Al Jesse, a motorcycle rider, traveler, and inventor, has been in the motorcycle accessories business for years. How do inventors come up with their ideas, what possesses them to keep going, and how are smart motorcycle accessories born?
Al Jesse is best known for his Jesse Luggage company, one of the first motorcycle luggage manufacturers in the US. Born out of sheer necessity – riding around the world, Al soon realized that specialized motorcycle luggage was a need he could fulfill – Jesse Luggage became an iconic motorcycle accessories company that helped countless riders achieve their motorcycle adventure dreams all over the world.
But after successfully selling Jesse Luggage, Al just couldn’t sit still. “For the first time in decades, I now had the time to just ride my bike. And I rode a lot! But as miles disappeared under my tires, I realized something was missing. There were so many little things on my bike that could be improved”, – says Al.
And that’s how Moto Manufacturing was born: driven by a passion to help riders enjoy motorcycling more. “The coolest thing about being an inventor is being able to fix what I think doesn’t work from the factory, being able to improve things, and coming up with what I think is a better solution. I grew up on a farm, where things constantly needed to be fixed, where solutions had to be found and things made from scratch, and whenever I’m facing a problem, my first thought is always, ‘how can I fix this’, ‘how can I make this better’ “, – explains Al.
Moto Manufacturing is now preparing for the launch of its first product, Mirror Lok. While Al isn’t ready to reveal all the juicy details just yet, Mirror Lok is going to be a multi-functional motorcycle accessory that will help riders to be safer on the road, see better, and keep their gear safe.
“I wanted to create a very small but smart motorcycle gadget that would solve multiple problems at once, and that’s exactly what Mirror Lok (patent pending) is going to be! There is always a better way to do something with less parts. I enjoy fixing a problem that no one knows is there”, – says Al.
So how are smart motorcycle accessories born? According to Al, it takes a lot of patience, a lot of stubbornness and a lot of passion.
“There were six or seven Mirror Lok versions before I finally said, ‘aha! I’ve got it!’. It does take time, and a lot of major and minor changes to pieces that you eventually throw away and start again from scratch. The hardest part, I think, is sticking to the least number of parts to morph the product into what you want to happen – an ergonomic, multi-functional accessory”.
Mirror Lok is just the beginning, however: Al has a lot more in store. After the launch, Al plans to start working on several other projects and continue creating smart motorcycle accessories for both every day rides and round-the world adventures.
His top tip for budding motorcycle accessories inventors? “Don’t work on multiple projects at a time. Finish one, then start the other. Getting in a rut and overthinking only wastes time and doesn’t work for designing and production. And don’t forget to hit that open road once in a while!”.
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