Weld Racing "ICON"

The Call from Weld Racing

In 2002, Doug Keim received a call that most custom builders would consider a career milestone on its own. Weld Racing — already a dominant force in the automotive and motorsports wheel world — was ready to make their move into the motorcycle market. They had the wheels. They had the brand. What they needed was the right builder to introduce them to the motorcycle world in a way that would make an immediate and lasting statement.

They called Doug Keim.

What Weld Wanted

The brief was clear: something super clean. Something timeless. A bike that would serve as the flagship for an entirely new product line — Weld's new "Evo" brand motorcycle wheels — and anchor the first entry in what Weld planned to call the Master Bike Builders Series. This wasn't just a build. It was the opening statement of a series that would go on to feature some of the most respected names in the custom motorcycle industry.

Doug put his thinking cap on.

The Build

The foundation of the ICON is a DKCC ICON rolling chassis — the same limited hand-crafted frame package that Creative Cycles had introduced just two years earlier. Paired with a DKCC fuel tank and rear fender, the proportions were set from the ground up to be exactly right. A set of DKCC Checkmate Exhaust Pipes — one of Creative Cycles' own original designs — completed the mechanical picture.

But the details are where the ICON truly earns its name.

The front fork brace and front fender were fabricated from heavy-gauge steel — not sourced, not adapted, but made. The ignition coils were hidden inside a flush-mounted box on the underside of the fuel tank, keeping the top of the engine clean and uncluttered. The upper engine mount was hollow, with the spark plug wires routed through its interior — invisible from the outside, a detail most people would never notice and Doug would never skip. Billet components throughout. Neat little tricks everywhere you look — and plenty more that you won't find unless you know where to look.

The ICON was topped off with a stunning blue paint scheme featuring multiple blue flames, with Weld's "Evo" brand name wheel logo woven into the design. Clean. Timeless. Exactly what was asked for.

The Debut

In the spring of 2003, the Weld Racing ICON rolled out of the Creative Cycles shop and onto the Weld Racing display trailer at Daytona Beach Bike Week — one of the largest and most watched motorcycle events in the world. The reaction was immediate. The bike drew exactly the kind of attention Weld Racing had hoped for, and the Master Bike Builders Series was officially underway.

Following the ICON's debut, three other builders were brought into the series: Kendall Johnson, Eddie Trotta, and Vince Doll. Each added their own bike to the Weld collection. But the ICON came first — and it set the bar.

The Legacy

The Weld Racing ICON is a testament to what happens when a world-class brand trusts a world-class builder. It introduced Weld Racing to an entirely new market. It launched a series that featured four of the most respected builders in the country. And it did it the Creative Cycles way — with hand-crafted parts, original thinking, and a level of detail that rewards anyone who takes the time to look closely.