Busted and Broken - Surfing

I was on my way to work the other day and had to react fast. Except I reacted the wrong way. I hit the both front and rear brakes hard and lost control. I managed to get on top of my bike and “surf” down the thruway. Better the bike than me sliding along the grooved pavement. I managed to walk away with some bruises and a couple of blisters on my hand thanks to the chukka boots and my icon gloves. I had just recently purchased the chukka boots and glad that I did or my foot would be toast.   

- Steve  A.

Death From Above

Endless Possibilites

So Memorial Day rolled around and I found myself once again in my garage. Wrenching on my '89 CBR600, I began to drift away into my happy place. The patriotic Hurricane was the first real bike I ever owned. Ultra pristine in it's red, white, & blue HRC livery, she has always had a special place in my heart. Because of this long term relationship, I had vowed to keep the thick lady in her curvaceous stock form. A promise I almost kept...

Me and the CBR at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California circa 1990...Top Gun dreams

Sometimes the devil, delusions of grandeur,  and whiskey drinks get ahold of me... and things end up getting chopped. It's not that I particularly want too, it's just that stock is for suckers. As it so happens, I had a fresh batch of CBR600F4 Hotbodies plastics sitting in the shop. These plastics, all perfect and pink, were destined for an upcoming stunt bike project. Just for shite and giggles, I threw the F4 tail section on the F1. 'Damn', I say out loud, 'that looks pretty fukin good'.

Pink tail always get me excited

So it got me thinking - what other 'minor' modifications could the old girl use? Maybe some six spoke CBR600F2 wheels? F2's ran a 160/17 rear which is respectable when compared to the stock 130/17. Maybe powder coat the wheels in a matte gold finish for a vintage race flavor. Then I could ditch the ratty Vance & Hines pipe in favor of a Leo Vince shorty - my neighbors love open cans first thing in the morning. Of course I'd have to yard the horrid stock suspension - beefy 900RR componentry would make a nice upgrade. Finally I could add some CRG's, red Oury's, fresh Pirelli slicks, Vortex rearsets, and a pair of PIAA 6" burners. With a little work the old Hurricane could look a proper Honda endurance ride. Certainly not your everday custom... 

 Inspiration 1 - Tons of soul

Inspiration 2 - Fierce old school flavor

Inspiration 3 - HRC endurance heritage

Inspiration 4 - Matte gold F2 wheels

Inspiration 5 - Damn your sport/touring labels

Inspiration 6 - A previously confessed love for all things Interceptor

By this time I was completely committed. I see the project coming together in my head... and I like it. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something glued. I've had a hard time getting to sleep this week as I work through the myriad of steps in this upcoming build. A build that I didn't particularly want to do, but now can not resist. And at the absolute crux of it all, that's what I love most about motorcycles... the dreams and the endless possibilities. -Kurt

Another Satisfied Customer

Dear Dumbasses,

Here is an chance to learn from a mistake.  I suppose I am not the first one to email but every time I see that stupid ad with the DMH leather jacket guy wearing the fitted cap and smoking the filterless tobacco product and what's that in the glass?  3 fingers of some yuppie ass bourbon or scotch, my damn blood boils.  After he finishes that what will his BAC be then?  Let's hit the road! No pun intended.  I can appreciate how you hit all the demographics: white guy in leather jacket tough, but wearing a hat to hide the bald spot. Skull and death reference for the rebel yute's, throw in some gambling and smoking and drinking and you got it all covered.  Dumbasses.  Line up the big money marketing guy or gal who thought that stupid shit up and make them go for a ride with middle age, smoke breath, drinking guy. Hands down one of the stupidest ads I have ever seen.  Bring back the hot chicks. Keep the old white guy but please take out the death and smoking and drinking.  Don't fire anyone, but for sure line em up and say " you know, if we weren't so cool, you would be totally fired.". Because they should be totally fired.  Dumbasses.  You ought to print a full out retraction for every 15 yr old kid who sees that stupid ass ad and thinks " yeah, I'ma get me a bald spot and some bourbon and then I be cool too!"  Dumbasses.  I woulda used my real name but what's with the address requirement? You gonna bring me some booze and smokes? 

- Joe

This is the ad our lovely viewer is referring too. For clarification the 215lbs model would have a BAC of around .03% after polishing off that 1.5 oz  of 'yuppie' bourbon, well below the normal .08% intoxication standard. All of  which might be relevant if we showed, or even implied, he was operating a motor vehicle - which we don't. 

For the record...no bald spot (But the model's dome does resemble a wet chocolate lab)

Also,  we've never really considered our usual choice in hooch to be 'yuppie' - cost effective, pennywise, dare we say frugal... but never yuppie

And finally - Smoking and drinking doesn't actually 'get it all covered' - in retrospect we should have included live handgun rounds and loose women to the composition - then you'd have something to really be upset about. Anyways, thanks for the email Joe - it's been fun. Cheers.

The Hoenshell Shuttie

A sneak clip from the upcoming Stealth Rider show - it's worth your time to click here

The Hoenshell Shuttie - A minute to learn, a lifetime to master

Survey Says...

The results of the 2010 J.D. Powers survey are in - and Icon continues to close the gap. In fact we've closed it to within a single point of our esteemed Japanese competitors. And we're not even close to finished.  Check out the full breakdown here.

E-Dub's got a plan

Close on the heels of the AFG Moto Carbon Lifeform 1098 comes this stunning stunter. Ernie Vigil's ZX6 competition bike rendered in Carbon Lifeform livery. Stay tuned for the complete video of build.

Carbon Lifeform - so fresh, so clean, so light

Domain't

Hi icon,

My icon helmet is attached. My name is Goose and i am 20 years old. i love bikes and icon designs, i would love to be apart of the Icon design team. please email me back at this address.

Thank you for your time, Goose D.

Ummm, thanks for the design submission... I think