When Cristian Sosa rolled into the 2025 Hot Bike Tour, he did it the only way that made sense: on his own hand-built Shovelhead.

That bike carried all the hallmarks of Sosa Metalworks. The raw metal finish, hand-shaped bodywork, custom stainless exhaust, narrow-glide front end, the list goes on… All worked together as more than a display of craftsmanship. It was a functional piece of rolling art (pardon the cliche), built to leave the shop and prove itself on the road. And prove itself it did. Not only did Cristian ride the whole Tour, he did his first real shakedown run with the bike on it.

Sosa’s Shovel was such a hit among his nine other Invited Builder peers that he was nominated best of the best. His prize? An all-expenses paid trip to Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy this past January.

Now, Cristian is coming back as an invited builder for the 2026 Hot Bike Tour Presented by Law Tigers, set for Sept. 7-11, 2026. This time with another Shovelhead but done in more a chopper fashion, yet still retaining signature Sosa characteristics.

For Sosa, the 2025 Tour was more than a deadline for a fresh build. It was a reminder of why the work matters in the first place: Riding motorcycles with your friends, old and new. The route pushed through the Southwest, across Arizona desert and into Utah red rock country, giving the Shovelhead the kind of real-world shakedown that no show floor can offer.

That is exactly what makes Sosa’s return for 2026 worth watching. His work sits at the intersection of sculpture, fabrication, and function. Every surface shows the hand behind it, but none of it exists only to be stared at. The proportions are tight, the fabrication is deliberate, and the whole thing has the look of a bike that would rather be out in the wind than parked under lights.

The 2026 Hot Bike Tour is five days of custom motorcycles, some of the best roads/routes in the country, nightly industry parties, and long miles with the V-twin community. With Sosa back in the invited builder lineup, expect craftsmanship, metalwork with purpose, and another build meant to earn its place one mile at a time.