Rolands Sands Design Softail 120 HP V-Twin

After tremendous success on Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off, former motorcycle road racer Roland Sands founded Roland Sands Design and began building high profile custom bikes. One of the most respected bike builders in the world, Sands designs are described as a mixture of sport bike and old school chopper, and are sold to a veritable who's who list of lucky customers. This 2008 Roland Sands Softail is a unique opportunity to acquire a 1,600 mile, world class designer bike at about 1/3 of its original build price and without the painful two year wait.

Recently featured on ESPN2, the Speed Channel and the Discovery Channel, Roland Sands has spent his entire life immersed in the motorcycle industry. At age 5 he received his first dirt bike and instantly fell in love with riding. By age 14, he was sweeping the floors at Performance Machine, a gig that would eventually lead him to their director of R&D position. At age 19 he attended Keith Code's California Superbike School and began a nine year professional racing career that included 10 wins, a national championship and four track records. In 2004, he was presented the Design Excellence Award for his work on a custom bike called 'The Hard Way'. In 2005 he was voted Rookie of the Year on Discovery Channels Biker Build Off, and in 2006 he claimed the shows championship title.

This 2008 Roland Sands Design Harley-Davidson is a built to order custom piece that is the perfect combination of show and go. The entire bike has been fitted with custom vintage sheetmetal courtesy of Roland Sands Design. And when combined with Harley-Davidsons traditional Hardtail look for the Softail frame, it becomes a very convincing tribute to past motorcycles without appearing overtly retro. The rear fender and tank were sprayed in an incredible fade style pearl paint job and detailed with hand-painted pinstripes. Once the pin stripping was done, several coats of clearcoat were added for a spectacular glossy finish that both preserves the custom colors and provides a slick seam free surface over the stripes. Our photographers here at RK Motors Charlotte are excellent, but the paint on this bike is so dynamic that a camera lens just can't capture enough to really do it justice.

The level of detail throughout this piece rivals the best full customs on the market and it provides a comfortable factory ride that is free of those bikes typical compromises. At the front of the bike a color matched front fork presents a satin finish and holds a chrome headlight above a custom, 21 inch polished aluminum wheel which wears a 90/90 Metzeler tire. Mounted next to that aluminum wheel is Performance Machine four piston brake caliper that clamps a huge drilled brake rotor. On top of the color matched fork, black handle bars hold Performance Machine handles, a custom black rear view mirror and polished Performance Machine hand brakes that are connected to the calipers by attractive braided hoses. Behind the front fork, the bikes black frame is bolted together with stainless hardware and houses a detailed Harley Davidson V-twin engine that is decked out in Roland Sands Design chrome pieces. At the bottom of the engine, a chrome capped and color matched open belt drive sits in front of a vertically oriented tag bracket with a bullet style tail light. At the top of the engine, the Roland Sands Design fuel tank features trick paint that is outlined in silver and fades from a light gold to a deep red. At the front of the tank you'll find a machined spinner style gas cap, which is one of the coolest details on the bike. At the back of the tank, the hand-painted words “Buck Wild” are 'scratched' into the paint so subtly that it almost takes a second look to notice them. Behind the tank, a custom hand stitched and “RSD” branded seat is covered in black leather and held together by white thread. At the rear of the seat, a Phat Tail wide tire kit sits below a custom painted and “RSD” branded rear fender and houses a polished 18 inch custom wheel that wears a 240/40 Metzeler tire. Mounted to that tire is a second Performance Machine polished four piston caliper that clamps a matching drilled rotor. This bike is the rear deal. It isn't some flashy 'mid-life crisis' piece that has exaggerated proportions and is difficult to ride. It's a road ready Harley-Davidson motor in a Softail frame that has been completely tricked out with some of the coolest modifications your money can buy.

Despite being considered low tech by some, the V-twin Softail is a blast to ride and is a blatant nod to the heritage of American motorcycles. Shock absorbers are positioned along the axis of the motorcycle, tucked away under the transmission to both aid in the vintage Hardtail look and provide a modern feeling that doesn't fatigue the rider. The hard mounted V-twin engine is an air-cooled four stroke unit that utilizes a traditional two valve per cylinder set up for a 9.2 to 1 compression ratio and 120 horsepower. To reduce vibrations that are transmitted to the bikes frame thanks to the hard mount, Harley-Davidson decided to counter balance Softails beginning in the year 2000. The highly detailed motor on this bike is unbelievably smooth and is the perfect companion for cruising along the back roads on a sunny summer day. At the top of the cylinders, you'll find chrome “RSD: Roland Sands Design” branded rocker box covers. On the right side of the bike, the carburetor features a custom chrome air cleaner with a mesh insert and sits in front of chrome Roland Sands designed Vance & Hines exhaust pipes. Below the carburetor, chrome rod covers lead your eye down the motor to a ribbed chrome cam cover. On the left side of the bike, an “RSD” branded chrome coil cover sits in front of Blue Streak wires that snake to the engines spark plugs on either side of a chrome ignition switch. Under the seat, the oil tank has been painted and features a chrome oil cap, chrome oil lines and “01 Softail” in gold letters. The motor sends power through a proven Harley-Davidson six speed manual transmission that features a chrome Performance Machine side door and polished foot pegs. From the handle bars to its polished kick stand, no detail was missed during the expert build.

With just 1,600 miles on its odometer, this Roland Sands Design Harley is completely sorted and ready to enjoy today. There is a definite difference between even the nicest production bikes and customs like this; every piece of this motorcycle has been well thought out and greatly enhanced. It draws a crowd wherever it goes and it's a blast to ride. If you're looking for a designer bike with major pedigree and unmatched exclusivity but don't want to pay a designer price tag and wait 2-3 years for it to be built, this is the Harley for you. Call today!