ICON 1000 are the guys we turn to when we need reminding that not every custom should be a 70s throwback. We’ve seen them peddle their special brand of 80s sensibilities on bikes like the Suzuki GSX-R 750 and Kawasaki GPZ900R?with spectacular results.
But Dethgrip is on another level. We can’t figure out if it’s retro or futuristic; gothic horror or sci-fi. We couldn’t even figure out the marque until we read the specs: it’s a 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan 650 S.

Yes, a Vulcan 650 S?Kawasaki’s entry-level cruiser. Popular, and reportedly fun to ride, but hardly a suitable donor for a savage dirt tracker.
But ICON’s design director Kurt Walter and his team of mad scientists saw potential. On the one hand, the Vulcan’s packing the same inline twin motor as the Versys and Ninja 650. On the other hand, this one was free.
So why a dirt tracker" As it turns out, the gang at Speed Merchant had challenged ICON to a flat track rumble. Naturally, they accepted.
Getting the Vulcan up to par would require, and I quote, ?a metric f-ton of work.? But the guys put in the hours?ripping apart and re-engineering the cruiser into a very different machine.

At the risk of stating the obvious, all the bodywork?save for the tank?is new and hand-made out of sheet metal. A significant portion of the original frame’s also gone, and there’s a Ninja 650 swing arm out back.
Then there’s the springer-style front end: an engineering pu...