The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the largest motorcycle rally in America. And as such the place is the global home for cruisers. That’s best read as Harley Davidson! In 2013, Polaris showcased the Indian range of motorcycles at Sturgis. The perfect place for a manufacturer to sell a cruiser. You have the target audience collected in one place and you get your product straight to the people who matter.
At EICMA 2015, Ducati had unveiled the XDiavel in front of their homecrowd. But a bike which was billed as the first cruiser of the Italian manufacturer was headed to the other side of the globe, where it’s sales figures will really matter. Ducati has a solid foothold in the American market and looking to leverage this, they have gotten a motorcycle tailormade for the cruiser bike market in America. And taking a leaf from Polaris’ successful Sturgis venture, the Bologna based manufacturer have taken the XDiavel straight into the heart of the cruiser bike market. And to add a bit of spice to it, they also showcased a customised Ducati XDiavel, worked on by renowned American customiser Roland Sands.
Dating back to 1938, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally draws over half a million bikers from every corner of the globe, all like-minded enthusiasts looking to celebrate and share their passion.
This is Ducati’s first official participation at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and they brought the entire XDiavel world along. The Black Hills surrounding Sturgis are home to some of the planet’s most legendary motorcycling roads and with the XDiavel they have been turned a shade darker.
Presented in 2016, the Ducati XDiavel brings two worlds together: the American cruiser world of high-torque at low RPM, foot-forward controls for long road trips, and the Ducati world of Italian style, refined engineering, unparalleled performance and adrenaline-fueled sports riding.
The unmistakable look of the XDiavel, the recent winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2016, now has an American design influence by Californian customizer Roland Sands. At Sturgis he presented – together with Ducati – his own interpretation of the Bologna-built cruiser.
An exercise in pure style, this XDiavel-derived concept bike built by Roland Sands features a top-class finish and a design that reflects the strong personality of this celebrated Californian customizer. With a one-piece body fixed to the distinctive Ducati trellis frame, a 19” front wheel for a bold look, and a collection of billet aluminum details that deliver a unique result, this XDiavel has transformed into an even more decisive, radical sport-chopper cruiser that still retains its inimitable Ducati DNA.
This special one-off build is indeed something of a logical evolution for Roland Sands who has always had a thing for the Ducati cruiser. In addition to the custom design XDiavel, Roland Sands Design has created an exclusive line of special accessories and components, featured in the Ducati Performance catalogue, and currently available at Ducati dealers.
“The response to our presence here at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has been exceptionally welcoming. The passion for two wheels, twin-cylinder engines, and beautiful roads is shared by everyone at this gathering of the motorcycle community,” said Jason Chinnock, CEO of Ducati North America. “As motorcyclists we are part of a tribe, but we also embrace our individuality. This custom-built XDiavel by Roland Sands Design embodies the spirit of personalization that makes this Rally so special. The XDiavel and this interpretation provides us an opportunity to share Ducati with all in attendance.”
“The XDiavel is a beast. A wolf in wolves’ clothing and a serious piece of speed equipment,” said Roland Sands, owner of Roland Sands Design and lead designer on the custom build. “We really wanted to pivot off all that amazing technology and not mess it up by tearing it out. So the bike is still very stock from a functional standpoint. The bike was a 3-month build, with careful consideration and deliberation about the direction of the design. Ultimately, we decided to twist the aesthetic while retaining decidedly ‘stock’ bike functionality. I’m proud to say that’s exactly what we’ve achieved,” said Roland of the build.
