Yamaha Faster Wasp: Faster Sons is inspired by Kenny Roberts' dirt track [PHOTO and VIDEO]

Yamaha Faster Wasp – What the Japanese bike maker Shinya Kimura started is now carried forward by Roland Sands, the famous Californian customizer who in recent months has collaborated once again with Yamaha, giving life to a new and exciting chapter in the Faster Sons history of Iwata .

The Yamaha Faster Wasp is the fifth special born from the Sands/Yamaha duo, a concept that deliberately recalls, thanks to the lines of its design, the dirt track TZ750 with the unmistakable "bumblebee" yellow-black livery, driven by the legendary Kenny Roberts. Under the classic guise we have great performance with the most advanced 850cc front-wheel drive three-cylinder and the lightweight aluminum frame. “Faster Sons represents respect for everything that comes from the past. The clean lines, the quality of the materials and the simplicity of the design mix and integrate perfectly with the most advanced technologies.” he said Shun Miyazawa, Product Manager at Yamaha. "Roland, once again, has done a fantastic job with his latest work, respecting our philosophy down to the smallest details. Like Shinya Kimura's Concept, Sands' "Faster Wasp" once again confirms the validity of our direction and construction philosophy. We are working on the Faster Sons of the future and this Concept will help us further accelerate the launch of the next models on the market".

On the Yamaha Faster Wasp there are various parts made by RSD, Roland Sands Designs, such as the hand-beaten aluminum tank, the tail, the air intakes, the radiator cover, the front number plate and the front mudguard. There are also numerous "prototype" components, such as the Clarity timing cover, the rear footrests, the rear brake reservoir, the engine guards, the chain tensioner, the timing cap, the hub pads and the reservoir cap. The new Sands Special uses forged aluminum rims (17×3.5” front and 17×6.0” rear) fitted with Dunlop Q3 tyres. There are also many details, from the leather saddle by Bitchin Seat Co. to the yellow/black livery of Airtrix and Cerakote by Specialized Coatings. "The relationship with Yamaha was born a long time ago.” commented Roland Sands. "This three-cylinder is light and goes really fast. It is not a competition model, but it transfers the racing performance level into an easy to drive vehicle. It's great because it's fun and I think a bike should be fun: the Yamaha “Faster Wasp” has this ability but, in addition, it offers extraordinary performance. Both myself and Kenny Roberts, one of my heroes, worked on this new concept, putting our common racing past and pairing it with the three-cylinder engine. It was a very fun project and I am very happy with the final result”.