16 Badass Motorcycle Tattoo Designs For Bikers
Express your ride-or-die spirit with tattoos that capture the roar of your favorite wheels.
Ali Aman is a professional tattoo artist hailing from Kazakhstan. He is a self-taught tattoo artist, who learned most of the skills related to this craft from online platforms like YouTube. He moved to the USA a few years ago and has been tattooing since 2022.
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If you are a biker who loves to live on and breathe in the thrill of open roads, consider offering your lifestyle a permanent tribute on your skin with a motorcycle tattoo. Many people ride motorcycles to commute, but for bikers, they are a symbol of passion and brotherhood. A tattoo featuring a bike or its parts can also be a permanent reminder of the adrenaline-fueled adventures that come with being a part of the biking community. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the best motorcycle tattoo designs that capture the essence of the biker spirit. Scroll down to choose your next ink!
In This Article
16 Meaningful Motorcycle Tattoo Ideas For Those Who Live To Ride
Motorcycle tattoos are the perfect way to honor your passion for riding and the thrill of the open road. Beyond just the love for bikes, these tattoos can represent personal journeys, lasting friendships, and unforgettable memories made during rides. They hold deep meaning, representing freedom, adventure, and the connections that come with a shared love for biking. Below are some ideas to fuel your imagination:
1. Motorcycle Helmet Tattoo
Starting off our list with a tattoo element that is closely related to motorcycles and racing – a helmet. For a disciplined biker, enjoying the thrill of racing through gorgeous landscapes is exponentially more thrilling when safety is ensured. Putting on a helmet also expresses a readiness or preparedness in one’s attitude. This tattoo features a classic, vintage-style motorcycle helmet expressing gratitude for the equipment and highlighting its timeless necessity.
2. Tribal Motorcycle Tattoo
For a unique look and feel, opt for a tribal tattooing style. The back-of-neck tattoo above features a motorcycle encased in unique tribal-inspired patterns, giving it an exotic and artistically refreshing look. You can opt for a similar style where the shape of the motorcycle itself is stylized using waves and strokes from tribal tattoo designs. It may represent that no matter where the road takes the wearer, they will find their way back home.
3. Motorcycle Memorial Tattoo
Many bikers enjoy the company of another rider who takes to the road with them on their motorbiking adventures. And some times, they experience losing a special person they shared many memorable rides with. Dedicating a memorial tattoo to them is a great way to honor their memory. This back-of-hand tattoo above features a realistically shaded motorcycle underscored by the name “Roy” in a simple and clean font, reflecting the wearer’s grief and gratitude for this person.
4. Motorcycle Club Tattoo
Bikers also enjoy being part of motorcycle clubs where they meet like-minded people. So, it is only natural that they get attached to this community with whom they spend so much time enjoying and connecting in the world of bikes. The above example features a logo of a motorcycle club tattooed on the shoulder. It uses bold lines, striking shading work, and the red pigments in the text make the tattoo pop, communicating the wearer’s pride in being a member of the club.
5. Small Motorcycle Tattoo
This small tattoo of a motorcycle placed with the shoulder blade placement is a subtle way of immortalizing the wearer’s passion for motorbikes. The attention to detail with the key features of the motorcycle is commendable. The design is unassuming but no less intricate. The minimalistic nature of it stirs the curiosity of the viewers, making it a great conversation piece when exposed.
6. Motorcycle Engine Tattoo
A huge part of being a motorcyclist is also knowing the ins and outs of how it functions. For many bikers, a motorcycle with a powerful engine is a dream come to life. They may miss their doctor’s appointments but never miss their motorcycle servicing dates! This shin tattoo of a hyper-realistic section of the motorcycle engine is metaphoric of the depth of attachment the wearer has for their motorcycle and its longevity.
7. Motorcycle Angel Tattoo
A motorcycle angel tattoo can symbolize the combination of the wearer’s spirituality and their love for riding. It could also be a memorial tattoo that shows a departed person as an angel continuing to ride their bike in heaven. Further, it can also be a caricature where the wearer demonstrates their creative vision or sense of humor. The vast back tattoo above featuring a male angel riding a motorcycle is done in pleasant muted colors with crisp lines and well-blended shading, making for a striking piece of artwork.
8. Neo-Traditional Motorcycle Tattoo
This vibrant neo-traditional motorcycle tattoo featuring the scenery of a motorcycle parked against the backdrop of mountains and buildings could be an ode to a favorite riding memory. The illustration has warm colors, bold outline shapes, a unique hexagonal frame, and symmetrical pattern designs at the bottom, all making it a high-art, creative, graphic masterpiece speaking of the wearer’s refined aesthetic taste.
9. Motorcycle Silhouette Tattoo
If you are a female biker looking for motorcycle-inspired ink, this silhouette tattoo can be a great pick. While the overall design is fairly simple, the clever use of the negative space lends a sense of movement to the tattoo; it makes it appear as if the bike is actually cruising down the road. Plus, the girl riding it has her hair flowing at the back, which perfectly captures the essence of freedom and adventure inherent to biking.
10. Motorcycle Spokes And Wheel Tattoo
A motorcycle wheel with wings is the perfect way to showcase your love for the feeling of freedom on two-wheelers. However, this blackwork tattoo design also has a deeper meaning. A wheel with wings is a common sight in Greek and Roman architecture, and the symbol is related to the demi-god Triptolemus and his chariot drawn by winged dragons; it signifies progress and travel. This tattoo may serve as a talisman to keep you safe while you go looking for adventures on the road.
11. Grateful Dead Uncle Sam Motorcycle Tattoo
One of the pioneers of rock, The Grateful Dead is associated with a collection of skeleton sketches, one of them being the iconic Uncle Sam skeleton. Here, this tattoo design is a fun and layered take on old-school motorcycle tattoos. It features the skeleton Uncle Sam riding a bike, and carrying the US flag to represent his patriotic spirit. It perfectly captures the American spirit of freedom, open roads and travel, and of course rock music and rebellion.
12. Ghost Rider On Harley Davidson Tattoo
This tattoo features the iconic Marvel comic book character Ghost Rider depicted in his well-known fiery, skull-headed form riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. His skull is ablaze with hellfire, which contrasts starkly with the darkness of his eye sockets. This tattoo symbolizes rebellion, highlighting Ghost Rider’s defiance of evil forces to carry out justice. This tattoo is a perfect design for those who want to showcase their fearless spirit. It can be easily customized and we have more ghost rider tattoo ideas for you to explore.
13. Guru/Rockstar Biker Tattoo
A motorcycle with a bearded rockstar riding it with mountains in the background makes for a stunningly scenic tattoo design. The blackwork style adds depth and intensity to the design and highlights the necessity of taking off to find yourself and the wisdom gained from such a journey. The tattoo also represents the confident and courageous nature of the bikers who continue with their passion even in difficult terrains.
14. Motorcycle Tattoo On Forearm
Full-sleeve motorcycle tattoos look amazing, but sometimes the heart desires something simple, like this sleek bike design on the forearm. The minimalist and small tattoo is perfect for both men and women and captures the spirit of freedom and adventure that a bike represents. Further, it is simple enough and you can easily customize it with other tattoo motifs for a personalized design.
15. Dirt Bike Chain Tattoo
You do not always need to ink a complete image of a motorcycle to show your love for them. A simple dirt bike chain design is a great and abstract way to depict your love for biking. This one features a metallic motorcycle chain in the form of a heart. The ruggedness and mechanical beauty of the design make the tattoo perfect for both men and women, and it works with various placements, such as the neck, arm, or ankle.
16. Motorcycle Sprocket Tattoo
Similar to the motorcycle chain, you may also use its sprocket wheel to showcase your passion for bike rides. The design above is perfect if you want something simple and edgy. This tattoo is a symbolic representation of your love for not just the open road, but for the beautiful craftsmanship and engineering that goes into building one of these machines that allow you to feel the wind beneath your shoulders.
Motorcycle tattoos are perfect for people who are part of the riding community and want to wear their love for biking as a permanent accessory. They range from classic motorbike silhouettes to the different working parts that make the bike, such as the chain and sprocket. These tattoos usually symbolize freedom, rebellion, a connection to the open road, and a deep reverence and love for the science and engineering that make the wheels turn. The designs are ideal for both male and female bikers and work in various placements, such as the forearm, upper arm, wrist, and back. So, pick the one that resonates with you the most and use it to inspire your next tattooing adventure!
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