Eicma 2012 – Pirelli launches tattooed tyres

Pirelli this year it was present in the custom allo area stand G30 of pavilion 2 of the International Motorcycle Exhibition (EICMA) with its flagship product dedicated to the custom world, Night Dragon, and with an initiative that combines the art of tattooing, particularly appreciated by lovers of the custom world, with two wheels: thus a new form of art is born, the tattooed tyre.

To be honest, this is not the first time that Pirelli, which has always been interested in the search for innovation in all its forms, has approached the reality of tattoos: already in September last year, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Pzero Store in Corso Venezia 1 in Milan, the Milanese tire company presented the Holy Trinity project, which saw the famous tattoo artist Scott Campbell try his hand at engraving the tread of a Diablo Rosso II which was then mounted and displayed in the store on a Ducati Diavel.

On the occasion of EICMA, Pirelli launched an "artistic" provocation to the renowned tattoo studio Fashion Tattoo of Monza and Pesaro asking if and how it was possible to express the artistic iconography of tattoos from the custom world on tyres, hence the idea of ​​creating tattoo sessions on the treads of Pirelli tires during the days of the fair. However, compared to the progenitor tire tattooed by Campbell, here there is a further step forward and an additional element: the colour. The design, which is inspired by "old school" themes, is in fact first expertly engraved on the tire through the gouge and then painted with acrylic enamels. The result is real extemporaneous works of art on rubber, solely for exhibition purposes and of a fleeting nature due to the properties of the components of the compound, but capable of transmitting emotion and interest in those who observe them.

This is a show dedicated to art for Pirelli, art which was also the protagonist last night at the Ridersnight Gommati organized by Riders Italian Magazine in collaboration with Pirelli and the Pirelli Foundation. The trait d'union of the evening was once again the rubber present not only as a tire but in all its forms through a structured journey in stages. Within the itinerary, a special exhibition set up by the Pirelli Foundation which, with 24 illustrations from its 140 years of history, recounted its iconographic and cultural heritage, explaining how rubber was the creator and mirror of the change of time.

With this strong presence in the custom area of ​​EICMA, Pirelli, which has always been a leader in the racing and sports segment, also wanted to send a clear message to all motorcyclists who love the custom world, trying to demonstrate how all the experience acquired over the years in competitions can be excellently transferred into a product, the Night Dragon, capable of offering custom bikes not only mileage and stability, which are minimum requirements offered by all competitors, but also excellent grip and handling typical of Pirelli's sporting DNA. These last two qualities are important and necessary with modern custom bikes that are increasingly performing and which must be able to put all their horsepower on the ground and, at the same time, be easy to handle despite their high weight.