Colour me successful
By John Dickinson on 11th Aug 11
It may seem trivial but the colour of a bike really can have a major affect on its sales success and of its manufacturer...
Something weird going on in the trials world colouring box.
When the 2011 Gas Gas Raga Rep was unveiled a few weeks back there were gasps of something approaching amazement from the cognoscenti when the bike looked for all the world like a 2011 Beta EVO. Lots of black and white on view.
It caused Dougie Lampkin, a Beta employee with a long association with the Italian factory, before making his surprise switch to their Spanish rivals Gas Gas, to comment, "Nothing to do with me! I signed to Gas Gas to develop the performance of the bike – not actually make it look like a Beta!"
Believe me, when you are viewing action shots on a camera's relatively small viewing screen it is very easy indeed to get the two bikes mixed-up at a casual glance. The easiest way is to check-out the exhaust – right hand side for Gas Gas – left for Beta!
Now, as you can see on page three this week, Beta has returned the compliment and their 2012 production model features lots of shiny red plastics – just like the 2011/ 2012 Gas Gas. Surely not just a coincidence? Or do all the designers, artists, colourists or whatever all think alike. If one sneezes do they all catch a cold!
Not that I'm saying that Gas Gas has a devine right to the colour red. It has been the dominant colour of the Girona mob down the years but of course plenty of other factories have used red, Montesa used it exclusively for many years, Hondas are historically red while Beta has previously featured red models. They have also used other colours as well, including purple and gold... together.
This is something that still sends John Lampkin into a cold sweat and really doesn't like reminding of!
That particular model, clearly styled by a colour-blind person of limited intellect, was launched at a World Championship round and I'll never forget John's face as it was unveiled.
John was quick to recover though as while the rest of us present were still looking stunned Johnboy got in quick with, "It will grow on you!"
He was wrong! Possibly for the first and, so far, only time. But he was wrong!
Whatever, there's no law on what colour you can paint your bike although this is the first time I can remember such a strange crossover from two manufacturers. And what will they top it with next year - the Beta Raga Rep and the Gas Gas EVO?
Personally, I'd like to see the return of the Ossa Yellow Gripper... NO, not the air-cooled, twin-shock, drum-braked monster that I actually loved and rode reasonably well back in the day.
But why not a special edition 2012 TR280i in shiny yellow, just a nod to the historic Ossa name that could just go down well with the more mature Ossa fan...Other famous yellow machines include SWM, Suzuki, Yamaha, and even Maico in the early days.
Colour might sound (and may well be) a trivial matter but I wouldn't try telling that to anyone in power at the likes of Kawasaki, KTM or even Honda. I would think it fair to say that it was Alec Wright that indelibly cemented Kawasaki's single-colour future with the way he single mindedly masterminded Team Green into the heads of all motorcyclists. Team Green is probably the greatest marketing trick ever pulled-off in the history of motorcycling.
It goes way beyond the fact that Kawasaki's are green. Wright's idea was to grab the kids into Team Green while they were young and then keep 'em there throughout their entire careers. And it worked brilliantly. Kawasakis dominated motocross, especially in the Youth classes for years, and mainly off the back of Team Green.
Honda has always been associated with the colour red but even the Big H has got anywhere near exploiting the colour for maximum marketing effect. Suzuki has half-heartedly tried pushing their yellow credentials over the years without anything really sticking out in the memory while Yamaha has been all over the place associating themselves with yellow and white before more recently settling with blue, although once again without attempting a Kawasaki style marketing attack.
No, the firm that has picked up the Team Green mantle is the Austrian ‘newcomer' KTM. Since its re-birth KTM has become Team Orange. Not a snappy, never to be forgotten rhyming handle like Team Green but that is beside the point.
KTM has positively adapted the colour orange and markets it for all it is worth, blatantly copying the Kawasaki theme of grabbing the kids attention while they are young and then keeping them faithful to the marque throughout their careers.
Good on ‘em, Kawasaki invented that particular wheel but KTM are the only other team to give it a good old roll - and it cost them nothing!
So, while the paintball wars are currently mildly amusing us in the trials world there is indeed a potential serious side to the shade you paint your wagon. Kawasaki could very likely claim that investing in tanker loads of green has literally earned them millions.
But remember, purple and gold didn't do it for Beta!
Colour is important. It really is.
