RIEJU, SINCE 1934
Founded in 1934 by two Spanish businessmen Luis Riera Carré and Jaime Juanola Farres. They took the Rie from Riera and Ju from Juanola and so the name Rieju came into being. Started with bicycle accessories and in 1945 came the 1st bicycle with auxiliary motor.
In 1953 the 1st real 175cc motorbike came on the market. However, towards the end of the fifties the demand for light motorbikes decreased and the demand for a 'moped' increased. From 1964 the second phase of Rieju started. A collaboration with motorbike builder Minarelli was established. Through the years many models came on the market, from MX models, Supermoto models but also Race models. The RS1 was the result of a collaboration with Malaguti, just like the scooter models that appeared on the market in the mid-nineties. In 2003 the brand sold almost 20,000 units, an increase of 161.47%. In 2004, 67% was destined for export. In 2006 Rieju introduced the 125cc Tango. A motorbike that, apart from the motorbike, came entirely from Spain. The motorbike came, just like in the old days, from Minarelli (Yamaha). In 2009 several models with Minarelli/ Yamaha motorbikes came on the market including even a 250 and 450 Enduro motorbike.
In 2010 the first electric Rieju came on the market, the MIUS and in 2013 the scooter range was expanded with models that are strongly reminiscent of the successful Malaguti scooters of yesteryear. In 2015, 125 and 300cc scooters with Piaggio engines will be back on the scene. In 2015 the brand has launched a new line of electric city and mountain bikes. Meanwhile, 80% of the production was destined for export, the brand of course meets the strict EURO requirements and delivers to more than 20 countries around the world. In the year 2019 the brand celebrated its 75th anniversary since the introduction of the first 'motorbike' in 1945.
But making history goes further. GasGas and RIEJU, both Catalan companies, have signed an agreement that the well-known GasGas enduro motorbike platform will now be manufactured and marketed under the RIEJU brand. With this platform, GasGas launched the range of 250 and 300 cc EC, XC and GP 2T models in 2017 and added the Ranger model in 2019. During this period GasGas sold 4,500 units in more than 50 countries.
These models are designed to perform at the highest level in enduro and cross-country competitions. The result is that riders such as Christophe Nambotin, Antoine Basset, Jonathan Barragán, Danny McCanney and Alex Snow achieved international sporting successes such as the Enduro World Sub-Championship and the national championships of Spain, France, and Italy, among others.
RIEJU, S.A. will produce the very latest enduro models at its Figueres plant and will start distributing these models from June 2020. RIEJU, S.A. currently produces more than 12,000 motorbikes per year in its factory near Barcelona and exports 85% of its production to more than 40 countries. Based on this agreement and the strengthening of its position in the off-road sector, RIEJU, S.A. will expand its current range of motorbikes with models with a larger displacement.