Roland Sands (Born August 12, 1974) is an American motorcycle racer and designer of custom high-performance motorcycles. In his career as a professional motorcycle racer, he has won the 1998 AMA 250GP National Champion road racer championship. Sands is a designer of custom performance motorcycles, and owner and founder of Roland Sands Design.
Sands is from Long Beach, California. He began his life with an 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.[citation needed] 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 and wheel designing, eventually working his way as Director of R&D and Design at Performance Machine. [citation needed]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 products 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.
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 RacewayinCalifornia, 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.
Hot Rod Bikes (United States) Feb. 2003: The Racer’s Edge: Roland Sand’s Builds his First American Custom
Freeway Magazine (France) Feb. 2003 Rolling with the Homies: V-Rod Motorcycle Performance Machine’s Roland Sands Designs Whiskey Tang No. 10 Team PM Family Affair: Perry and Roland
Wild Motorcycles (France) April 2004 The Hard Way 70 : PM raises the bar with Roland’s new V-RODLike Father, Like Son: Perry and Roland Sands Interview
Hot Bike 2005 Calendar January: The Hard Way 70
Freeway Magazine (France) May 2005: Daytona Hard Rock El Grande Moco from Sands
Orange County Register – Sept. 2005: Architect in Motion
Barnett’s (United States) Aug./Sept 2005 Laughlin River Run: El Grande Moco
Harley Davidson’s Dream Machine (Germany) Sept. 2005: Performance Machine’s Roland Sands #35 V-Rod and Street Rod Specials
Robb Report Motorcycling (United States) Nov./Dec. 2005 Green Machine: Roland Sands builds for both style and Substance the Grande Moco
Xtreme Bikes (Spain) No. 20 Roland Sands’ The Glory Stomper
Playboy Magazine (United States) March 2006 On the Scene: Custom official Roland Sands is fueling next generation of custom motorcycles
Biker Journalen (Norway) No. 3 2006 Roland Sands Biker Build-Off: The Glory Stomper
McNytt (Denmark) May 2006 Back to Nature: RSD’s the Grunt
Cycle News (United States) Issue #19 May 17, 2006 Build or Bust: Roland Sands’ No Regrets
Wild Motorcycles (France) June 2006 Wild Wheels: RSD’s Grunt
Easyriders (United States) 35th Anniversary Special June 2006 Something Different from Roland Sands: The Art of Function, the Glory Stomper
Motociclismo (Spain) Aug. 2006 El Grande Moco
Cycle News (United States) August 9, 2006: Sands Gets His Hands on MotoGP Engine…Watch Out!
Freeway (France) Aug. 2006: The Roland Sands Story: Street Warrior Grunt, the RSD GruntRoland Sands Performance SuperboyThe Glory StomperEl Burracho
Sport Bike (United States) 2006 Issue: Roland Sands’ New Blood HayabUnited States ‘BUnited States’s baby!Speed Dating: A ‘BUnited States and Bunny Tale
MotorRad (Germany) August 18, 2006: Intro News: RSD KRV5 Tracker
Wild Magazine (France) Sept. 2006: RSD’s KRV5 TrackerRSD’s No Regrets
V-Twin News (United States) Sept. 2006: RSD Vintage Cover Line
Performance Bike (Japan) Performance MachinePM’s Roland Sands
Bike Works (United States) Sept. 2006: Biker Build Off Race: Roland Sands vs. Jesse RookeRoland Sands vs. Jesse Rooke at Willow Springs Raceway
Barnett’s (United States) Sept. 2006 Roland Sands Interview
Super Street Bike (United States) Oct. 2006: Biker Build-Off Winner: Roland SandsNew World Order
Performance Bikes (UK) Oct. 2006: Roland Sands’ Radical 2-litre Harley Racer U.S. Bike-building Genius Injects some West Coast attitude into Goodwood: No Regrets
Hot Bike (United States) Vol. 38 No. 12 Oct. 24, 2006 Custom Looks, Reliability, and Good Manners: Roland Sands comes up another winner ‘The Vintage Kit’
Xtreme Bikes Magazine (Spain) Issue 20 Dec 2004 The Glory Stomper (Cover)
Xtreme Bikes Magazine (Spain) Issue 22 Feb 2005 Grande Moco (Cover)
July 2021 Roland Sands Design (RSD) moved their retail store to Long Beach, CA. On display is a beautiful collection of RSD Customized motorcycles, with leather gear, parts and accessories for sale.
