Life Wide Open with CboysTV

Episode: Zackgoes on Bikelife Today, Pioneering Motovlogging & Chasing Perfection

Release Date: August 5, 2025
Guests: ZackGoes, CJ, Ben, Ryan, Ken, Evan, Micah, Dalton
Summary Compiled by an Expert Podcast Summarizer

Overview

In this nostalgic and candid episode, the CboysTV crew reunites with Zach Goes (aka ZackGoes), a pioneering motovlogger and longtime friend, to talk about his influential role in bike life, the evolution of YouTube content, and embracing life changes. The crew discusses behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of YouTube, the personal toll of chasing online success, and where life has led Zach after stepping away from full-time content creation. Listeners are treated to laughs, memorable anecdotes, and a vivid look at the highs and lows of internet fame—straight from someone who lived it fully.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early CboysTV & Meeting Zach Goes

• The group reminisces about their first collaborations and the early, chaotic days in their original shop.
• Zach was the “first YouTuber friend” the Cboys met, helping shape their approach to collaborations and content.
  • [00:46] “You were our first YouTube collab. You're the first creator we ever met, I believe.” — Micah
• The friendship began around 2016–2017, with Zach bringing a distinctly East Coast, spontaneous energy to the Minnesota-based crew.

2. The Lost Footage Tragedy

• Zach recounts the notorious “G Drive Massacre”: losing terabytes of unreleased/future content after a shipping snafu.
  • [03:00] “I had, like, this giant G drive...and I just dropped it at the USPS office. Just, like, not thinking about it...that was, like, tons of footage on there.” — Zach
• The data loss included collaborations, major rides, and personal milestones—an event that deeply impacted his motivation.

3. Pioneering Motovlogging & YouTube’s Evolution

• Zach modestly credits earlier creators as motovlog founders, but acknowledges his own twist: an energetic 15-year-old on dirt bikes bringing urban “bike life” to YouTube’s mainstream.
  • [05:03] “My niche...was I was like 15 year old kid riding a dirt bike, just being an idiot. And that was my niche.” — Zach
• The rise of “bike life” content created a global community and inspired the likes of Sriranser and new generations.
• The shift from anonymous (GoPro-only) filming to face reveals, and how audience connection changed over time.

4. Chasing Perfection & the Grind of Creativity

• The group discusses the YouTube grind, creative burnout, and Zach’s high standards for himself.
  • [10:54] “When Zach goes drops a video, you’re going to click on it...if I upload a mid video...when I drop a banger people aren't going to click. So it was...when I drop a video it's got to be a banger.” — Zach
• Zach describes the mental and emotional toll: overthinking edits, not enjoying attention, and feeling a duty to his community even as he lost passion.
  • [13:41] “...Being a YouTuber is hard and you guys have a great team...I just realized it's just not for me. I did it to the best that I could...I just doesn’t seem like something I want to do long term.” — Zach

5. Life After YouTube: Re-centering & Happiness

• Zach candidly shares how quitting YouTube improved his mental health.
  • [14:18] “I actually went back...I started working at the pizza shop down the street again...feeling better. I just, you know, just wasn't for me.” — Zach
• He values the skills (storytelling, production) he took from content creation but is happier with balance, steady work, and stepping away from the limelight.

6. The State (and Future) of Bike Life

• Zach remains a central figure, consulting with Japanese manufacturers on urban bike culture and wheelie subculture.
  • [17:26] “I've been in contact with an organization in Japan...funded by one of the big Japanese motorcycle brands...There is big Japanese manufacturers looking into it.” — Zach
• The panel reflects on e-bikes as a new wave of “bike life”—discussing law enforcement crackdowns, changing attitudes, and the rise of YouTubers like Sriranser.
• On shifting cultures as demonetization, platform rules, and public perceptions evolved.

7. The Thrill & Dangers of Riding

• Zach and the Cboys reflect on the adrenaline of riding in urban packs, wipeouts, close calls, and dangerous crashes.
  • [25:32] “I was in St. Louis one time...I hit it and it just kind of like. And the next thing you know, I'm like under my bike going 50…” — Zach
• On staying safe, humility learned from accidents, and the almost meditative joy of group rides.

8. Staying Connected to the Scene

• Zach now performs at shows—driving monster trucks, and even donning a gorilla suit for “King Kong Knievel” wheelie stunts.
  • [28:13] “...what I’ve been doing, it's called King Kong Knievel...I dress up in a gorilla costume...steal a golf cart, whip the golf cart around and like all the kids go crazy.” — Zach

9. Legendary Stories & Pranks

• Classic prank stories: swapping YouTube plaques, flour-and-water fan “pranks”, lake shark jokes, and infamous barefooting incidents.
• Community and camaraderie shine through as the group laughs about old misadventures and close calls.

10. Career & Life: Beyond the Internet

• Zach found new purpose working in bars (learning networking trumps tips), and now dabbles in social media management, show performing, and personal development.
• Teases exciting new ventures (education-related), keeping details off the internet for now.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [13:01] “At the bottom of it too, I also didn't really want to be a YouTuber. Like, I didn't like all the attention...I just realized I didn't want to do it.” — Zach
• [14:40] “In the head space that you’re in right now... you are just such a different person than you were the last time that we hung out. You're just way more motivated. You're way more dialed in and calculated, focused.” — Ben
• [22:21] “Sriranser is the modern day Zack goes. Yeah, I think that you paved that path for him.” — Ben
• [25:32] “...there's someone taking photos and I was like, oh, I'm gonna throw like a nasty no hander...and the next thing you know, I'm like under my bike going 50...” — Zach
• [26:25] “It humbles you. You know what my trick was always if it really hurts, I just think like, imagine what it feel like if someone took a dagger and put me in the stomach. Like, that hurt way worse than this.” — Zach

Important Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |---|---| | 00:46 | Reminiscing on first YouTube collaborations and origins of friendship | | 03:00 | “G Drive Massacre” and footage loss story | | 04:29 | Zach’s early days as a motovlogger and bike life story | | 10:54 | Discussion on video perfectionism and creative burnout | | 13:41 | Zach’s candid reasons for leaving YouTube | | 17:26 | Japanese companies researching bike life using Zach as consultant | | 21:18 | Platform demonetization, YouTube content crackdowns | | 25:32 | Stories of crashes, danger, and the group ride experience | | 28:13 | Transition to doing live shows—monster trucks and “King Kong Knievel” | | 35:11 | The infamous swapping of YouTube creator plaques prank | | 38:08 | Post-YouTube career paths, bartending, and monster truck gigs | | 39:58 | Zach hints at “something pretty exciting” outside of social media | | 40:44 | Proposal for a wheelie/stunts battle with Evan |

Tone & Language

The episode is friendly, open, and nostalgic—typical for CboysTV—with honest admissions about mental health, motivation, and burnout. Humor, self-deprecation, and camaraderie keep the mood lively even when discussing setbacks and struggles. Zach is humble and thoughtful, appreciating the journey but eager to embrace new chapters.

For New Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in the realities behind YouTube fame, the enduring bonds of creator friendships, and how passion can wax and wane with changing life priorities. Whether you're curious about the business/mental side of being an internet creator, a longtime Cboys fan, or new to the world of motovlogging, this episode is rich with insight, story, and inspiration.

“I did it to the best that I could. I got to a level where I got a taste of kind of a lot of the things that come with it...I just doesn’t seem like something I want to do long term. And I stopped it and I accepted. I'm like, I'm not doing this. And I felt way better.” — Zach [13:57]

Follow Zach Goes on YouTube and Instagram for updates on shows and future projects.
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