SUAVECITO

Sosa Metalworks is a family business in Las Vegas, set up by Cristian as designer and chief fabricator, with his brother Roberto also building and running the business. Cristian Sosa is a metalworking veteran even in his mid-30s, having taken his high school metalwork training to a job at Count’s Kustoms for 12 years. This led to an early brush with celebrity, as the shop was the focus of the TV custom car show Counting Cars. After branching out as an independent shop in 2012, Sosa has made his own name, garnering big-brand sponsorship, and appearing at the 2013 Mooneyes show in Japan with this highly modified 1940 Indian-based “Suavecito” (“Softly” in Spanish).

For Sosa, motorcycle construction is totally hecho a mano. He relies on a vintage lathe and milling machine for much of his fabrication, although his sleek Art Deco-inspired bodywork is built using a Pullmax metal bender, and a home-made power hammer constructed from a sewing-machine motor and an automotive leaf spring – handmade tools for a handmade bike. It takes a lot more than metal-shaping skills to make a great custom builder though, and this board track-inspired custom is clear evidence of Sosa’s top-caliber vision. He adheres to no particular style, preferring to create shapes as he works, in whatever configuration suits the project. For his bodywork, he welds up wire frames as a buck for his aluminum shaping, modifying them constantly to keep the lines of his project harmonious. He admits the design aspect is the most difficult part of process: making the lines work together perfectly, and function as they should. “What I struggle with most is the design. The fabrication is hard work, but that’s the easiest part for me.”

Follow the Builder: Sosa Metalworks