Roland Sands BMW R1200RT
Roland Sands BMW R1200RT | |
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Overview[edit | edit source]
BMW R 1200 RT by Roland Sands
Stop us if
youve heard
this one. A
Shark, a German
and a Musician
walk into a
bar...
"I've always
wanted to do a
non-HD touring
bike, and
there's also
always been
something about
Police
bikes in
particular that
made me think,
why not? The
Poh-leese ride
them daily and
rip through
traffic with
ease. Right?" -
Roland Sands
Sprinkle in a
little sugar and
some magic from
friend, client,
and musician,
Anthony Kiedis
and the answer
to that question
of "Why not?"
reveals itself
in the RSD X
Kiedis RT1200.
Having logged a good
bit of miles on an
RT1200 in Italy and
able to attest to
the ability to clock
500+ miles a day
with little fatigue
while simultaneous
riding hard, Roland
knew when Anthony
contacted him that
the RT was the bike
of choice given
Anthony's needs.
Fortunately, for
Roland, he didn't
have to fight him on
the base project
bike. Anthony was
not only in love
with Police bikes;
he too was looking
at the BMW as his
first choice.
It turns out
Anthony always
wanted a Police
bike, but
there's a
problem in that.
He's Anthony
Kiedis, one of
the most
creative artists
of a generation.
No normal BMW
Police issue
bike would do.
First and most noticeable is the paint and handiwork of one of RSD's most used painters, . The inspiration came from a whale. A killer whale.
"Anthony's one request was that I use a Killer Whale as inspiration for the paint. He really tied that into the police bike theme, but with a sea monster mammalian twist. I think its his love of the ocean and surfing that keeps him stoked and brings a little nature into the idea."
Closer inspection of the RT reveals not just custom work in the paint, seat, and wheels but a well-balanced use of RSD water-cooled BMW parts. The most obvious pieces are the RSD Valve Covers which sit out in the wind in front of the riders legs on BMW boxer motors. The reservoir covers which directly replace the factory units, frame plugs that clean up the exposed cut ends of the frame tubes, new breast plate that brings the front of the motor to life and other bolt-on components are available in the 2018 RSD line-up of products that fit all water cooled boxers.
The seat is a
custom Bitchin
Seat Company
unit that
maintains full
functionality of
the factory
heated seat.
Sporting a lower
and more custom
profile, it
features custom
stitching and
shaping and
RSD's signature
"Traction"
material used
for maximum
ass-to-seat
grip. The custom
slip-on mufflers
stay true to RSD
fit and finish
of exhaust
giving the RT a
sturdy growl
while keeping it
within factory
spec for maximum
performance
while keeping
the tone
manageable for
long rides.
And because he's a rider, Roland and Anthony planned a rip around the canyons above Malibu for lunch and some twisties. This gave Anthony some time to get used to the bike and have Roland on hand for any questions. It also gave the two friends time to talk about not just bikes, but life in general. Check the Vid for the wrap up of the day.
The two traipsed up and down the coast for the afternoon stretching the RTs legs and enjoying her for all the comfort and performance she is.
"I like that you can jump on it and head out into the world, really head anywhere and not have to worry about a thing but keeping it pointed where you want to go." - Roland
Looking closer, the custom RSD wheels in Black Ops finish are kept in position on the road with
rubber. The exhaust slip-ons, made from high-grade stainless sport just the amount of baffling to keep things quiet enough to peg the throttle for long durations.
The subtle Airtix paint can be seen running from front to back. Subtle changes in the shading of grey result in what could be, the gills of a shark. We like to think it just looks nice.
Moving to the machined goods, the RSD boxer engine valve covers accentuate the lines of the engine even further and when combined with RSD's two-stage machining processes, tie in perfectly with the rest of the subtle paintwork.
The breastplate though is the crowning jewel. With over 100 hours of design and quality control behind it, it changes the entire look of the wind facing section of the behemoth 1200cc precision engineered water-cooled engine. The water cooled bike loses the oil cooler which normally resides in front of the breast plate, further showing off the quality of the part. So there you have it. Thats the story of the Shark, the German and the Musician that walked into a bar. The moral? Sharks always get what they want, Musicians have great taste in motorcycles and the Germans, well, they dont taste good, at all. (Unless you add a little dressing to the side.) Source & Photos by: Joseph Hitzelberger and