The Bride's not happy!

[pastmast95]

Maybe you guy's can give me some ideas. Is there a folding back rest for the passenger seat or a quick release back rest. I had both my knee's replaced last year. I am able to ride again. But to get on and off I have to swing my leg over the bags and rear seat. I can't step on and off with a sissy bar in place like I did when I was young and limber. 90% of the time I ride solo now that I'm retired, the bride still works (call her my Sugar Ma Ma) Any way her back hurts without a back rest after 10 miles or so when she rides with me on the weekends. She doesn't want to ride her own bike so that's out. Any information would be helpful!

[Jess from VA]

Why can't you just step through and slide over onto the riders seat? 

That seems easier than swinging the leg all the way out and around to get on.

[pastmast95]

Don't have quite enough bend. Maybe in the future.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I’ve not seen a folding or removable backrest. But I’m sure one could be made pretty easily.

[WintrSol]

Have tried standing on one peg, then stepping through? Nothing says one foot has to be on the ground, and I think the side stand can take it. Heck, the bike is heavy enough you can mount this way from the starboard side, if you're concerned about overloading the side stand. I've mounted this way when I had the stand side too close to a wall.

[Jess from VA]

Don't have quite enough bend. Maybe in the future.

Have the wife steady you from behind, then use both arms to assist lifting the leg to step through and slide on.

My legs are short (29") and I've been stepping through for years with a tall driver's backrest.

Maybe a little practice would help.   

[..]

I would strongly advise against mounting using the rear brake side foot peg.

Ask Detn8er   

[Jess from VA]

I would strongly advise against mounting using the rear brake side foot peg.

Ask Detn8er   

It's probably OK if you only weigh 60 or 70 lbs.   

Besides, if you're having a hard time leg lifting the low side, how is getting on the high side easier?

[pastmast95]

Thanks for the input. I've tried the different ways suggested. They just don't work for me. I'm a big boy 300+ pounds. Maybe if the backrest was low, like right off the seat I may be able to swing my leg over it to get on. Getting off when I'm by myself might be a trick.

[Jess from VA]

You can get a lower seat than stock (an inch or so),

And shorter shocks in back (13" stock, down to 11.5").  But if you go down an inch on shocks only, you only go down around a half inch on the seat.

And the forks can be slipped down a little in the clamps/tree. 

[WintrSol]

I would strongly advise against mounting using the rear brake side foot peg.

Ask Detn8er   

It's probably OK if you only weigh 60 or 70 lbs.   

Besides, if you're having a hard time leg lifting the low side, how is getting on the high side easier?

Dressed to ride, I weigh over 170#, and never had the bike threaten to even stand up, much less roll towards me. Yes, it gets lighter on the stand, but just some. I do step on the bike side of the peg, not on the end, just in case.

I see this is likely not an option for the OP, given his last response. My backrest will slide out when pulled up; perhaps your SO can put it back, once you are seated?

[Gryphon Rider]

My backrest will slide out when pulled up; perhaps your SO can put it back, once you are seated?

He's talking about the passenger backrest needing to be removed.

[WintrSol]

My backrest will slide out when pulled up; perhaps your SO can put it back, once you are seated?

He's talking about the passenger backrest needing to be removed.

Yeah, I just went back to the first post; forgot about that. All I can think of, is to cut the uprights and add strap hinges, so it will tilt forwards. It'd be ugly, even if it was re-chromed.

[The emperor has no clothes]

My backrest will slide out when pulled up; perhaps your SO can put it back, once you are seated?

He's talking about the passenger backrest needing to be removed.

Yeah, I just went back to the first post; forgot about that. All I can think of, is to cut the uprights and add strap hinges, so it will tilt forwards. It'd be ugly, even if it was re-chromed.

I was thinking it would be much simpler to just remove the 4 bolts and replace them with clevis pins ?

[Avanti]

Take a foreword backrest and adapt it to be used as the rear backrest.

Or something on this order.
https://www.kuryakyn.com/products/4079/multi-purpose-driver-passenger-backrest

[moreira72]

here you go


https://www.westendmotorsports.com/national-cycle-paladin-quickset3-backrest-for-1500-f6c-valkyrie-97-03-quickset3-mounting-system-sold-separately/

[pastmast95]

Hey thanks , that might just be what I'm looking for!

[Chrisj CMA]

Did you try mounting the bike from the right side? I’ve seen older guys do that saying it’s easier to slip the left leg over the seat from the right side.

[mbramley]

I would strongly advise against mounting using the rear brake side foot peg.

Ask Detn8er   

It's probably OK if you only weigh 60 or 70 lbs.   

Besides, if you're having a hard time leg lifting the low side, how is getting on the high side easier?

Dressed to ride, I weigh over 170#, and never had the bike threaten to even stand up, much less roll towards me. Yes, it gets lighter on the stand, but just some. I do step on the bike side of the peg, not on the end, just in case.

I see this is likely not an option for the OP, given his last response. My backrest will slide out when pulled up; perhaps your SO can put it back, once you are seated?

  I'm 250+ and use the right peg to get on and off sometimes, usually when the arthritis is acting up. If I don't bounce the bike stays stable.

[Jess from VA]

I suspect getting on from the right side (using the peg) also entails a bit of leaning into/over the machine.

I can get on from the right too, but I don't step on the peg.

This discussion brings to mind the stories that fully armored up knights (of the round table), had to be winched up to get on their war horses.  Either that, or they had to use some kind of loading dock.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Get a Corbin seat, plus backrests. These slide into holes in both driver and passenger sections - and if you omit the mounting hardware, can be readily removed. Even by a seated rider/passenger.

I have such a setup on my Interstate. Bonus is that when I want the trunk back on, it has a matching passenger pad attached. I simply remove the rear backrest, install the trunk and am good to go.

[rug_burn]

I have been dealing with this lately, too:  the swinging the leg-to-the-side thing was only giving me pains in my hip.... and that don't lead to anything good- 
   So i got in the habit of leaning back and lifting my knee straight up sometimes pulling on it with a hand, and putting the calf part over the seat, making a point not to lift it to the side.   you may have to stretch out your stiff muscles a little, but if you're like me, that's probably a good thing, anyway.