Spain's oldest active motorcycle manufacturer Rieju poised for ANZ launch
Celebrating over 75 years, Rieju is Spain’s oldest active motorcycle manufacturer. Recently Reiju acquired the former multi-award-winning GasGas Enduro platform, and have further developed and engineered an already incredible Enduro range. The team that introduced the MY18, MY19 & MY20 GasGas 2-stroke Enduro range into Australia & New Zealand, Urban Moto Imports (UMI), have been appointed by Rieju as the exclusive distributor of the premium hand-built Spanish Enduro platform for the ANZ region. UMI are currently re-establishing their Enduro dealership network across both countries in anticipation of the new Enduro models that are expected in dealerships from late February 2021.
Rieju by the numbers:
● Celebrating over 75 years, making it the oldest active Spanish OEM.
● Family-owned business with 100% own capital.
● Produces 17,000 vehicles/year with 38 different models.
● Exports 90% of production to more than 30 countries, including USA.
● More than 500,000 units manufactured.
● 2-stroke Enduro models in 200cc, 250cc & 300cc.
PREMIUM SPECIFICATIONS
Rieju’s ” Hard Off-Road ” 2-stroke Enduro range features premium specs such as: KYB Suspension with Twin Chamber Forks, Nissin Brakes, Magura Clutch, Direct Reed Valve VForce 4 Intake, Exel & Goldspeed Rims, Renthal Bars & Grips, XTRIG Rocs Triple Clamps, Dual Mapping, FMF PowerCore 2.1 Exhaust Muffler and much more.
THE FUTURE
Launch : Rieju will launch in Australia late February & New Zealand in March, with the dealer network being announced shortly.
Pricing : is set to be very competitive, with prices being announced in February. Online parts & accessories ordering will also be introduced soon after, to better improve the ownership experience.
Racing : Rieju Australia & New Zealand will be looking to support local riders in state and national events. Any interested riders should submit their enquiry to info@rieju.com.au
” It is my great pleasure to welcome Urban Moto Imports to the Rieju family and we look forward to working closely with them to distribute and grow our widening range of performance motorcycles that we have been producing in Spain since 1942. Rieju is one of Europe’s leading sellers of 2T manual gearbox machines and we are certain that the Urban Moto Imports team can replicate this sales success in Australia & New Zealand. “
Jordi Riera, CEO, Rieju Motorcycles.
” We are excited to be introducing Rieju motorcycles into Australia & New Zealand for our past and future customers. Rieju may be a new name in Australia & New Zealand, but its ancestry is smothered in Spanish Enduro pedigree. Rieju pickup the development where our former Enduro range left off, making it one of the most exciting and capable models in the off-road, 2-stroke Enduro market to date. We look forward to building on Rieju’s 75 year heritage, whilst also continuing to support our past GasGas Enduro owners. “
Joseph Elasmar, CEO, Urban Moto Imports.
URBAN MOTO IMPORTS
UMI, a well-established and 100% Australian privately owned company, is celebrating over a decade as a leading motorcycle distributor in the region, and has major plans for continued expansion. With increased manpower, a new state-of-the-art purpose built facility, along with the roll out of the Online Dealer System 2.0, UMI has taken major measures to streamline all processes to deliver exceptional dealer and customer service into the future. Visit Urban Moto Imports website to read more.
RIEJU’S 2021 DAKAR DEBUT
Rieju’s first participation in the Dakar dates back to 2009. The brand then developed two large displacement Enduro models (Marathon 250 and 450) and debuted with three motorcycles integrated into the Tot Curses team. This first participation was followed by two others, the Marathon 450 production machine was the bike of the official Rieju team. We took a victory with the rider Filippo Ciotti in 2011, in the standard production class. Fast forward to 2021, and despite Saudi Arabia’s cancellation of all commercial flights and closing its borders in December because of COVID concerns, the oldest OEM in Spain, and newest player in the U.S. off-road market, Rieju was on the starting line for the Dakar Rally. “Fortunately, the logistics of the event have been resolved and participation of our team is guaranteed,” claims Rieju race director Miguel Garcia. “Our vehicles and technical equipment are already in Jeddah and our riders are looking forward to making history with Rieju.”
Led by Joan Pedrero – with more than 700,000 kilometres travelled in the desert – he is no rookie. The rider from Canet de Mar arrives at his 13th Dakar with a couple of stage wins (2014 and 2017), as well as finishing 5th overall in 2011 and 2013, and 16th in 2020. “Facing this new Dakar with a new team, with Rieju, makes me very excited, almost as if it was the first,” he says. “We have trained hard for this edition and I am convinced that we will make a good team between the three riders. We have experience, many kilometres travelled, and I rely on experience to make a good position.”
RIEJU HERITAGE SINCE 1942
Rieju’s experience in world-class sporting competitions goes back three decades. The journey in 1978 with the manufacture of the TT 406 motorcycle as an evolution of the previous model, with a 74cc engine. With Minarelli, Rieju began their successful adventure in the all-terrain competition, participating in their first Spanish Enduro Championship in the 75cc category, and achieving a total of 12 national championships.
Since its inception, Rieju has been present in races of different categories, although it has been the Enduro class of 80cc that has given the brand the most wins, with nine victories in the Spanish Championship and the Runner-up of the World in the ISDE of Enduro of 1985. Rieju also
participated that same year in the Six Days International of Enduro de la Cerdanya which was a historic milestone. Rieju raced with four MR80 motorcycles, in the 80cc category. Francesc Rubio was the most outstanding rider, with an excellent second place, in a race where Rieju riders won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Other victories to be highlighted in other disciplines have been those of Quim Fabregas in 1985 on a STRADA and that of Carlos Checa (world champion of Superbikes- SBK) in 1991 with an RST80, both in the Spanish Speed Championship.
Remarkable is also the victory for the brand that Manuel Rivas achieved at the 1996 European Cross Championship. Rieju’s involvement in the sport has not been limited to participation in different championships already mentioned, but it has organised its own promotion cups with the
philosophy of the brand of helping young people and developing the product in the demanding field of competition. An example of this is the Rieju Supermotard Championship (from 2000 to 2002) with more than 100 riders from Spain, or the Rieju RS3 RR Speed Cup, created in 2014 and still current today, which cradles young riders who will be part of a new generation of World Champions. Marc Marquez, Pol and Aleix Espargaró, Tito Rabat or Carlos Checa took their first steps and achieved their first triumphs at controls of a Rieju motorcycle.
