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Kurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland Sands Auctioned for Charity

It’s been more than a year since multiple AMA champion Kurt Caselli tragically lost his life in an accident during the Baja 1000 rally in 2013. Keeping his memory alive, the Kurt Caselli Foundation, in collaboration with KTM, Red Bull and Roland Sands have decided to build a custom tribute “66” bike and auction it for charity.
Kurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F 16 photos
Photo: Joseph Hitzelberger
Kurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F in progressKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F Roland Sands's shopKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F in the sunsetKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F at the Pismo BeachKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland SandsKurt Caselli Custom KTM 450 SX-F by Roland Sands
“The Kurt Caselli Foundation was formed in Kurt’s honor, to protect and support the lives of off-road riders through a three-part mission that encompasses safety precautions for riders before, during and after their racing careers,” builder Roland Sands Design tells us.

Building the “On Any Sunday” desert sled

KTM North America delivered a 450 SX-F machine, and the guys at RSD had the difficult task of transforming it into a true “desert sled”. As RSD, KTM and Red Bull thought of building the bike for the launch of On Any Sunday, the Next Chapter, the 450 SX-F had to be completely changed and a massive injection of ‘60s DNA was needed.

As Roland Sands himself tells us, the build was not at all an easy task, with the 3-week deadline being just one of the gnarly things. Turning a modern motocross machine into a vintage one boasting the simplicity of yesteryear bikes has definitely put RSD’s creativity to the test. Getting rid of the plastic bodywork of the KTM was the easy part, but replacing them with a structure which looked great and retained functionality was quite the opposite.

The bike got a handmade aluminium tank and chromoly subframe, complemented by alu side panels and number plates which were hand-painted. An 1974 Husqvarna served as the inspiration for the hand-hammered aliminium fenders.

To make the bike as close to what Kurt would have made it if he built it himself, RSD added his preferred handlebar bend, grips, pegs and wheels, while Kurt’s long-time KTM factory mechanic Anthony Di Basilio has added a custom, thinned-out brake lever Caselli preferred to use on his bikes.

The build also included the following parts:

KTM – 2015 450 SX-F
KTM Powerparts – Accessories
Red Bull
Red Bull Media House
Airtrix – Paint
FMF - One-off custom titanium exhaust
Dunlop – Tires
Taw Performance -Brembo billet race calipers
Bitchin Seat Company- Handmade seat
Dubya-Talon hubs, spokes & nipples
RK Excel American-Excel A60 rims
Race Tech – Suspension mods
Renthal USA– Handlebars, Grips & Sprockets
D.I.D. - Chain
K&N -Air filter and breather
Enduro Engineering – Skidplate
Spiegler USA – Brake lines
IMS Products – Footpegs
Lightspeed – Carbon fiber fork guards and brake line guide
BRP – Rear chain guide
Matrix Concepts – Kurt Caselli Foundation bike stand.

The Kurt Caselli Foundation auctioned the bike and it went away for $27,000, which in Europe means €21,760. Not exactly a bike you’d get on any Sunday (couldn’t help it, sorry), but definitely a one-off with impeccable rideability and vibe that’s utterly unique, too.

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