T
here are two ways of looking at the
price of something. There’s the cost
itself – how many dollars do I need to
cough up? And then there’s the value –
what am I getting for the money? Over
recent years we have been trained by the
retail establishment to concern ourselves
ZLWKWKHÀUVWZD\7KHVHFRQGKDVEHHQ
ignored, in the hope that we will assume
that all products are the same.
The result is that we buy a lot of
crap, really cheap.
,I\RX·UHKDSS\ZLWKWKDWÀQH%X\
your kids a dirt bike for $800; they will
probably be sick of it and wanting a
QHZ;%R[E\WKHWLPHLWGLVLQWHJUDWHV
VL[PRQWKVRUD\HDUDIWHU\RXEX\LW
anyway. A win-win, right?
%XWQRWHYHU\ERG\VHHVOLIHWKDW
way. Instead of buying a lot of stuff,
necessarily of low quality, these people
are more likely to consider their choices
carefully and buy less, but high quality.
7KHQHWHIIHFWRQÀQDQFHVLVWKHVDPH
you don’t need to be rich to do this.
The effect on life satisfaction can
be very different.
All right, let’s leave that pinned
there for the moment and move
on to motorcycles.
%LNHVDUHPDGHWRZKDWWKHLQGXVWU\
calls “price points”. For this kind of
ELNHIRUH[DPSOHDPDQXIDFWXUHUFDQ
H[SHFWWRFKDUJHWKLVPXFK7KHPRUH
respected your brand, the more you can
RIDE ’EM
PHILOSOPHY AND
MOTORCYCLE SEATS
WORDS THE BEAR
PHOTOS MUSTANG SEATS
The formula
Why are aftermarket seats usually
better, apart from the price point
explanation above?
Back to Powersport University’s
material fromAftermarket Seats 101.
“Mustang subscribes to three pillars of
success when it comes to making a
better seat: quality, comfort and style.
Mustang seats start with a quality
baseplate designed and manufactured
at their plant in New England.The
foam is mixed (using Mustang’s secret
formula) and then molded (sic) to
ensure all-day comfort. Of course
good looks are important, too, so all
Mustang seat covers are designed, cut
and sewn to match the lines of each
particular make and model of
motorcycle.The baseplate, foam and
cover combine to create the highest
quality, most comfortable seat without
compromising style.”
Makers of good products don’t need
to rubbish their competition, and you
can see in the quote above that
Mustang doesn’t criticise OEM seats.
They just explain why theirs are better.
See more at http://www.mustangseats.com,
and if you’re in the US you can contact
Mustang to arrange a tour of their
historic factory only 75 miles west of
Boston and 150 miles from New York
City.The two hour tours are by
reservation only; they can
accommodate groups from 2 to 24,
and they promise you will ride
away with an entirely new awareness
of what you put between you
and your bike.
To schedule a tour time, call
800-243-1392 toll free from North
America, 413-668-1100charge but there is
still a limit. Given that
you also want a certain
SURÀWPDUJLQIRU\RXUVHOI
and your dealers, that sets
the amount you can spend to
build the bike. And if you use the
EHVWDYDLODEOHSDUWV\RXZLOOHDVLO\ÀQG
yourself over that amount.
%XPPHU
You need to cut costs. And what
better place to do that, than where your
customers are least likely to notice it? A
lot of people never ride bikes as hard as
they could be ridden. So, cut costs on
suspension. Anybody who rides hard
enough to need better suspension can
always buy some in the aftermarket and
probably would anyway. Ditto for seats.
Few riders go out for really long, multi-
day rides. And if they do, they can buy
an AirHawk.
%XWLI\RXFDUHDERXWWKHZD\\RXU
bike looks as well as the comfort it
offers – life satisfaction, see above
²WKHQ\RXÀQG\RXUVHOIORRNLQJIRU
an aftermarket seat. These seats cost
money, but if they’re made right
they offer comfort, looks and
longevity. Value.
Take Mustang seats. Here is their own
description* of where they came from,
and what they do.
“After one too many uncomfortable
days in the saddle, Mustang’s founder
Al Simmons decided there had to be a
better alternative to stock motorcycle
seats. An engineer by degree and
training, Al founded Mustang in 1980.
Over the years, Mustang has grown to
be a worldwide leader in the design and
construction of aftermarket motorcycle
seats and accessories for Honda,
Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Victory,
7ULXPSK,QGLDQ%0:DQG+DUOH\
Davidson motorcycles.
“For over 30 years, Mustang has
had an unwavering focus on quality
and customer satisfaction. They
handcraft the most comfortable seats
available for both riders and their
passengers, all under one roof in
their state-of-the-art facility in Three
Rivers, Massachusetts. No one is
more dedicated to building a better
seat than Mustang. Each Mustang seat
or accessory comes with a one-year