Roland Sands


Roland Sands is an American motorcycle racer and designer of custom high-performance motorcycles. In his career as a professional motorcycle racer has won the 1998 AMA 250GP National Champion road racer championship. Sands is an award-winning designer of custom performance motorcycles, and owner and founder of Roland Sands Design.

Background

Sands is from Long Beach, California. He began his life with the upbringing and diverse experience in the motorcycle industry. His first motorcycle was a Suzuki RM 50 dirt bike, given to him on his 5th birthday, on which, after just minutes of riding, he broke a bone, but fell in love with it anyway. He literally grew up in the Performance Machine shop, and started working there at age 14 sweeping floors. Quickly moving up to assembly, sanding polishing, wheel designing, eventually working his way as Director of R&D and Design at Performance Machine. In 2005, after the tremendous success Sands found on Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off vs. Arlen Ness, Sands founded Roland Sands Design. RSD designs concept motorcycle parts and accessories and builds custom motorcycles. RSD works with major motorcycle manufacturers to design concept and prototype motorcycles and promote benchmark product in the motorcycle industry and beyond. Sands’ designs are described as being a mixture of sport bike and chopper influences to create the ultimate custom bikes.

Pro racing career

During Sands’ professional racing career, from 1994 to 2002, Sands gained 10 wins to his reputation. At the age of 19, Sands’ father sent him to Keith Code’s California Superbike School, and from that day on, road racing became his passion. His first race bike was a Yamaha TZ250, a purpose-built, two stroke racing machine. Winning his first novice 250GP race at Willow Springs Raceway in California, Sands enjoyed a nine-year professional racing career at the top of the AMA 250GP ranks, including a national championship in 1998. In 2000, after winning a few races stateside, Sands did a stint in the British Super Cup series on a factory Honda. Sands still currently holds four track records including Daytona, Sears Point, and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Although enjoying his racing career, bodily injuries caused by racing accidents were taking the best of his competitive drive. Sands decided to broaden his career in custom motorcycle design and building, in which he had already mechanical and fabrication skills from building race bikes during his racing years.
In 2004, designer Chip Foose awarded Sands with the Award of Design Excellence for his design on the motorcycle 'The Hard Way'. In 2005, he was honored by his peers, who voted him Rookie of the Year on the Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off award show. Since his first television appearance on Biker Build-Off, he’s been featured on ESPN2’s Chopper Nation and Super Bikes, Speed Channel's American Thunder and Build or Bust, and crowned champion of Biker Build-Off in 2006 against Jesse Rooke.

Awards and accomplishments

Covers

　Hardcore Chopper,November 2005
On April 14, Roland Sands Design opened their first retail store in Los Alamitos, California. On display in the store is a full collection of RSD bikes, leather, parts and apparel. During the grand opening custom bikes for Mickey Rourke and Travis Pastrana were on display.
The retail store is located at: 10571 Los Alamitos Blvd. Los Alamitos, CA 90720