Mike Rodgers has been testing the limits for a long time.
As a kid growing up in the 1970’s, he quickly learned
that a faster bike could outrun the cops that sometimes
got called when he and his buddies blasted their XR 75’s
through the alleyways of San Antonio, Texas. Those
childhood experiences gave him a lifelong desire to race
and to win by making better machines.
He rode motocross for American Honda in the early 80’s, winning an amateur
Texas state championship in 1984 & 85. Mechanical by nature, he was always
looking for ways to enhance performance. He built his first pit bike in 1991
and continued to improve and refine the design over ten years. So when the
pit bike craze hit in the early 2000’s he had a big head start on the competition
and easily smoked the field to win the Florida State Pit Bike Champion 12”
and 14” Classes in 2002 & 2003 and was the 2003 East Coast National Pit
Bike Champion.
In the 80’s a new power sport was gaining popularity – jet skis. Mike bought
a JS 440 and quickly learned that his motorcycle skills could translate to the
water. Riding standups was like motocross on the water. He raced Sea-Doos
in the Runabout Class on the Budweiser National Tour in 1992 & 1993. In
1994 he was the GA State Runabout Champion and won 2nd place in the FL
State Championship. After being recognized for his racing ability and technical
knowledge, he was recruited by Sea-Doo to work in R&D at their facility in
Florida, where he eventually ended up in the Engine Management System
Calibration group. His depth of knowledge allowed him the opportunity to
be the Global Technical Director for the IJSBA for 8 years, from 2010-2018,
where he traveled the world officiating personal watercraft racing events.
Mike has been fortunate to have worked in the field of power sports throughout
his 30-year career. He still loves racing and in his spare time, can be
found building and flying drones, racing RC cars, kite surfing and hitting the
dirt tracks in Central Florida on his custom-modified Sur-Ron Light Bee. He
started db Industries in 2019 to fuel his passion for making better machines.
He personally manufactures and tests all after-market parts for durability,
functionality and performance.
