Roland Sands Design is a motorcycle, product and apparel company that has its roots in racing, custom bike building and design. RSD’s inspiration comes from a high performance background, and many of the staff are active racers—including off-road, dirt track and supermoto riders.
Sands himself is from Long Beach, California, and grew up in a family that was immersed in the motorcycle industry. Sands quickly developed his own love of speed, and spent ten years racing professionally, setting multiple track records around the world. In 1998 he became the American Motorcyclist Association’s 250GP champion, but after 32 broken bones, Sands decided to trade in his leathers for a hammer, pencil and computer—designing and building bikes, hard parts and accessories, and apparel.
In 2005, he founded the company Roland Sands Design, drawing on influences from the sport bike and chopper worlds. He has since played a pivotal role in popularizing high performance custom bikes to the masses.
The smell of two-stroke oil lingers in the air, courtesy of Roland Sands Design’s razor-sharp custom Yamaha RD400. We also profile a Triumph Bonneville T100 café racer, the new Triumph Rocket 3 Evel Knievel Limited Edition, and a collection of nine Kawasaki Z1R-TC turbos.
Read more »
Before Indian created the FTR, hooligan flat track racers were modifying their Indian Scouts to go fast and turn left. One of the pioneers of that ‘run what ya brung’ attitude was the legendary Ed ‘Iron Man’ Kretz. Famous for winning the first-ever Daytona 200 in 1937, Ed was known for riding his Indian Scout…
Read more »
This edition of Speed Read might just boast the biggest difference in engine size we’ve ever featured. We go from a monstrous nitrous-fueled BMW R18 from Roland Sands Design, to a 49 cc Suzuki scooter from Taiwan’s MetalCave. We also look at the limited edition Ducati Monster Senna, and a lightly-fettled Indian FTR 1200 from…
Read more »
Despite its middle-of-the-road looks, there’s a lot to love about the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650. Royal Enfield’s lively 648 cc parallel-twin engine is easy to get along with, and the Super Meteor’s low seat and relaxed ergonomics give it an easygoing vibe. But there’s nothing easygoing about this Super Meteor chopper from Roland Sands…
Read more »
Buell Motorcycles made a splash over the weekend with the launch of the new Super Cruiser. Based on the company’s 1190 platform,…
Read more »
There’s a new Buell motorcycle on the way. Yes, you read that right: a new Buell. And, unlike any previous Buell, this…
Read more »
Movie star bikes, limited edition factory specials and fantastic customs—this week’s Speed Read has it all. There’s a Ducati Desmosedici RR from…
Read more »
Unless your internet’s been down for the past year, you probably know about the phenomenon that is bagger racing. MotoAmerica’s King of…
Read more »
Vintage motorcycles are charming, but they can be a real pain to live with. So what do you do if you want…
Read more »
We’re heavy on Bavaria this week, with a blacked-out BMW R18 from Harley specialist MB Cycles and a flat track-inspired R100 from…
Read more »
Customization can be about aesthetics and performance, but it can also be about making a motorcycle fit its rider better. This wild…
Read more »
Would you pay $27,000 for a Ural sidecar rig? That’s the asking price for the new GEO limited edition, so we look…
Read more »