Skateboarder or Motorcyclist? Roland Sands Collaborates with Steve Caballero for Custom Indian Scout Bobber
What does he love to do when he’s not skating? Easy. Riding motorcycles.
(Image: Roland Sands Design)
“Motorcycles were my first form of transportation before I bought a car do I was always familiar with ridin’ on the street and everything,” 53-year-old American triumvirate – skateboarder, musician, and motorcyclist, Steve Caballero. “I’ve owned a bunch of bikes over the years.” He also mentioned in an interview with Rolling Stone that he has had “a long-standing relationship with motorcycles”.
Hailed by Thrasher Magazine as the “Skater of the Century”, Caballero is better known for his professional skateboarding career, inventing difficult tricks and air variations that the newer generation of skateboarders are practicing now, despite being born with scoliosis.
(Image: Roland Sands Design)
But he does not only love four-wheelers, he is also a fan of two-wheelers. A true motorcycle enthusiasts, he rides motocross, builds vintage show bikes, and even races old Harleys. Just last year, he and automotive (and freelance) designer Bryan Thompson built a Triumph Pre-Unit show bike they called ‘The Scout’ that was displayed at the Born Free Show and specifically chosen to show at the Mooneyes Hot Rod Custom Show in Japan as well.
In a video produced by Day Dream Cinema called ‘Parallel’, Caballero talked about his experience atop a motorcycle. “It’s freeing being on a motorcycle, you know. You can ride by yourself or you can ride in groups. Kinda like skating, you know, you kinda go out and explore.
“It’s really cool to go fast and make cool turns on your bike, you know, and just kinda experience nature on two wheels. It’s awesome, yeah, I love it.”
Caballero and his friends then took to the coastline highways of Central California and made their first stop at Roland Sands’ shop who, just weeks after rolling out a BMW 41200RT for Anthony Kiedis, frontman of Red Hot Chili Peppers, made an exclusive Indian Scout Bobber for Caballero.
(Image: Zach Cohen/Cycle World)
The 53-year-old professional skater wanted a bike inspired by the Super Hooligan flat track series and confided that he had been following Sands’ career, which was how he “knew he had the experience with the Scout Bobber.” Hence, “it was a no-brainer to collaborate with him”.
(Image: Roland Sands Design)
Caballero has no intentions of racing this tracker around a dirt oval, though it has all the potential. He said, “The bike’s way too pretty to crash or bang up.” Instead, it will be used for his long-distance rides; he may event take a shot at next year’s Wheels and Waves in Biarritz at la Cité de l’Océan, France.
Some of the biggest upgrades on the Bobber were the increased ride height, upgraded shocks, and newly-tuned exhaust.
The whole collaboration process was documented on the blog of Roland Sands Design website.
