#RolandSands

–We’re constantly on the look for great deals on motorcycle gear. We’ll be updating this post each week with the latest sales on gear and accessories, so keep checking here for new deals.

HEY! Did you know you could help support us MOrons by buying stuff at Revzilla? It’s true. Whenever you click on over there after seeing a thing here, we get a piece of the pie. It’s a win/win situation – especially when the thing is on sale. You get a deal on what you needed anyway. We get to keep eating. Here are a few of this week’s retail therapy opportunities.

“I like the idea of racing things that were never meant to be raced.” – Roland Sands

The brainchild of one Mr. Sands, the Super Hooligan National Championship is all about taking bikes that were never meant to be raced, but may have sporty inclinations, and sticking them on a racetrack – highly modified, of course. Ostensibly, this is why the series exists. When you get on the ground level though, it’s a darn good excuse for Roland, Indian, and partner S&S to come up with one hell of an FTR1200 and find an excuse to race it on asphalt. Of course, with this premise in mind, you could also say this was the start of the bagger craze taking over the American road racing scene, too (and it kinda was).

If there’s a piece of apparel most associated with motorcycling, it’s undoubtedly the leather motorcycle jacket. The leather jacket is part of our uniform, but even non-riders search the bins for cowhide when it’s time to dress up for Halloween, or down for any occasion that calls for cool. No matter what you ride, the best leather motorcycle jackets are versatile enough to look at home nearly anywhere, and on nearly anything. A premium leather jacket will never go out of style, and the more you wear a quality one, the more comfortable it will feel – there’s just something about leather that other materials can’t match. Bountiful and ubiquitous, with seemingly endless options to choose from, it would be impossible for us to feature every single jacket out there. So here we’ve gathered a small sampling of the best leather motorcycle jackets the market has to offer, listed in alphabetical order.

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

                                                                                                                             – Steve Jobs

These were the words that started Apple’s Think Different campaign back in 1997, and although this statement wasn’t originally directed at or in reference to motorcycling, Roland Sands, or his team at Roland Sands Design, or the Moto Bay Classic, we don’t deny that those words can’t be applied to other thinkers and creators of various disciplines – especially in our world, the motorcycling world.

What started out as a crazy idea from the RSD team to bring together a variety of moto-centric activities and racing all under one roof, with all sorts of motorcycling counterculture, live music, custom bikes, and art, has developed into a series of Moto Classic Events. This past weekend hosted the inaugural Moto Bay Classic, featuring a plethora of various motorcycle flat track racing, a Police Skills Competition, Cops vs. Hooligans Gymkhana race, Round 6 of the Super Hooligans National Championship, a stunt show and much, much more.

Roland Sands and his team at RSD are definitely thinking outside the box and breaking the mold when it comes to throwing and promoting moto-centric events, racing, and festivals. They’re pushing the boundaries and creating new ones, all while providing exciting forms of motorcycle entertainment for the masses – all in an effort to raise awareness and bring different worlds of motorcycling and motorcycle culture together. That, and to have a little fun in the process…

I’d love to go into detail and tell you all about everything that happened this past Saturday on Pier 32 in San Francisco underneath the legendary Bay Bridge, but kind of like that epic party you missed, you just had to be there to witness it all for yourself. Instead, we understand that not everybody can be everywhere all the time, let alone travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to be there, so we compiled a photo essay of what went down – more or less…

Enjoy!

Motorcycle luminary Roland Sands has long dreamed about bringing motorcycle racing to the heart of mainstream suburban SoCal, and the culmination of his work goes off this Saturday in a unique collision of moto and surf culture at Bolsa Chica beach, just north of Huntington Beach and south of Long Beach. Its promoters promise “a wave-shredding, fuel burning, hard-rocking extravaganza.”

Rather than hosting a moto event at a distant racetrack where it won’t be seen by non-riders, the Moto Beach Classic can be seen by thousands of the general public who will be in the area simply for the beach and the surf. Located just south of Warner Avenue along the Pacific Coast Highway, the moto racing festival will expose mainstream Orange County families to the sights and sounds of motorcycles.

A surf competition begins in the morning, while moto action starts before noon with practice sessions for several dirt flat-track classes, including Open Pro, Run What Ya’ Brung, Tank Shift Vintage, plus mini bike roadracing on an asphalt course. The headlining event will be the RSD Super Hooligan Bolsa Banzai Championship Race built 110 x 300 ft. track to accommodate sideways flat-track racing action next to the beach. Live music will be provided by reggae band Black Uhuru, punk rock groups Lit and Unwritten Law, along with Wargirl featuring MO test rider Tamara Rich on bass.

“At a time when motorcycling is desperately working to regain/achieve more and more mainstream appeal and relevance,” explained Marc Altieri, head of The Brand Amp PR agency, “this event is definitely a compelling step.”

We at MO agree, and we’ll be there checking out all the action at the Moto Beach Classic. 

Begin Press Release

ROLAND SANDS PRESENTS THE MOTO BEACH CLASSIC AT BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH’S SEA LEGS LIVE  

The team at Roland Sands Design has been dreaming about a beachfront moto event for years. We have finally been given the keys to the kingdom at Bolsa Chica State Beach. We are partnering with our friends at Sea Legs Live, a legendary concert venue on the sand, to bring a day of reggae with Black Uhuru and Wargirl and a night of punk rock with Lit and Unwritten Law. If that wasn’t enough, we’re also taking Super Hooligan Flat Track and motorcycle drag racing to the beach. Throw in a West Coast Board Riders Surf Comp, art show, demo rides and unique vendors, and you have an incredibly entertaining day at the beach with something for everyone. The Moto Beach Classic is on Saturday, October 14th at Sea Legs Live. Presale tickets start at $29. Limited VIP tickets are available. Kids under 10 are free.

Indian Motorcycle presents the RSD Super Hooligan Bolsa Banzai Championship Race

In what we believe is an industry first, Roland Sands Design and Indian Motorcycle are bringing beachfront flat track motorcycle racing to Southern California. We’ll be assembling a specially built 110 x 300 ft. track to accommodate sideways flat-track racing action next to the surf. This will be the penultimate round of the Super Hooligan National Championship race series, where a $50k Indian FTR750 race bike will be awarded to the series Champion. Dirt flat-track classes being featured are: Super Hooligan, Open Pro, Run What Ya’ Brung, Cycle Zombies Degenerate Choppers & Tank Shift Vintage. Plus mini bike roadracing on an asphalt course. This is the Bolsa Banzai!  

BMW presents the Salty Sprint Races

BMW Motorrad will be presenting man on man (or woman) Drag Racing action, pitting bike on bike in a straight line next to the surf at Bolsa Chica. A paved 1/8 ish’ mile sprint course will be fashioned next to the flat track parallel with the beach. BMW will be presenting a Boxer on Boxer Cup, featuring invited riders as well as a drag race free-for-all, pitting bikes of all types against each other for the Salty Sprint Crown.

West Coast Board Riders Surf Comp

Board Rider Clubs are united through West Coast Board Riders competition up and down the West Coast and for the first time will be competing at Bolsa Chica. These Board Riders Clubs include the best non-pro surfers from Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Dana Point, Ventura and San Clemente. The energy is pumping and the competition is fierce as the teams hit the water to claim which city will stand on the podium and hoist the crown.

Fast Surfboards Surfdrags

Brian Bent and Fast Surfboards will bring the speed and grace of handmade kookbox surfboards to the WCBR competition at Bolsa Chica. Part floating artwork and part wave-dragster, the kookbox epitomizes the smooth sliding style of surfing’s early years, giving us a peek into history and the art of trimming.

Architects of Inspiration Art Collective and Bike Show brought to you by Iron & Air

Iron & Air Magazine brings a collection of unique installations inspired by surf and motor culture. Experience unconventional visions in 3D which combine music, art, surfing and moto life into a visual exploration. A feast for the eyes and ears, surrounded by breaking tides and the vibrations of motorcycle racing and great music.

Sea Legs Feasts and Frosty Drinks

A specialized food and drink menu will be provided by Sea Legs at the Beach, cultivated for the event bringing the coastal spirit and motor culture together, with kind grinds and tasty libations. Full-service bar, beer, wine and high-end eats, will be sure to keep the crowd fed and fueled.

Vendor Village

Local style makers will gather in the Vendor Village to show off and sell their creations and wares to attendees. Jewelry, custom bike companies, stylish one off t-shirts, custom leather, furniture and housewares will be included to bring a unique taste of the local community to fans and spectators.

Presale tickets and VIP packages are going on sale Wednesday, September 13th at 10am. VIP ticketing tiers are available for limited edition items, premium access, rooftop aerial viewing and reserved parking with shuttle service. Limited tickets available.

Don’t miss out on the inaugural Moto Beach Classic event. TICKET INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE.

About Roland Sands Design:

Roland Sands Design is a motorcycle, product and apparel company that has its roots in racing, custom bike building and design. Our inspiration comes from a high performance background that blends the love of two wheels with the desire to create unique products. We live the two wheeled life and our crew is a diverse collection of road racers, off-road, dirt track, super moto and custom bike builders and riders. It’s this diversity that allows us to work with the best in the industry on a wide variety of projects. Follow all bike builds, new products and the life and times of the Roland Sands Design crew at www.rolandsands.com.

An informal little get together last night at Roland Sands Design in Los Alamitos, California, is where the 2016 Spring collection of Roland Sands apparel was on display. Among the custom two-wheel fabrications and a taco stand hung the full-line variety of stylish biker wear. Punctuating the new offerings is an uptick in technical functionality, as well as an expanding variety of products.

The AMA Pro Flat Track final was already scheduled for November 20 in Las Vegas, so veteran race promoter Steve McLaughlin had the brilliant idea – as he is wont to do – of promoting the first Superprestigio of the Americas the night after it. The SP’s been a big hit in Spain, so why not? None of your big MotoGP stars could be persuaded, but they did lure Tony Elias and Ant West to the boat, both of whom found themselves hard-pressed up against some surprising home-grown talent. The roadracers actually had their own “All-Stars” races, and the top three were then thrown in against the Flat Track professionals for the Superprestigio Main. Then there was the Hooligan race, sponsored and populated by Roland Sands and associates riding barely modified streetbikes. It was almost more thrilling than the Professionals. Okay not thrilling, more interesting maybe…

When I was a kid, my two favorite stores in the mall were the tobacconist and the leather shop. They just smelled so damned manly. I’d step in to either one just to inhale the heady, grown-up aroma of machismo, chivalry and courage, smells that would transport my 10-year-old self to a world still beyond the grasp of a Toughskins-wearing fifth-grader, a world where guys drank beer out of cans, held doors open for ladies and had a perpetual trace of grease under their nails.