Stop us if
you’ve 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
BMW 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,
Airtrix. 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 it’s 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
RT’s 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
Dunlop
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. That’s
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 don’t
taste good, at
all. (Unless you
add a little
dressing to the
side.)