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Egological
Why Do We Buy, By The By?
by
Dave Preston
I’ve been a motorcycle customer and enthusiast for almost 40
years, which is about five years less than I wanted. I had to
survive some parentally instituted delays in my teen years. I’ve
spent the last seven years watching and listening as thousands of
customers made all sorts of buying decisions. What are the
motivators? Why do we really buy? Who makes the decisions? I think
that I now know.
Frequently people will speak of being torn between “the heart” and
“the mind,” which translates to whether to buy what you really want
or buy what the logical portion of your brain is recommending. In my
own case, if it is motorcycles, I try to always go with what I
really want, and USUALLY this has worked out well. But really, at
the end of the day I don’t think the decision is actually made by
the heart, or the mind, or the spouse or the bank. I think the
decision is made by… the ego.
Methinks it is how we see ourselves, or how we would like ourselves
to be seen by others, that is the real driver. I hasten to add that
there’s nothing wrong with that – as long as we admit to the
reality. Examples?
Helmets - what we want (logically) in a helmet is the most safety
and the most comfort at the lowest price. In my current life, my
mind can justify purchasing the most expensive Arai model because it
is important that I “model” the best equipment when riding with
customers. But, in truth, I have been purchasing very expensive
helmets since I first began to ride. A concern for safety? Well
sure, but then why do I usually purchase helmets painted in lustrous
black? Not very conspicuous, for sure. I did wear a screaming yellow
helmet for five years – and that was not for safety either but
because, and here is the driver in almost all motorcycle and gear
purchases, it looked cool. Or, and more to the point, I thought that
I looked cool in it. Some others (most of my Harley pals) disagreed,
but again, my thesis is that we buy things because our ego wants us
to look cool, and what others might think either supports our
opinion – or is ignored.
How about footwear? I spent a lovely day two weeks ago riding with a
large group of Gold Wing riders. The scenery was spectacular, while
the weather was, shall we say, variable. Over several hours I
noticed that an astonishing percentage of the Wingers were wearing
tennis shoes – all of which became the equivalent of 5 pounds of
soggy toilet paper on each foot in the intermittent showers. What’s
up with that? The following week the answer came from a friend who
has ridden Gold Wings for a long time. It all goes back to when the
Wing first came out – decades ago. At the time, the image of
motorcyclists was much more “rugged” than it is today – and rugged
is a positive euphemism. I am not saying that the image was accurate
– just what it was. To counter that, Wing enthusiasts began the
habit of placing stuffed animals on the top trunk to present a
friendlier image. I was not aware that they also wore tennis shoes
for the same reason. This is surely the ego talking, as it makes no
sense to the heart OR the mind to wear tennis on an 800-pound bike.
I am not criticizing Wingers, or anyone else, nor do I excuse
myself. A few years ago I purchased a very rare Muzzy Raptor
superbike – also an ego purchase. To go with it, I “reasoned” that I
needed the top of the line Alpinestar Supertech race boots. Wow! Did
I look fast! Stress “look.” I was also comfy, as long as I did not
get off the bike and attempt something exotic, like walking. In
addition, if it was raining or even humid, they dealt with water
about as well as… tennis shoes.
And bikes? Please! Aren’t the choices marvelous? Aren’t you happy
with what you purchased? Here’s a test – have you EVER ridden past a
bank window with mirrored glass and NOT looked at the reflection of
your bad self? It is automatic. If you go around the block to do it
again, you are not alone.
Last week I enjoyed a day with a Harley-Davidson VROD Night Rod
Special. Oh lord! My wife is so inured to all manner of bikes
spending a night or two in our garage that she rarely notices them –
not this one! Black paint, black frame, black engine, black wheels
with orange pinstripes, black fairing… this is moto-eye candy at its
best. I rode it wearing a black Harley jacket, black gloves and
boots, and a black helmet with a dark shield. Oh yes, baby!
This is a bike that appeals to the ego, and a good thing, too, as
the riding experience is a little… different. Within two blocks of
getting it off the lot I took it back to Harley-Davidson of Seattle
- convinced it had a flat front tire. No – it was fine. With a 240mm
rear tire and a kicked out front end the handling is just fine above
40mph or so, but at low speeds it feels and turns exactly like a
bike with a flat front tire. What a treat to ride, too. Essentially
it is a bracket drag race bike with mufflers and a license plate.
You paddle-walk it around at walking speeds – your knees bent at
right angles, your arms reaching forward quite a ways to the drag
bars. Once underway your feet go on the forward controls and you’re
in a clamshell position – but a very cool clamshell position. Ample
power, although I was breaking this in for the rentals department
and restrained myself, but you could tell what was there. Full
points to Harley for producing such a radical and gorgeous
statement. Who else does? It will either be used to devastating
effect as a drag racer – or not - but the ego of the rider will be
well taken care of.
As to riding gear, the debates about leather versus fabric will go
on for decades, and to little effect. Both are available from many
different sources offering excellent products of fine design. Each
style has assets, but at the end of the day, it is which one
bolsters your own ego. I started out wanting a black leather jacket
and could not afford one… for a long time. Now, every time I put on
one of my TWO leather jackets it is a vindication for the needs of
my inner child. Fabric is fine – I have one of those too, for really
foul weather, (see, I am not a slave to my ego) but for me on most
occasions - leather. (OK, maybe I am a slave to my ego after all).
How about you? How’s your ego today?
Dave Preston is the author of
Motorcycle 101, a sensible book
for the new and returning rider. |
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