spirit that contrasts with the more serious image of KTM or Husqvarna
Cons
- Diluted brand identity: motocross and enduro models are essentially re-skinned KTMs in red
- Dealer network significantly smaller than KTM, especially outside of Europe
- Uncertain future following Pierer Mobility’s insolvency in 2024-2025 and the Bajaj restructuring
- Spanish production nearly eliminated, the brand is progressively losing its Catalan roots
- Lower resale values compared to equivalent KTM models on the used market
History
How was GASGAS born from the ashes of Bultaco?
The story of GASGAS begins with an ending: the closure of Bultaco, the legendary Spanish off-road motorcycle manufacturer, which shut its doors for good in 1983 after years of strikes and financial turmoil. Two former Bultaco employees, Narcis Casas and Josep Pibernat, ran a motorcycle dealership in Salt, near Girona, in Catalonia. They first sold Bultacos, then Italian SWM bikes when Bultaco collapsed. But in 1984, SWM also folded. The two men decided to stop relying on other manufacturers: they would build their own motorcycles.
In 1985, GASGAS was founded in a small workshop in Salt. The name, quintessentially Catalan, means “give it gas” (or “gas it”), a well-known rally cry among Spanish trial riders. The first model, the Halley 325, debuted in 1986: a 324 cc two-stroke trials bike, lightweight and nimble, designed for observed trials competition, a discipline where riders must navigate natural obstacles without putting a foot down.
Why did GASGAS become the benchmark in trials?
Catalonia is the global birthplace of trials riding, and GASGAS took full advantage. The early bikes quickly found an audience among regional and then national competitors. Quality craftsmanship and accessible pricing did the rest. By the late 1980s, GASGAS was already a respected name in the European trials community.
The breakthrough came in 1993, when GASGAS recruited Jordi Tarres, a multiple trials world champion who left Beta for the Catalan brand. The gamble paid off: Tarres won three consecutive Trial Outdoor World Championships (1993, 1994, 1995), putting GASGAS firmly on the global map. In the 2000s, Adam Raga took over, winning the Trial Outdoor World Championship in 2005 and 2006, plus four consecutive Trial Indoor titles (2003-2006). On the women’s side, Laia Sanz, a true legend of Spanish motorsport, claimed 14 women’s Trial World Championships on GASGAS machinery. In total, the brand boasts 16 FIM Trial World Championship titles since 1993.
Expanding into enduro and motocross
Building on its trials success, GASGAS broadened its lineup through the 1990s. The EC (enduro) and MC (motocross) models appeared, always carrying the brand’s off-road DNA: lightweight, agile, mostly two-stroke machines built for technical terrain. The Pampera, a lightweight enduro launched in 1998, attracted trail-riding enthusiasts. In the World Enduro Championship, GASGAS secured titles with riders like Paul Edmondson, Petteri Silvan, and Petri Pohjamo, proving the brand’s versatility beyond trials.
The lineup was exported across Europe, North America, Australia, and South America. GASGAS remained a niche manufacturer, but a respected one, with a strong identity: the bright red livery, the Catalan spirit, and a riding philosophy summed up by the slogan “Get on the Gas.”
Financial troubles and the KTM rebirth
Despite its racing success, GASGAS remained a small, vulnerable company. The Spanish economic crisis of the late 2000s, increasing competition from major groups, and insufficient R&D investment pushed the brand into insolvency in 2015. Production temporarily halted.
In 2019, Pierer Mobility Group (parent company of KTM and Husqvarna) acquired 60% of GASGAS, fully integrating the brand in 2020. This was a game-changer: GASGAS gained access to KTM’s technical platforms (engines, chassis, WP suspension), global distribution network, and competition budgets. The former GASGAS off-road platform was sold to Spanish manufacturer Rieju, which continues producing those bikes under its own name.
The trade-off? New GASGAS motocross (MC) and enduro (EC) models now share their technical foundations with KTM SX-F/EXC and Husqvarna equivalents, which irks some purists. But the positioning is clever: GASGAS is presented as the “fun and accessible” brand within the group, priced below KTM (“Ready to Race”) and Husqvarna (“premium heritage”), with a distinctive red look and a more laid-back attitude.
GASGAS in competition under the Pierer Mobility era
Since 2020, competition results have been spectacular. In 2021, Justin Barcia delivered GASGAS its first-ever AMA Supercross victory in Houston. That same year, Andrea Verona won the Enduro E1 World Championship and Laia Sanz claimed a record 14th women’s Trial world title. In 2022, Sam Sunderland won the Dakar Rally, and Izan Guevara became Moto3 World Champion. In 2023 and 2024, Spaniard Jorge Prado captured back-to-back MXGP World Championships (the premier motocross class), a historic first for the brand.
GASGAS also competed in the Moto2 World Championship through the Aspar team from 2022 to 2023, before the partnership transitioned to CFMOTO branding.
GASGAS today: restructuring and uncertainty
The future of GASGAS is in a period of transition. In late 2024, Pierer Mobility declared insolvency, before Bajaj Auto (KTM’s Indian partner) completed its takeover of the group in late 2025. In October 2025, motorcycle production in Spain ceased: motocross and enduro models are now manufactured at Mattighofen, Austria, alongside KTM and Husqvarna. Only GASGAS electric bicycles continue to be produced in Spain. In late 2025, GASGAS announced the disbanding of its factory trial team from 2026 onward, while continuing to sell TXT trial bikes and support privateer riders.
Despite these restructurings, the motorcycle lineup remains active: TXT trial bikes, MC motocross, EC enduro, EX cross-country, and even electric junior models. GASGAS’s positioning as the fun, affordable alternative within the KTM/Husqvarna/GASGAS trio gives it a solid commercial niche, even as the brand’s Spanish identity gradually fades with Austrian centralization.
In summary
GASGAS is the story of a small Catalan brand born from a passion for trials that became a global off-road force through world titles and integration into the KTM Group. From Salt to Mattighofen, from artisanal trial bikes to MXGP and Dakar podiums, GASGAS embodies a unique spirit of fun and accessibility in the competitive off-road world.
Iconic models
TXT Racing (since 1999)
The TXT is the flagship GASGAS trials bike, representing the discipline that built the brand. Available in 125, 250, and 300 cc displacements, it’s a liquid-cooled two-stroke, ultra-lightweight machine (around 70 kg or 154 lbs) designed to clear obstacles at low speed with surgical precision. The TXT has helped GASGAS win 16 FIM Trial World Championships and remains manufactured according to the brand’s Catalan heritage. Champions like Jordi Tarres, Adam Raga, and Laia Sanz all forged their legends on this platform. The TXT GP competition version is widely regarded as one of the finest trials motorcycles in the world.
MC 450F (since 2021)
The MC 450F is the flagship GASGAS motocross bike of the Pierer Mobility era. Sharing its platform with the KTM 450 SX-F (single-cylinder four-stroke engine, chromoly steel chassis, WP XACT suspension), it stands out with its bright red bodywork and slightly different suspension settings. It’s this machine, in Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing livery, that carried Jorge Prado to back-to-back MXGP World Championship titles in 2023 and 2024. The MC 450F proves that GASGAS can compete at the very highest level of world motocross.
EC 300 (since the 1990s)
The EC 300 is the quintessential GASGAS enduro bike. In two-stroke form, it’s a machine beloved by hard enduro and technical trail enthusiasts: lightweight, with generous low-end torque, capable of going anywhere. The 300 cc two-stroke engine is a go-to choice for extreme enduro and challenging trails. Since the KTM integration, the EC 300 benefits from WP XACT suspension and electric start while retaining its GASGAS character. Andrea Verona won the 2021 Enduro E1 World Championship on an EC 250F four-stroke variant.
Pampera (1998-2010)
The Pampera is a historic GASGAS model: a light, versatile trail enduro launched in 1998 that won over off-road enthusiasts with its mechanical simplicity and accessible pricing. Available in 125, 250, and 450 cc versions depending on the year, the Pampera perfectly embodied the original GASGAS philosophy: a fun, unpretentious bike made for off-road enjoyment. Though discontinued, it remains a cult classic among the brand’s fans and a sought-after find on the used market.
RC 450F Rally (Dakar)
The RC 450F Rally is the GASGAS rally-raid machine, based on the KTM 450 Rally platform. Sam Sunderland rode this bike to victory at the 2022 Dakar Rally, giving GASGAS its first-ever win at the world’s most famous off-road race. Daniel Sanders has also achieved Dakar podiums on this machine. The RC 450F Rally demonstrates that the red brand can shine far beyond its historical trial and enduro disciplines.