ABOUT US

  Michael Martinez is a highly passionate off-road enthusiast with a get-shit-done attitude looking to make people’s vehicles ride great both on and off-road. Michael spent a lot of time in Arizona at a young age at a house filled with ATVs, UTVs, trucks, and Jeeps. He was always helping his dad work on them, and of course, having a good time off-road with them. He loved working on vehicles so much, he went to the University of Michigan to study mechanical engineering with a focus on automotive. The time spent in Michigan also included 3 years of work with General Motors in testing and vehicle attributes, including Truck vehicle dynamics and subjective evaluation. 

In 2019, Michael moved out to Southern California to pursue his passion in off-road by working for Fox Factory for over 5 years as a Test Engineer and Vehicle Dynamics Engineer (Tuner). It was there he applied his vehicle dynamics experience, evaluating and tuning different shock configurations and technologies, and expanded into additional shock manipulation tactics to accommodate different vehicle platforms.

In 2024, Michael decided to take it to the next level and start Desert Ride Vehicle Dynamics. He began developing calculators and engineered tools to eliminate a lot of the guess work for custom vehicle set-ups, saving you time and money on tuning iterations. He also offers better shock valving configurations that can lead to longer service intervals and better durability, backed by data – a service that most traditional shock servicers can’t provide.

Outside of the shop, Michael spends time exploring the deserts of southern California and Mexico, fully immersing himself in the desert any chance he can!

Contact us today to get a smooth Desert Ride! We offer custom tuning and servicing tailored to how YOU want your vehicle to ride, backed by calculation.