Winter Projects

Winter is here. Sure you could complain about how you can't go out and blast canyons at warp speed. Or lament the lack of parking lot practice time. Or even give a foul whiskey mouthed  tirade about the dark cold rides home from the local watering hole. Or you can turn that frown upside down with the acquisition of some craigslist mechanical Prozac. You know the ones - 'Running when parked; Can't find title; Just needs carbs cleaned; Have to leave country and can't take bike'. The mere purchase of a yamahondasporty can do wonders for the spirit, while simultaneously decimating the joint checking account. Sorry honey - I know the kids wanted to go to Disneyland this winter - but daddy really needs another chop. With enough counseling the kids will understand.  

So Team Icon has shown you ours - know you show us yours. What are you working on this winter? Send us your photos and your build story - best submission will get something cool from the Icon garage. Second best submission will get a slight nod and a "That's pretty cool" verbal acknowledgement. Worst submission will get publicly ridiculed.

The Icon Garage Team intends to get it's hands bloodied within the corroded bowels of the Magnificent Bastard - she is scheduled for extensive lap-band surgery

The Icon Shitester's complete makeover into 1200cc glory has already begun - front end courtesy of Boeing

The bastards over at Quad Cam prepping for the next build - we're guessing it'll be a Sportster of some kind

Keron, the artist behind the Airframe Siren, gets ready for a winter rebuild

Icon's Anemic gets it's annual top-end rebuild

Carlos, from Detroit Brothers, cannabalizing the remains of his crashed ride

Even The Beard, Icon's in house facial haired celebrity (true story), gets into the act with his once proud CB550 stripped down to the point of crushed dreams

Team Triple

A reader 's Triumph 675 in Team Merc urban camo livery - Nice. Check out the original Team Merc Bikes here. 

The Magnificent Bastard

Straight outta Salinas comes our latest steed - a 1986 VF1000R. We've long since admitted our prediliction for all things 80's Honda. The first VFR is arguable the pinnacle of that era. Not pinnacle in that it's a great bike - it most certainly is not. In fact this particular one sat on the dealership floor until 1990. Not exactly the mark of desirability - and for good reason, it's an absolute tank. No, when we use the pinnacle label it's more in relation to style and steez. Thick & saucy, with a throaty smokers cough reverberating out the twin Yosh, it demands attention. She was built as a homologated production race bike meant to do battle in the endurance race classes. Unfortunately the Honda engineers missed a few key elements on their merry way to fatville. But twenty five years later, dressed in fine HRC race livery and hitting the scales at an impressive 600 pounds the VF has truly become a Magnificent Bastard . 

We've got big plans for the water whale. Stay tuned for her makeover into a RS850 x RS1000RW x GS1000 x MFP endurance pursuit bike. Yoshimura Tornado seat with exposed battery tray, a pair of external mount PIAA's, staggered cans, yellow plates, and maybe even rebuilt carbs. Yeah, she'll still be the fattest girl at the dance - but she's got a cute face, big chest, and she puts out. Once you reach a certain age you'll realize how desirable that combination can be. Viva la VeeFour.

Red conventionals with a drop out axle - so race

An Autumn blast through the pretty side of the Slabtown district

Spooling up Avon's always seems so classy - in a British accent kind of way

Oury's are the mandatory dress code at Club Icon 

Inspiration #1 - FWS1000/RW1000RS

Inspiration #2 - RS850R

Inspiration #3 - Sexy eyepatch 

Inspiration #4 - Staggered asymmetrical pipes

Inspiration #5 - Bol d'Or

Inspiration #6 - Bold lean angles

Inspiration #7 - Mean GS1000R

Inspiration #8 - Dual spots and twin raccoon burners

Inspiration #9 - The Bronze KZ1000

Anemic

Years in the thinking, weeks in the making - say hello to Anemic -she's a '80/'83/'85 Ironhead powered oxymoron. Don't blame the Hodaka boys for this creation - they had nothing to do with it. No, this fine bit of engineering is all Team Icon. Starting with a Craigslisted ironhead powerplant we knew that horsepower would not be her strong suit. In fact nothing says anemic like the word 'Anemic' written in tire pen on your frame. With her medieval ergonomics she's a fine steed no doubt . What's that you say? Hardtail drop seats are so fat tire. Dammit - that is time critical information - we need to get on a better tweet feed!


P.S. - Jockey shift has since been removed. We'd like to give a big ups to the  Washington State Highway Patrol for pointing out the multiple engineering flaws. We'll dedicate our next I-5 standup to you brother.


P.S.S - Do not stunt your Ironhead. Not once, not ever. The Container Yard Classic, though both highly entertaining and universally vilified, managed too take out two previously fantastic running sportys. It seems sustained RPM's and antiquated Harley engineering is not a love connection. Who knew? 

El Blanco Diablo

When El Blanco Diablo showed up on the doorstep of the Icon garage we were horrified. First off, she wasn't 'blanco' - she was actually a sickly stock black. Ducati refers to this fine shade of mica flaked obsidian as "Hipster Default Dark"...we just call it lame. There's an old adage in the Icon garage - if stock is for suckers, then stock Ducati's are for supersuckers. Being neither gentlemen nor scholars it was easy to take our liberties with the virgin S2R. Though 'no means no' in most garages, her Italian whimpering was lost on our cruel hearts and greasy hands. Slashing up the base model Ducati was very easy - for indeed, we had done far worse to much nicer. The stock silencers were immediately yarded with no intention of replacement. The incredibly awful stock suspension and brakes were eBay'd to make room for not quite as awful Supersport components. Belt covers, license plates, indicators, and any other component ripe with the stench of DOT conformity were condemned to the shite bin. Finally, like the little tease she is, we lathered her in a fine coat of white pearl and defamatory scribbles. Eventually she would be shipped back east from whence she came. With her name changed and all record of her past indiscretions buried she would make some fine young man an angelic bride. Only the Icon garage team would know her true story. And we aren't talking. 

Sunspot Baby

"She left me here stranded like a dog out in the yard, charged up a fortune on my credit card."

She sure had a real good time

Just a Pinch'll Do Ya

We like to think we are relatively familiar with the mechanical history of the 'modern' superbike. Wrong. How the hell did we not know about this beauty. The GSXR Skoal edition. Back in the day when motorsports and tobacco played well together Suzuki dropped this limited edition beauty. A slabsider in a factory green paint scheme...complete with the Skoal bandit cowboy. All topped off by a pale mint green seat - absolutely ruling. The one below is of course a 'tribute' bike in that it is a 1100 not a 750. But who cares - just sit back and marvel at this beautiful machine.

Cold Dead Fingers

What do get when you cross huge sums of horsepower with swiss watch reliability? We're not sure, but it definitely isn't Cold Dead Fingers. Fingers is more like an unholy mashup between early Lynrd Skynrd, a Taurus® Judge™ and a aluminum bass boat. You know - not that much power, not very comfortable, and of questionable practicality - but she can catch, clean & cook a mean catfish. Yeah, Fingers is a lot like that. She's powered by the high water mark of HD engineering - the 1972 Ironhead Sportster. A kick only, right hand shift, 1000cc double-lunged homage to the American dream. Equally at home on a post-war interstate or blue groove oval, she defies petty classifications. Upgraded to period correct competition standards - R6 forks, Kawi wheels, unknown rotor and the finest Kenda meats $60 will buy - she stands ready to enact the mercy rule on any would be doubters. Straight from an era defined by easy love, greasy locks, and piles of blow - you're welcome to take her for a ride if you can pry her from our Cold Dead Fingers.

Fingers in all her purple mountain majesty

Dare we say that her left side profile is the better angle?

If she ever gets lost, just place her in any mailbox and we will cover the return shipping

Still a damned fact...

Hey - Chopper Dave how about making an aircleaner that us Mikuni user can rock?

We've come a long way since making motorcycle noise while riding our Mongoose (actually we haven't)

Pirelli dreams - Kenda budget, the story of our lives

Icon <3 Ironheads

Fingers going through a racer and a greaser phase - luckily she grew out of both

Initial sharpie tank graphics and the more refined finished product