UNDER THE SKIN

Introducing The Recidivist – an award-winning custom project inspired by the art of tattooing

PHOTOS BY TOMASZ PULSAKOWSKI AND PAUL BAYFIELD

In the world of Harley-Davidson® customisation, striking paintwork is hardly an unusual feature. Each year attendees of the Custom Bike Show at the European H.O.G.® Rally and European Bike Week® are blown away by the creativity and precision of the artwork adorning tanks and saddlebags on all kinds of models.

These ornate designs are usually applied by airbrushing, or sometimes painstakingly by hand. However, for one ambitious build team based in Poland, an entirely different method was called for when constructing their custom creation, The Recidivist: tattooing.

The builders at Game Over Cycles (GOC) were inspired by the long-established links between tattooing and motorcycles; two worlds that have long symbolised counterculture and represent for many the ultimate expression of individuality and freedom.

A Harley-Davidson and sidecar, complete with tattooed illustrations.

A tattooist works on the leather covering of a Harley-Davidson.

For GOC founder and owner Stanisław Myszkowski, the concept was something that had been brewing for some time:

“The idea of creating a motorcycle covered with real tattoos came to me about ten years before the bike was built. I think people have tattoos in order to express their character – I am tattooed myself – and similarly people paint their motorcycles in a way fitting to who they are and what they represent. It’s been known for a long time that leather can be tattooed, so one day I thought ‘why not?’. Let’s cover the whole bike in leather and ink it!”

The bike not only features many nods to the equipment involved in tattooing – including the exhaust, which resembles a modern tattoo machine right down to the needles which vibrate and move when you start the engine – but it is adorned all over with tattooed designs, accounting for more than 2,500 hours of work. As you might expect, it was one of the most talked-about attractions when it had its debut at the 2014 London International Tattoo Convention.

Starting out life as a Harley-Davidson Heritage model, The Recidivist was radically stripped back, with only part of its frame and its engine – a 96-inch Twin Cam – being retained. All other parts are original elements built by the Game Over team, with everything having been carefully considered down to the smallest detail. As suggested by the bike’s name, which means ‘repeat offender’, there are hints towards criminality and the underworld throughout, with components cleverly crafted to imitate items such as handcuffs. The effect is a bike that has instant visual impact, its streamlined silhouette offset by striking stand-alone features – you can almost imagine it being ridden through the dystopian landscapes of Mad Max.

Tattooed leatherwork on a Harley-Davidson.

Tattooed illustrations on the leatherwork of a Harley-Davidson.

It’s when you take a closer look, however, that you truly appreciate the craftsmanship of The Recidivist. All over the bike – from its fuel tank to the seat, to the wheels – are intricate designs, painstakingly tattooed onto pale leather that resembles human skin. Tattoo artists Tomasz Lech and Krzysztof Królak each displayed their own personal style when adorning the leather, but there are common motifs throughout. As Tomasz says, “working on this bike was a cool experience and a learning process. Me and Krzysztof complemented each other while tattooing the motorcycle. Before the start, we did a lot of trials on how to apply ink on such a raw and hard material as leather.”

The sidecar, added in 2017 and showcased at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that same year, was tattooed by Artur Wiśniowski. He continued the artistic themes of the main motorcycle but was also inspired by artists H.R.Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, as well as the Motor Company’s own legacy: for example, the sidecar includes a tribute to the H-D founders and the famous shed where it all began.

Since its original unveiling, The Recidivist has turned heads at custom competitions around the world. In 2015, it won best in category and the People’s Choice award at European Bike Week®, and then in 2017 was awarded first place in the ‘Most Unusual’ category at the prestigious Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show in Sturgis. That same year, it was awarded first place in the PRO Class at the Harley-Davidson Museum™ Custom Bike Show, presented by none other than Bill Davidson. Then, in 2018, the bike went on show at the Custom Gallery at the Harley-Davidson 115th Anniversary celebrations in Prague.

gameovercycles.com