May 3, 2021
Michael Torres started CyclusMoto from his lifelong passion for all things motorcycles.
"Simply put, there are few things I find more enjoyable in life than riding a motorcycle, alone, down a winding road where I can really lean into the road," says Torres.
The love affair started early for Michael, "from the moment I threw my leg over that Honda XR75 at eight years old I fell in love with riding." Since then, it was the cumulative experience of riding that kept him wanting more: the rush on the senses, the sound of the motor, the smell of the exhaust, the feel of the motorcycle beneath oneself, and the sight of the landscape going by.
Some riders describe the experience as therapeutic, enlivening and addictive, for Torres it is all three.
So why start a motorcycle business in the middle of the worst pandemic in modern history? Well Torres decided to embark on the journey to start CyclusMoto for a variety of reasons. "First and foremost, I am seeking a new manner in which I can share my passion with other riders," he says. "One thing I love, and we all have in common as riders regardless of the type of motorcycles we ride, is motorcycle gear. Gear can serve to effectively enhance the riding experience and our goal is to search for gear of the highest quality that serves a purpose on and off the motorcycle and share it."
When sourcing the products, Torres started with some of his favorites, namely Grifter Company riding gloves made in Gloversville, New York, which once served as the glove-making capital of the world. "Grifter gloves have a classic appeal with a functional design that combines different materials like leather and denim," Michael says. "In addition, we carry gear from Bell Helmets, Kynsho scarves and CyclusMoto with more to follow in the coming months. Our goal is to provide quality over quantity and ensuring that all of the products we carry are functional and not merely aesthetic."
Torres also runs a detailing service as part of CyclusMoto, and he has a home-based garage where he offers his high-touch, premium detailing. "I have a shop out of my house specifically dedicated to detail," he says. "So customers bring me the bike and they'll leave it with me and I do it on weekends and evenings."
He does everything from paint restoration, to wet sand and polishing to ceramic coatings, even paint protection films. All of that is is is done in house and everything that comes along with detail on a bike. "You know, it does take me a little bit longer, but I tell my clients that you're getting a far superior result and service then you will with some of my competitors," he says. "I will take the seats off, I'll take components off, polish places that you won't even see. These bikes probably get treated a better than my own."
CyclusMoto tagged us by way of an Instagram post that truly highlighted their intentional packaging and branding. "I had a need for stickers," Michael says. "The way that I use them is universally across the business. Every every purchase comes with with a couple of stickers in it. I have a huge focus on labeling and PR and as well as as well as packaging, so I feel that if you're going to pay premium prices for premium products, then it shouldn't come in a generic kind of box."
Going the extra mile is a feature of their level of service as well. "Because I care about the quality products in every package that I sent out, I include a personally written Thank You card," says Michael. "The boxes are stamped and branded with a firebrand outside the cardboard boxes, and that's also a cost effective way to promote the business and promote the brand. It really is all about the brand."
As Michael plans the future of the business, one focus is on community and giving back. "You know, business without a purpose doesn't work anymore. It's like a ship without a destination," he says. "I decided to go with Leukemia Lymphoma society so five percent of everything, forever, will get donated to Leukemia Lymphoma Society. I also plan to have days of given where hundred percent of the sales for an entire day will also go back to Leukemia Lymphoma." For Michael, the choice to work with the LLS is based on personal experience, when he lost his childhood best friend at the age of eight to leukemia.
"I feel like I'm in a position now where I can make a bigger difference and and that's going to be my goal," Michael says. "As as long as I can do it, I think that this will give me a purpose to keep keep doing it beyond just my passion for more cycles."
Clearly CyclusMoto is riding on to sticker success in their branding and packaging, and they have a clear destination for how their business will operate and give back. In the midst of a pandemic, there are opportunities for entrepreneurs to focus their passion and their energy into high levels of customer service and community giving.