called me and offered me the job in India . While it was grey and cold in Munich , I went to Pune over Christmas to have a look and finally agreed and took my family with me . “ Technically , Bajaj was very well equipped , they were very advanced in virtual skills and they had a super competent head of development . I was able to learn a lot about cost structures and brand development there . Bajaj had around 20 bikes in its range , but they hardly differed from each other . We then started to really look at what the market needed and came up with ways to set up different segments . Allrounders for the city , then an ultra-robust and reliable machine for the countryside , on which the farmer could also transport the harvest , and finally a sporty model family for the real motorcyclists . These three product lines were clearly differentiated and for the first time we used design as a means of communication . We completely and successfully restructured the company orientation , brand strategy and design strategy .
BACK TO MUNICH , ROLAND SANDS AND THE R NINE T “ I had always kept good contacts with Hendrik von Kuenheim ( Managing Director BMW Motorrad 2008-2012 ) and Adrian van Hooydonk ( Head of BMW Group Design ). When David Robb left in 2012 , I got a call from Munich . There were also private reasons for me to go back to Germany . “ To be honest , I have to say that after three years I was a bit frustrated , because I wanted to travel a lot in India , but it is extremely exhausting and annoying , no matter which means of transport you use . The exoticism had taken on a grey haze and during a trip to Munich , even the cold winter got me excited again . “ Starting as the overall head of BMW Motorrad Design was a real challenge . In India , I had a different area of responsibility and I was still drawing a lot , but had nevertheless understood that design meant more than just drawing beautiful motorbikes . “ I had started back at BMW on July 1 , 2012 at
54 KIWI RIDER