RSD Gave This 2015 MV Agusta Dragster 800RR a Retro Vibe

Look, Roland Sands Design aren’t exactly rookies when it comes to creating some extraordinary custom two-wheelers. This California-based firm has a genuinely stunning inventory, but their business extends far beyond bike customization. RSD also specializes in manufacturing top-grade aftermarket components, tools and riding gear, as well as designing casual apparel.

The company was founded as a subsidiary of Roll and Company in 2005, by none other than 1998 American Motorcyclist Association 250GP champion, Roland Sands. His company’s custom builds and products would also go on to win several awards, including the second, third and fourth places at the World Championship of Custom Bike Building for the modified Harley-Davidson class.

“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, supermoto or custom bike builders and riders. It's this diversity that allows us to work with the best in the industry on a variety of projects.”

One of RSD’s loyal customers tasked the gifted team with converting his 2015 MV Agusta Dragster 800RR into a café racer inspired by the Grand Prix racers of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Initially, his bad boy was powered by a four-stroke DOHC mill with three cylinders, a six-seed constant mesh transmission and a humungous displacement of 798cc, delivering up to 140 hp at 13,100 rpm (damn!) and a torque output of 63 pound-feet (86 Nm) at 10,100 rpm.

This nasty animal’s braking system was provided with two 320 mm (12.6 inches) floating discs and four-piston calipers at the front, along with one 220 mm (8.66 inches) disc and two-piston calipers at the rear.

In terms of suspension, it was handled by 43 mm (1.7 inches) Marzocchi telescopic hydraulic forks, along with Sachs adjustable shocks and a single-sided swingarm at the back. Without going into more details, you can probably imagine how delighted the RSD team must’ve been when given the opportunity to customize this splendid creature.

“As with all our performance builds, maintaining a fully functional machine and improving performance was chief in our process,” explains Roland Sands. “With the MV we also set out to bring a classic aesthetic to the package in the spirit of MV racers from the past.”

To revise the riding position, they began by replacing the standard handlebars with clip-ons and fitting a new triple clamp on the Dragster, besides equipping their own foot controls and a custom-built subframe. Chromoly-tapered tubing was used to construct 800RR’s unique subframe, which supports a fully redesigned tail to match the appearance of a café racer.

Its splendid aluminum bodywork was meticulously hand-crafted to mimic the look of classic GP bikes, but was simultaneously provided with a new filler cap and an LED taillight for a touch of modern refinement. More LEDs can be found at the front, where the headlight is housed in a custom fairing and carbon fiber shrouds flank the radiator.

800RR’s juicy new rims were crafted from solid aluminum blocks and their hubs are identical to those of the stock wheels, allowing for the original swingarm to be retained and incorporated into this new setup. They are hugged by Dunlop Sportmax Q4 tires and finished in Cerakote ‘Blue Titanium H-185'.

For a performance boost, a Zard exhaust system was specifically manufactured for RSD’s exciting project and the bike’s handling was optimized to suit the modified weight distribution, while its brakes were equipped with upgraded Brembo components.

Roland Sands Design certainly outdid themselves with this radical transformation of a 2015 MV Agusta Dragster 800RR, and the final result is jaw-dropping! Personally, it makes me very curious as to what this ambitious crew will come up with in the future.