Rieju, based in Figueres, will end 2022 with a production of more than 20,000 motorcycles, a figure that represents a record within the company, which in 2006 reached its maximum figure with 19,000 motorcycles produced. “It has been difficult to fully recover from the 2008 crisis”, explains Jordi Riera, CEO of Rieju.
The company from Girona, which currently has around 120 workers, will invoice this year around 50 million euros, around 6% more than last year, which closed the financial year with a turnover of 47 million euros Currently, the company exports 85 percent of its production, mostly to Europe. Countries such as France, Germany or Austria are the most important markets for the company, ahead of the Spanish market.
In addition, in recent years Rieju has entered the South American and Australian market. It has done so since the purchase in 2020 of the enduro business of Torrot Electric Europe, which marketed motorcycles under the GasGas brand. The operation included the acquisition of enduro’s intellectual and industrial platform. In 2017 Torrot launched the range of 250 and 300 ccc EX, XC and GP 2T models and in 2019 brought out the Ranger model. Since then, the company has sold 4,500 units in more than 50 countries. Rieju is in charge of manufacturing these enduro models at the plant it has in Figueres and began distributing them under its brand from the same year of purchase.
The fire in Vilamalla
Just over a year ago, a fire at the Vilamalla estate affected a ship that Rieju had rented. In this space the company stored material that was affected by the fire. “It was a major setback, and at the time there were difficulties in supplying the market”, reports Jordi Riera.
A year later the company has already completely recovered from that problem. The CEO of the company explains that the ship was not owned by the company, Rieju had it on rent. The state in which the space was left after the fire forced the company to look for a new ship and rented a new space in the same area of Vilamalla.
Electric motorcycles
One of the challenges that the company expects to face in the coming years is the adaptation of its product to the electricity market. The company from Figueres currently has two models of electric motorcycles, however, it is not an important market for Rieju right now. “It is still a very residual market, there is a reluctance on the part of the end user who is our main consumer”, assures the CEO of the Girona company.
“An adaptation of the infrastructure is necessary to finish implementing the use of this type of vehicle”, explains Jordi Riera. The company, at the moment, does not set a deadline for adapting its product to the electric car market, despite the fact that they plan to do so progressively in all their models.
Currently, the most common customer for the purchase of this type of vehicle are home delivery companies, explains Rieju’s CEO. In addition, the Figueres company has sold around 1,500 electric motorbikes to Correus which have been distributed throughout Spain. “They have been in charge of the distribution, but I understand that they are in the most important cities. For example, in Girona there are around twenty”, says Jordi Riera.
The company hopes to introduce new models to the market in the coming years, not just electric motorcycles. With these they hope to be able to increase their presence in some countries, despite the fact that the company assures that there is no intention to create or acquire production plants abroad.