Target Design: In Conversation with Hans-Georg Kasten

Hans-Georg Kasten (in black tshirt) was one of the three men at Target Design who were responsible for designing the 1980s Suzuki Katana. He is now the Managing Director of Target Design

Launched in 1981, the Suzuki Katana 1100 had relatively conventional mechanicals – the engine, chassis and suspension were pretty standard for its time – but the styling was radical, and made the motorcycling world sit up and take note. The bike was Japanese, of course, but was designed in Germany by Target Design. There was a three-man team that worked on the Katana’s design: Jan Fellstrom, Hans-Georg Kasten and Hans Muth. Back in 2012, I had an opportunity to do a brief interview with Hans-Georg Kasten, who is now Managing Director of Target Design. Here are some excerpts from that conversation.

How did you get started with motorcycle design? Was the Katana the first motorcycle you designed, or did you work on other bikes before you did the Katana?

Hans-Georg: After working for Porsche, I decided to join the BMW motorcycle design department. My first work was the R100RT and the basic concept of the K series, including the RS and RT. After my boss Hans Muth left, I was in charge of the motorcycle design group at BMW, but only for eight months. In this time Jan Fellstrom and I did the BMW R80GS.

At the time when you started work on the Katana, did you yourself ride motorcycles?

Yes, I did. I had a Honda 250 Elsinore and a BMW R100RS. I was impressed by the Moto Guzzi Le Mans, when I saw it for the first time, and I liked most of the Ducatis [of that time].

Did Suzuki provide a formal design brief when they asked Target Design to design a motorcycle for them? If so, what was this design brief?

The contact with Suzuki started by the personal contacts between Hans Muth and Manfred Becker, who was in charge of the marketing department of Suzuki Germany. Suzuki Japan was working with Ital Design and expected nothing from this new connection. They only asked for a sporty layout for a 650cc four-cylinder bike, which became the 650 / 550 Katana later. After they had been very much impressed by this styling, Suzuki Japan gave us a short briefing for the 1100 – the top-of-the-line model. ‘Create a Southern European-type sporty bike, based on the technology of the existing GS1100!’ Thats all.

How did the Katana’s styling come about? What was the ‘inspiration’ behind that bike’s design and its styling?

With the experience I have today, I must say the story was a little bit naive, with no limits and restrictions from any side. Nobody tried to push us in any direction. I never had this experience  again. There had been just two designers, Jan and me, who only realised what they did not manage to do at BMW – realising their dream, how a sporty motorcycle should look like. Sure, there was a lot of functional thinking behind the shapes. The fuel tank should have a reasonable capacity but the tank should be narrow so that the knees fit easily. The bike should be stable at high speeds, which is why we fixed the headlight to the frame and added an aerodynamic cowl to it.

In what ways do you think motorcycle design has evolved over the last three decades, in the time that has passed since the Katana was first unveiled to the public?

In the 1980s, nothing had such an influence on the design of motorcycles like the Katana. With a few exceptions, motorcycle design was quite conservative at that time. After the Cologne Show and introducing the Katanas, motorcycle companies paid much more attention to the styling of their bikes.  Aerodynamics for bikes with fairings became more important. Advances in frame and engine technologies also had a major influence. The body of a car is simple – a cover over the technology. A bike is quite different – every body part has to be in a harmony with the technique. I always like bikes with an individual character – no copies.  I think the Ducati 916 was an important step, having a major influence on the scene.

Hans-Georg also designed the early-1980s EGLI CBX

Have you and Target Design worked on other motorcycles after the Katana?

We did.  As you may know, we had an internal problem with Hans Muth, and Jan and me had no business contacts at that time. So, we did the EGLI CBX for the Swiss company for free. After that, Jan went back to England and we had some mutual projects over the coming years. I did the EGLI 600 a year later on my own and starting to develop my team. In the following years, we did small bikes for German companies Kreidler and Zündapp, who could not survive because of the pressure from Japan. In the late-80s we did the BMW R100GS Paris / Dakar which is – to be honest – quite ugly. But uglyness is the philosophy! It was the best-selling BMW in the early-90s and it is the mother of the big enduros of today for long distance travelling, expressing adventure. For Sachs, we did various bikes starting with 50cc bikes up to the 1000cc show bike Beast, until Sachs was bought  by a Chinese company.

At the time of this interview (2012), Hans-Georg was riding a Sachs B805

Do you currently ride a motorcycle? If yes, which one? If you had the opportunity, would you want to design a brand-new motorcycle again? What kind of a motorcycle would it be? And why?

I am riding a Sachs B805, which is quite exotic – only 150 had been built. I love motorcycles and I would take any opportunity to design a new one. However, I have grey hairs now and a hell of a lot of experience, knowing there will never be the same situation again – the freedom to work, when we created the Katana. Today, I have learned to listen to the client and try to understand what their aim is.

If I have the chance to create my personal dream bike? As I said, I got older and I discovered the fantastic roads of the Alps. I would love to create a Super Moto.

What are your views on European vs Japanese motorcycle design? Is their design ethos fundamentally very different from the European one? If yes, then how and in what ways?

Difficult to answer. In general I would say for Japanese people it is important to work in a mutual understanding, Europeans are more individuals.  This makes the life easier for the designer, it is easier for him, looking for new ways, where nobody has gone before. But if I see the professionalism of Honda, for example, with their design teams all over the world, I am not so sure.

Currently, which motorcycle manufacturer do you think is the most adventurous, in terms of experimenting with motorcycle design and pushing the envelope?

Honda is always on the professional side, in today’s time, with their crossovers. But the bike which impressed me most is the Husqvarna Nuda 900. This bike has a new and fresh image with interesting design features. I also like the Ducati 1199 Panigale, knowing this bike is a logical evolution, following the image of the 916 from 20 years ago. On the contrary, BMW has left its origins completely. We will see what shows up next. Without any doubt, designing motorcycles is a more professional job today compared to 30 years ago. You do not have as much freedom anymore, the designer is embedded into all the needs of marketing, sales department and so much more. So, the problem is not so much if the designer has the freedom to experiment. The question is, is he able to sell the result of his work inside the company.

Finally, how do you think motorcycle design will evolve over the next 10 years? What are the major changes in motorcycle design which the public can expect to see over the next decade?

Difficult question. Design as I see it, means: Communication, Function, Fashion. Communication means, the design shall tell a story. The story is: Where the bike is made for, visualising the quality, the kind of innovation, the character - beloved or hated. The functions are: Ergonomics, aerodynamics, technical requirements. Fashion: I see a clear trend to simplicity. This means not so many ‘notes.’ No intake, no spoiler where it is not necessary, but nice proportions. On the other hand, there is a strong trend to more individualism. For every little niche you may think of, there will be the space for a special bike. 

Note: I did this interview with Hans-Georg Kasten in February 2012, for Faster and Faster, a motorcycle website that I had set up in 2006. Faster and Faster no longer exists, but I thought it’s important to preserve this little interview, so have put it up here, where I hope it will remain forever. I must also mention here that I’m a big fan of Hans-Georg's work and remain grateful to him for having taken the time and having made the effort to answer my questions for this interview.