-- May 12th, 2025 --
Past and Present
People often ask how I got into GoPeds and designing high-performance two-stroke parts. Most are surprised to learn I’m a mechanical engineer by trade. My journey started back in 2001, when a neighbor a few doors down cruised past on his red GoPed Sport and let me take it for a spin. By then, I was already obsessed with Razor scooters—anyone who remembers the Sharper Image craze knows the thrill. But the idea of strapping an engine to a scooter? That was next-level.
In 2002, I got my hands on a BigFoot GoPed. It came pre-modified, and that was all it took to spark something deeper. I was hooked—not just on riding, but on understanding. Every part swap, every tweak led to more questions: Why did this make me faster? How did that change affect performance? I became a regular customer at places like Coast Ped and Dave’s Motors, always chasing answers and better performance. I knew early on that I didn’t just want to ride—I wanted to design. Mechanical engineering became the path to that goal.
Fast-forward ten years and you'd find me at my apartment dining table, textbooks open, binders overflowing with notes. It wasn’t until November 2014 that one of those sketches—my first pencil drawing of the billet GP460 fan cover—became a real, tangible prototype. That project became the springboard for the case reed 60, which I soon adapted to fit the GP460 cylinder. So if you’ve ever wondered about the extra clearances in the early forward- and rear-facing case reeds—that’s why. They were built around a bigger crank
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what those parts meant to the GoPed world. I knew I had made something new—something big—but there was no agenda, no get-rich plan. Still, my inbox started filling with messages from riders eager to try what I’d made. The GoPed scene had quieted down by then, kept alive mostly by die-hards who couldn’t let go of the fun, the investment, the nostalgia. But suddenly, there was reason to stay. Someone was designing parts again. The novelty had returned.
MBP was the first to bring a case reed design for the GP460 to market, and the impact was immediate. Performance surged, reliability climbed, and speed records started falling year after year. That design laid the foundation for the highest-horsepower engines we’ve seen in the hobby—and with it, I found myself no longer just a rider or engineer, but a name associated with a product line, a brand, and a community.
Through it all, I’ve stayed closest to the Coast Ped racing group, our customers, and the GoPed scene itself. I’ve never lost sight of who keeps this going. While my design instincts are rooted in engineering, the evolution of our parts has been shaped just as much by the feedback of loyal riders and the hands-on expertise of Coast Ped’s master builder. Listening—really listening—is one of the greatest strengths of our brand. You keep us in business, and I do everything I can to return the favor: delivering innovative, uncompromising parts at prices that keep the hobby alive.
Every year, I sponsor race events where I get to wrench, race, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the same people I design for. It’s not every day you can line up next to one of the main creators in your scene—and I recognize how special that can be. Believe me, the feeling is mutual. That connection matters. And as long as my business is alive, riders can count on getting the parts they love and everything they need to keep rolling.
-- May 6th, 2025 --
Introduction
I’m not a blogger, so I’m making no promises that you’ll find quality here—only authenticity. This is my space to write a journal, preserve ideas, and share perspectives about design and my engineering experience. Expect everything from technical breakdowns and design challenges to lessons learned through trial and error.
As always, I reserve the right to curate and edit this section without notice or explanation. If you’ve made it this far and want to see something explained at length—or maybe simplified—reach out using the contact form or send a direct message.
So, why this push for authenticity? In 2025, we’re seeing a surge of content generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. I’m not opposed to using these tools for framing, proofreading, or foundational work, but I currently place more value on original thought. That’s the foundation of my creative process, which I hope you’ll recognize as a recurring theme—or motif—of this blog.
GoPeds aren’t new, and neither is the two-stroke engine. New hobbyists in the GoPed and DIY motorized vehicle community—and returning veterans—often miss out on the history and are vulnerable to misinformation that can lead to poor builds, wasted money, or even safety issues. Misinformation directed toward or about a brand or person (pointing to myself) isn’t victimless either. It erodes the brand and creator’s credibility. I won’t go further, but I need you to know that as a creator in this space, it’s critical to me that the community I serve understands the effort that goes into original design and the continued growth of our hobby.
The items you see on this site weren’t created by accident. They are the products of teamwork, sleepless nights, thousands of hours of research, experimentation, application, destruction, money gained, money lost, years invested, and lessons learned.
To denounce the success of our brand as luck—or as a copy of something similar—is to deny everything I’ve written above and to dismiss our mission.
If this resonates, stick around. There’s more to come.