Hi, I'm a big Sachs Roadster 800 fan and I've been putting together some info about the start of the bike's development. I will write a longer article in due course, but thought I would share some questions the head of Target-Design Hans-Georg Kasten kindly answered
1) What was target's relationship with Sachs before the Sachs Roadster 800?
HGK: I won Sachs as a client on the IFMA faire. Our first job for Sachs was a new fairing for the XTC125cc Racing road bike
2) How did the design brief come about and was the engine choice already decided?
HGK: The design letter was very short, just a so called "Roadster" a traditional bike for every day and the engine choice what allready done
3) Did previous work with the katana, MV or Egli affect the sachs roadster 800 design?
HGK: Difficult to answer, how much your experience from the past is influencing your todays work. We have tried to create something new and outstanding for our client Sachs.
4) Are you able to share insight into any of the prototype stages? Perhaps sketches or clay model picture?
HGK: Yes
adilmon - I will share
5) The forks switched from Paioli to Marzocchi, and chrome added to engine from prototype to production. Where there any changes you were asked to make by Sachs and why?
HGK: For some reasons Sachs could only get hold of the engine of the chopper version, which was only available in chrome trim. The forks I do not know.
adilmon- I later found an article that Hartmut Huhn (Sachs Head of Development) states the TL1000/SV1000 engine wasn't used because there were too many competing models. He's right, there was the sv1000, VStrom 1000, Cagiva Raptor, Cagiva Navigator.
6) What does "roadster" mean in this context and what market / demographic was this bike aimed at? Cruiser, commuter, weekend warrior etc ..?
HGK: In our mind Roadsters are street-legal motorcycles in which both the drive and the chassis are uncovered and whose equipment is reduced for pure driving on asphalt roads. The peer group is a little bit older, they are no racers
7) We've seen vertically stacked headlights on sachs beast, madass and even BMW R1200c. Is this part of Target's design language?
HGK: No, this is only one of the possibilities if you are not allowed to create a new headlight
8 )- By chance I own a BMW helmet AirFlow Helmet designed by Target. Do you have any more motorcycle industry mandates that we can expect in the future?
HGK: I can only inform you about the past, the future is secret ... sorry
9) What was the brief for the Sach B-805 or how did it differ?
HGK: The B 805 is the sporty version of the 800 roadster. But it only looks more sporty with the fairing and front fender, in reality it is not
10) Lastly, some context on the designer: When did you become interested in motorcycles or design and why? Any other models that you admire?
HGK: My first job was at the Porsche styling center, I also love sporty cars. But in the same time I started to became interested in motorcycles. My first bike was a Honda 125 TL. No number plates - no driver license. I used it off road. After some month I bought a Honda Elsinore 250, this is a crosser. Later I became an offer to join the BMW design department. After my boss was fired I was in charge of this department. But at this time BMW was extremely conservative so I left to start Target Design with two other guys. Our first job was the Suzuki Katana. All the time I was a fan of many Ducati bikes. After my boss was fired I was in charge of this department. But at this time BMW was extremely conservative so I left to start Target Design with two other guys. Our first job was the Suzuki Katana. All the time I was a fan of many Ducati bikes.
