This thread discusses the Content article: Make Your Own Drivers Backrest

Thank you for this post. I did it, and I love it. How did I ride without a backrest until now?

Suggestions:

I made a mock-up of the J-bar with a 1/16" x 1" aluminum bar. It bends easily by hand, and you can hold the backrest in place while you're sitting on the bike to come very close to the final shape.

I put a little bit of electrical tape on the back of my stock rider's seat to avoid abrasion from the bar.

Observations:

I didn't have to cut the bracket at all. I ground off the sides of the 1-1/4" J-bar slightly and it slid right in the bracket. I used a stud, with a bolt, put the J-bar on top of the bolt, and another bolt (Nylock) on top of that. Make sure the flat part at the bottom of the J-bar is long enough to sit through the seat bracket to the rear.

You can bend a 3/16" x 1-1/4" steel bar by heating it over a camp stove. It doesn't have to be red hot.

Damned if I can tighten that top nut all the way! Just not enough room. I might have to cut the side of the seat bracket, or squash down the lip, just for wrench clearance. I have it tightened enough for use, though.

Shep

Thanks for the tip Shep!

You deserve some Karma for that one. Any chance of taking a couple of pics to go with it?

GRAM

Pictures? No worries. I have a digital camera. Tell me what to do with them.

Shep

Shep I made one for my bike and for the wifes vstar custom. I agree with you on I dont know how I got along without one. The one recommendation that I would make is that after you have it bent to fit and tested. Take it completely apart and heat the bar up red hot and quince in water. I found that the bar will bend a little with long rides so tempering it makes it hold the original position.

Shep,

Laughed when I saw your comment (Damned if I can tighten that top nut all the way )! Here's a tip. I added a similar backrest to my bike and the only tool I could find that would tighten that nut in the space available was one of those small wrenches that has the rachet built inside the box end. I bought one from Sears and was able to get a single click out of it on each turn. That made the difference for me.

As a side note -- I built a bracket that bolted to the three screw positions on the back of the cushion and welded a hinge to it. Welded the other side of the hinge to the support bolted on the fender. My backrest flops over on the seat when I'm not using it but when I sit on the seat and push back toward the rest it straightens up and gives me plenty of support. Sure makes those long rides a lot more comfortable.

pday

pday,

Yep, I bought one of those ratchet wrenches, too. But it didn't fit. Not enough clearance inside the bracket. I used my 10mm wrench with the custom ground down shaft to tighten it enough. Been using it a year or so, a little loose, but no worries.

Hey, sure would like a few pictures of that hinge arrangement! Sounds great for if you have a passenger who wouldn't like a new hole made when you stop suddenly. Do you have a stock seat?

Shep

Hi Shep.

It's been so long ago that I did that I can't remember all the details. I may have modified the bracket a slight bit. At any rate I was able to get a single click out of it and that was all I needed! I do have a stock seat. My back rest folds back toward the passenger pillion when I'm not using it. A lot of my buds tell me I really ought to have it folding the other way but haven't figured out how to do that yet! It's working and I'm happy with it. A friend had a 2005 Silverado and replaced his seat with a Mustang seat. He gave me the back rest from the passenger seat and I used that for the driver's back rest. I'll see if I can get a picture and post it here for you.

Take care.

pday