Case Study: Harley Davidson Fit Shop Reduction Logo Mat
The most prestigious motorcycle manufacturer in the world, Harley Davidson, was currently purchasing a highly customized bi-level “wooden” floor mat for their Fit Shop Program. The mat is designed to assist the dealer when custom fitting a motorcycle to a riders height and leg length. The mat simulates the lowering of a bikes suspension 1/2” or 1”. Due to excessive cost increases for the current product, Mat Tech was asked to build a replacement product for the wooden mat currently being used.
The Problems:
- Fabrication of the mat out of wood was a labor intensive approach to use in the intended application.
- The graphics text would need to change from country to country, depending on the language spoken.
- The new product needed to be easily handled by dealer personnel and be moved around the showroom frequently.
- Graphics need to have design flexibility.
- The mat should have very durable physical properties to resist normal wear and tear.
- The product needed to reflect the high quality standards of Harley Davidson.
The Solutions:
- Mat Tech used a custom vinyl molding process, creating a one-piece solid, flexible molded vinyl product.
- Using “removable” custom inserts in key graphic areas, allowed for complete flexibility in graphic changes. Changing graphics were as easy as a simple insert replacement.
- The same set of custom molds are now used in product production for any country or language.
- Handles were designed into the Fit Shop mat to allow dealer personnel to easily move the mat to any location in the showroom.
- Molded graphics are an integrated part of the solid vinyl construction and are impervious to wear and tear from general use.
- The product finish and appearance superseded the original mat used. More precise of graphic location, consistent graphic placement and an overall look all satisfied Harley Davidson’s high standards.
