Like many small business owners, Adrian Ciomo founded Ride Engineering in September 2001 so his schooling and experience would work for him rather than for someone else. A mechanical engineer (hence the business name) with a passion for motorcycles and off-roading, Ciomo set out to manufacture products that not only made the bike look good but enhanced the performance of the machine.
An avid motocross rider, Ciomo routinely tests products himself and combines feedback from professional racers with his academic background to make high quality products at a reasonable price. He readily admits his products won't be the cheapest (on price) but they certainly won't be the cheapest (in quality).
Ride Engineering utilizes a crack team of five to design, manufacture and market products for dirt bikes and sportbikes in their Costa Mesa, CA headquarters. All products are made in the United States at three nearby machine shops.
Business name: Ride Engineering
Year Founded: 2001
Who Founded: Adrian Ciomo
Where headquartered: Costa Mesa, CA
Website: Ride-engineering.com
Contact email: info@ride-engineering.com
Ride Engineering Quality Parts
1. You had a successful career working for Yamaha why did you start your own company?
I started my own business because I wasn't good at the politics involved working for a large corporation like Yamaha. I knew I could go a lot further on my own if I didn't have to answer to all department heads that a big corporation has. I was lucky to learn everything I did about the motorcycle industry in the four or so years I worked for them, otherwise I would never have been able to start Ride Engineering.
2. Why did you think Ride Engineering would be successful?
I really didn't know I could do this, I just loved working in this industry so much that I put in 12 hour days to try and succeed. In a way I got lucky that the industry was booming back then, so you can say my timing was right.
3. What makes your products different from the number of other after-market parts available?
I am an engineer and very detail oriented and I am an ex-racer and a big fan of motocross. I also try to stay in touch with the industry through the media and professional race teams.
As a result I try to offer products that are very much like factory parts with sleek designs, low weight, and that perform well. We keep our runs small and everything is made locally in Southern California. This allows me to work closely with our three local machine shops to keep the quality high. I don't want to sell products that look mass produced, cast, or made in China. I want the professional racers that we support to feel the parts we make are every bit as good as the factory stuff and I want the average consumer to be able to buy that same part for a reasonable price.
For example a Pro Circuit Triple Clamp set with bar mounts sells for $699; Ride Eng.: $599; and Applied: $490. We are in the middle on price but we have better quality and performance over the more expensive brands.
4. Explain your slogan "race quality accessories..."
Whether a customer is interested in a $500 set of triple clamps or a $32 pair of wheel spacers, he should be rest assured our product will out-perform stock and often our competition in some way.
For example our triple clamps can improve the way the motorcycle handles, be lighter in weight, flex with the suspension and absorb vibration. Our wheel spacers lock into the seals making them hard to lose when installing your wheels back onto the motorcycle or transporting them in your truck.
Ride Engineering Front Wheel Spacers
5. Do you have a signature product?
Lately we have been focusing in areas that can improve the handling and stopping power of motocross and off-road bikes. I mentioned our clamps improve handling. This is achieved by offering them in several different offsets that can quicken or slow down the steering. Different offsets can also increase or decrease the amount of pressure applied through the tire's contact patch.
We also make longer linkage arms that can improve handling by taking some of the wallow out of the rear suspension. The initial part of the stroke is stiffer so the bike takes less effort to lean and steer into a corner.
In the brake category we have offered braided steel brake lines for years. Recently we have added a bigger front brake caliper and oversized rotor kits to our line. Both provide more braking power but with a very modulated feel. Again, we are trying to provide braking performance to match any factory teams'.
6. In your work have you found any similarities between dirt bikes and sportbikes or are the two vastly different machines?
No these two categories are vastly different. We initially made some street bike axle blocks but found they didn't sell. Removing the axle for a street rider is a "big" mechanical job, whereas an off-road guy finds this among the most basic of tasks.
We still make and offer fender eliminator kits for some of the more popular Japanese sport bikes like the GSXRs and the ZX models. Our kits are high quality, inexpensive and retain some of the factory look to keep riders from getting fined, but this side of our business is dwarfed by our Off-road side.
7. Are you working on anything groundbreaking or new to your company you can share with us?
We are always working on something new, not sure if I'd call it ground breaking. We have a new axle block kit for KTMs. I realize this doesn't sound new, but I found on the KTMs it is very difficult to align the chain by sight, something we have done for years with the Japanese models.
To compound the problem, KTM presses the left axle block onto the axle. So what we have done is design a set of blocks with a tab on the end that has markings that can be measured off the end of the swingarm. To address the issue of the OEM press fit, we are using a CRf450 axle instead. Now both blocks simply slip onto the axle. The whole kit sells for $99.95.
8. You've been in business now for more than 12 years where do you see the company in the next five or 10 years?
Not sure, we try to keep adapting to public demand for aftermarket parts or offer a product when we identify a need. We are also trying to build our reputation in advising riders what modifications (not just from Ride Engineering) will provide them with the most enjoyment and performance from their motorcycles. This KTM450 video is one example of this.
On our website we have other videos for the CRF450, RMZ450, KX450F & KTM350. We will try to keep doing this as we move forward adding different models in the years to come.
