Icon Empire XDL Kawasaki

I’ve often wondered what goes into the making of a stunt bike. So I got Ernie Vigil, rider with the Icon Empire team, to spill the beans. Vigil’s passion is XDL Sportbike Freestyle, which is the national stunt riding competition in the US. XDL stands for “Extreme Drifting League” and the bikes are modified to increase maneuverability and control. In 2010, Ernie got himself a new mount—nicknamed ‘Carbon Lifeform’—and it seemed better than his previous rides. “It had bigger gearing, fatter chain pitch, and nice paint with tons of clear. All the goodies, but it was too good to be...