o one leaves a bike stock, ever. That urge to customize isn’t limited to just the V-twin crowd, either. Sportbike riders want their machines to stand out just as much as the cruiser guys do. Sure, performance is nuppermost with most sportbike riders, but when you can combine that performance with some real personalized style, well, you’ve got something there. You’ve also got a huge market, and one that’s mostly untapped.
     It’s not going to stay that way for long. Borrowing a page or two from the Drag Specialties
FatBook, where customs are an everyday thing, the guys at Parts Unlimited just put
together a little project machine of their own to explore the limits–and possibilities–
of a sportbike custom.
     And who better to mastermind this re-do than Roland Sands, a crossover supplier in his own right, a guy equally at home working over a Harley as he is a Hayabusa. Roland
Sands Design has lots of custom parts for both ends of the custom world, too; there’s now a brand-new RSD line of “Combat” and “Assault” sportbikehardware to go along with the already well-known RSD Harley parts. Turning over this first-ever Parts Unlimited
sportbike custom, a brand-new 2008 Hayabusa, to Roland Sands was a natural.
     “I’ve always liked the orangeand-black Hayabusa,” Roland says, “the original one. I immediately knew I wanted to build this custom off that paint scheme. I thought some kind of
crazy fade would look pretty cool. Kind of a different concept, maybe even a little ghetto.”      Chris Wood at Airtrix in Santa Barbara ultimately took care of that paint, but not until after Roland had worked over this ‘busa pretty well. And in true sportbike-custom style the changes not only look great and give the big Suzuki a whole new face, they all work
just as good as they look.
     Of course the bike received the full complement of those RSD sportbike goodies, most already available through Parts Unlimited and some prototypes Roland’s working up for possible production. The first big change, and it’s a big one, is that wider rear wheel. It’s the new RSD 18 x 8.5 Contrast Cut Diesel. It’s matched with a 17 x 3.5 version up front. To better show off that wheel Roland removed one of the front rotors and shaved the caliper
bracket off the leg lower. Along with those wheels and brake rotors the bike has lots of the new RSD “Assault” and “Combat” product line and that list includes the Contrast Cut mirror block off plates, bar ends, crash sliders and a black-anodized “Assault” top triple-clamp. The prototype stuff not yet available, but tried on for size here, includes a rear brake disc, a brake torque arm, rider foot pegs, passenger pegs, a lever set and a windscreen. “If guys like it,” Roland says, “I’ll make it.” All that hardware was matched with parts from Trac Dynamics (the wider swingarm), Diamond Powersports (a rear lowering link and kickstand), Vance & Hines (the slip-on), Ohlins and Pirelli. Powertrain changes were limited to the addition of a Power Commander III, Dynojet’s Quick-Shifter and EK Chain’s tough 530ZVX 150-Link Gold Chain. The ‘busa, after all, is plenty fast as is.
     Now, as far as changing the look of things Roland limited that to just cleaning up the underside of the tail and black powder coating all the controls to blend them in with the rest
of the bike. “We took out the rear turn signals, did a mesh insert and smoked the taillight, too,” he says. “Giving the whole back end a racebike look.” Up front the stock turn signals were filled and Roland “shaved off all the bumps and hiccups.” To lighten up the look of the front fender and break up that big, flat surface he cut out the sides and put in triangular
mesh inserts. The side fairing panels got that same treatment, more of that racebike look. Little changes, “But I think the right ones,” Roland says.
      The timing for this couldn’t be better. The new riding season is just starting and the custom sportbike market is taking off big time. No one wants to ride a stock bike. As Roland Sands just demonstrated, no one has to. Hop on board here, and do it fast. Sportbike customs are hot. It’s a form and function and that’s something you can sell.

That new lineup of RSD sportbike hardware runs the gamut from Contrast Cut wheels and rotors to parts like this. It’s the “Assault” Black Anodized Top Triple Clamp.

Even stock a Hayabusa isn’t lacking any go-fast; a Power Commander III was installed to straighten out the tuning and get the most from the big Suzuki. Dynojet’s Quick-Shifter is here, too.

Those RSD Contrast-Cut sportbike parts can pull the look together on any bike. Roland used the Billet “Combat” Bar Ends and Contrast-Cut Mirror Block-Off Plates on the Hayabusa.

Here’s more of that new RSD look. The Combat Contrast-Cut Crash Sliders coordinate with everything else in the lineup while working to provide some parts-protection when it’s needed most.

The RSD Diesel Contrast-Cut wheels are a new design. This front one measures 17 x 3.5. To lighten up the look of the front fender Roland cut out the sides and installed mesh panels.

The ‘busa’s 18 x 8.5 rear Diesel runs with an RSD Rear Brake Rotor and Contrast-Cut Rear Brake Torque Arm. They’re both prototypes. The EK 530ZVX x 150-Link Gold Chain is a nice touch, and plenty strong.