Michael Brian Cipres

Mike...this is you all the way. Your sister took this video (I made this picture of the moment) and you stayed stone faced for a few seconds while she filmed you, then you busted out laughing and made the usual Cipres sarcastic remarks...I wasn't there but I am glad Chrissy took this precious few seconds of video of you. I think you guys were out eating sushi...guess what, I just tried that stuff for the first time. Pretty good too...I only wish I had shared some with you...Dad

Mike where can I begin... I was 15 when I fell madly in love with you.  We were committed to each other from the very beginning. We never questioned our love for each other, we knew that we were made for each other and we would spend our lives together. We have experience so much together, we grew up together. Valentine's Day comes to mind when I think of you. That was when you asked me to be your girl! That was it for us we never left each other's side after that! Then you made me the happiest girl in the world when you asked me to marry you on our Valentine's anniversary! On top of Mount Bonell you said " Baby I love you so much! I can't believe we have been together for 6 years! It seems like forever, but I want to make it forever!" I know me too, I said. Then you backed up and started to get down on your knees but it was dark and couldn't see what you were doing!  Then you said " Babe will you marry me? I was so happy! I was going to be your wife! Finally! I said YES!!!!! of course I will! We sat there at the top staring at the city lights kissing and thinking about our future together. Then we took one of my favorite pictures of us. You can see how happy we are! When we got down you told me you had another present for me. It was a wedding magazine!! You were always so sweet and thoughtful, So amazing! I always knew that what we had together was so special and that I was so blessed to have you as my soulmate. You were my dream man! I loved everything about you! We laughed so much together all the time, we just went together. We were bestfriends! Like Steak and Potatoes! ( your favorite)!

 I had so much trust in you that I believed anything you said. Sometimes a little too much, because you were always “trick’ in” me! J

I knew that you knew best and if you told me it would be ok than I knew it would.  I had so much respect for you because of the goodness in your heart. I was always so proud of you, you could do anything that tried! Like flying an airplane! Only you!  You had so much passion for life and when you wanted something you got it! You made your goals and you fulfilled them!

Sometimes I am not sure that anyone can understand how truly in love we were. We had the purest, deepest love of all! Our wedding was so full of love! It was everything that I always dreamed it would be....The Perfect Man for the perfect day. When you looked at me and said your vows I knew that you meant every word and that you would be the best husband and that our love was only going to grow. I remember saying my vows and you looking at me and winking when I was starting to cry. Our dreams were starting to come true! The shop was opening and we were beginning our life together!

 You are the most amazing person that I have ever met in my life and I love you with all that I am. I know that the song playing was never our song...it just didn't fit, we used to talk about it. We loved "Amber" for us! So this is my song to you now because every word fits....but I will love you however far away, however long I stay, whatever words I say! I can never explain to people the way that I felt when I was with you. This song is the way I remember us and the way it was when I was with you.

 

I love you more than words could say more than words could tell, lovebirds, soulmates, best friends, the bible kind of love!

 

Only you know what this means to us!

When I think of Mike the first thing that comes to mind was that grin that he carried around everywhere he went. I will always remember the first time I met Mike, he was pushing a little trail bike down the street to his house because he was not old enough to ride it on the road. I was riding my new specialized BMX bike and I found out he had an old GT he used to ride, from then on it was on. He could make that bike do what ever he wanted it to do. I always looked up to him as a rider, he would always encourage me to try new jumps or grind new ledges. He could hurl him self over jumps I could only dream of trying, most of the time he landed smooth but even if he didn't he would get right back up, fix what ever was broken and try it again. he was always at the head of the pack when we were riding. We would get dropped off downtown Austin and just get lost on the streets for hours looking for things to jump or grind. I will always remember those days.

   I remember him picking me and Charlie up for school in the suburban first then making the rounds to pick up all th rest of the guys.  He was always there so we didn't have to walk, and it was only a two block walk, but he would still pick us up first, the we would go to the gas station or school.

   Then I was lucky enough to get to move to Arizona with him, for MMI. He was a great roommate as long as you could get the video game remote out of his hand. I don't really like video games, mainly cause I am not good at them. But Mike made me play HALO with him, and we actually beat it together many times after that.  I remember we only had a few tv channels with no cable and he had forgotten his remote for the Xbox, so we would sit and watch dazed and confused dozens of times because you didn't need the remote to start it.  until we got bored with that movie  when we got really bored.  we sat on the floor in the living room tossing a foam ball into the fan for hours till the people below us finally came up and told us to quiet down. We laughed uncontrollably for hours, and with Mike he had such a contagious laugh we laughed until we hurt. it was great.

    I remember when Tara and Napoleon moved in, I got to see what love was.  Mike and Tara got along great, and never fought. They were always there for one another.  I remember one day the three of us got the idea to go to In and Out, but we didn't want to get in the car and we  didn't want to walk either. The three of us got on Mike CBR, Mike driving, Tara over the handle bars and me  hanging off the back. some how we made it. 

   One time on his mini bike  he burned out and made a smiley face on the ground in front of our garage and that was still there when we left.  Mike made alot of people smile in his life. There are so many smiles out there today on people just because they knew Mike. I will always be able to smile just thinking of Mike so I know there are many more.  Mike made me believe you can if you try. He was one of the main reasons I finished school. I was going to quit and he talked me into staying, I just regret never getting to work side by side in a shop with him, working with him at Austins Pizza was awesome, but doing what you love is better, and I know Mike loved to wrench. I am so fortunate he went doing what he loved. I will never forget you Mikey. I can only wait to see you on the other side. I love you man.

Paul Lacaze

 

Let the riding begin...

When Mike and Steven got their new Gixxers I couldn't wait until we could go for a ride together.  One evening we after working at the shop we agreed it was time.  I led and we went up Azusa Canyon toward East Fork Road. Now Steven hadn't been on a bike in a while and both Mike and Steve were limited by the 6,000 max RPM during the first few hundred miles, so we took off from the shop and headed down 210 to the Azusa offramp.  Both boys pretty much let me lead given I was riding my K1200LT big bertha and I guess they didn't want to leave me in the dust while going up the canyon.  So we head up to East Fork with me leading most of the way and right before the East Fork turn they both passed me to go across the bridge first...of course Mike was in front and busted a wheelie across most of the bridge with Steven right behind doing the same.  I remember having mixed feelings about it (both good and bad) but mostly one of joy and being a proud dad watching both my sons handle their machines with precision.  We stopped right after the bridge and decided to continue on even though it was already getting dark.  I laughed at them because they were both eating bugs and I was clean and listing to Tower Of Power while I was riding.  I took off from there toward GMR and they followed.  Now Mike was consistently only about 12 inches or so behind my rear tire, while Steven was a more respectable distance behind.  I remember saying to myself (I'm damn lucky to be young enough to ride with my grown boys).  Also, Mike was not letting off of my tail and no matter how much I pushed it, he was right there...it was like his freakin headlight was mounted on the rear of my bike.  We passed GMR and headed to Mt. Baldy road for some real fun.  My only hope was that there would be no drifters coming our way...but I threw caution to the wind and kept pushing all the way to the turn-off down toward 210.  Mike and I stopped a little ways down the turn-off toward 210 to wait for Steven as he was having some issues and when I didn't see his headlight anymore I wanted to make sure he was okay.   A few seconds later he rode up and I took them to a burger place in downtown La Verne for a burger and a beer.  It was an awesome ride and I could only imagine all the rides we would take together as father and sons for years to come...We did ride Azusa Canyon another time during the day after work but it was an easy cruise to the roadblock toward Crystal Lake.  I remember thinking I would need to hurry and get myself a sportbike to keep up with these boys.  It was just too embarrasing to not be able to keep up.  I will never loose the heartache that is in my heart with the loss of my son and friend Mike... but I will cherish every moment that I had with him and will read your stories until the day I join him to remember what a special human he was.  He made me a better man.  I will now ride with Steven and we will always have a ghost rider named Mike with us where ever we go.  I know we will laugh while reminising about his silliness, and cry about the loss we share together for the rest of our respective lives until we meet up with him in heaven...

Sal "Pops" Cipres

Mike, was really a amazing guy. I met him back in Jan of this year.. From the day I met him for a tire change (not to mention he had a back brace!!!) til his last night stunting with us, Mike never really had a bad day. I know jan - july doesnt seem like long but seeing this guy everyday after work with no sleep and hardly able to sleep at the shop because he was always filled with energy jokes, and craziest remarks.

Some of the memories I was lucky to have shared with this guy were pretty amazing and I was really touched. He gave me hope that there were still people out there that werent downers. For instance, we were on our way to bike night... Louis threw up a wheelie and you know everyone was behind him, we come up to a stop sign and mike rolls up next to him with tara on the back. Has this grin on his face and says "go higher!" then takes off lol. That same night I unfortunately got impounded.. And went to the shop the next day, pretty sad because no funds for the bike to come out the impound yard, but thanks to Bryan he get it out. But when I walked in I was still in the whatever mood.. looked at mike when I walked through the door and he couldnt help him self, he started grinning and I already knew what was coming. I couldnt help but smile.

Mike would have a nice little cursing session every now and agian daily... lol well his mom had the grand rule for the F word not to be said inside the store but it was okay in the work area.. Mike would then continue his raging stories and come to the magical F and it would go something like this, " yea that guy, he pissed me off then I told him to (pauses in the sentence, walks to the work area door.)" then continues his story. His mom couldnt do much but laugh at the guy..

Mike also showed me how great a relationship can be... There was so many things about Mike and Tara's relationship that I admired. There love was and always will be strong for each other.. And the night I found that out, was when Mike took off on the fwy and tara was on the back just going with the flow, no matter how fast,slow and crazy he got. She trusted him with everything and showed that to the world.

To Mikes family... I have to say that I do love you guys and if anything is needed and I can help, please call...

I've known Mike for a while. I remember meeting him for the first time and even though I was the new kid in town and in the group, he was already one of my best friends.  That's Mike always ready to meet someone new.  There aren't to many words to describe the type of person Mike was, He was just Mike!  Full of excitment, humor, his love for life.  I would have to say that I really can't remember to many times when Mike felt down.  Even if he was mad you wouldn't even know it.  I remember going mudding with Mike in the K5, man that thing was a beast!!!  Although we got stuck many times we all always had a blast trying get the truck out of the hole we where in. 

 

One time I was riding with Mike just practicing wheelies on our bmx bikes and Mike telling me how much he wanted to do one on a streetbike.  From that day forward we talked about buying CBR600's and starting a crew.  I remember one time seeing Mike late at night when he first got his F4i I was with Ricky Shifler in his mustang the first thing Mike said to us was "HEY, you guys wanna race??!!"  of course Mike smoked the stang!  Sorry rick!  I never got the privelage to ride with Mike, but we talked about riding all the time. 

 

I hepled Mike and Tara move half way across the world it seemed like, and was there when they opened the shop in Chino, CA.  Mike was so proud of everything he had accomplished and absolutely couldn't wait for the shop to explode with buisness.  Everytime I talked to Mike and asked about the shop he had nothing but good things to say about it even if buisness was going slow.  And when the new shop was up and running that was it and things couldn't get any better for him.  Mike was passionate about what he did even though some times it took around 3 hours to change a tire!! 

 

I miss just goofing around with him and having fun there was never a dull moment when you were with Mike.  He will never be forgotten and everytime I sit on the seat of my streetbike I will always think of Mike and what we shared in our friendship.  I will never forget him and neither will anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.  Mike will forever change the way I view life and I will always remember the huge impact Mike as made on me and the world he lived in!  Forever in your memory!!

 

Travis

Dear Tara, Teresa, Sal, Steven, and Chrissy,

When I think of Michael, I think of him smiling and acting goofy.  He enjoyed life and everyone around him knew it.  His laugh always made me smile, even though I was never sure what mischief he and the boys were cooking up!  Paul and Charlie always loved hanging out with Mike; he knew how to have fun.  When it came to bikes, from the first BMX he rode in the neighborhoods of Cedar Park, to the his first motorcycle, Mike was fearless.  No matter how hard he landed or how much damage the bike suffered, he would get up laughing, and go again; he was never afraid of getting hurt.  But Mike had a gentle side, too.  I remember one night he came over on that yellow motorcycle.  Tyler, the boys' 6 year old nephew, was here.  Mike sat Tyler on the seat in front of him and rode up and down the street; he went real slow and made sure Tyler was holding on tight.  Tyler was thrilled and wanted to go again and again.

 

Then in the next minute, (after Tyler got off the bike), Mike was peeling out and leaving skid marks on the sidewalk in front on my house. (The marks are still there!)  I'd see Mike looking over his shoulder and smiling as he drove away. 

 

What an experience going cross-country with the boys to deliver them to MMI.  Mike and Paul were so excited to have escaped the great disappointment of the military and to have landed in a place full of chrome, two wheeled vehicles, endless partying, and tattoos!  They did a lot of growing up and I'm pretty sure they did a lot more that we don't want to know about!    

 

When Charlie joined them in Phoenix, and the three of them were together again, I'm guessing Mike had to break up a few fights between P & C.   Mike was a good sport; he'd just laugh at them when they got too serious.

 

And, Tara, there was never any question about how Mike felt about you. He loved you with his whole heart. 

 

The family was everything to Mike.  How wonderful that you were able to share so much.

 

I will always remember Mike with great fondness; his memory lives in my heart.  I will be praying for your comfort and strength.  I regret that I cannot be there but know that my thoughts are with you.

 

Much love,

Betty Lou