Just a bit of background. I purchased some Icon standard riding jeans last June and wore them 5-6 times before they developed a large tear on one side of the crotch. I was disappointed at the poor durability and thought...well perhaps it was something I did like snag it on something that started a small tear and didn't notice it until it was too late.
I patched the hole up as best I could and set out on a 4 day trip. By day 2 the other side did the same thing tearing a 4" hole in the other side. I wrote to Icon explaining what had happened, hoping they would offer a replacement or a discount, something since they obviously had a design flaw. Their response was basically since I had patched them myself they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I found this very odd and even sent them pictures of the tear showing that the patch on the one side had no affect on the other side tearing. Anyway long story short, I won't be buying their jeans or anything else made by Icon in the future. It wasn't a great deal of money but I feel that companies feel they can essentially treat customers like crap with no repercussions. Has anyone else had a bad or good experience with Icon?
A regular pair of jeans would have lasted much longer but I was hoping to have something that looked decent with a bit more protection. Even a pair of Dockers khakis would last better than these things did!
Here is their response to my request.
"I did get your photos the other week and do apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I forwarded your emails to the head of the warranty department and to the Design and Development staff in order to get second and third opinions concerning your jeans. Mike, the head of the warranty department, and Jason, the head of the D&D staff agreed separately but unanimously: because the jeans were mended, neither the D&D dept nor the warranty department would be able to authorize a warranty return."
I have a couple of Icon products and haven't had any problems however, I agree this is poor treatment. Now they have you on a forum read by thousands of potential customers sharing your disappointment. Not to mention that you initially repaired this yourself instead of immediatly going for the refund or replacement. Icon is a brand that engenders strong reactions, pro and con. It would be better for them to have given you a new pair, see if it happens again and figure out if this is a cronic problem. Then you would be on here saying " I had issue and they took care of me". In these troubled times it's better to take a small loss for good marketing. Of course if this is a quality issue and lots of people have the same problem they'll go broke because of their poor product and so they should.
I think I'll stay away from their jeans. Thanks for the heads up!
I use some ICON clothing for awhile now, including an older model of Anthem jeans, and even though their stuff is made in China, I always experienced good quality in their stuff and nothing has came apart on me.
The mistake here is that you attempted to fix the damage yourself instead of letting ICON see the damage first without any alterations/repairs done by yourself.
I'm sure ICON gets tons of requests from riders who messed up their ICON gear themselves and try to get ICON to exhange it for free, so maybe that is why ICON is so strict on how they give exchanges or free repairs.
Look at it this way, if you had a new car under warranty and the engine breaks down then you tear apart the engine apart yourself to try to fix it which you fail to do, then you try to take it in to the dealer to get it repaired, the manufacturer probably isn't going to honor the warranty if they see you had already attempted to take apart the engine and repair it yourself.
I guess that it wasn't clear from my original posting that the other side tore in the exact same matter so nothing I did affect the other pant leg wear it joins the seat area. So I feel that it is a design flaw that Icon could have at least show some willingness to acknowledge. It isn't a great deal of money but I am more pissed at how since I fixed the other side it some how messed up the this side. Live and learn, I have.
You could reply to Icon's last message and point them to this thread. I won't be buying any of their stuff if they're looking for ways to get out of standing behind their stuff. that's sketchy.
That is exactly what I just did.
"I find Icon's response disappointing since from my pictures it is clear that the side I patched had nothing to do with the other side of the pants doing the same thing. In any case I felt it is my duty to notify fellow riders as to Icon's policies so they can avoid some of the problems that I have experienced."
And just for added affect I posted this on advrider.com
I have the ICON leg armor and the product is pretty good, but i can see the straps aren't the best material. i'm glad to hear about the jeans having the same issue.
I have to agree, ICON could have gone both ways on this, a yes, because it was the other side and a no, because you repaired it once.
The no, IMO was the wrong way to go for a rider. cause we talk.
I'm with you, i won't be buying ICON items anymore until they square with you.
I have no use for their products generally. Most of it looks like it was designed purely to be worn "around" bikes, rather than while riding. It looks like its made for, and marketed to the local "bike night at the bar" crowd. I had a pair of their Super Duty Boots. Uncomfortable as hell for the a long time, finally broken in and the laces are on their way out. Just not great stuff, as far as motorcycle gear should be evaluated.
Much rather spend my money on the gear that seems to hold up well and is designed for actual sport riding. I think Dainese's fit and finish is my favorite, and I also like AlpineStars stuff. Better luck there for you, hopefully.
As far as riding jeans, I know they are expensive, but you might look at draggin' jeans: http://www.dragginjeans.com/ (http://www.dragginjeans.com/) or http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/ (http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/)
I have about 23 leather riding Jackets, mostly Dainese , but I do have 4 Icons, ( 1 Merc Hero and 2 Daytona Retros and a Stealth ) and I'd have to say they are very well made ( 1.2-1.3 mm thick cowhide ) and that comes from someone who has the best Dainese leather Jackets , leather pants and racing gloves as well as a Ducati Corse Racing suit and 2 Ducati Corse Jackets , and a 80s Ducati leather Jacket which are also made by Dainese.
I also wore the Icon Field Armor Knee & Shin Armor and Elbow Armor before I found Dainese . I found it to be very well made for the price and felt like the Armor would protect me in a crash.
Dolph :)
Mmmmmmm, Daineeeeeeese. If only I had $650 to spend on a coat :). I agree with ATO memphis in that the stuff looks more like it was meant for the runway, not the straight-away (you like that? I have tons of them :)) I don't watch TV much, but there was some sportbike show on speed after a WSB race that featured Icon and the designers/Icon reps sounded like a bunch of blathering idiots. Their stuff is pretty yeah, but not worth it's weight in your skin.
ive always thought that icon's styling is just over the top and just for show... Another thing i dont understand is their field armor vests..
I understand it gets hot in the summer but most people that i know of who went down with leathers had huge scuffs on their shoulders and elbows... rarely on their backs and chests. In that case, what good is a vest.
the most common places to strike are the palms of the hands and elbows. when you trip and fall, you shove your hands out to protect your head - so your hands hit, then your elbows.
I cringe whenever i see somebody riding without gloves. Sure, the cut-off fingers gloves are better than nothing, but no gloves at all is crazy - if you go down, your hands WILL hit, there's no way around it. And fabric MX gloves? As soon as they hit the asphalt, they blow out (but absorb the initial impact, so they are somewhat useful), ask me how I know. [roll].
Upper hip also gets road rash pretty frequently on riders that go down, so high wasted riding pants + the Icon Vest might protect a little there, but really I think it is safe to say it is intended to be a fashion statement. Albeit a different fashion statement than the leather jackets with embroidery and fringe, but a fashion statement nonetheless.
Save YOUR HIDE by wearing some COW HIDE !
Leather is your FRIEND ! Dolph :)
I actually laugh out lough each and every time I see someone wearing one of those Field armour vests or whatever they call 'em. Yes, you might avoid 3rd degree burns on your torso (if the guys weraing them have them zipped that is), but that just means you can concentrate that much more on taking care of the 3rd degree burns on your arms and shoulders.
check out the sporbiketrackgear.com site they have a short video from an icon rep, they basically explain their stuff, they say they are catering basically to the guys that normally wouldn't wear armor and trying to get them to wear soemthing.
they are not trying to make race gear for that matter, they have a definite niche for their clothing. it sounds honestly like they are a great 'gateway' product for people that dont' want to wear armor and clothing first and then maybe they move on.
i don't have a problem with what they do, they are catering to a certain crowd and it definitely needs to be done (better some armor than none),
honestly i would guess probably 99% of the people on this board with ducati's are not in that niche since we are always talking about bmw/dainese/ducati/astar gear all the time.
Quote from: sbrguy on June 16, 2009, 06:10:29 PM
i don't have a problem with what they do, they are catering to a certain crowd and it definitely needs to be done (better some armor than none)
Not sure if I necessarily agree with their position - a lot of people might have an illusion of safety by wearing " some " gear, when the reality is it's rarely one thing that saves you in a crash, but the net effect of wearing
everything.
Although, that mission statement sounds a lot better than "we sell largely ineffective gear to the biker night crowd with tough graphics and advertising.
bling bling, balla!" :P
Cheers,
Adam
The Vest is part of Icon's Field Armor Collection.
The Elbow and Knee and Shin Armor that I wore at one time did seem like it would be fairly effective.
Certainly seemed on par with the composite CE Armor that Dainese has under their leather Pants and Jackets.
Don't know about the Icon Vest.
I would like to find something I could wear that was not hot and uncomfortable that would protect my Ribs since I still have a broken Rib from a crash a year ago last April that will not heal due to the way it's out of alignment and can't touch each broken end.
Surgeon says it's not worth the risk for the benefit that might be accomplished.
The other 3 Ribs that were broken healed ok.
I have a Dainese Wave V Safety Jacket but it doesn't cover the Ribs very well.
Not sure if a hard protector or a soft protector would be best ?
Thought about putting those little plastic bags of air that are use in packing down in my Jacket. They would absorb the initial shock then burst.
A hard protector would I think just transfer the shock and pressure and break your Ribs. Dolph
Quote from: DoubleEagle on June 16, 2009, 08:41:13 PM
A hard protector would I think just transfer the shock and pressure and break your Ribs. Dolph
you started thinking correctly, and then veered off course. the harder protector does transfer the shock and pressure. you would be less likely to break your ribs, because it works as a disperser of the force over a much greater area. With a soft protector, a small amount is absorbed in the compression of the material, but its still transmitted directly through along its original path, not dispersed over your torso.
Quote from: ato memphis on June 16, 2009, 08:56:15 PM
you started thinking correctly, and then veered off course. the harder protector does transfer the shock and pressure. you would be less likely to break your ribs, because it works as a disperser of the force over a much greater area. With a soft protector, a small amount is absorbed in the compression of the material, but its still transmitted directly through along its original path, not dispersed over your torso.
You said it perfectly brotha!! +1
Quote from: DrDesmosedici on June 16, 2009, 07:52:22 PM
Not sure if I necessarily agree with their position - a lot of people might have an illusion of safety by wearing " some " gear, when the reality is it's rarely one thing that saves you in a crash, but the net effect of wearing everything.
Although, that mission statement sounds a lot better than "we sell largely ineffective gear to the biker night crowd with tough graphics and advertising. bling bling, balla!" :P
Cheers,
Adam
i agree that "best case" situation is all the gear all the time, but you have to face reality which is for some people for their own reasons is not an option.
i'd rather have someone with somethign on rather than nothing on. by no means is it the "best" or the "greatest option" but its a step in teh right direction.
the only good thing is that someone elses decision in this case does not affect what you wear, so that they can choose lesser options but it wont' affect your choices for gear.
you are right they dfeinitely are going for the bling factor.
although their knee armor does look interesting and i was considering that, but also considering other brands what is another brand that would fit nicely under a pair of jeans?
I have the Field Armor for the lower legs and it works fine for when I don't feel like wearing my leather pants. My only complaint is the straps could be a bit longer for the calves...
Quote from: DoubleEagle on May 09, 2009, 11:37:58 PM
I have about 23 leather riding Jackets, mostly Dainese , but I do have 4 Icons, ( 1 Merc Hero and 2 Daytona Retros and a Stealth ) and I'd have to say they are very well made ( 1.2-1.3 mm thick cowhide ) and that comes from someone who has the best Dainese leather Jackets , leather pants and racing gloves as well as a Ducati Corse Racing suit and 2 Ducati Corse Jackets , and a 80s Ducati leather Jacket which are also made by Dainese.
I also wore the Icon Field Armor Knee & Shin Armor and Elbow Armor before I found Dainese . I found it to be very well made for the price and felt like the Armor would protect me in a crash.
Dolph :)
do you where a different jacket for each day of the month...you're like a girl with shoes [laugh] [laugh] I can say that I'm a girl...although I would love to have 23 different riding jackets, then 23 diff helmets to match... ;D
I'm surprised by ICON...but as someone else posted you voided the warranty by fixing..although it would have been good customer relations to at least offer you a new pair at a discounted price or something...I don't buy ICON, especially their helmets...they might look nice, but they are cheap...meaning they don't hold up well, the vents fall off this happened to a friends helmet. I'll only trust my head to the professionals...don't see any racers wearing ICON helmets :)
Quote from: Qwack on June 18, 2009, 09:53:45 PM
do you where a different jacket for each day of the month...you're like a girl with shoes [laugh] [laugh] I can say that I'm a girl...although I would love to have 23 different riding jackets, then 23 diff helmets to match... ;D
I'm surprised by ICON...but as someone else posted you voided the warranty by fixing..although it would have been good customer relations to at least offer you a new pair at a discounted price or something...I don't buy ICON, especially their helmets...they might look nice, but they are cheap...meaning they don't hold up well, the vents fall off this happened to a friends helmet. I'll only trust my head to the professionals...don't see any racers wearing ICON helmets :)
Dolph is famous on this board for his gear collection and cleaning habits.
I have to disagree with you on the Icon helmets. My mainframe had no problems for the two years I had it, then saved my head last month. They may be heavy, but they're not cheap crap.
when i bought my icon recon riding jeans, i bought them cause of the price, at the time, they were the least expensive. now, after reading this, i'll go somewhere else to get my gear...
Quote from: Bun-bun on June 19, 2009, 09:31:22 AM
I have to disagree with you on the Icon helmets. My mainframe had no problems for the two years I had it, then saved my head last month. They may be heavy, but they're not cheap crap.
+1 I have the Domain helmet (the notorious vent buster in question, I believe). I've dropped it twice and nothing's come off. If and when I drop it with my head in it I'll update on it's true quality. Seriously, not the best stuff, not the worst either. Still should have replaced the jeans, bad p.r.
It requires mentioning, again, that a "cheap" helmet is only less expensive because the kind of ventilation and the weight, it has little or nothing to do with protection.
The magazines have fully debunked this, and if its SNELL / DOT / etc rated, your melon is "safe"...well...perhaps as safe as it could be.
Icon sucks. It's for Timberland and T shirt crews that go back and forth on the highway. Save up for some Astars or even better Dianese. I just started wearing a Revit Jacket and it's great. The arms are long but I had a leather tailor shorten them to fit me perfectly.
just my 2 cents...
Just because they cater to a different demographic doesn't mean they don't make quality gear. I have heard many good things about the Motorhead jackets. I was wearing a SuperDuty jacket when I got hit my a semi and had no upper body injuries...
Quote from: NAKID on June 26, 2009, 12:46:51 PM
... when I got hit my a semi and had no upper body injuries...
HOLY CRAP!!! glad you're alive to tell the tale !!!
Yeah, coming up on 3 years ago. Tore up my left leg bad though...
Quote from: NAKID on June 27, 2009, 07:59:04 PM
Yeah, coming up on 3 years ago. Tore up my left leg bad though...
Please...
no more pics. ;D
Oh come on..... It looks decent now...
Well that sucks. My only Icon gear is a pair of gloves which have held up very well. I've looked at some of their jeans but they seem to feel the need to advertise heavily on the right rear pocket which I think looks a bit (a lot) silly.
FYI - I went with a pair of Shift Torque jeans instead and I have had no issues. They are pretty heavy and I really can't imagine them ripping without a lot of help from me. (and they're pretty inexpensive)
As stated before, I am an Icon user, and i really like their gear. The pricepoint is really good, and the stuff seems rather sturdy, and i would have say provides a good amount of protection for street gear...
I have had a great experience with my Accelerant Perf jacket...
That being said, i recently bought a "Hooligan 54" Mesh Ladies Jacket as a gift for my girlfriend. It's a cool jacket, she likes the sparkly stars on the sleeves... a lot...
unfortunately, the manufacturing has proven to be a little shoddy on it in comparison to my (older) jacket. The stitching holding the zipper in on the right pocket came out at the bottom, and the zipper closure slid right off one day when she opened the pocket. not good.
She also recently purchased a pair of newer model Icon gloves to match her jacket and helmet (both gifts from me... it's nice having a common hobbie) that have had a finger start to open up at the tip already...
disappointing...
it seems like their standards have dropped recently..
the jacket is being replaced by cycle gear, hopefully it was just a fluke.
she loves the jacket, so were hoping for the best.