Vince Zavala has been an integral part of the Corbin organization for over three decades and currently heads the R&D department at Corbin Pacific.

Joining the Corbin team in the 1980s, Vince didn’t take long to make his mark and establish himself as a creative force. It was just a few months until he was moved into a position making custom products for ride-in customers. From there, it was a short jump to Corbin’s R&D department, where his talents flourished. 

Vince quickly became Mike’s go-to for the development of new ideas and concepts. His efforts created hundreds of new seat models, with some designs receiving US Patents. 

 

1994: As the company grew, it became apparent Vince was capable of so much more. In collaboration with Mike, he developed a line of body components for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, dubbed the Warbird. The kits were engineered to work without special modifications to the chassis, install with standard hand tools and give a radical new look to the classic HD designs. 

The Corbin system received much acclaim in the motorcycle industry, and riders worldwide built custom Warbirds at home. 

 

1996: With the success of the Warbird system under their belts, Vince and Mike took to more complex designs with added functionality. They created first-of-its-kind luggage styled to emulate the bike’s design. These unique creations added much-needed storage while complementing the motorcycle’s looks with visual integration. 

Corbin’s luggage designs were carefully engineered to carry loads close to the motorcycle’s centerline for maximum stability and minimum width. The aerodynamic attributes went on to be tested on the Bonneville salt flats. Corbin designs can be described as The World’s Fastest Saddlebags.

 

1997: Perhaps the most significant leap of faith came during this time when Mike and Vince developed the first Sparrow EV. The Sparrow is a highly efficient single-passenger, all-electric, 3-wheeler registered as a motorcycle. An entirely new concept in the way commuters could travel to work. 

The “reverse trike” layout made the microcar incredibly nimble, while its diminutive size allowed it to park in motorcycle parking. As a motorcycle, the Sparrow also enjoyed using special commuter lanes and was often immune from tolls. 

2000 – Present: The Sparrow was just the beginning as Mike took the concept further, and the Corbin design team took on a wide variety of unique projects. Additionally, Corbin’s experimentation with microcars and other high-visibility projects drew the attention of others who would contract the Corbin team for co-development throughout the years.

 Present: Vince was brought in on the Motoflux project to apply his remarkably intuitive nature to refining the Motoflux prototype and testing process. His ability to quickly define efficient solutions and eliminate error points has been a tremendous asset to the team.