Seat Construction

Mustang's President, Al Simmons, insists that every Mustang seat is built to show bike quality standards. Our seats will retain their looks with no maintenance on your part--just years of comfortable riding! Mustang believes that, with a well-designed seat, there is no reason to be uncomfortable. You should always enjoy your ride--whether five miles or all day.

Mustang seats are meticulously designed so that the baseplate, foam and cover components combine to make the finest, most comfortable seat possible. All seat components are hand assembled at our New England facility to give you the high quality seat that makes Mustang America's choice for comfort.

Baseplates
Mustang seats are constructed on either a single baseplate (both the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat are built on the same, single baseplate) or a two-piece baseplate (the driver's seat is constructed on a separate baseplate from the passenger’s seat).

Both of the pieces on a two-piece baseplate can be attached together for two-up riding or separated to ride as a solo seat. Some Mustang seats feature a “two-piece look” but are actually built on a single baseplate. Mustang baseplates are constructed of either marine-grade fiberglass or steel.

• Mustang Baseplates for Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Victory Seats
  All baseplates for these seats are made of marine-grade, 3/16" thick fiberglass, finished in high gloss gel coat. All brackets are riveted in place. Exposed brackets are bright chrome plated. Polyurethane rubber bumpers are strategically located and riveted to the baseplate to prevent it from touching the frame and fender and to minimize vibration. Bumpers will not crack with age and are ozone protected. The hidden brackets have a tough, black epoxy powder coat finish and the edges of all baseplates have a steel reinforced, impact absorbing vinyl edge trim to protect the seat cover Mustang's unique internal support wings are added to the baseplate to provide maximum driver and passenger comfort. These wings support the entire width of the molded foam. This feature is found on most Mustang touring seats.
• Baseplates for Mustang Seats for Harley-Davidson®
  Formed 16 gauge steel baseplates are black epoxy powder coated on both sides for complete rust proofing. Carpet protects fender paint. Exposed brackets are bright chrome plated.NOTE: FLHT/FLHR Ultra and 2006-up Dyna baseplates are made of marine-grade fiberglass 3/16" thick finished in high gloss gel coat. This allows for the use of a fender mounted driver backrest kit.

The edges of all baseplates have a steel reinforced, impact absorbing vinyl edge trim to protect the seat cover. Polyurethane bumpers are strategically located and riveted to the baseplate to prevent it from touching the frame and fender and to minimize vibration. Mustang's unique internal support wings are added to the baseplate to provide maximum driver and passenger comfort. These wings support the entire width of the molded foam. This feature is found on most Mustang touring seats. Bumpers will not crack with age and are ozone protected. Solos with built-in driver backrests have the receiver welded and reinforced to the baseplate for strength. Foam surrounds the hardware to provide maximum comfort.

Foam
All foam is compounded and molded at our New England facility. For a seat to be comfortable, "it's what's inside that counts". The most important component of comfort is the seat foam--both the quality of the foam itself and its design. Each Mustang foam is formulated and cast to be soft enough for comfort and resilient enough to stand up to those "thousand- mile" days. Mustang has over 25 years of experience in compounding the right chemical mix to create the best controlled density polyurethane foam for all-day comfort. The foam has a density of approximately four pounds per cubic foot, depending on the size and thickness of the seat. The foam must then be molded to the correct shape to support your body at the best angle.

Mustang’s high quality foam usually feels firmer than stock but is less firm than other aftermarket seats. It will compress enough to mold itself to your body shape within about 15 minutes of riding time--every time you ride. You do not need a "break-in" period to be comfortable. Your 100th ride will be equal to your 10,000th mile. Mustang seats are known for retaining their shape and support after years of use.

• What is “split-foam” construction?
  The term simply refers to the look of one style of seats that has the appearance of being made from two parts (a solo seat and a passenger seat) but which is really constructed on a single baseplate. The foam for seats with this look has been split in the middle to give it a two-piece appearance.
• Does Mustang use gel in the seats?
  No, Mustang does not use gel in our motorcycle seats. We manufacture our seats with the very best controlled-density, polyurethane foam possible. To put it simply, gel does not compress—it just changes its shape. Foam compresses (what you need your Mustang seat to do) while gel displaces (imagine a tube of toothpaste). Gel may be suitable for a very high-pressure application in a limited area such as bicycle seats or soles of shoes. However, to be fully supported and all-day comfortable, your posterior needs and deserves the cushioning of Mustang foam.

Cover Material
All covers are designed, cut and individually sewn at our New England facility. Covers are made of the highest quality expanded vinyl available. They have the appearance of black leather but the durability and resistance to the elements that exceed original equipment standards for motorcycle seats. All seams are sewn twice for strength. The bottom edge that holds the cover to the base plate is hemmed where the rivets hold the cover to the baseplate.

The edges of our seat skirts are finished with braid. Regal styles are tufted with covered buttons which are double-tied with four cords, not two. Mustang seats do not lose their buttons.

• Does Mustang offer seats in different colors?
  No. Mustang seats are available in black only; We currently do not offer seats in any other color.
  NOTE: Although all seats and accessories are black, they may appear grayish on the website or in the catalog.
• Why does Mustang use vinyl seat covering?
  Vinyl has the durability to resist all weather conditions better than other materials. It does not fade and requires practically no maintenance.
• Does Mustang offer leather seats as an option?
  No, we do not make any seats in leather; all Mustang seats are covered with top quality expanded vinyl for durability and easy care.

Studs, Conchos and Fringe
Decorative studs are chrome-plated brass, not steel, and will never rust. Our custom-made conchos, heavy die cast zinc, not a thin stamping and are hand-tied with genuine leather straps. Our fringe is vat-dyed leather so that the color goes all the way through. If you would like to purchase additional studs or conchos, please contact Mustang.

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