Utopia backrest too big??

[scot in exile]

MrStepnerd please post a photo of your rear turn signals and some info about them---Thanks

 

[jake shaw]

I swapped the pad from the Utopia with the passenger pad. it took a little bit of thought but I much preferred it. I do not have that bike anymore so cannot post a picture.

 

[1olbull]

The Utopia is an awesome product!
Tis large indeed, but it pivots forward and back making the leg swing much easier.
The comfort for a bad back is WELL worth the inconvenience, IMHO.

Is that seat on your Rocket OEM?
I LIKE it!

Solo seat with Odessy back reat

 

[Stepnerd]

That would be quite hard to get a leg over, does it fold back at the base to make a day bed?
I have the factory Classic dual seat with backrest on my 2010 R3R set at maximum height and it is possible to leg over without folding, but easier if you just fold the pad backwards on the top pad mount hinge like a 'T'.
The sprung bottom main adjustment mount folds fold forwards and I presume is really there to allow the pillion to get on (if a sissy bar is fitted), while the rider stands holding the bike up. I don't usually carry pillions so haven't tried it yet.
Have you a picture of the rear mount to the pad and how doe s yours fold - at one point or two and forwards or back?

What is the seat model, is that std factory 2013 R3R or recovered/shaped? Found on your profile -"BeyondTrim custom seats".
I presume the Utopia backrest mount bolts on top of or replaces the existing pillion base mount.

I have a generic pad from the local dealer made with fitted thread inserts for mounting that I had tried on some home made flimsy mounts that worked OK before buying the factory classic seat and backrest.

Yeah, that's the standard seat, reshaped and retrimmed by BeyondTrim.
And yes, the backrest attaches to the standard pillion seat mount.
The Back rest has a hinge with a stop, so that the whole backrest folds down forward, so throwing the leg over is no different to when the rest isn't there. Quite an ingenious design.

 

[Stepnerd]

I'm sure it's comfortable but so is an arm chair and I would want one of those on my bike either. I had a Triumph backrest on mine and wouldn't have been without it, but they're a lot smaller than that one.
I'd get in touch with the supplier and see if they can chop half or at least 1/3 of it off if it was mine. Or maybe wherever your seat was done could "fix" it for you and make it match the seat better.

I can see you have taken pride in the aesthetics of your bike, including the seat and frankly I wouldn't be able to bring myself to ride with it the way it is.

I think I'll get the guy who did the seat to fix it for me. The backrest comes from the US, whereas he's at least in the same state as me - a mere 1200km away!

 

[Stepnerd]

I swapped the pad from the Utopia with the passenger pad. it took a little bit of thought but I much preferred it. I do not have that bike anymore so cannot post a picture.

I was thinking about the possibility of using the Triumph pillion backrest pad on the utopia mount. It'd look spot on. How did you find it for comfort?

 

[Stepnerd]

The Utopia is an awesome product!
Tis large indeed, but it pivots forward and back making the leg swing much easier.
The comfort for a bad back is WELL worth the inconvenience, IMHO.

Is that seat on your Rocket OEM?
I LIKE it!

Solo seat with Odessy back reat

Yeah, it's the standard r3r seat, reshaped and retrimmed by a local motor trimmer in Perth. He does the best work I've ever seen!

 

[Stepnerd]

MrStepnerd please post a photo of your rear turn signals and some info about them---Thanks

I can't tell you much about them, I'm afraid - they were on the bike when I got it.

 

[Claviger]

Having had mine on for a bit now, I am torn.

I absolutely HATE the look of any backrest. On the other hand I really like the feel, and it encourages me to keep by butt further back in the seat to take advantage of it, which leads to a more correct and vertical posture.

As a result I find low speed stability is better because I am sitting taller and have no issues riding around at sub 1mph speeds in traffic etc with feet on pegs instead of duck walking like a baby giraffe.

For faster playing, I move forward a bit to make slipping my butt off the seat easier for better cornering speed. So the backrest doesn't come into play at all.

All in all, after a couple of days in the saddle for 6 hours or more with only gas stops, I find myself less fatigued and not at all sore the following day, and I use the stock seat, roughly 200lb rider. This was not the case before the Utopia, so, even though I think it looks rediculous, and surely seems out of place when I'm out riding like I'm running from a Russian invasion, I'll keep it, as function in this case outstrips appearances.

 

[1olbull]

Yeah, it's the standard r3r seat, reshaped and retrimmed by a local motor trimmer in Perth. He does the best work I've ever seen!

Sure does look good!
So then, reckon I can't but one?