Busted and Broken - ZX6 vs Rocks

Our first Busted and Broken video comes from Sportbikeclub.com. It illustrates just how quickly a casual canyon blast can turn into a helicopter ride to county general. Wear your gear!

If anyone knows who this rider is tell him to drop us a line.

Class 3 Kawi

Kawi owners can be a bit, umm...different. So when we came across this photo we were neither shocked, nor horrified, or even slightly surprised. Replacing the mirrors with a tactical Benelli shotgun and a Class 3 HK can prove extremely useful for the morning US26 commute. Kawi guys - nothing if not resourceful.

Hey Ken, are those turn signals DOT approved? Your gonna get so busted

Speedmetal

OK, no foolin' this time - it's officially in stock. I know you're getting tired of us Lucy'ing the football away from your Charlie Brown foot. Yes, we should kick our own asses for this screw up. And yes, it's been a busy week at the warehouse filling all the empty racks were we used to have product in stock. But we swear, all that nonsense is fixed now and we've got the goods. In this case the goods are the Alliance Speedmetal helmet - of which I might say puts the good in goods. The odd thing is that, though Speedmetal replaces the hella popular Alliance SSR Speedfreak,  it's actually a completely different lid. Reshaped headform for a better fit, reworked vents for more...venting, better chin vent, proshield with sideplates - the list of new features just keeps going on. It's also a few bucks more than the old helmet but it's seriously worth the extra couple of dollars. So you can officially stop cursing our forecasting and logistic staff for this whole 'out of inventory' fiasco and relish in the glory of new helmetness. But hurry, because I think we're gonna run out of this delivery pretty soon as well. And you'll be left with a Speedmetalless head and a mouth full of curses.

The new Alliance Speedfreak forehead view - Likey? Click here for more info

Zen of Neato

Another blog followed the the Icon office - Zen of Neato. Weird name, cool posts. Always lots of SE Michigan flavor going down on this blog. Of course being an Ann Arbor native myself I'm a bit biased, but Great Lakes partisanship aside, the ZON always delivers a great variety of posts. Basically a running photo documentary of the motocentric lifestyle with a  midwest sauce. Add it to your list of required reading.

Mods VS. Rocker - hmmm...I could go either way 

A table of adolescent dreams - remember when you got your first BMX?

Some Icon representation in the D

Variant at Speed

Pipeburn

Do you like Cafe Racers? No, not the funny dudes in tight jeans, white scarves, and small helmets - we're talking about the bikes themselves. The origin of streetfighters and, dare we say it, stunting. Think about it - the cafe racer scene was defined by stripped down 'goal' oriented motorcycles performing 'hooligan' acts on public motorways. Sound familiar? 


One of our favorite blogs on the subject is called Pipeburn. With both great photos and writeups you'll be able to while away vast sums of your company's time. Think of it as an investment in your future. Well worth the hyperjump.

Have you chopped a Yamaha today?

Hoorah!

The Contra jacket is back in stock! All colors, all sizes. If you've been searching for this jacket only to be told it was sold out, we apologize. We went through our entire six month supply in two months - leaving our warehouse empty. But that's all fixed now. So, if you're in the market for a new jacket - you'll not find a better sport textile than the Contra.  Of course we designed and built it, so naturally we're a bit biased. But seriously - this jacket kicks the jacket piss out of every other jacket ever. Whether it's a stand-up match or ground & pound the Contra never taps.

Sidearm

When it comes to design, things don't always work out as planned. Time is expended, concepts discarded & designs scrapped. That's the reality of the creative process. Such was the case with the 'Sidearm' shield holster. The original concept would allow a rider to carry an extra shield should they get caught out after dark. Obviously this concept proved to be a bit of an overkill, but going through the mental design exercise was fun none the less.

The ill-fated shield satchel - forever relegated to it's sketchbook prison - and that's probably a good thing

Bastard Bash

If you haven't figured out that the Icon Garage Team's loves the venerable Sportster - than you haven't been paying attention. Hella durable, mechanically simple, awesome sound, relatively cheap, & full of American soul. The Icon recipe for cool Sportstering is quite simple;

1. Pick one up for cheap from your local tweeker (no teeth, no title, no keys, no problem)

2. Shitcan every last bit of HD billet chrome garbage attached to it (and there will be plenty)

3. Spend countless hours on Ebay finding late model Japanese sportbike componentry (we prefer R6 and ZX parts)

4. Find someone with a metal lathe and befriend them with room temperature PBR (or two hundred rounds of .223 reloads)

5. Get a really nice DeWalt angle grinder, oxy-acetylene torch, and a second hand mig welder (otherwise known as life skills)

6. Commence chopping that fuking Sportster to within an inch of it's life (you'll know when you've gone to far)

7a. If it turns out cool - Contact the Bastards at Quad Cam for an invite to Deals Gap for the third annual Bastard Bash rally
7b. If it turns out uglier than homemade sin - part it out on Ebay and speak of this sad episode no more

Though we don't approve of riding without protective gear we do approve of flogging your Sportster at all times. A flogged Sportster is a happy Sportster. 

2010 XDL Championship Series Round 4 - Los Angeles

This past weekend was round four of the 2010 XDL Freestyle Sportbike Series. Held in Los Angeles, the event was rife with the most talented riders in the stunting community. Coming out on top was Icon's very own Nick Apex! Nick took 1st place in individual freestyle and 2nd place in Freestyle Burnout.

Nick showing LA his size tens

Ernie Vigil getting his lean on

Shin Kinoshita doing the ol' no hand no feet trick - BTW Shin is actually a certified Ninja

Nick's winning XDL run

Alliance Speedmetal

It was once said that slow is good - but we all know fast is better. And so it is with the Speedmetal. The next generation of full coverage tonality from the Icon mind. A deviant interpretation of life beyond societies norm. Indeed...fast is always better.

A fresh shipment just hit the warehouse - bug your dealer this coming Saturday to order you one - but act quick because supply is a bit limited

Corvette Summer

In honor of the first day of summer, I thought I post up some photos of my crushed dream. For many years I have yearned to have a Corvette summer. Every year blooms with T-Topped spring hopes but inevitably ends in the crushing reality of a Stingrayless autumn. I firmly believe everyone deserves at least one Corvette summer. The world would be a much cooler place. Alas, maybe 2011 will be my year. 

Most think it's hideous - me, I love it more than grape kool-aid

A flame job only a mother could love

Getting her waxed up for a night of curb cruising

Left hand drive, a young Annie Potts, and me photochopped in behind the wheel - probably the closest I'll ever get to my Corvette summer

The remnants of my dream - anybody want to buy a ratty corvette hood?

Observing the Sabbath at the Icon Garage

The Icon Garage Team holding church on a rare sunny Sunday.

All denominations are welcome at our sacrament (except of course for you BMW)