08/06/2026
To the entire Mangum Elite family,
First and foremost, I want to thank every single one of you for your orders, your trust, your friendship, your patience, and your continued support over the years. Whether you've bought one air suspension kit, talked to me on the phone, stopped by the shop, or simply followed along with what we do, I appreciate you more than you know.
Those of you who have gotten to know me know who the real Steve Mangum is. You know I'm usually the guy who answers the phone, talks your ear off, helps solve problems, and genuinely enjoys being part of this community.
The Steve you've gotten over the last several months wasn't the real Steve, and for that, I sincerely apologize.
Back in December, I left Boeing after seven years. I'll leave the details at that, but if you've followed Boeing lately, you can probably imagine it wasn't exactly the easiest time.
Around that same time, my dad—the man who adopted me and the only father I've ever known—became very sick.
My sister Julie and her wife Cindy worked tirelessly trying to find doctors, resources, and anything that could help him. While everyone around me seemed to get stronger, I went the opposite direction.
I fell into one of the darkest places I've ever been mentally.
From December until my dad passed away on April 3rd—the day before his birthday—my world completely changed.
I learned things I never imagined I'd have to learn. I learned how to change clothes, change diapers, and care for someone I loved during the hardest moments of his life. I learned what it feels like to have "last conversations" over and over again, never knowing which one would actually be the last.
As my dad's health declined, so did mine mentally.
Outside of taking care of him whenever I was needed, I honestly stopped taking care of myself.
I quit eating like I should. I stopped answering messages. I'd see a text come in, put my phone back in my pocket, and just stare at the wall. If I went somewhere like Lowe's, I'd wander around for hours just to keep my mind occupied. If I saw someone I knew, I'd usually walk the other direction.
I wasn't myself anymore.
Eventually, reality caught up with me.
I realized I was behind on customer orders. I had made promises I couldn't keep. I had let customers down, friends down, and even family down.
I even canceled going to the Smoky Mountain Small Bore Rally at the last minute, something I had been looking forward to for months. I know many of you were excited to see me there, and I'm sorry I wasn't.
For anyone who felt ignored, waited longer than they should have, or wondered what happened to me...
I'm truly sorry.
There are no excuses.
I just wasn't okay.
But today, I can honestly tell you...
I'm back.
The fog has lifted.
The passion is back.
The drive is back.
And most importantly...
Mangum Elite is back.
Customer service has always been what separates us from everyone else.
If you have a problem, we fix it.
If you have a question, we answer it.
If you want to call just to talk bikes, that's what we're here for.
If you want to stop by the shop, come on over.
That's the Mangum Elite people know, and that's exactly what we're getting back to.
This chapter of my life was incredibly difficult, but it's one I've fought through, and I'm ready to move forward.
Every delayed order is being completed and shipped as quickly as possible. Every new order will receive the attention and communication you deserve.
To everyone who stuck with me...
Thank you.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for your patience.
And thank you for not giving up on Mangum Elite while I was trying to find my way back.
As a small token of appreciation, every pending order and every new air ride kit order placed between August 6th and August 13th will receive a FREE Mangum Elite hat.
This is on behalf of Mangum Elite, Chris Zacharias, SMBR, Go Create, and, of course... YOU.
Mangum Elite isn't in over 24 countries because of me.
It's because of you...
Whether you stunt...
Whether you build show bikes...
Whether you race...
Or whether you simply love your bike exactly the way it came from the factory...
You're part of this family.
Customer or not, you're treated the same here.
The mini moto community has always been more than customers to me.
We're friends.
We're family.
We're one community.
And I'm incredibly thankful to be part of it.
Thank you for standing beside me through one of the hardest seasons of my life.
I promise you the Mangum Elite you've always known is back—and we're just getting started.
I love you all.
— Steve Mangum Owner, Mangum Elite
mangumelite.com
The Gom below was imagined and built by one of our customers Chris Zacharias. He chose to bag his grom with our Mangum Elite air ride kit to drop it low!
the Zacharias family has been return customers for a few years now, and they have been helpful in the community with questions and tricks since they landed.
You might have seen a glimpse of a thumbnail here and there but you saw it here first. This bad boy was just finished up a couple hours ago!
Chris with badass creation's- It was just an idea from seeing a documentary on Evel. He was one of my hero’s as a kid, cause he always went for it even if he knew he was going to crash. And to do it on those big bulky Harley’s and Indians, made him even cooler.
Thank you all for the read! I hope you enjoy Chris's bike as much as I do!
