Category: Roland Sands

Custom Bikes Of The Week: 9 December, 2018

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date December 9, 2018

The best cafe racers, trackers and concept motorcycles of the week
A pair of BMW R NineT customs channeling the past and the future, a glorious Rickman Metisse, and an all-time classic Honda race bike. It’s a mixed bag this week.

Rickman Metisse by Chelsea Borchert The Rickman Metisse is the quintessential desert sled, and one of the most iconic motorcycles ever. It was developed by the Rickman brothers in England in the early 60s, as a kit that could be ordered to fit the owner’s motor of choice (which, more often than not, was a 650 cc Triumph twin).

But did you know that you can still build a MKIII Metisse today? That’s exactly what Chelsea Borchert did. Her dad had a 1962 Rickman Metisse, so when she sold her last bike and started figuring out a replacement, the nostalgia hit hard. To compound things, she realized that she lived near the original Rickman factory—and that her parents were close to Wasp Motorcycles, who still manufacture Rickman frames. Bingo.

Chelsea ordered a kit from Wasp, and sourced a 1966 Triumph Thunderbird as an engine donor. Everything was hauled over to her dad’s workshop, where father and daughter began piecing it together.

The Metisse kit comes with the frame, all the bodywork (including a fiberglass tank), the swing arm, foot pegs, stand and coin chain adjusters. Chelsea added the forks and hubs from a 1974 Triumph Adventurer, polishing them up to a better-than-new finish. The idea was to build a street legal Metisse, so this one has lights at both ends, turn signals, mirrors, and switches from a Kawasaki. [More]

BMW R nineT R7 by Roland Sands Design If this R nineT custom looks familiar, you’re probably thinking of the NMoto Studio nineT kit we featured recently. At a quick glance, they could be siblings. But in reality, they only look similar because they’re emulating the same bike: the 1934 BMW R7.

Roland Sands Design took a very different approach with their homage to the one-off art deco boxer. The team started with a motor and transmission—then built the frame and replica bodywork from scratch. I was lucky enough to see the bike in the flesh at the Mooneyes show last weekend, and there’s a ton of trick stuff going on.

Those side panels—which were hand made from aluminum—not only look great, but hide away wiring too. The fenders are actually two Indian front fenders that were lying around in the RSD workshop, and the headlight bucket is from a Ural, and accepted the stock R nineT gauge with minimal fuss. Then there’s that color: a deep midnight blue that could almost pass for black.

A few modern touches from the RSD catalogue help keep this vintage-style machine unique. Those include the engine’s breastplate and valve covers, the floorboards, and a set of 19” Traction flat track wheels.

On the right, the brake’s been converted to a linked system with a heel shifter. There’s a heel pedal on the left too, but that’s actually the clutch; gearshifts happen on top of the tank, with a small shifter that harks back to the original R7. Everything is highly neat and tidy, and even the handlebar cabling has all be run internally.

There’s too much goodness to cram into this page, so we’ll sum it up with a score instead: ten out of ten. [More]

Honda CX500 by Seb Hipperson The Honda CX500 is a fickle donor. We’ve seen many that miss the mark horribly—but when a builder manages to make it work, the results are astounding. And Seb Hipperson’s certainly made it work with this sharp CX café racer.

His CX doesn’t come across as extreme on the first pass, but it’s well sorted. He’s added Honda CBR600RR forks, Tec Parts shocks that have been re-sprung to match his weight, and a new front brake setup. There’s a lot of fresh work inside the motor too, along with a pair of upgraded Mikuni VM34 carbs.

Seb’s done some subtle tweaking too. He lopped the top section off the fuel tank, then welded in the top of a Yamaha XJ tank. Then he added some fiberglass work to the bottom edge, to give it a smoother finish. The subframe’s custom, complete with little parallelogram-shaped areas that are now filled in with fiberglass side panels (where the air box used to be). Even the wheels are a mash-up, with bits from the GL1100 and CB900 grafted in.

A metallic grey paint job—capped with graphics in the Valvoline colors—finishes it off. Seb says he’s currently using it as a London runabout, but reports that it held its own at a classic track day at Caldwell Park. And we believe him. [More]

The Honda RS750 It seems like hooligan flat track events happen every other weekend, and that means builders are building bikes to enter them with. But this Honda isn’t some haphazard hooli-racer—it’s a bona fide race bike from the 80s. So although it doesn’t meet the ‘custom’ or ‘bikes of the week’ criteria, when it popped up in our feed this week, we knew we had to share it.

The story goes that, by the mid-1980s, Honda was dominating most styles of racing—except flat track. So they started developing a new flat track race bike, using the liquid-cooled 52-degree, SOHC 742cc V-twin from the XLV750R (also known as the Africa Twin). The RS750 was then developed around the motor.

The RS750 started taking names straight out the gate. It won its first race out, at the 1983 De Quoin Mile. Then Bubba Shobert and the late Ricky Graham won six races each in the next season, with Graham narrowly beating Shobert in the overall. Shobert hit back the following year, and took the overall title three years in row. [More]

Aurora by Mehmet Doruk Erdem Social media is full of renders of custom motorcycles—but we have a chronic aversion to them. That’s because nine times out of ten, they’re vaporware; concepts that never see the light of day.

But Mehmet Doruk Erdem gets a free pass. His designs are evocative and extreme—and he’s got a solid track record. His Alpha concept, for example, was masterfully translated into metal by builder Mark Atkinson.

This is his latest design: ‘Aurora,’ based on a BMW R nineT. It’s a commission, and Istanbul-based GB Motobike are booked to build it. Mehmet’s kept some of the nineT’s core bits—like the fuel tank and tail bump—but he’s reworked it with extra bodywork and an extremely aggressive stance.

Some of the details are bound to cause headaches, like the exhaust that appear to exit through the tail unit. Still, it’s a killer concept, and we’re looking forward to seeing it come to life.

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Damage Control: How the ‘Evel Knievel’ FTR750 was built

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date August 9, 2018

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
It was the biggest moto stunt of the 21st century. In a marketing masterstroke for Indian Motorcycle, Travis Pastrana reprised three of Evel Knievel’s most iconic jumps in one day—including the Caesar’s Palace fountain jump that put Knievel in hospital.

Pastrana picked the Indian Scout FTR750 as his weapon of choice. Why? Because the stunt was an homage to the days before purpose-built FMX machines became a thing.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
The FTR750 is cleaning up in the AMA Flat Track series right now. But there’s a huge difference between pinning it around a dirt oval and sailing it 149 feet through the air, aiming for a ramp on the other side.

Roland Sands Design was selected to prep the FTR750 for the abuse it would take. And the Californians also had to tweak it to suit Pastrana’s riding style. “We started with a great bike,” the guys tell us, “so it was really about making Travis comfortable, and getting the ergos right.”

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
As you’d expect, significant suspension upgrades were called for, so that the FTR would cope with the rigors of stunt jumping. Get it wrong, and the consequences could be…catastrophic.

Specialist Jimmy Wood stepped in, revalving the stock Öhlins forks to increase stiffness, and building a custom Race Tech GS3 rear shock.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
Travel now measures 115mm up front, and 118mm out back; “It’s the stiffest set up we’ve ever put on a bike,” RSD tell us. They also gusseted the swing arm, for extra peace of mind. And then installed stronger triple trees, which were originally developed for TT racing by Ricky Howerton and S&S Cycle.

The FTR750 still rolls on flat track rubber, in the form of 19” Dunlop DT3s. But the wheels have been swapped for a set of ‘Traction’ race items from RSD’s own catalog.

Curious about what sort of pressures you’d run for jumping over things? It’s 28 psi at the front, and 32 psi at the rear—considerably lower than the recommended pressures on the road-going Scout.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
A lot of subtle—yet crucial—tweaking went into the cockpit. Pastrana’s own signature ProTaper bars were mounted up on a set of custom-made risers. “They were taller and went forward, instead of back,” the team explains, “to put the bars in a more comfortable and ergonomic, neutral location, for jumping instead of racing.”

Other components include ProTaper grips, and a TrailTech Stealth Striker speedo. The foot controls are a mix of RSD mid-mounts, with ProTaper platform footpegs.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
The Las Vegas heat was a concern too, so the RSD crew spent time running the water-cooled V-twin as hot as they could to predict every eventuality. They filled the Indian up with an Evans Powersports ‘waterless’ coolant, a popular choice with race teams, and added a TrailTech electric cooling fan.

In the end, the skies were overcast at the time of the jump, and the temperature in the low 70s.

Equal consideration went into the gearing. RSD fitted Superlite quick-change race sprockets, but shortened the gearing so that Pastrana could get up to 2nd and 3rd for the jumps. That way, they could eliminate any possibility of a false neutral between 1st and 2nd at a critical time.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
Other upgrades include an S&S Cycle front brake kit with Spiegler brake lines. Look closely, and you’ll notice there’s just one silencer poking out behind the FTR750’s beefy exhaust heat shield: the team switched the stock system out for an S&S Cycle two-into-one TT system.

We rarely profile bikes with stock bodywork. But the FTR750 looks so good out the box—and is so period correct—that there was no need to swap out the tank and tail. The only bodywork change was subtle—but very necessary. Seat specialists Saddlemen built a custom, MX-style gripper seat to RSD’s spec.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
All told, the team managed to bring the bike down to 350 lbs (160 kilos) on the nose. We asked them how they tested it, and they replied: “You build some jumps and ramps, and hit them!”

With that sorted, Airtrix laid down probably the most important mod of all—an Evel Knievel replica livery.

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built
Pastrana donned his matching leather jumpsuit, wheeled the FTR750 out in front of a 25,000-strong audience, and nailed all three jumps on the day (breaking Knievel’s car and bus records in the process).

Neither Pastrana, nor the FTR750, broke. We’d call that a win.

Indian Motorcycle | Stunt images: Getty Images for HISTORY | Workshop images by Roland Sands Design

Damage Control: How Travis Pastrana's ‘Evel Knievel’ Indian FTR750 stunt bike was built

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 8 July, 2018

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date July 8, 2018

The best cafe racers, scramblers and bobbers of the week
Roland Sands massages the R nineT into a vintage-styled thing of beauty, plus the strangest official BMW Motorrad concept bike we’ve ever seen, and a sneak peek at the 2019 Norton Atlas scrambler.

BMW R nineT by Roland Sands Design If you’ve been keeping score over the past few years, you’ll know that Roland Sands has incredible vision. No matter which direction he chooses to pursue—tracker, bobber, chopper or racer—the result is invariably spot on. And this build is no different, with an R NineT massaged into the perfect mix of old and new.

Drawing inspiration from the ovals of the Hooligan series and the elegance of BMW’s extraordinary R5 Hommage, Sands’ R NineT is part bobber and part tracker. The aesthetic mix created by the 19-inch hoops, custom rolled fenders and iconic 1950s ‘Pagusa’ solo seat sounds weird on paper, but is a stunner in pixels. And the fenders aren’t the only new bits of metal either.

BMW R nineT by Roland Sands Design
The bodywork, including the frame covers above the intake, was all shaped in house. And even thought the frame has been left mostly stock, it has been detabbed to clean up overall appearance. That bone-white paint, courtesy of Chris Wood at Airtrix, doesn’t hurt either.

Of course, the RSD catalog was consulted at length as well. The master cylinders at both front and rear are RSD units—as are the foot controls, valve covers and the gorgeous breastplate that adorns the mighty boxer. And that boxer respires a touch easier, thanks to a set of carbon K&N filters that replaces the old airbox, plus an RSD slip-on exhaust. [More]

Yamaha Virago by KSC Speedshop Remember a few weeks back when we featured a stunning Virago in this column that wasn’t a Greg Hageman project? Well here’s another one. And it may be even prettier.

‘MC02’ is the product of Massimo Carriero and his partner Fabian. They run Italy’s KSC Speedshop, an outfit that specializes in designing and developing aftermarket moto parts. They wanted to create a modern cafe racer, with performance that tipped its hat to racing roots. That meant ditching the Yamaha’s bars and mid controls for clip-ons and rearsets—but it wasn’t a simple affair. A new set of triples was machined and an R1 front end was clamped in to fit.

Yamaha Virago by KSC Speedshop
That meant an immediate upgrade to both handling and braking up front, so the rear was modified to suit. The swingarm was massaged a touch and a Sachs piggyback unit levels stance and keeps things under control.

The bodywork on the Virago is a mix of old and new, featuring a tank from a mid-eighties Kawa GPZ, a Ducati Panigale front fender, and a few CAD-developed one-offs. The rear hugger and the seriously stubby subframe are KSC originals, as is the new front fairing. [More]

Child's custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler
Pagani Mini Cross by El Pasillo Is this this toddler-sized scrambler what the world needs to convince young ‘uns to embrace two-wheeled culture? The brainchild of Gonzalo Carranza, this custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler was designed for his moto-loving two year-old son.

The lad immediately proclaimed “Dad, this bike is so good!” and we couldn’t agree more. The 50cc 2-stroke Pagani (called ‘Little Killer’) was designed with an old Jawa ML180 in mind, because Gonzalo’s son Hipolito always gravitated to one in the El Pasillo garage—but couldn’t quite swing his tiny legs over its saddle.

Child's custom Pagani Mini Cross scrambler
The plastic Pagani gas tank hit the recycle bin, and in its place now sits a custom 2-liter ¾ size peanut. As with many full size customs, the subframe is gone too, in favor of a custom perch that delivers a flattened scrambler stance. The new headlight admittedly looks a touch small on this Pagani, but proportionally speaking, everything else seems well sorted. And speaking of sizing, even Hipolito looks like he won’t outgrow the Little Killer any time soon. [More]

BMW R nineT concept by Blechmann
BMW Motorrad x Blechmann R nineT concept You may not believe it, but this futuristic bit of tinkering started out as an R nineT too. Commissioned by BMW Motorrad, Bernhard Neumann has churned out a concept that’s equal parts Magpul, Ridley Scott and moto designer Ola Stenegärd.

Neumann calls his bizarre creation Giggerl, which translates from German to ‘chicken’ in the King’s English. Because, as he puts it, “I have built a chicken with underarms and headlamps.” But don’t think for a minute that means that Neumann didn’t take the job seriously. He may have a penchant for obscure naming practices, but his abilities forming metal are second to none. Hence his own nickname ‘Blechmann,’ which means ‘tin man.’ In fact, the Tin Man has handcrafted everything here, apart from the levers, handlebars and forks.

BMW R nineT concept by Blechmann
The frame, tank, subframe, seat, exhaust and bodywork are all one-off units. One flows into the other and into the next with impeccable accuracy. Say what you will about the concept—which we really dig—but the execution is absolutely incredible. Observed alongside BMW’s in-house concept that we featured here a few weeks back, maybe it hints towards a new sci-fi infused design language for the Bavarians? [More]

Norton Atlas scrambler concept-1
The new Norton Atlas scrambler Triumph is set to reveal a bigger and even-scramblier Scrambler later this year, and the standout offering in the Scrambler Ducati range is the Desert Sled. So it’s not surprising that other brands want in on this action. What may surprise though, is that it’s Norton that wants your dirty money. And based on these renderings, we’re optimistic.

Norton has certainly pegged the Desert Sled as its design inspiration, but has stayed traditionally British as far as the motor is concerned. The 2019 Norton Atlas will be powered by the front half of Norton’s V4 superbike engine and is rumored to come in three levels of performance: mild (70 hp), wild (100 hp) and bonkers (175 hp supercharged).

Norton Atlas scrambler concept-1
Our guess is that this Scrambler will debut with the mild version of that motor and, from what we see here, should be decently outfitted for less-travelled paths.

There are spoked wheels at both ends, with what we’re guessing is a 19-inch front—which should keep things nimble in both paved and dirty conditions. The wide bars and tapered waistline should offer decent control from a standing position and, as long as it’s not made from tinfoil, that skid plate should keep the internals staying internal. Here’s hoping final executions don’t stray too far from digital intentions. [More]

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 26 November, 2017

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date November 26, 2017

The best cafe racers, scramblers and choppers of the week
What happens when a notorious flat track nut decides to build a chopper? We take a look at Roland Sands’ latest build to find out. And then cast our eyes over a murdered-out Aprilia Tuono, the slinky new CCM FT6 tracker, and a monstrous CR500 wheelie machine.

Custom Aprilia Tuono by Ireful Motorcycles
Aprilia Tuono by Ireful Motorcycles Of all the bikes I’ve ridden over the last few years, the Aprilia Tuono is easily one of my favorites. The ferocity of acceleration, the engine sound and the precision handling are even more addictive than nicotine. But not everyone is a fan of boy-racer bikini fairings.

Dario Denichilo of Milan-based Ireful recently put a Tuono 1000 on his bench and the result, Tumultus 130, is absolutely gorgeous. All the liveried plastics have been binned, in favor of flowing, hand formed aluminum. The rear subframe is also all-new and creates an elevated perch, delivering an aggressive riding position while also hiding the electrics. In profile, it gives this nouveau-cafe a look reminiscent of the Lotus C-01. And that’s no bad thing.

Custom Aprilia Tuono by Ireful Motorcycles
The Ape’s mighty V-twin engine, suspension and braking are top-notch right out of the box, so little work was needed on the performance front. But a new SC Project exhaust has been fitted to shed some weight, and clean up appearances—and it undoubtedly adds extra baritone to Tumultus’ thunder. [More]

Roland Sands' Indian Chief chopper
Indian ‘Mescalero’ by Roland Sands Design Choppers aren’t usually our thing around here. But every now and then, one sneaks up and demands attention. Such is the case with Mescalero, the latest creation from flat track and cafe icon Roland Sands.

Designed to pay homage to a bike Roland’s dad built back in the 70s, Mescalero is a modern ‘road bomber’ powered by an 111 cubic-inch V-Twin from an Indian Chief. But outside of that powerplant, everything else is essentially custom, and completely old school. The chromoly frame is a plunger unit, giving it the appearance of a rigid without the spine-crushing ride quality. Up front, Mescalero uses a custom girder set-up with a little help from an Öhlins shock absorber.

Roland Sands' Indian Chief chopper
Of course, the retro treatments don’t end with the mechanicals. An impressive padded sissy bar and tri-bend bars have been fitted to further accentuate the bike’s massive rake. RSD’s chief fabricator, Aaron Boss, even tooled up a foot clutch and jockey shift—for authenticity and, well, radness. [More]

CCM FT6 Tracker Need evidence that the tracker movement is in full swing? Look no further than the latest bike to be green-lit by England’s CCM Motorcycles, the FT6.

Based on the same architecture and engine used in their already tasty (and sold out) Spitfire line, the FT6 is a carbon-fiber clad runner. And it has real ties to the dirt oval: Ten years ago, Marco Belli rode a CCM to the European Championship.

Like the other bikes in CCM’s portfolio, the FT6 will be a completely hand built model, bolted and welded together by an escapee from Lockheed Martin’s original Skunk Works. The 599cc thumper powering the FT6 is good for 55 hp, and rumor says it should tip scales at a scant 125 kg (275 pounds). Unfortunately, as with the drool-worthy Spitfires, the FT6 will be a limited production bike. Only 250 are set to see the light of day. But the good news is that this awesomeness can be yours for around £9,000 (US$12,000) if you’re quick. [More]

Honda CR500 by Dab Design To mark the end of a successful 2017 and celebrate a year in business, 26-year-old Simon Dabadie has created what might be the ultimate wheelie machine: a supermoto CR500.

If you drooled over Simon’s last LM Series build you’ll know that he integrates 3D scanning and printing into his build process for optimal fitment and design. That process has continued here to deliver Dab’s signature LM look—but it’s the choice of donor that has us truly intrigued.

Honda CR500 by Dab Design
The CR500 that underpins this bike is one of 360 models that were homologated for road use in the early 90s by a French Honda dealer, Diapason. With around 65 horsepower spooling up in abrupt 2-stroke fashion, and barely 100 kilos of mass to move, LM #5 should be a blast to ride. Of course, Simon’s also upgraded nearly everything, including brakes from Beringer and some custom, revalved suspension bits from the masters at Öhlins. Now that is truly something worth celebrating. [More]

Moto Morini Ti22 Corsaro What is it about a custom build that speaks to you? Is it a slinky set of expertly welded pipes? Smooth, flowing, hand built bodywork? An exposed trellis frame? Or MotoGP levels of performance? How about all of those things, in one incredible package? Enter Moto Morini.

The Ti22 Corsaro is an absolute masterclass in design and craftsmanship. It’s also the latest example of just what you can order from the Trivolzio, Italy manufacturer when you sign up for their ‘Yours and Yours Alone’ customization service.

Based on Moto Morini’s already handmade Corsaro ZZ, the Ti22 version retains the trellis frame, Brembo brakes, fully adjustable Mupo suspension and 137 hp, 1200cc V-Twin found in the original. But it ups the ante with bespoke bodywork and one of the prettiest sets of pipes I’ve ever laid eyes on: a titanium, pie-cut exhaust custom made by the folks at Arrow.

Moto Morini Ti22 Corsaro
The revised endurance racer bodywork is all aluminum, and so is the new custom tank. Together, they deliver a timeless look that I’m sure anyone would be happy to parade around. Pricing isn’t mentioned, but it’s probably a smidge more than the Brough we showed you last week. [More]

Moto Morini Ti22 Corsaro

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Roland Sands Stretches and Slams the R nineT

Post author By Wes Reyneke
Post date April 28, 2017

Building a bike purely for show has its advantages. There’s no need to worry about whether it runs, steers and stops, and there’s no need for the usual legal accoutrements; as long as it looks pretty, you’re good.

But if you’re Roland Sands, that’s hard to do. With years of experience racing and building bikes, creating something unrideable is simply not in his nature. So when a friend commissioned RSD to build a bike to display in one of his stores, Roland and his team pulled out all the stops.

RSD’s client is a big BMW fan, with quite a few unique cars and bikes in his collection. Naturally, the guys picked a brand new BMW R nineT as the donor.

“He was really into the board track direction,” says Roland, “so we blended that idea with a bit of café racer flavor to come up with something in between.”

“This bike was a close cousin of the Indian we did a while back that had a similar shaped gas tank. But with the BMW we wanted to keep all the suspension modern and fully functional, where the Indian was a rigid with a girder fork.”

To get the board tracker vibe just right, the team fitted a pair of gorgeous 21” Morris wheels from their own catalog. But swapping out the wheels alone wasn’t going to cut it, so they tore into the frame too.

They started by chopping the neck, raking out the front end to make the big wheel fit with the stock forks. Then they trimmed all superfluous mounts off the frame, and rebuilt the back section to flow with the new bodywork.

Rounding out the chassis package are a GP Suspension cartridge kit for the forks, and a new Öhlins TTX rear shock. In true tracker fashion the front brake’s been ditched, but the rear’s been upgraded with a custom Spiegler brake line. A set of Dunlop Elite 3 tires keeps the Beemer on the asphalt.

Moving to the bodywork, RSD chief fabricator Aaron Boss whipped up a new tank and tail section, along with a front board and side panels. The stock fuel pump’s still in use; the guys fitted it into the new tank by way of a few custom machined parts.

That tank’s also adorned with a pair of RSD badges, a handsome cast aluminum gas cap from Crafty B, and a period correct strap. Bitchin’ Seat Company handled the nineT’s new perch.

Lower down, the team executed a top-level tidy-up job. The airbox is gone, replaced by a pair of RSD velocity stacks. And there’s a hidden box behind those side panels, which holds the BMW’s huge pile of stock electro bits.

There’s also a Rapid Bike Race Tuner to help boost performance, and a CXRacing oil cooler (hiding behind the number board, and plumbed with custom lines). The exhaust is pretty killer too; it’s a custom two-into-one-into-two stainless steel system, terminating in a pair of RSD mufflers. They’re held up by an exquisite bracket, mounted low down on the frame.

RSD are gearing up to release their new “Machined Line” series of R nineT parts (which will also be available at BMW dealers), so they’ve pillaged the catalog here. The valve covers, oil filler cap, frame pivot plugs and engine breastplate are all from the range. RSD also ground down the engine casing fins to carry through the theme.

Other RSD bits include the foot pegs and controls, clutch master cylinder and leather-wrapped grips. The control area is super-sano, thanks to a custom-made triple, in the style of that on the original Concept 90. And the only switches needed—ignition and start—have been moved to the side panel.

It’s an incredibly tidy build, emphasized by the basic and striking finishes. And the fact that there was no need to put it through a roadworthy test helped too.

“It’s a concept board tracker build,” says Roland. “No front brake. No kickstand, no lights, and completely inconvenient for everyday use—outside of the fact it’s a BMW, and will fire up every time and run forever.”

But is it actually any good on the road? “It’s a blast. It’s quick and steers well, you just have to watch your ass with no front brake…and with that I’ve opened myself up for some solid stage dive commentary!”

Roland Sands Design | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Joseph Hitzelberger

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Blast From The Past: A BMW R nineT inspired by the 1936 R5

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date October 6, 2016

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
The first time the world laid eyes on the BMW R nineT was three years ago—when it was teased as Roland Sands’ blistering Concept 90. Since then, bolt-on nineT parts have been flying out of the Californian workshop.

So we were surprised when we realized that RSD haven’t tackled another ground-up R nineT build since. Until now.

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
In a different way, RSD’s latest boxer is every bit as retro-fabulous as the Concept 90. That one was a homage to the iconic R 90 S, but this time Roland and his team took inspiration from elsewhere in BMW’s history.

“This started out as a rendering I did based on the 1936 R5,” Roland tells us. “We wanted to draw from the classic, beautiful lines of the early BMW machines. They really had a very clean, chopped look that I think is tough to duplicate with a new machine.”

“Luckily the nineT is a pretty simple machine to cut up.”

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
And cut up it is: there’s nothing left out back, save for a svelte new subframe and a solo perch. The seat itself is custom-made—reminiscent of the Denfeld units of old, and upholstered by Bitchin’ Rich.

RSD usually handle all their fabrication in-house—and have done so for almost ten years. But a slammed schedule, and a specific concept, sparked a fresh collaboration.

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
“I wanted to do a crazy framework around the fenders,” Roland tells us, “and had been talking to Cristian Sosa at Sosa Metal Works, as he specializes in that type of work. Cristian is an amazing fabricator and solid human being, and we were very busy, so it was a great time to do something different.”

“We brought in Cristian and spent a few days building a framework that reshaped the machine into the R5 shape. This proved to be a challenging task for me personally because I’m used to having my hands on things—and that wasn’t the case with this bike when it was gone.”

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
Clearly Roland had no reason to worry: “When we got the bike back the work was really beautiful.”

The only point of contention was the fuel tank. It was a bit larger than expected, so RSD fabricator Aaron Boss trimmed it down—while keeping it true to Cristian’s shape. He added a pair of sight glass windows at the same time; an idea that RSD had wanted to try.

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
Naturally, there’s a sprinkling of RSD R nineT parts in play too. Everything from the valve covers, to the headlight and dash bezels, grips and controls are company items. There’s a new gas cap from Bung King too. A number of stock parts have been retained—but coated black.

Specialized Powdercoating handled all the coating work, while Chris Wood at Airtrix shot the bike in a ultra-vintage black and silver scheme. Tom Clark handled the hand lettering for the ‘pedestrian splitter’ on the front fairing.

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
It’s a gorgeous motorcycle, but it’s way more than just a styling exercise. Roland’s background is in racing—and it shows.

For starters, specialists GP Suspension rebuilt the front forks. They’re now packing a cartridge kit, black powder-coated tubes and black DLC (diamond-like coating) stanchions. There’s a blacked-out Öhlins shock out back too.

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
The wheels are RSD Hutch units, with the front getting a size bump, from the stock 17” to 19”. Along with the bigger wheel, RSD fitted their own brand discs, new Brembo Monobloc calipers, and Spiegler lines. Dunlop supplied the tires: a D208F up front, and a Q3 out back.

“The suspension on this bike is a few notches above the stock bike,” says Roland, “even with the slightly larger front wheel. I like the fact that the silhouette echoes the R5, but has sticky tires and aggressive suspension and brakes. It’s what customizing today is really about for us.”

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
RSD also built a new, stainless steel, two-into-one-into-two exhaust system, capped off with their new Track mufflers. RSD velocity stacks do duty in place of the original air box.

“When we build a one-off exhaust and intake for custom bikes it can take some tweaking to get them to run right. Not quite sure why, but this is the fastest R nineT I’ve ridden to date— straight out of the shop with no tuning.”

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
RSD’s R nineT is about as perfect a modern classic as they come. It has all the performance you’d want from a contemporary machine, but wrapped in a timeless package.

“The performance was really a thing for me, to keep it all intact and to improve it,” says Roland. “I knew [BMW designer] Ola Stenegärd was working on a throwback concept bike for BMW, as we helped him with a few pieces.”

Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.
“To look at their bike and the inspiration and the outcome, which I loved, versus our bike and inspiration—coming from the same place but with a completely different outcome—is wild.”

“I think I always want to build something that echoes history, but when it’s a modern machine, the racer kid in me still takes over and wants to get his knee down on everything.”

Amen.

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Vintage Vibe: Roland Sands and Cristian Sosa take the BMW R nineT back in time.

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Custom Bikes Of The Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date June 12, 2016

A vintage-inspired Indian Scout from Roland Sands, a BMW R NineT given the Dakar Rally treatment, and a custom Voxan with a finish worthy of Rolls-Royce. Meet the machines that revved our engines this week.

Indian Scout by Roland Sands Design If you made the trek to Biarritz for this weekend’s Wheels and Waves festival, this latest creation from the Roland Sands team was sure to catch your eye. Working from yet another Indian Scout, RSD took a grinder to the conservative approach: On this build, just about everything is bespoke.

The custom frame and twin radiators are works of engineering art. Had a conventional set of forks cushioned the front wheel, it would still look as awesome—but no, RSD decided to run with a custom girder set-up. It’s dampened by an Öhlins mountain bike shock, with an Öhlins MotoGP-derived TTX shock out back. (The same set-up RSD used on the Project 156 Pikes peak racer.)

Each detail on this bike is worthy of its own page alone, so pour another coffee, sit back and explore everything that’s been done. I recommend starting up front, with that sneaky throttle cable pull mounted on the number plate. Genius. [More]

BMW Motorrad ‘Lac Rose’ R NineT concept Speaking of Wheels and Waves, BMW wasn’t ready to let RSD steal the entire spotlight: They took the wraps off their concept bike ‘Lac Rose.’

Clearly inspired by BMW’s stints in the Dakar, the bike is named after the Retba salt lake that sits 35 kilometers from the infamous rally’s end point. Working with an R NineT, the Motorrad engineers clearly had hands in the GS parts bin—creating what head designer Edgar Heinrich calls “our laid-back and very individual interpretation of the bike that won the Paris-Dakar Rallye in 1985.”

This Beemer’s off-road chops are more form than function, though: think of it as a roadster that won’t balk at a fire trail. Regardless, hot on the heels of the R5 Hommage, the Lac Rose shows BMW’s dedication to the custom world we celebrate. [More]

Mash 250 by XTR Pepo It’s not often we find a French-designed, Chinese-made motorcycle lying beneath a custom cafe racer. In fact, this svelte Mash 250 build from Pepo Rosell’s XTR Pepo may be the first.

Christened Cafe Noire, this latest creation to roll out of XTR’s Madrid garage is based on the styling of the endurance racers of the late 60s—and weighs about as much as Gidget on a longboard. Tipping the scales at approximately 120kg, Cafe Noire is infinitely flickable and, thanks to an XTR air filter and SuperMario megaphone exhaust, has the hustle to go with that flow. But you don’t need to see it in motion to glom it’s a runner. Thanks to Rosell’s handcrafted fiberglass tank, fairing, seat pan and tail, Cafe Noire looks fast and slippery—even when it’s standing still. [More]

Custom Ducati 600SS by Imbarcardero 14 Pore over these digital pages long enough, and the dream of retiring to your garage to ply your hand at bespoke builds will plant its seed. While most of us snap back to less romantic realities, Maurizio Carraro of Venice’s Imbarcardero 14 (IMB14) has turned that dream into a thriving business.

This is one of IMB14’s newest creations, ‘Hidden.’ It’s based on a 1994 Ducati 600SS and it’s a refreshingly original vision. Over 300 hours of design, fabrication and assembly were devoted to creating the bike for a discerning client.

Where most Ducatis have their trellis frame and L-Twin engine showcased, Carraro has ‘hidden’ these iconic traits with expanded metal-mesh and a beefy belly pan. The lines of the Duc’s tank were softened and the rear wheel was given the full-metal jacket treatment before a bespoke exhaust was fitted—clearly to ensure Hidden could be found. [More]

Voxan by Motorieep When we first laid eyes on what the Parisian garage Motorieep could do with a now defunct Voxan, we were immediately impressed. Apparently, shop owner Pierre was able to scrounge up a couple more of those rare French bikes and his latest, the Voxan M-1000CR, is Motorieep’s most gorgeous work yet.

The fit and finish would make a Rolls-Royce technician blush, whether it’s the front cowl, the suede saddle or the high-mount 2-into-1 exhaust unit. And, since the aftermarket for Voxan parts is non-existent, that means everything has received the hand built touch.

That being said, Pierre benefits from past experience. The underslung rear suspension is a carryover from a previous Scrambler build, and the same high-pressure fuel pump has been fitted—to help that mighty 996cc V-twin flex even more muscle. [More]

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Custom Bikes Of The Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date March 6, 2016

A Maserati-powered monster from Lazareth, the one and only custom BMW G 650 Xchallenge we’ve ever seen, and rip-snortin’ Indian Scout Sixty flat tracker. We’d happily put any one of these machines in our garage.

BMW G 650 Xchallenge by Hyde Designs Hyde Designs is small shop just starting up in Cape Town, South Africa. Owner Jens Henkel is a one-man-band and he has a mantra: “To build bikes where detail is important and craft is crucial.” Judging by his work on Octavia, I’d say it’s Mission Accomplished.

Starting with a G650 Xchallenge, Henkel essentially stripped everything bare before creating his vision. The new subframe design was key in this build, and is designed to showcase both the main structural frame and the swingarm. The tank is a one-off, welded unit that gives the Beemer an incredible angular shape and proportions, leading into a compact fiberglass tail that mirrors its silhouette.

Octavia came together in just six months—which is extremely impressive for any shop’s first kick at the cat. [More]

Lazareth LM 847 Back in 2003, Dodge rolled out a concept vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show that strangled everyone’s attention. The Tomahawk was a 4-wheeled ‘motorcycle’ built around the Dodge Viper’s 500hp V10 engine. It was bonkers, but in the best of ways.

At the Geneva Motor Show the other day, the French design firm Lazareth presented a Tomahawk of their own—and it’s the perfect mix of crazy and beautiful. Lazereth is no stranger to leaning things over with more than two wheels, but this is their most ambitious endeavor yet.

The LM 847 is a Maserati-powered ‘leaning quad’ with 470 horsepower, bar-end mirrors and a Panigale tail. Just take a peek at the work involved with the dual-Telelever suspension kits both front and back, and those snaking headers. My favorite touches are the cowl-ensconced intake, and that dinky little kickstand on the front left swingarm (see header shot). Utter madness. [More]

Kawasaki H1 by Mhc Workshop Originally developed by Kawasaki under the elusive N100 name, the H1 was Team Green’s answer to the escalating horsepower war in America. Known also as the Mach III when it debuted in 1969, the 500cc 2-stroke triple would smash through the quarter mile in under 13 seconds.

I don’t even need to hear the angry can of bees on Mhc Workshop’s H1 to know it could best that time. Everything that the Marseille-based builders have touched is in the pursuit of performance. The custom tank is leaner, the suspension stronger, and the overall package noticeably lighter and more nimble. The color scheme is a knockout, as is the weld work on that exhaust—and the intricate milling of the rearsets and head-mounted Mhc badges. [More]

Indian Scout Sixty by Roland Sands Design If you managed to sneak over to the Mama Tried Show in Milwaukee a few weeks ago, you’d have done well to attend the Hooligan Race at the Panther Arena. Meant to mimic a shortened flat-track, the slick concrete floor was coated with a syrupy mix of Dr. Pepper for (some) grip and a checkered flag was waved.

Sprinkled throughout the lineup of pro and amateur bikes was a team of Indian Scout Sixtys, specifically prepped for hooliganism by Roland Sands. The bikes were developed over several months, to coincide with the little Indian’s launch, and have been making the rounds at Hooligan events since. And they perform as well as they look.

The modifications lean heavily on suspension and geometry, to deliver flat-track ride-abilities. But in typical RSD fashion, there’s no skimping on the eye candy: that exhaust is a work of art. [More]

Moto Guzzi 1100 by Moto Studio Garage Bruce McQuiston and Ryan Arends of Moto Studio are no strangers to working with iconic Italians. Bruce demands that every build starts from a bike with soul—and a 1995 Moto Guzzi 1100 has that in spades.

Christened Cafe Nero, this blacked-out and raw aluminum racer is clean enough to eat your dinner off—but wouldn’t protest to a hard ride. Nothing is out of place or haphazardly strewn. Every wire, cable and tube has been routed with intent, to accentuate the work done to slim the Guzzi’s waistline and highlight its transverse V-Twin engine.

The milled aluminum subframe is worthy of its own Instagram account, let alone the carbon fiber work at the tail and front fender. Most impressive of all? This build was turned around in a mere 45 days. [More]

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Roland Sands' "Faster Wasp"

Post author By Morgan Gales
Post date November 9, 2015

Following in the footsteps of Shinya Kimura, Roland Sands has stepped up and collaborated with Yamaha to create an exciting new chapter in the ‘Faster Sons’ story. Taking everything cool and iconic from Yamaha’s Sport Heritage bike building philosophy and taking it to the next level with pure sports DNA running through its veins.

The ‘Faster Wasp’, is Californian custom builder Roland Sands’ fifth Yamaha collaboration, and is a thoroughbred concept with more than a hint of legend Kenny Roberts in its design.

A professional racer himself, Roland Sands embraced the ‘Faster Sons’ philosophy of classic timeless style blended with cutting edge Yamaha technology and added a third element, infusing Yamaha’s racing pedigree into the mix. The result is a machine with massive impact, paying tribute to Kenny Roberts’ iconic TZ750 in instantly recognisable yellow and black ‘bumblebee’ colour scheme with just as much bite. Taking Yamaha’s latest 850cc in-line 3-cylinder engine with a lightweight aluminium frame, the ‘Faster Wasp’ has a serious sting in its tail with powerful performance wrapped in a classic package.

“Faster Sons is a mind-set to respect what comes from the old days, pureness, quality materials and design simplicity, blended with cutting edge technology”, commented Yamaha Motor Europe Product Manager, Shun Miyazawa. “Roland did a fantastic job with this build, respecting this philosophy in great detail. This has given us a huge confidence and, as with Shinya Kimura’s concept, has again confirmed our direction and bike building philosophy. We are working on future Faster Sons products and this concept is going to help us to accelerate bringing future products to the market.”

“I go way back with Yamaha,” said Roland Sands. “I used to race TZ250 race bikes and ride a lot of Yamaha dirt bikes off-road so I have a lot of history. When I see what the Yamaha brand has done and where they want to go I find it really inspiring. We’ve built quite a few bikes together already. The triple package is really lightweight and performs really well. It’s not a race bike but it brings that level of race performance into a consumer friendly bike, which is great because it brings the fun factor. For me, that’s a great platform to build a custom on, I feel a bike needs to be fun, so you can have a good time but have good performance as well. This Faster Sons concept we’ve worked together on, bringing my racing heritage together with Kenny Roberts, one of my heroes and smashing it together with the triple has made a fun project to work on and I’m really happy with the end result.” The concept build features numerous parts by Roland Sands Designs, including the hand-fabricated aluminum gas tank, tail section, intake scoops, radiator covers, front number plate & front fender. There’s also a prototype Clarity timing cover, prototype rearsets, rear brake reservoir and prototype case guards. The chain guard, timing plug, axle sliders and gas cap are also all prototype RSD items.

The ‘Faster Wasp’ rolls on RSD Morris forged aluminium wheels (17×3.5” front & 17×6.0” rear) wrapped in Dunlop Q3 tyres. The screaming triple sound track comes courtesy of Two Bros Racing stainless steel headers with an RSD Slant muffler. The power is transferred to the back wheel with Renthal sprockets and stopping power comes from RSD custom superbike front brake rotors, Performance Machine radial brake calipers, an RSD Radial brake master cylinder and Spiegler brake lines.

An RSD cable clutch perch and Barnett custom clutch cable keep the gears in check and RSD Nostalgia handlebar risers, Renthal FATbar handlebars and RSD Traction grips give the rider total control. An Öhlins front fork cartridge kit and Öhlins rear shock keep the ride tight and Samco cooling lines adds a race level touch of detail.

The stunning look of the ‘Faster Wasp’ is perfectly detailed with a custom leather seat by Bitchin Seat Co., that amazing yellow and black colour scheme by Airtrix and Cerakote by Specialized Coatings.

See the Wasp in the raw HERE!

For more information on Roland Sands Design, check out their website RolandSands.com

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Faster Wasp: A Yamaha Yard Built 900 with a sting

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date November 9, 2015

There’s one thing you can’t buy in the custom world: pedigree. And Roland Sands has one of the best pedigrees of all. He’s a former 250GP national champion, so he’s got the track smarts and knows how to make a bike handle.

Sands started his racing career on a Yamaha TZ250, a fact not lost on Yamaha Europe. So when they wanted a flat tracker based on the FZ-09 (known as the MT-09 outside of the US), Sands was the guy who took the call.

Fast forward a few months, and here’s the result. It’s called ‘Faster Wasp’ and it’s dressed in the fabulous ‘bumblebee’ color scheme made famous by Kenny Roberts’ TZ750.

The bike slots into Yamaha’s ‘Faster Sons’ project, which means taking a current-model Yamaha and giving it a splash of classic style. Sands has added a third element—Yamaha’s racing history.

The Yamaha FZ-09 offers rapid performance straight out of the box. The inline triple delivers 115hp at the (crossplane) crank, and the aluminum frame keeps wet weight down to a creditable 190kg or so.

So the RSD mechanics have left the fueling alone, and freed up the breathing with Two Brothers Racing stainless steel headers. They’re hooked up to an RSD Slant muffler, which should lose a few extra kilos.

The brake system gets an upgrade with RSD custom front rotors, Performance Machine radial calipers, an RSD radial master cylinder and Spiegler brake lines.

The suspension gets a tweak as well, with a fork cartridge kit and rear shock from Öhlins. The wheels are the RSD ‘Morris’ design in forged aluminum—17×3.5 up front and a mighty 17×6.0 at the back. The rubber is Dunlop’s super-sticky, track-friendly Sportmax Q3.

Swing a leg over the new leather seat (nice work, Bitchin Seat Co.) and straight off you’ll notice the Renthal Fatbars. They’re clamped via RSD Nostalgia risers, with RSD Traction grips to give a little extra control.

The stars of the show are the hand-fabricated parts, though. That means the scalloped aluminum gas tank and the kicked-up tail section—plus the intake scoops, radiator covers and front fender.

Like most modern bikes, the Yamaha FZ-09 looks quite ‘busy.’ It can’t have been easy to give it a dash of retro style, but Sands has pulled it off spectacularly—helped by the glossy paint and powder from Airtrix and Specialized Coatings.

Will we see a production bike like this? Maybe. “Roland did a fantastic job with this build,” says Yamaha’s product manager Shun Miyazawa. “This concept is going to help us to accelerate bringing future products to the market.”

‘Faster Wasp’ is no doubt destined for the show circuit, but it won’t be wrapped in cotton wool. Sands has already thrashed the bike hard, and there’s a video to prove it.

Enjoy.

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