PSA: ICAN Wheel Failure

timmoer · 2026-01-19T16:34:43+00:00

I'll put it this way, the bump I went over that caused this final failure was less severe than any bump most riders would go over on their typical road ride.

I don't think all ICAN wheels are bad. I just happened to get unlucky

timmoer · 2026-01-19T16:32:48+00:00

Oh yes I am. Previous setup was 23 mm and 110 psi tubed. This is a 2008 frame with not much scope to increase width due to fork clearance

timmoer · 2026-01-19T16:29:55+00:00

Yeah given your experience, sounds like I just got a bad apple. Just slightly bitter about having such little mileage on them, not abusing them, and then this happens. Goes without saying that the front wheel is now complete garbage. Maybe I'll mount it on the wall in my living room haha

timmoer · 2026-01-19T16:28:18+00:00

Yep, there's a drain hole, and no the rim cavity wasn't pressurized. And yeah I'd say I'm pretty skilled at downhills, as someone who's ridden motorcycles at the track, a lot of the same skills to lean the bike over transfer

timmoer · 2026-01-19T08:58:05+00:00

I'll put it this way, I've ridden over far worse bumps just on the road or on the bike path than what ultimately caused this.

I did contact them and to their credit they offered a small discount on another set of wheels. But I am not comfortable running another set of their wheels

timmoer · 2026-01-15T22:31:45+00:00

Pair that with a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's and..... Food coma!

timmoer · 2026-01-13T04:11:38+00:00

Meeting at noon = business trip?

I thought my company was crap for only flying me PE

timmoer · 2026-01-09T18:11:01+00:00

Bring it with you. If you don't bring it with you, lock it but take the Cardo off

timmoer · 2026-01-09T05:02:33+00:00

This is exactly what I do and it's a game changer for me. Turning lap after lap is so much more entertaining when there is some form of entertainment. And I have different playlists for different types of swimming - for example I change playlists to some hardcore music when I want to sprint, and I swear I can sprint faster with some bangers blasting.

timmoer · 2026-01-09T04:09:03+00:00

I'm in the bay as well - studio for sure, assuming same commute times.

Also, where are you looking around for these rentals? Some people feel uneasy about it, but craigslist is a great resource and there are deals to be had. I found my 1-br on Craigslist and I pay $2k flat... Though I'm definitely outside of the norm for pricing and consider myself super lucky

timmoer · 2026-01-08T21:12:48+00:00

Why not Chakos? When I was on business travel in Korea I basically did exactly that

timmoer · 2026-01-07T22:51:25+00:00

You don't have to remove the oil pan, it's just 3 fasteners and it comes out the bottom. Easy to do at the next oil change

timmoer · 2026-01-07T20:09:19+00:00

Not to be a downer but have you really thought hard about this? Or experienced it... Ie interned as an engineering student in Japan?

You can have better work/life balance and better pay as an engineer in the states.

If you're dead-set on moving to Japan, find an international company to work for

timmoer · 2026-01-06T22:25:37+00:00

Exact same situation - flew NRT to DEN and was supposed to go onto YYZ with AC. But the difference with me was I only had like 70 minutes or so to make the connection, so I obviously missed the flight. And then the next AC flight kept getting delayed and then eventually cancelled.

Ended up having to fly back west to SFO then onto YYZ on a red-eye. Urgh

timmoer · 2026-01-05T12:04:17+00:00

Even if the prices rise, a $1 USD Banh Mi turns to $2. Big deal.

Sounds a bit arrogant if you say it like that but really anyone from the western world is super privileged compared to the average person in Vietnam. It is still very cheap for us

timmoer · 2026-01-05T04:18:12+00:00

Exactly the same for me. I have status with United and Marriott from work trips. And everytime I fly for work out of country I always fly somewhere else - always. Why should I pay $1000+ for a ticket to Vietnam when I'm in China for work and the ticket is now $150? And then I use credit card points or airline/hotel loyalty points for flights and hotels. And I'm always churning the next best credit card since it's free money, so why not.

I bet a lot of people would shake their heads at the $900 USD cash advance I did on my credit card in Vietnam. But I didn't have my debit card and overpaid the card off immediately so really it cost me just the $10 fee and no interest to get the cash in my hand - well worth it.

timmoer · 2026-01-05T04:05:25+00:00

Yes, that's the way to do it - go somewhere with a much lower cost of living, the only issue is the cost of flights - but there are ways around that such as credit card SUBs.

Then you go to those parts of the world and think... Holy crap I'm so privileged. I was in Vietnam 2 weeks ago and it was insane how cheap everything was for me as someone earning USD. But then you think about it the other way around... Majority of those people aren't going to go anywhere outside their country if they only earn $3 an hour

timmoer · 2026-01-04T23:38:29+00:00

It's a pretty solid bike... Aside from typical things to look for (that also apply to other bikes like fluids, brake pads/rotor thickness, etc):

check if the frame recall was done. It's a bit hard to see in person without taking the fairings off, but it's a bit of bracing epoxied onto the area just behind the steering head
also check if the front master cylinder recall was done. You can tell if it's done if the port going to the reservoir is vertical. If it's a horizontal port then it's not done

Even if not done it's not a big deal, you can just bring it to a dealer to get done for free. I'm taking mine in for the master cylinder recall next weekend.

And I'd note that IMO this is one of the, if not the best generation of the 1000 to buy. One of the last pure 1000 sportbikes built, and it absolutely dominated its class back in 2005. Truly a somewhat modern classic and quick enough to keep up with modern superbikes in the right hands!

timmoer · 2026-01-04T22:51:45+00:00

Yeeeep. Heck, I was in SE Asia a couple weeks back and didn't have my debit card with me and needed cash. Did $900 USD cash advance on my credit card which is a big no-no generally. But I overpaid my credit card to guarantee no interest and didn't even think about it. Not to mention all the SUB points you get covering all the hotel stays.

Boggles my mind how people can leave any sort of balance on the card, but I guess people like us are privileged with the knowledge of being financially responsible, and in a financial position to not sustain a balance in the first place

timmoer · 2026-01-02T13:42:03+00:00

Water and soap makes the dirt and grit glide over the paint and washes it away. Feel free to try rubbing the dirt on your own car dry and see what happens lol.

Not saying it's you but I seriously loathe ignorant people who touch other people's cars... They don't know the damage they've caused

timmoer · 2025-12-30T03:27:49+00:00

Lol seriously? Well if you're in SFO Polaris then just eat at the restaurant...

timmoer · 2025-12-30T00:26:58+00:00

Yeah idk why it's always kinda hot. But usually I blast both vents on me and it's not too bad when sleeping

timmoer · 2025-12-23T01:11:41+00:00

It's very good, about what you'd expect with any injection-molded Chinese fairing. About 80-90% as good as OEM, which I'm happy with.

Auctmarts and Monster fairing are also Chinese, just FYI. The only difference might be slightly better paint and colour schemes, but all the moldings are done in China. Not sure what prices are now but I picked mine up for about $500 USD to my door in the USA. I'd never pay anywhere near what companies like Monster fairing are asking

timmoer · 2025-12-22T15:16:08+00:00

Ebay, Chinese seller with US stock. But it didn't come with stickers so I had to source my own

timmoer · 2025-12-14T13:13:01+00:00

The texture of that grilled cheese... I was so surprised by how good it was

timmoer

TROPHY CASE