Extreme Mods
Dec 5th, 2008 by Leo
Okay this is just silly, but imagine getting pulled over on one of these. You think a sidemounted license plate is hard to explain to the cops, imagine trying to explain the gatling gun mounted on the nose! This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen, and yet…there’s a part of me that wants one. This is the Icon Warthog…you can see this and their other creations on the Ride Icon site here. The Warthog has an 800 watt stereo so you can play mp3s of jet sounds while you ride.
Here’s a question: Our bikes often say something about who we are. What does your bike say about you? And/or…what would it say about you if your bike looked like the Warhog above?
To the question… I think that the bike is cool if I look at it as a 7 year old. My childish side is attracted to it but my grown up side is wondering who would want something like that. Sorta like those frosted mini-wheat commercials. These are the same feelings I have then I see a lot of Icon’s gear.
I always wonder why companies have a hard time putting out plain gear. All one color, no huge logos, all the tech and functionality you need in your gear. I have a hard time finding gear (motorcycle, snowboarding… shit even t-shirts) that I don’t feel silly about buying.
I ride a black on black Speed Triple. This is sometimes considered a “hooligan’s” bike, but I like to think that it says I like stripped down, not fancy, fly under the radar, not vain, no nonsense, performs well gear. I could be wrong
I am going to ask a more broadly based question about design sense in general. It seems that a lot of companies push things that I thought were cool when I was 7 but now that I am 31 I think are just straight up cheesy. Does anyone else see things and say “that is probably the stupidest thing I have ever seen, why would anyone want a vaguely menacing clown on the back of their car”
(http://www.buymotorcyclehelmets.com/Evil+Clown+Sticker+Motorcycle+Graphic+Decals~~329.html)
So hey, silly question:
Where’s the headlight?
What my black Honda 599 says about me:
Practical and pseudo-sporty rider who isn’t interested in sport bikes but is equally indifferent towards cruisers. A sprinkling of carbon aftermarket bits and a louder than stock slip-on mean I’m interested in bringing some attention to an otherwise ignorable bike in the N. American landscape of motorcycling. In the end, it’s only the owner who’s impressed. And actually, that’s quite alright.
What my black Vespa GTS 250 says about me:
To some I’m smartly practical, others I’m deeply committed to a Euro-centric sense of style, and still to others I must be homosexual. Personally, I don’t give a flying f**k what anyone thinks because I think it’s just a damn beautiful and fun bike.
What that WarHog would say about me if it were my bike:
I’m a 7 year-old trapped in a 20 or 30-something body, wear my sunglasses indoors, believe a can of Red Bull and Lucky Charms is a balanced breakfast, think Kim Kardashian is the ideal mate, use the word “like” far too often in sentences and am two missed rent payments away from moving back in with my parents or have never left the nest to begin with; in which case, the WarHog is parked next to my mom’s Volvo in the garage.
This, if you don’t already know, is not a good thing.
Good question about the headlights… This certainly ain’t a track bike. I think the headlights might shine through the decals… if so, that’s kind of neat.
Yes – I’d be the coolest kid in the 3rd grade with this bike.