In 2014, Polish custom bike manufacturer, Game Over Cycles, revealed a motorcycle dedicated to both the modern motorcycle industry and the artistic world of tattoos. Dubbed The Recidivist, the bike is a collaboration with German company Cheyenne Professional Tattoo Equipment, and has won several awards since its debut at the London Tattoo Convention, the most prestigious tattoo convention in the world.

In a Game Over Cycles press release, the company explains, “Motorbikes are commonly adorned with tattoo motifs using an airbrush, however the uniqueness of The Recidivist lies in the fact that the bike’s entire construction is covered in tattoed skin branded directly onto the bike’s tires, tanks, seat, rear fender, lamp and many other smaller elements. Light colored cow hide leather – similar to the color of human skin – is engineered onto the bike. Two tattoo artists from Polish tattoo studios Individuum and Steel Will Tattoo-Factory applied traditional works of tattoo art onto the bike using the tools of world-famous brand Cheyenne Professional Tattoo Equipment. All of that makes The Recidivist world’s first tattooed motorcycle.”

Stanislaw Myszkowski, GOC founder and originator of the project, explains the evolution of the project: “The idea of creating a motorcycle covered with real tattoos came to me 10 years ago. I have tattoos and I love motorcycles, and I consider them both as a way to express my own feelings or character. In this project we wanted to create a motorcycle that would be a combination of the automotive world with the world of tattoos and express their respective characteristics, not only in the construction, but also in aesthetics. We also wanted this machine to combine modernity with tradition. On one hand we built a motorcycle based on the most traditional motorcycle brand in the world, the Harley-Davidson – on the other we integrated the mechanisms of tattoo machines to become integral and fully functional elements of the motorcycle’s construction.”

For those interested, a mini documentary has been shot, documenting The Recidivist from concept through to final product. You can view it below.