It’s a chance for us to introduce our new products and marketing promotions for 2012, along with the added bonus of seeing all the industry friends we have made over the years (32 years to be exact)!  Lots of old friends and many new, young faces.

If you stop by our booth (#315) you will see some seats that have never been introduced to the public before.

Although this is a trade event only (not open to the public) we will be updating everyone about events and new products on our Facebook page.

Hope to see you there, and don’t forget to check for updates!

There has been a huge influx of motorcycle seats available for bike models in the past decade or so — available in a range of styles and prices. Take the time to think about the type of riding you do, the style you want for your bike and what it is specifically that you hope to achieve by making the investment in a new seat.

The type of seat you purchase usually depends on the type of riding you do or a certain look you are trying to achieve. Ask yourself the following questions:
• Do you mostly ride around town or do you take long trips?
• Honestly assess your height vis-à-vis your bike model.  Does your seat help you to put your feet flat on the ground for safety and control at stops?
• What percentage of the time do you carry a passenger?
• Is your bike stored outside during the riding season or is it always under cover?
• Are you looking for a comfortable touring seat or a one-of-a-kind custom seat for your show bike?
• Will you need a sissy bar for either passenger back support or to secure luggage on long trips?

With few exceptions, we ride for the fun and thrill of it.  Before purchasing a replacement seat, spend some time to select perfect seat that will enhance the look of your bike while making riding enjoyable for both the driver and passenger.

No matter how you pronounce it, Mustang has the final word when it comes to comfort for the Kawasaki Vaquero.

The deeply pocketed driver seat on the one-piece Wide Touring style with Driver Backrest is a full 16.5” wide and sits you at the ideal cruising angle.  The 13” wide passenger seat utilizes Mustang’s unique internal steel support wings.  The optional driver backrest provides superb back support for those longer rides and is fully adjustable and easily removable.

The Vintage style seat is sold as a three-piece set including solo, removable driver backrest and passenger seat with a backrest receiver for $739; the optional passenger backrest (shown) is $200.  Also available with studs and conchos.

Mustang seats for Metric Cruisers and H-D® models are proudly handcrafted in the USA.  For more info, visit MustangSeats.com or call 800-243-1392.

Click to watch the how Mustang designed and built their new line of seats for Vaquero!

Tucked away in our Connecticut warehouse is Al’s collection of dozens of vintage Mustang motorcycles (those half scooters/half motorcycles built in Glendale, CA, after WWII). When Ted Doering, founder and owner of Tedd Cycle and V-Twin Manufacturing  opened the doors of his huge “Motorcyclepedia Museum” in Newburgh, NY, Al offered to donate a special Mustang—a single cylinder, 319 cc, 3-speed transmission Pony that could run over 60 mph!

Al and Ted had spent a lot of time together about 35 years ago in the late 1970’s and Al credits Ted for playing an important role in the start of Mustang. Despite taking separate paths, Al and Ted would see each other at the annual trade show in Cincinnati. With such a history and a shared love of motorcycles, Al says it was really nice to be able to spend some time together.

 Ted very kindly gave Al a personal guided tour of the incredible 85,000 square foot museum. Al was particularly fascinated to learn about the large displacement motorcycles that were used for bicycle pacer races throughout the early half of the 20th century—but that’s a subject for a later blog.

For now, Al is proud that his little Mustang Pony has found a suitable home in Motorcyclepedia among over 300 bikes that span the history of motorcycling.

The economy has been on a roller coaster ride, and we are happy to be still strapped in our seats at the end of the year.  We hope the 2012 brings much needed boosts to the economy for all concerned.

Mustang, for the first time in years, closed for a day due to weather related conditions.  Mother Nature decided to “trick us” with a surprise snow storm before that practically shut down Connecticut.  Once the snow was cleared and the power turned back on, we were up and running with business as usual.  We were one of the lucky ones that did not lose power for a long period of time.  It was quite the ordeal for many others, some being without power for 10 days or more.

Even though it is the end of the year when many businesses are quiet during the holidays, we are just beginning to hustle and bustle with things to do.  This is the time of the year that we begin planning our line of seats, creating new ones and continuing to produce the seats that everyone has come to know.  We are preparing our catalogs for printing and distributing, and planning our attendance at dealer and retail shows during 2012.  We always look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at these shows.  Our scheduled shows in 2012 are listed on our website, so if you are going to be attending one or more of them, please stop by and say hello.

We hope that 2012 brings good health and prosperity to all.  We also hope that Mother Nature will be kinder to everyone in the weather department.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  See you in 2012!

As long as you purchase a Mustang seat that is specifically made for the exact make, model and year of your bike, there’s no need to worry about fitment.  Choose your seat style, mount your new seat and ride in comfort and style!

We are introducing a five-part series “Motorcycle Seats 101.”  This brief but comprehensive overview is designed to help you make an informed decision when buying a motorcycle seat–whether you’re looking for a seat or saddle made of the highest quality materials, attractively styled, designed for comfort, reasonably priced or all of the above!

As you know, replacement motorcycle seats can be purchased from the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Victory, Honda and Harley-Davidson. Replacement saddles are also available from aftermarket seat companies whose main business is the production of seats, not motorcycles. These businesses include C&C, Corbin, LePera, Mustang and Saddlemen, and a multitude of smaller, custom seat builders.

If you simply want to change your seat style or you need to replace a worn-out seat — and improved comfort is not an issue — buying a seat from your OEM might just be the ticket.  Truth is, most motorcycle manufacturers (OEMs) concentrate most of their time and money researching the bike engine and aerodynamic design of their bikes, rather than putting a lot of effort into their seats.

Aftermarket seat companies place all of their focus and effort into providing an array of seat styles and features because that’s usually their primary business.  These aftermarket manufacturers sell their brand of seats directly to OEMs, offer them through a distribution channel to dealers or directly to dealers, or they market the seats directly to the riding public.

Small-scale custom seat builders often work directly with the individual rider, building a seat using the original baseplate and the original form. Custom builders may offer a unique selection of baseplates, materials and stitch patterns.

Check back next week for first of five chapters that Mustang Motorcycle Seats has compiled to bring you up to speed on motorcycle seat basics:
• Chapter 1: Seat Fitment 101
• Chapter 2: Assessing Your Needs
• Chapter 3: What Makes a Seat Great?
• Chapter 4: Seat Features
• Chapter 5: The “Bottom Line”

Meanwhile, feel free to post any seat questions or comments here and we’ll address them below or in our next blog.

Thanks and Happy Holidays from all of us at Mustang Seats!

The 13.5” wide passenger seat with built-in backrest is available with plain, chrome studs or black pearl-centered studs, with prices starting at $449.  The front of the passenger seat is recessed to allow clearance when installed behind a solo with a built-in driver backrest.  For passengers who prefer more room or want to lean farther back, Mustang offers an optional offset backrest post for only $25.

Riders who have a Mustang solo with a driver backrest and want interchangeable comfort can purchase the passenger seat with a receiver only (without backrest) priced from $249; this passenger seat accepts the driver backrest from the solo for dual versatility.

Mustang can also accommodate riders that have our solo seats without driver backrests, but would like to have a backrest for their passengers.  These passenger seats are not recessed; instead they extend forward over the driver’s solo to give additional back support.

Watch a short demonstration of the full versatility of the passenger backrest.

Visit MustangSeats.com  to view our full line of seats for Harley-Davidson® and Metric Cruisers, all handcrafted in the USA, or call (800) 243-1392 for more information.

Look for our new ads in your favorite motorcycle magazine next month!

SEMA is a trade association consisting of a diverse group of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, magazines, builders, restylers, race teams and more. And each fall, this industry’s brightest minds and hottest products are drawn to the Las Vegas Convention Center like moths to a light bulb.

And while this is strictly an industry-only event that’s not open to the public, even civilians know this trade show by one simple acronym: SEMA.

This month, Gary Kendrick, Mustang’s vice president of manufacturing, joined more than 60,000 of his closest friends at SEMA, touting our world-famous motorcycle seats and talking them up to anyone who would listen. He said he spent three full days making the rounds of the cavernous Las Vegas Convention Center, and he’s pretty sure he saw everything there was to see. Not twice, mind you, but an exhaustive tour nonetheless.

Besides hundreds of displays of electronics, lights and engines as well as tools, welders and tire changing machines, Gary has a huge selection of educational seminars from which to choose, as well as dozens of product demonstrations, special events and, of course, networking opportunities.

Heck, the “New Products Showcase” alone featured debuts of nearly 1,500 new parts, tools and components. Gary met up with several contingents of motorcycle industry colleagues, including Kuryakyn President Tom Rudd, who was heading out with his son to test drive a Ferrari.

Gary said he turned down the opportunity to go for a test ride in a Corvette drift car, claiming he had to concentrate on motorcycle-related business. This may or may not be true. You know what they say about what happens in Vegas.

Shown on this page are a few photos, including the cheesecake shot at the top that was taken by Gary’s wife, Joanne.

Click above for a PDF download of Marilyn's' article

We’ve never been shy about offering up suggestions for motorcycle-related gifts, so when IronWorks magazine asked our marketing director for some holiday gift ideas, she was more than willing to help out.

Marilyn Simmons has been marketing our products for years, and was the perfect go-to person for the popular motorcycle magazine to approach. Her article, which appears in the Holiday Gift Guide edition of IronWorks, features all kinds of helpful hints for those shopping for biker enthusiasts.

Posed under the article’s headline (What the heck can I buy for the biker on my list?) are dozens of suggestions presented by our own expert that should help holiday shoppers come up with something original this year, instead of what Marilyn kindly calls “the standard gift box of T-shirts, hats and posters.”

For the male rider, she suggests some luggage or saddlebags, with perhaps a bike detailing kit in the Christmas stocking, or maybe even a pewter Gremlin bell to protect your ride from evil road spirits. For the ladies, Marilyn recommends Biker Betty watches, purses and jewelry, or maybe some ponytail wraps, tubes or rings. And for the offspring of off-roaders, there are always bike-themed bibs, teddy bears, dolls and puzzles.

To find out what else our marketing director suggests as good gift ideas, buy the latest IronWorks magazine, visit the IronWorks website or www.BikerEssentials.com.