Get to Know a Chap Moto Employee: Sergio Sergio has been working at Chaparral Motorsports for more than five years. He first started out in our helmet department then worked in street accessories and now can be found in the middle of the store working as a customer service associate helping patrons find the perfect pair of sunglasses, t-shirt, motorcycle jacket, and just about anything in between. It may seem like Sergio got somewhat of a late start to motorcycle riding when compared to some of our other employees, he started riding at the age of 23, however, these days he’s definitely making up for lost saddle time aboard his 2014 Yamaha Star Bolt. Like most of us, Sergio’s first experience on a motorcycle was aboard dirt bike. The bike he learned to ride on was actually older than him by six years; it was a 1979 Yamaha YZ 125. And while it might have been a bit amusing to see his 6-foot-frame bouncing through the sandy washes and scrub brush of the Stoddard Valley OHV Area on the 125, it didn’t take long before Sergio has a strong command of the machine and was blasting it around like it was old habit. That first experience on the 125 lit a fire deep inside Sergio and from that point on he was determined to get a motorcycle of his own. However, instead of a dirt bike he wanted something he could take to the streets so he could ride on a near daily basis. Working at Chaparral afforded Sergio the opportunity to regularly check out the newest cruisers and street bikes and after sitting on just about every one of them he concluded he really liked Yamaha’s line of motorcycles—especially the Stratoliner Deluxe. “As soon as I sat on a 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe I knew I’d eventually own one,” Sergio commented. “It fit me perfectly. I just melted into the seat and the suspension felt super plush. It was like I was sitting in an old school Cadillac. I immediately fell in love with everything about that bike. It’s got the right amount of chrome mixed with classic art deco styling. What I really like about that bike is the classic cone-shape taillights; and even though it’s a big touring bike, the 1854cc V-twin engine has plenty of power to snap your neck back when you hammer the throttle and drop the clutch.” Knowing that it would be quite a jump to go from a 125cc, late-‘70s era dirt bike to a 800-pound tourer capable of putting out 90-plus horsepower and 117-foot-pounds of torque, Sergio decided he should put the Stratoliner plans on hold and go for something a little lighter and more compact. Fascinated by the retro styling of bobbers Sergio started eyeballing Harley’s line of Sportsters and then the Star Bolt came out and it was all over. He fell in love with the pared-down, no-nonsense look of the Bolt and knew it was the perfect bike for him. Within a few months of getting his Bolt Sergio began customizing it to make it his own and give it more of a classic look. So far he’s added leather saddlebags, a fork bag, and a sissybar bag that’s custom mounted to the left side of his bike thanks to his uncle’s fabrication skills. He’s also moved the front turn signals from the handlebars down to the fender and swapped out the big and bulky stock mirrors for a pair of low-profile mirrors for a stealthier look. While Sergio still has some mods he wants to do to the Bolt, like add a set of mini apes and customize a Cherry Bomb muffler so it will fit his exhaust, he’s been logging as many miles as he can on his modern bobber. His favorite place to ride is around the San Jacinto Mountains through Idyllwild and occasionally stops in at the Shields Date Farm in Indio for a soothing Date Shake. Now that he’s got some luggage and can take longer trips, Sergio has been thinking about riding out to Las Vegas to hit up Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire State Park. The Stratoliner hasn’t slipped out of his sight however; once he gets his dream bike he plans on taking the ultimate road trip and riding from SoCal to Maine. The desire to make the voyage to the east coast becomes clearer when you learn that Sergio is currently influenced by a quote from revered east coast author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 18:07:25 +0000
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