Take for instance the lovely RevTech-powered, tribute to the Day of the Dead bar hopper Cristian built. There’s nothing earth-shaking about the overall design (on this particular Sosa bike anyway, check out all his others for that), it’s just a very fine exercise in heavy metal with the devil working overtime on the details. Yeah, it does look like a bastard of a bike to ride and I mean that in a good way. I might not be as likely to ride across a state, even Rhode Island, but I sure would like to pound it around town as long as I could. When I ran out of gas (my own, not the bike), I could spend a hell of a lot of time drinking in all the details.

 

   Details that are simply beautiful things in metal formed in Cristian’s head and shaped to perfection by Cristian’s hands. Oh little things like the unbelievable Art Deco-style gas cap that runs over the top of the tank and has a life of its own. Instead of some hidden flush-mount cap or a custom bung and cap, this made from raw metal and worked until you’d think it was originally some trim piece from a Duesenberg trim piece is a work of art on its own and a totally functional appendage. Or, check out the forward fuel tank mounts near the head tube. Those gorgeous things look like they were once part of an early 20^th century metal bridge when form was as important as function.

   Cristian’s bike is not just an assemblage of pretty pieces, but pieces that were made to work in style and harmony with all the other bazillion Sosa Metalworks pieces. Apparently when you’re really skilled in metal fabrication, you can make a part both functional and downright gorgeous. The Sosa-made handlebars attach to the springer’s crown in a graceful sweep of tubing while the bullet-shaped air cleaner looks unique in a world of a million air cleaners. Or take the header-wrapped exhaust that ends in that grilled Deco cap, that’s pretty and purposeful. Same goes for the restored and modified vintage headlight and taillight that were in pretty damn tough shape to begin with and now are gleaming pieces of Art Deco metalwork that look like their only purpose in life was to be on this bike. 

 

    All these lovely metallic works of art are topped off with a killer Day of the Dead paintjob, but I unfortunately have no idea who did it. Whoever did it deserves another piece of pie, though, as it’s totally engaging, but not over-the-top busy. Maybe I’m trying to say it’s kinda arty with a topic that’s sure to entice both hardcores and wannabees to take a long look at. Even the choice of colors for the graphics is restrained and maybe that’s what takes it out of the comic book category of graphics. Yeah, I’m gonna go with that as it’s more subtle than something like this Day of the Dead theme that painters often feel they gotta hit you with a color hammer to make their point.

   Hey, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the first man of Christmas and ready for the New Year, Mr. Jack Cofano’s photo gallery and see what all the hub-bub is about. You can catch Cristian’s Sosa Metalwork’s Facebook page for some very interesting shots of turning flat metal into this bar-hopping masterpiece of loud fun. Now that would be a present I wouldn’t mind finding under the tree this year and it definitely would not be re-gifted or returned if that unlikely event ever happened.