User:Bradfordhogan/Bob Morales

Bob Morales is a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, The American Freestyle Association (AFA), Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing (CMXR) and ASV Inventions. He was born in Redondo Beach, California on December 7th, 1963.

He began riding motorcycles at the age of 7, then racing motorcycles at the age of 11. His father bought him a Yamaha YZ 80 to compete in motorcycle races. He won over 20 dirt biking trophies by 1976. He took up BMX bike riding at the age of 14 when his parents could no longer support his motorcycle racing because of a divorce.

Around 1977, he got into BMX racing by competing in a local BMX race where he met a fellow racer named R.L. Osborn and they became good friends. R.L. Osborn's father was the founder of BMX Action Magazine and became a pioneer in the sport of BMX and Freestyle BMX.

Through the Osborn's he met Bob Haro who would later pioneer the sport of Freestyle BMX.

In 1980 Bob Haro asked Bob Morales to join him on a national tour to promote the new sport of Freestyle BMX. They traveled on tour together performing shows all over the Midwest, Eastern United States, and parts of Canada to enthusiastic crowds.

In 1982 Bob Morales began promoting Freestyle BMX competitions and later formed the American Freestyle Association (AFA) that promoted events in this fast growing sport. At its peak in 1986 the AFA hosted a BMX Freestyle competition at Madison Square Garden in New York city with over 5,000 spectators and a large cash purse for the competitors.

He stopped riding professionally in 1984 to concentrate on his two growing businesses the AFA and DYNO Design which made BMX accessories since 1983.

In 1985 he sold DYNO Design (Which later became DYNO Bicycles) to GT Bicycles and went to work for them as a designer. He was awarded his first patent while working at GT Bicycles for a bicycle frame design.

Bob Morales and Todd Huffman founded Auburn Cycles in 1986 using a unique two-piece frame design by Morales. they later sold that company to GT Bicycles in 1989. GT went on to market and sell Auburn bicycles for many years.

Morales formed Group B Design in 1989 to provide product and advertising design to the bicycle industry. Group B clients included HUTCH Bicycles, Iron Horse Bicycles and Western Auto. Another patent was awarded to Morales for a bicycle frame design called the "A Frame" for Iron Horse Bicycles. Morales is credited with building the Iron Horse brand of bicycles into an internationally recognized brand.

KORE Bicycle Components was founded by Morales in 1990 and he was awarded three more patents for bicycle part designs for BMX and Mountain Bikes. In 1993 several financial partners had joined KORE. At that same time the MORALES Bicycle Company was founded to market and distribute bicycle frame designs that Bob had created for the BMX and Mountain Bike markets.

Morales sold his interest in KORE to his partners in 1998. He retained ownership of Morales Bicycle Co. and still does to this day.

Later in 1998 he began promoting motocross races at the legendary Carlsbad Raceway and formed a racing club called CMXR (Carlsbad Motocross Racing).

In early 2000 Morales founded ASV Inventions, Inc. to develop, market and distribute his inventions. ASV developed into a leading brand of motorcycle parts and accessories and Morales had been awarded several more patents for products marketed under the ASV brand.

In late 2007 ASV Inventions acquired Universal Engineering, Inc. a brand of motocross parts and accessories.

Morales is currently president and CEO of ASV Inventions, Inc.

23mag.com

KORE Bicycle Components HISTORY

ASV Inventions