Check Out Nikko Hurtado’s Custom Indian Motorcycle

The world-renowned tattoo artist had an amazing Indian Motorcycle custom built by two legends—Paul Cox and Keino Sasaki—to celebrate the release of the 2022 Indian Chief

Tattoos and motorcycles go together perfectly, like an aged cabernet served with a perfectly medium-rare steak. When we learned that Indian Motorcycle was working with two of the world’s most revered bike builders—Paul Cox and Keino Sasaki—to custom build a bike for Nikko Hurtado we knew something epic was about to go down.

Natalie Cuomo spoke with the trio a few months ago about the build and ever since then we’ve been itching to see what Cox and Sasaki came up with. And now, finally, we’re able to gaze upon their accomplishment.

The bike, as you can see, is exquisite. One of our favorite parts of the interview occurred as the pair of builders prepared Nikko Hurtado for one of the special touches they’ve included in the bike—a jockey shift.

Cox: Awesome. So, you ready for a jockey shift?

Hurtado: Yeah, man, I’ve never ridden one before so I’m excited.

Cox: That’s the right answer [laughs].

Sasaki: You ready for the death trap [laughs]? There’s no front brake, so be ready.

We were able to get our hands on the bike before it was presented to Hurtado. The bike is beautiful by itself, but when the gorgeous Alesandra Nicole sits astride it things really heat up.

Well before he ever saw the bike, Hurtado was already psyched. “It’s kind of crazy seeing these guys on Zoom right now as I know how much heart and soul goes into anything you create, especially when it’s handmade,” he said. “I could only imagine how they feel building something for Indian, the whole process. I always try to come in super respectful because [as a tattoo artist] I understand how you put your heart out into these pieces. No matter what it is you’re doing you try to do your best, because it’s part of your soul. When I see this bike in person for the first time, I’m sure it’s going to be overwhelming because it’s looking at somebody’s masterpiece.”

And he’s right, Cox and Sasaki did build a masterpiece. Below you’ll find some more photos of the bike and the amazing level of detail and dedication that has gone in to the build.