RIS: How long have you been riding for?

Tim Hendricks: Shit man, I don’t know, 90% my life I guess.

RIS: What influenced you to get into riding?  

TIM: My best friend’s dad in grade school used to take us on trips to glamis and shit like that, then when I was a teenager I got a hand-me-down streetbike and just went nuts on the thing, I’m surprised I lived through it all.

RIS: How many bikes have you had and or built over that time period?  

TIM: Not as many as I would’ve liked to! But I built my first Harley Davidson in my early twenties, it was a 1945 flathead, a 45 cubic inch. It was a good starter bike but it didn’t last long, It was too slow. Even though it was just a ‘bar hopper’ I wanted to get to the bar faster! I ended up getting a ’79 Shovelhead and fell in love with that bike. Since then I have built a few others for myself, bikes for friends and helped out on a some really cool projects.

RIS: If you have more than one bike, do you have a favorite and why?  

TIM: I only have one bike right now, but it’s a bike I’ve always wanted. It’s a 2009 Dyna, I’ve always wanted a Dyna. I guess I’m just a simple man ya know, but when you grow up poor like I did, your dreams are simple.

RIS: Where did you learn how to work on or build bikes?  

TIM: I built my flathead in my old bosses garage out of standard tools and a dremel, no joke! He took me over to a guy named Chica to find some parts for my Shovelhead project. After going by Chica’s shop enough times he took a shine to me and told me to bring my bike by and I could build it there, I was ecstatic! Chica taught me everything, how to build every style engine, how to make a frame, weld properly, and all the little nick nacks and odds and ends every bike builder should know, I am a lucky son-of-a-bitch. Now days though I just get on that fucker, turn the key and ride, ya gotta love it.

RIS: How do you feel riding correlates with your profession as a tattoo artist?  

TIM: You mean besides the obvious? Shit man, it seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. I didn’t learn how to tattoo the way all these new kids are learning. Some of these fuckers can’t even draw a name for christ’s sake. It’s all artsy fartsy now days. I learned how to tattoo around gangsters and bikers, it was that typical seedy type of environment that sadly enough people still associate ALL tattoos with. I don’t know many bikers or motorcycle enthusiasts that don’t have some kind of tattoo relating to their lifestyle, it goes with the territory.

RIS: Do you have any favorite rides you like, local or not?  

TIM: No man, to be honest, as long as I’m on my bike it’s all my favorite.

RIS: Do you go to any of the rallies and if so do you have a favorite and why?  

TIM: I go to Laughlin now and then. I really like the Laughlin run, it’s not too far from California and I always end up seeing a lot of my friends there. Once me and Corey Miller went out there and tattooed like madmen, it was non stop tattooing, we didn’t even get a chance to walk around and enjoy our trip! Wild.

RIS: What is your favorite part about riding?  

TIM: Shit I don’t know, that’s like asking me what is my favorite part of getting high, it’s all pretty much amazing. 

RIS: What shop are you currently working at?  

TIM: I’m working between Gold Rush Tattoo in Costa Mesa California, and Love Hate (Miami Ink). Right now though, I’m gearing up to go to New York City to work on a new project with Ami James, should be fun.

RIS: Tell us a bit about your tattoo career and where it has taken you?  

TIM: Well that’s a very long story, but I’ll try and condense it as best as possible. I started tattooing professionally in the early 90’s almost twenty years ago, jesus I’m getting old. I learned how to tattoo neighborhood style, you know like home-made machines and shit, after a little bit I got real lucky and met a girl who’s dad was a tattooer (Rick Walters), since dads can’t say no to there daughters wishes very easily he sold me a real tattoo machine. I started teaching myself to tattoo and I had no shortage of clients, my neighborhood was full of them. Eventually I started making friends who tattooed and payed enough attention while getting tattooed that I learned to lay in a ‘passible’ tattoo. I did ‘passible’ tattoos for years and never gave two shits about being some fancy tattooer, but then I realized that if I got good at tattooing I could start traveling more. So I sold my soul to the devil and just like that, BAM, I was good. My career has taken me to the far corners of the world, I have seen some of the most beautiful things the world has to offer and I owe it all to tattooing. I have no problem with entitlement issues right now in my life, I am not owed just because I’ve been tattooing almost 20 years, I figure the longer I’ve been tattooing the more I owe. I’ve been given the gift of tattooing wich has kept me out of jail, given me a life and everything I am; for that… I owe.

RIS: Anything else you would like to share with the folks in the tattoo or bike communities?  

TIM: Thanks for all the support throughout my whole career, I’d like to thank anyone I have ever had the pleasure of working with or any tattooer who has given something back to the table of tattooing. I feel I should thank Chica for teaching me how to properly build a bike from the ground up.