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.
Photos by: Joseph Hitzelberger and Preston Burroughs
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.)