Categories
bikes Cruising custom flat track geico indian chief Indian Chieftain Indian Motorcycle Other Motorcycle Blogs Roland Sands Roland Sands Design

Roland Sands Geico Chief Flat Tracker

Leave it to Roland Sands to corrupt a sophisticated bagger, an Indian Chieftain, and turn it into a stripped-down, no-frills, powerful, dirt-churning hooligan bike.

Roland looked at an Indian Chieftain – a smooth-handling, powerful bagger with a full fairing, comfortable ride and hard saddlebags – and he saw the soul of a flat-tracker. Roland and his crew dismantled the Indian Chieftain, fabbed, bent, welded, and tuned, and out rolled the GEICO 75th Anniversary Sturgis Buffalo Chip Custom Indian Chief Racer.

Roland Sands Design Geico Indian Chief Flat Tracker

The bike made a clean debut on Aug. 2 on-stage at the Buffalo Chip. Tens of thousands of concert-goers roared their approval as Roland fired up the bike’s fire-breathing, modified Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin. The bike made its proper debut a few nights later amid a pack of fellow raw race bikes at the half-mile track in Rapid City, S.D. That’s where Roland got to run the bike in the Inaugural Hooligan Half Mile. He didn’t win, but then again, everybody won because here was a high-end custom bike bankrolled by corporate sponsors, and those sponsors said, “Hell, yeah!” to the idea of Roland running the his latest masterwork on the Black Hills dirt track. That’s where the bike belonged, what it was built for, so it was a proper baptism by dirt.

Here’s some background on what Roland envisioned, why he took the Indian Chieftain so far from its original purpose, and what work went into this amazing bike.

A Flat Track Bike
As Roland looked at the new generation of Indian Motorcycle models, he saw the race bikes of the past that built the brand’s performance heritage on race tracks of every type, especially flat tracks.

“I really like to look at the history of racing and much of that started in the dirt,” Roland said.

“The classic silhouette of rigid flat track racers is one of my favorite looks. De-raked frames, short wheel base, short forks, fat tires, and a bike stripped of all except what’s necessary. It doesn’t get much better than that… It just felt right.”

“Plus, there were flat track races we could actually run the bike. It’s safe to say this is the only one-off anniversary build to get raced at an AMA National.”

Modified? Oh, Yeah.
This is truly a one-off, hand-built custom race bike. Sure, it rolled into the Roland Sands Design (RSD) shop as an Indian Chieftain bagger, but the cutting, stripping, and modifying started the instant the bike went up on the lift.

“Outside of the cases and engine internals, I’d say we modified just about everything,” Roland said. It’s a “hand-built frame from the ground up. We used the gas tank from the original Indian Chieftain but cut it all up to make saddle tanks and bent the backbone of the frame to roll with the tank.”

“We built the rear fender and mounts, number plates, modified the Paughco Leaf fork for aluminum uprights, and matched the rear fender struts. We used our new flat track race wheels for rolling hardware with a crazy vented rear rotor from Lloyd Brothers Racing and Dunlop’s new flat track tires. We fabbed up a custom exhaust too – there’s so much to list on this thing.”

Note that those new Dunlops are branded with the Indian Motorcycle script logo for a total custom treatment.

Some of the components might make their way into the RSD retail catalog eventually, but for now, they’re one-offs.

“Currently, you can’t buy anything” that’s on the bike, Roland said. “It’s all test product and prototype stuff, but if people are really interested in the stuff, we’d love to produce it.”

“The clarity cam and primary cover, floorboards, intake, and ignition cover – and the flat track race wheels – are all potential future products.”

A huge reveal and then you chose to race it?
Custom bikes are not cheap, which means GEICO spent some serious coin in commissioning this racer. Yet GEICO let Roland take it to the dirt track almost immediately after it was built.

Roland Sands Design Geico Indian Chief Flat Tracker

“GEICO is rad,” he said with a smile. “Their guys, Kelly and Jeremy, made the process and the launch easy and non-corporate. I think traditionally they’ve reached for that TV bike audience and this bike is aimed at core riders. The fact it touches on the historical significance of Sturgis, flat track racing, and the return of Indian Motorcycle is a combination that makes the bike very marketable for GEICO to a different audience.”

Once the bike was built, Roland took it for a stealthy and quick spin plus a photo shoot in California, and he put a few miles on it outside of Sturgis.

“I rode the bike down the flood control in Long Beach, and on a dirt back road in Sturgis for about 20 minutes prior to revealing the bike.”

“Revealing the bike at the Buffalo Chip with GEICO and Indian Motorcycle for the 75th anniversary in front of a packed house of screaming bikers, it was intense,” he recalled. “We really wanted to deliver GEICO something different from what they were used to with the bikes they’ve commissioned in the past. The GEICO Indian Chief Racer was that bike, and it was really a solid moment for our entire crew. And with it being my 25th anniversary going to Sturgis, it was extra special.”

Then it was time to gear up and hit the track.

“We got a few test laps [at Rapid City], then right into a full-bore Hooligan race at the half mile.”

On a new special custom-built bike?
“It maybe wasn’t what you would normally do to a one-off corporate 75th anniversary build for a company like GEICO, but they loved it,” he laughed. “I had the confidence in the design and my crew’s skills to put my ass as well as the bike on the line in front of the AMA national crowd and live TV audience on Fans Choice TV. And as things work out sometimes, it worked out.

“I didn’t win, but I’d say we had a solid mid-pack finish and the bike worked pretty well. Mainly, the bike rolled off the track still on two wheels, which was the main priority.”

For more information on Indian Motorcycle and their bikes, visit IndianMotorcycle.com

Categories
boots cruiser parts and gear Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs Sidi Boots Tour Air Touring touring boots

Sidi Tour Air Boots

The Sidi Tour Air boots are a great looking, high quality pair of touring boots. They are a nice modest styled, all black boot that is functional and stylish.

UPPER/MATERIAL:
TECHNOMICRO MICROFIBRE WITH PERFORATED PANELS

LINED:
LINED WITH AIR TEFLON MESH

SOLE:
NON SLIP RUBBER SOLE

TECHNOLOGY:
PADDED SHIN PLATE
CLOSURE WITH ZIP AND VELCRO
FULL LENGTH INNER GAITER
INTERNAL ANKLE PAD
FRONT AND BACK REFLECTIVE INSERT
NYLON INNER SOLE WITH REMOVABLE ARCH SUPPORT

For more info on Sidi and their product line, click the link Here!

Categories
Custom Motorcycles Customs Editorial Events Other Motorcycle Blogs

Online Auction Of 2 Collector Vehicles.

Two interesting screen-used collector vehicles that you can bid on in person, by telephone, fax, submit absentee bids or participate online in real time from anywhere with Internet access across the globe. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s custom Triumph…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Builders Custom Motorcycles Editorial Events Other Motorcycle Blogs

Harley-Davidson To Hire 100 For Its Powertrain Operations In Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

Harley is hosting an orientation session on October 10 at the Pilgrim Road plant in Menomonee Falls where are manufactured engines and transmissions for the final assembly plants in York, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City, Missouri, for Touring, Softail,® Dyna® and Sportster®…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Custom Motorcycles Editorial Merchandise Other Motorcycle Blogs

The Harley-Davidson® Pink Label Collection For Women Riders

For those who don’t know, the first known use of a pink ribbon in connection with breast cancer awareness was in the fall of 1991, when the Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors. The pink…

This is a content summary only. Click on headlines for full links, images, other content and more!

Categories
Moto Where Motorcycle Travel Other Motorcycle Blogs

gp part 2

Click here to view this route

Length: 585.17km / 365.73mi

View all routes from d-thomson

Categories
Accessories cruiser parts and gear Cruising everyday carry keychain multitool Other Motorcycle Blogs riding accessories tools

Everyday Carry: MelonTool

MelonTool // CraveForRide.com // $28

When you ride a motorcycle, the things that you carry with you are very important. Not only because motorcycles tend to be higher maintenance and require a little bit of fiddling, but also because most of them do not come with built in storage. It is in times like this that we are so thankful for the Crave MelonTool.

Small enough to forget you’re carrying it until you need it, but diverse enough to be able to take on a range of tasks: the MelonTool won’t be coming off of our keychain any time soon.

Crave MelonTool // CraveForRide.com // $28

Features

4, 5, 6, 8, 10 ,13 mm box end wrench key

1/4 inch bit driver

Bit 1/4 PH2 WIHA

Bottle Opener

For more information on the MelonTool and other awesome products from Crave, visit CraveForRide.com

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Intercoms Other Motorcycle Blogs Web Bike World

Sena 3S-WB Review

We asked for a detachable boom mic version of the cool Sena 3S and they delivered!

Categories
Bell Bell Qualifier DLX Cardo cruiser parts and gear Cruising Other Motorcycle Blogs Scala Rider Scala Rider Q3

Cardo Scala Rider Q3 & Bell Qualifier DLX

It is a match made in heaven! They fit like they were made for each other. Well, they in fact were made for each other. Bell made the Qualifier DLX to accommodate the Bell Sena SMH10 and the Cardo Scala Rider Q1/Q3. The Bell Qualifier DLX has a removable door to fit in the appropriate unit. You can not beat the fit and finish of the Q3 in the DLX. It fits in the helmets pre designated port seamlessly. There are no exposed wires and it does not protrude out like others. it is a thin model to begin with, but when fitted in the indented area on the Bell DLX it is just perfect. To get the seamless fit and finish you need to buy the Bell Scala Rider adapter. I can not stress how clean of a look it is.

The speakers on Q3 are very well balanced. Other units i have tested lean on more of treble than bass which at higher volumes is very unpleasant. The Q3 has a nice well rounded sound and at high volume it still sounds crisp. The buttons on the Q3 are very simple to find while riding, even with gloves on. Receiving a phone call is easy enough and the incoming caller sounds very clear through the helmet. Sound quality is great for the caller as well, i did not have to repeat myself once during the call. All in all the Bell Qualifier DLX with the Cardo Scala rider is an awesome combination. The fit and finish alone is worth it!

For more info on the Cardo Scala Rider Q3 click Here!
For more info on the Bell Qualifier DLX click Here!

Categories
BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs Victory motorcycles

Modern Muscle: Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
At just eighteen years old, Victory Motorcycles is one of the youngest marques on the planet. And their current cruiser range has a distinctly modern aesthetic—a hard sell for potential owners looking for the American heritage vibe.

Rudy Banny is the founder of Tattoo Projects, the ad agency that handles Victory’s marketing. “One of the issues we deal with on a regular basis, is Victory’s youth,” he says. “It seems a lot of consumers out there find Victory’s futuristic, modern design quite polarizing.”

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
“But it’s something that we at Tattoo have gotten Victory to embrace. It’s modern American muscle.”

When Tattoo aren’t working on campaigns for some of the US’s top brands, they build custom motorcycles. And when Rudy managed to get a Victory Gunner onto his bench, he couldn’t resist the urge to roughen it up.

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
“I took it upon myself to take all of that awesome, bad-ass modern American muscle, and package it up in an old-school bobber-café.”

The biggest visual hit is the new tail section. Tattoo wanted to fit one of their favorite brat-café-style seats: a Nitroheads. This meant that they could trim off most of the subframe—opening up the rear end and giving the stock swingarm a stretched look.

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
Custom aluminum gussets were made to support the seat, and to box in the simplified ECU and fuse box setup. The battery was swapped for a smaller Ballistic unit, but this (and a few electrical components) needed a new home. So local leather specialists Colsen Keane were roped in to make up a one-off battery pouch.

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
To complement the new back-end, Suzuki GSX-R forks and custom-made triple trees were fitted up front. A 3.5×16 rim was laced up with stainless steel spokes, and upgraded with a dual braking disc setup. And yes, the tires are Firestone’s infamous Deluxe Champions. (“We haven’t given up on them yet,” Rudy smiles.)

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
The cockpit’s been finished with a mix of parts. Arlen Ness teardrop mirrors hint at the bike’s origins, while dual headlights give it a touch of streetfighter style. The handlebars are Biltwell Tracker units, and the speedo is Motogadget’s tiny MotoScope Mini LED model.

Tattoo’s biggest challenge was switching out the Victory Gunner’s wide, teardrop-shaped fuel tank. “A big reason these tanks are difficult to modify,” explains Rudy, “is that the tunnel is very unique, due to the split, wishbone-style backbone of the frame.”

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
The team modeled a smaller, simpler tank, and had Brendon Thompson from Elite Metal Designs ‘Frankenstein’ the stock tunnel onto the new tank. A Monza filler cap was installed, but other than that the tank’s been left unfinished. Rudy’s still deciding whether or not he wants to paint it.

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
The last stop was the engine—but with the Victory already pushing out a respectable 97 horses, and weighing 100lbs less now, the mods were minimal. There’s a Lloydz Torque Tube intake to help it breathe, adjustable timing gear and a new fuel control unit. Custom exhaust headers capped with stainless steel Cone Engineering mufflers round things out.

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.
Rudy says he “deliberately took a very modern American motorcycle and distressed the hell out of it.” Tattoo’s stark Victory Gunner is certainly a departure from the factory version, and a muscle bike we wouldn’t mind owning.

Victory Motorcycles | Tattoo Projects

Modern Muscle: custom Victory Gunner by Tattoo Projects.