World’s first tattooed Harley-Davidson: “The Recidivist”

Polish motorcycle custom shop Over Game Cycles has not only thought outside of the box but destroyed the box and created a whole new shape when building their custom Harley-Davidson Softtail. 

Now, you may be thinking how on earth can you tattoo a motorcycle? Vegans look away now. Game Over Cycles was able to tattoo the machine because they covered the body of the motorcycle with skin… cowskin to be exact. I wonder if they got inspiration from Silence of the Lambs? ‘’It puts the lotion in the basket’’. I digress... 

Why tattoo a Harley-Davidson?

With the bike covered in leather, the team got to work painstakingly filling in all the gaps with intricate and eye-catching tattoos. The designs placed onto the bike aren't too dissimilar to that which a hardcore Harley rider might have on their skin, but that’s not the only person who could have this many tattoos. The reason why the bike was tattooed is evident in the name of the motorcycle. “Recidivist” means convicted criminal who repeatedly reoffends. And in many prisons, tattoos are a uniform which is used to tell a convicts story - letting other inmates know their gang affiliations, crimes and rank. 

The Harley’s ‘skin’ is no different, as taking a closer look reveals peoples faces who helped the firm grow, and on the wheels there's a bank robber scene (the bikes crime). Truly incredible. 

The only things that remain stock in this somewhat ‘living’ machine are the engine and its frame, everything else is custom. And in fitting tribute to its decorative design, certain parts on the bike are made to look like tattoo guns including the forks, spark plugs, and even the exhaust pipe. 

So much more to talk about this machine, but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The price of this one of a kind/world first machine is $1 million... then again it took 3,000 hours to build and another 2,500 hours to tattoo! Worth it though right? 

Let us know your thoughts on the “The Recidivist” in the comments below.