Saturday, May 15, 2010

Busted and Broken - Street Sign





Hello Icon,

My name is Don R.  I was riding with a friend on some of the local backroads about a week after a hellacious storm.  Needless to say, there was some left over gravel and other debris waiting for us at one of our bends.  I hit the bend at around 85 and slid with my tires hitting the dirt mound where the curb should be catapulting me up over my bike through the air.  I hit a street sign with my side, slid up it bending it in half, ripping it out of the ground, and sheering off the name of the street on the top.  I rolled along the ground before stopping and when the world stopped spinning I did a bit of a self analysis while spitting blood.  All told I broke 5 ribs, fractured 3 vertebrae, collapsed my lung, and lacerated my liver and kidney.  Thanks to your original Icon Mesh Jacket and Devil Dog helmet (did I mention I am a Marine?) the sign did no external damage.  The paramedics and flight crew said your gear saved my life.  Unfortunately I never recovered my old gear (they cut it off of me), but I enclosed some of the photos from my recovery.  On behalf of my wife, kids, and family, thank you Icon.


Semper Fi,
SGT Donald R



Not quite as comfy as an airfence


Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark...wait a sec


 think it might need some new plastics...and everything else



Friday, May 14, 2010

Speaking of Zombies...

We recently ran across this short film - I Love Sarah Jane. Being full blown Zombiephiles we were quite taken with the quality of this production. Nice story line, great acting, killer make up, and hardcore Aussie accents. Best zombie based entertainment we've seen in months. Well worth the watch. 


Australians getting all Robin Hood with their Undad Undead problem

Dark Hand, Iron Head

Cold Dead Fingers is near completion. Like good poetry, she is an eloquent combination of thoughts, statements, feelings, and ebay buy-it-nows. Her first flattrack event is next month at the illustrious Jantzen Beach Container Yard Classic. Gravel, guns, and fourty-footer's stacked six high - it's a short oval'ish track with plenty of North Portland character(s). Granted, it's more George Romero than Gene Romero, but you take what you can get. 


A little something we learned about in Helsinki...it's a Finnish thing 

A personal outlook on living the motocentric lifestyle


Don't get it twisted, this isn't meant as an insult - we like the ladies with some meat on their bones. This is actually a warning that the tail section isn't as structurally sound as it may appear.


Drilled drums are so race


We like to hit the Diet & Crow's before loading our Mack 00's (cool biker speak for drinking copious Jack & Cokes prior to performing freehand lettering and pinstriping)


Team Icon only uses K&N, ask for them by name


A lot of guys like the Z Bars - Icon likes the V Bars, preferably wrapped in some California Lites













Real mens' motorcycles have pedals - as do most mopeds



Oury - there is no finer grip, ever (Hey Oury dudes - Icon sends a friend request)


Oregon Superbikers


If you're into low budgets and good times race number two is this weekend in McMinville, Oregon

Our development manager #555 can be found in the pits whining about the dirt section

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Strong Arm Fate

Apparently someone just watched the entire 'Sons of Anarchy' season one DVD

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Concept & Execution - Zipperface


So what do you do when you need to take an advertising photo of a gimped face Zipperface helmet graphic? Our recipe to distract and counteract was simple: A latex suit, two healthy alabaster white breasts, and one sidecar equipped death-cycle borrowed from a crazy Dutchman. It's a simple dish that has never failed to please.

The setting - a dark cement stall in the back corner of the Metalgod's lair. Once on set, with the lights adjusted, everything fell into place - and out of place briefly. For us, wardrobe malfunctions are the juice!

And just so everyone stops asking - the identity of the Zipperface model is strictly need-to-know. We're keeping this one close to the chest to protect the guilty and to ruin the innocent. But because this is a private blog we'll let you in on the secret. She is underground internet sensation named Ivy Slime. And yes, by all accounts, she is rather slimy.


The Alliance SSR Zipperface - the super Pimp Gimp graphic that's sweeping the nation


Nol's obscene corner machine - yes it is every bit as wicked as it looks


We call this area of the Icon warehouse the 'pleasuredome' - no one is coming for you my friend

"We like how things are shaping up, but let's warm it up a bit and change positions." (creepy designer talk for flip the model around and adjust the camera's white balance)


At times like this it takes true professionals to remained focus


How does one go about getting into that suit?


Ivy's blue steel... 


The final composition

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Contra Mil-Spec Textile Jacket

Wanna be seen? Got a nasty commute with inattentive suits and self-medicated  soccer moms trying to run you into the median? Wanna simplify the jacket/vest combo and just wear a single item to get on base? Really like the color chartreuse and want the whole world to know it? Those are some of the reasons behind our new Contra Mil-Spec jacket. The Contra is already the premier sport textile jacket in the motorcycle market. The Mil-Spec version takes that refined chassis and adds loads of reflective and a retina burning green hue. The result, dare we say it, is the best super bright ass green reflective jacket the world has ever seen - and see it they will.  



The Contra Mil-Spec jacket, like all of Icon's Mil-Spec line, meets motorcycle PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements for all branches of the US Military. 

Monday, May 10, 2010

Dragon Lady






Way back in the early 2002 we joined forces with Dark Horse Comics to produce two limited edition Alliance helmets. One of those helmets was the Alliance Dragon Lady. Penned by artist Adam Warren and produced in a limited quantity of 1000 pieces, the Dragon Lady put us on the map as a major helmet player. 


The original Dragon Lady concept was scrawled in the bar across from Dark Horse Comic's Portland office - never underestimate the creative power of Coors Light 


The initial comps were cool but a bit too weapon heavy...


..so we went with the much more conservative version



The original handpainted Dragon Lady shell - $2500 worth of airbrush work... 




...but we still had to resort to masking tape and marker to fix the graphics before actual production


The limited edition mark on the back of the production helmets (WAR2K2 actually means Adam Warren 2002)


Hand numbered chinstraps - #709 is the only one we kept for ourselves


The finished Alliance Dragon Lady - everything we had hoped for


Truly the sincerest form of flattery




Sunday, May 9, 2010

The Icon 12 Step Program

If your garage looks like this, you should seek professional help immediately.
 
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