Icon 1000 Navigator Portfolio Review
When it comes to getting—and keeping—our stuff together, we all could use a little help. It doesn’t hurt if that help comes in the form of something with a little class and durability as well as adequate space for a variety of items such small tools, documents, small batteries, SD cards, or whatever.
Icon has taken the run-of-the-mill nylon motorcycle catch-all idea up a few notches with the Icon 1000 Navigator Portfolio. We had the opportunity to give it a look through the courtesy of Burn Out Italy.
The Navigator is fabricated out of oiled Nissan leather and heavy olive-colored canvas with metal strap hardware, badging and utility D-rings.
The Navigator is sized so that it can easily slip into your luggage, backpack or saddlebags, measuring 21.5cm (8.5”) x 15cm (5.9”) closed. Yet, it opens to 44cm (17.3”) x 15cm (5.9”) and has 11 interior pockets, an interior utility strap, and a large exterior pocket under the leather front facepiece. Loaded with the items shown in our example, the Navigator folds up to only about 5 cm (2”) in thickness; of course, your final dimensions may vary.
Think of the Navigator as a giant wallet; it can be used to organize a lot of things, but it is not spec’d out to be either waterproof nor road dust resistant. That said, the leather is real, the canvas is genuine heavy duty fabric, the stitching is doubled up in key wear areas and the thing looks built to last.
We put the Navigator to use as the organizer of small travel items commonly carried along in the saddlebags of my Triumph. In use, the inward-facing cargo pockets and snug closure the exterior straps keeps all the contents in place. We haven’t had the Navigator in use long enough or put on enough miles with it in the saddlebag to be much of a test for the materials it is made of, but we’ll keep you posted on how it holds up. Rattling around in the bottom of a saddlebag can age even the stoutest materials. Or, you may want to give it a try yourself. Pricing is per EU and non-EU destinations—see the product listing on the Burn Out Italy website for latest pricing data.
For more information on it, check out Burn Out Italy Motorcycle Luggage or Burn Out Italy Icon.
This is a prestige item, truly old-world craftsmanship. It’s the kind of item that has you praying someone will need assistance so you can produce this lovely, hand-made tool wrap, and spend 30 minutes discussing its merits. I will say that the plastic bags that come with Japanese bikes seem to work pretty well.
I pay close attention to my expenditures. I look for value. I would never own a bike or ride it enough to be concerned as to whether the tool wrap would be an heirloom for my family; that money can stay where it can earn interest, or be better spent on, say, a new X-Fourteen. But if the feel of quality leather in one’s hands adds to the experience of riding – in some tactile, esoteric way – I can see wanting one of these.
I bought this tool bag years ago, just because it was a beautiful piece. Reminded me of a fine saddle. Hardly ever used it.