The Don Juan Love Affair
It's not often that product designs, especially wheels, stay in demand for more than a decade. It does happen, of course. There are those 'timeless' designs that become custom staples, that almost become a foundational product line, but when a new product comes to market, even one that is destined to be a success, it is never a 'given' that demand will sustain for that long.
Especially in times that have seen such change in taste and demand, and vendor 'churn', of the kind that we have witnessed since 2007. The trick is to not be afraid to allow the design of a top-seller to evolve with tastes and to listen to your customers.
When Metalsport opened its doors in the latter part of 2007, the designers immediately produced more than twelve designs in the 3D format, including the 3D Don Juan.
This design remained an unchanged favorite with riders for the next five years until 2013, when its designers 'tweaked' it by adding a bend/curve to the spokes.
Both the 3D Don Juan and the 3D Don Juan Torque maintained their popularity, but Metalsport says that it was asked many times why it didn't offer these styles in the 2D format. In 2016, Metalsport debuted the Don Juan and Don Juan Torque in the 2D format.
"Since 2007, these designs have been considered one of our most popular designs. Along with our Corleone, Impression and the Whip, they have been a design portfolio staple for us," says MSI sales manager Lizette Hotinger.
Fast forward to late 2019, and Metalsport's designers decided to tweak the Don Juan family once again by adding more spokes to the Don Juan Torque and crossing the spokes. Like all the best families, the Don Juan has gone forth and multiplied. In January 2020, two more styles were added - the 3D Don Juan 10 and the 3D Don Juan Crossblade - and the family was now starting to look more like a tribe.
These designs are available in over 30 sizes in the 2D format and over 20 sizes in 3D format - from the 16" to the 34" size. Going into 2024, Metalsport Wheels offer 25 designs in 2D and 33 designs in the 3D format.
"With 15 years of continual evolution locked into its genes, including design collaborations with designers and custom builders such as Chip Foose, Shannon Davidson and Paul Yaffe, dealers and their customers can expect more exciting Don Juan designs to be making their debut soon.
METALSPORT WHEELS