Check Out Rod Wiggins’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rod Wiggins.

Hi Rod, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Flat Out Motorcycle Garage: A Lifelong Passion for Building Things and Bringing People Together
Flat Out Motorcycle Garage began with a simple idea: a great community deserves a place to call home. But the story behind it actually goes back quite a bit further — all the way to two kids who became friends in seventh grade and never really stopped building things.
My business partner, Nick Costakis, and I have been friends since we were about 12 years old. Growing up, we were always tinkering with something. RC cars, bicycles, model rockets, go-karts, minibikes — if it had wheels, a motor, or the potential to go fast, we probably tried to build it, modify it, or make it do something it wasn’t originally designed to do. We weren’t always successful, and we caught a lot of stuff on fire, but figuring things out was half the fun.
That fascination with creating something from a pile of parts never really went away.
As we got older, our careers took different paths, but both revolved around building, fixing, and making things work. Nick went on to a career building out large commercial spaces, turning empty buildings into functional environments. I spent part of my career as a professional automotive mechanic, developing a deep appreciation for the art and science of making machines work.
Whether it’s bringing an engine back to life or transforming an empty space into something useful, we’ve both always found satisfaction in taking an idea, working with our hands, and seeing it become something real.
In a lot of ways, Flat Out Motorcycle Garage is simply the latest — and probably most ambitious — project two old friends have tackled together.
How It All Started
The more immediate story begins with another Cleveland motorcycle enthusiast, Brian Schaffran, who founded Skidmark Garage years ago.
Brian created something pretty special: a place where motorcycle enthusiasts, backyard mechanics, experienced builders, and people who simply wanted to learn could come together, share tools, exchange knowledge, and work on their bikes. It wasn’t just a garage. It was a community built around a shared passion for motorcycles and the satisfaction of doing things yourself.
Over time, the rising cost of maintaining the facility made the business increasingly difficult to sustain. Meanwhile, Brian had developed MotoGo, a successful nonprofit that brings hands-on mechanical education into local schools, teaching students practical skills and helping them discover the confidence that comes from working with their hands.
When Brian decided to close Skidmark Garage and focus his efforts on MotoGo, Cleveland’s DIY motorcycle community was about to lose its home.
Nick and I saw an opportunity.
We weren’t necessarily looking to start a motorcycle business, but we recognized that something valuable was about to disappear. Here was a group of people who shared the same enthusiasm for building, fixing, learning, and helping one another that Nick and I had enjoyed since we were kids. The thought of that community simply going away didn’t sit right with us.
So we decided to do something about it.
We purchased the tools and equipment from Skidmark and found a new home in Cleveland’s vibrant Flats neighborhood. We wanted a location that would be more than just a workshop. It needed to be a great starting point for motorcycle rides, a convenient place to store bikes, and a natural gathering spot where friends could work on projects, grab something to eat, enjoy the neighborhood, or simply hang out.
And that’s how Flat Out Motorcycle Garage was born.
More Than Just a Garage
Today, Flat Out is a do-it-yourself motorcycle garage where members have access to the space, tools, and equipment needed to work on their own motorcycles.
We have motorcycle lifts, a full complement of professional-grade tools, a machine shop, tire-changing equipment, blast booths, and specialized equipment that most people simply can’t justify purchasing for their home garage. Whether someone wants to change their oil, replace tires, troubleshoot an electrical problem, rebuild an engine, or create a custom motorcycle from the ground up, we want them to have the resources to make it happen.
But the tools are only half the story.
What makes Flat Out special is the community that forms around them.
There’s something great about watching an experienced mechanic lend a hand to someone who’s tackling their first repair. Or seeing a few members gather around a motorcycle to brainstorm how to solve a particularly stubborn problem. Sometimes the best part of an afternoon at the garage isn’t what gets fixed — it’s the conversations, friendships, and shared experiences that happen along the way.
That’s the environment we’re trying to build.
We also provide secure indoor motorcycle storage, including our Arrive & Ride offering, for riders who want the convenience of keeping their motorcycles ready to go. With key-card access and security cameras, members can pick up their bikes, head out for a ride, and return them whenever they please. They don’t have to worry about hauling a motorcycle out of a crowded garage or finding a place to store it during Cleveland’s long winters.
And with the Flats right outside our doors, the garage is a great place to start or finish a ride.
We’re a membership-based club, but our philosophy is that everyone is welcome. You don’t have to be an expert mechanic, own an expensive motorcycle, or know the difference between a carburetor and a fuel injector to fit in. You just need an interest in motorcycles and a willingness to be part of the community.
Building Something That Lasts
When Nick and I think about what we’re creating, we often come back to the same things that brought us together as kids.
Back then, we didn’t have fancy tools, big budgets, or much of a plan. We had ideas, enthusiasm, and a willingness to figure things out. Sometimes we made something great. Sometimes we broke things and had to start over. But we were always learning, experimenting, and having fun doing it.
More than four decades later, that hasn’t really changed.
We still love the challenge of turning an idea into something tangible. Only now, instead of building go-karts and minibikes in somebody’s backyard, we’re building a place where other people can experience that same excitement and sense of accomplishment.
We also recognize that we’re carrying forward something Brian started with Skidmark Garage. We’re proud to preserve that spirit of collaboration and hands-on learning while adding our own vision for what a motorcycle community can be.
Ultimately, our goal isn’t simply to operate a successful garage. It’s to create a place where people want to spend time, where experienced hands help beginners, where knowledge gets passed along, and where friendships are built around a common passion.
Motorcycles might be what brings people through the door, but the community is what makes them want to stay.
Nick and I have spent most of our lives building things together. Flat Out Motorcycle Garage gives us a chance to build something that goes well beyond anything we could make with a wrench or a welding torch.
We’re building a community.
And that’s something we’re pretty proud of.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve been amazed by the support we have had. Volunteers coming to clean up a vacant lot, to support from the neighborhood, to friends pitching in and spreading the word. Other than the issues of working with an exceptionally difficult landlord, things have gone smoothly. So much appreciation for the support we have received and the enthusiasm for our mission.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Flat Out isn’t simply a business opportunity that Nick and I recognized — it’s really a natural extension of a lifelong friendship and a shared passion for building things.

How do you think about happiness?
We like building stuff. Originally this meant we wanted to have access to all of these tools. Turns out we enjoy seeing things come together, even if it isn’t built directly with our own hands.

Pricing:

• Community Membership $49/per mo
• Builder Membership $225/per mo
• Weekend Warrior $250/per weekend
• Arrive & Ride Storage $199/per mo

Contact Info:

• Website: https://flatoutgaragecle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatoutmotorcyclegarage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Flat-Out-Garage-Cleveland/61574277874024/