As the roar of an engine echoes through the garage, with a satisfied grin on his face, Tyler Stallings wipes the grease off of his hand. Amidst the clatter of tools and the scent of oil, the high school sophomore sits in his shop that is more than just a business, but a way of fulfillment. While his peers cram for tests, Stallings spends his afternoons fine tuning dirt bikes and ATVs, each bike an insight into his passion for his craft.
Stallings is an individual with a strong passion for “power sports”. Power sports is an activity involving different types of all terrain vehicles. He has been working on and riding dirt bikes, ATVs, and other vehicles since before middle school. The way he chooses to pursue this passion is by not just riding bikes, but also through his mechanic business.
“Eventually I realized that I gotta make my own money to buy the bikes that I want. And as I kept seeing people on Instagram and TikTok buying and fixing them then selling it for a profit, I thought to myself that I could do that,” Stallings said.
For some, a job is a daily chore that simply must be endured. Stallings, on the other hand, turned his passion for motorcycles into a source of income but he still doesn’t think of it as a job.
“To me it’s a hobby, I don’t like to claim it as a business. I don’t want to act like this big hot shot entrepreneur. I just fix peoples bikes and flip bikes for some extra money. It’s just something I do for fun, it’s not like I’m working full time,” Stallings said.
Some new learners watch tutorials to learn their skills, some have a mentor to learn, and sometimes people just figure it out themselves. In Stallings case, the way he learned was a combination of all three.
“My grandpa definitely played a huge role in how I learned how to fix up bikes, but also something else that helped me learn besides my grandpa was just actually doing it and learning as I went,” Stallings said.
Gabe Sheriden, a longtime friend of Stalling, says that Stalling’s creativity allows him to be very resourceful and have a business that is interesting rather than bland.
“Tyler has been learning how to fix up bikes by just watching videos and figuring things out by himself since middle school. I think his whole business is cool because it’s crazy that he knows how to do all this,” Sheriden said.
While Stallinngs knew he needed extensive technical knowledge…, he also knew he needed knowledge about what the customer wants. He says that’s the hardest part of the job.
“When I first started I struggled with not knowing how to please a customer correctly, but as I got more experienced I learned to really understand what a customer wants,” Stallings said.
Stallings has surprised the people who enter his shop with his talented and honest work. This quality to his work has led to a connection with customers that one of his customers says a large shop just doesn’t have. NHS Teacher Bill Kenley noticed this first hand when taking his bike to Stallings.
“He did a great job. I would go back to him, because I think he would tell me if he didn’t think he could do the job I asked of him. I trust him,” Kenley said. “I am impressed with him as a young businessman.”
Stallings says his passion hasn’t always been a walk in the park. He’s faced a lot of problems that can occur that can be hard to overcome.
“I’ve never come across too many issues with a customer’s bike, but there’ve been bike projects where you get in a tough spot financially where it’s just not worth it to buy the parts to fix it or the bike just won’t work,” Stallings said.
Fixing up bikes can be difficult financially and technically, and it also has a lot of potential for backlash. There are a lot of variables that you need to consider when fixing dirt bikes.
“Whenever I buy a bike to fix it up, I’m taking huge risks. The market is always changing and prices fluctuate. I’ve been able to buy dirt cheap, but I’m still taking risks,” Stallings said.
While there can be lots of struggles and risk pursuing what Stallings does, he sees a plethora of positives. These positives allow him to reap benefits in life.
“For me, it’s more of a hobby with benefits. I get to go home, mess around with dirt bikes, and make a little side cash. I get to learn, fix my own bikes, and I just really enjoy doing it,” Stallings said.
All these skills have allowed Stallings to have a multitude of knowledge over all things dirt bikes and all the skills that come with it. While his future isn’t set in stone, Stallings has a good idea of what he wants to do next.
“I’m not 100% sure what I want to do, fixing dirt bikes has really helped me focus more on what I want to do in college,” Stallings said. “As much as I see it as a hobby, it truly has enlightened me to see what I enjoy. It’s overall just given me a lot more options.”
