Roland Sands turns KTM 790 Adventure in to vintage desert sled
The KTM 790 Adventure has traveled back in time thanks to Roland Sands DesignCalifornia’s custom king, Roland Sands, has stepped into the world of adventure, with a unique recreation of KTM’s popular 790 Adventure.
The RSD Urban Assault KTM 790 is a classically-styled desert sled that maintains all the modern technology and performance of the 790 Adventure.
Utilising the 2019 790 Adventure platform, Sands and his team added a bunch of custom and aftermarket parts, as well as borrowing parts from other bikes.
Everything below the tank line has been kept relatively the same, aside from an altered radiator placement, and a reconfigured bash plate. Above the tank line, however, things are very different.
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The centrepiece is the Suzuki GT750 fuel tank, which was taken from a flat-track bike owned by freestyle king, Travis Pastrana. Using a vintage fuel tank on a fuel-injected bike proved to be difficult, but the team took on the challenge anyway.
With the Suzuki tank offering less fuel capacity, the RSD team decided to add an extra fuel tank to the side of the bike.
Next up was a seat taken from the Husqvarna Vitpilen. The slim and short seat gave the bike a retro looked and helped the team shape the subframe. The Akrapovic exhaust was modified and the team added an aluminium numberplate, which doubles as an exhaust guard.
There were also changes to the front of the bike, but the stock TFT display has been retained. The bike also features Dunlop Trailmax tires, a Pro Taper Evo ‘bar, custom fabricated steel fork guards, a vintage KTM plastic fenders, a Triumph headlight with custom fabricated grill, and a Burly Brand tool roll and tail bag.
The KTM 790 Adventure was released in 2019, and the more-hardcore R version won the 2019 bikesales Bike of the Year award.
Roland Sands is a motorcycle racer and custom designer, who has made a name for himself through his company Roland Sands Designs.
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