Bikers love going touring. It is a great way to unwind, relax and most importantly enjoy the ride. But with every good feeling, you have to compromise on something and for bikers it is the pain; pain in the tushy and pain in the back. Not to mention the arms and fingers and shoulders. Now the rest of them are something we cannot really do much about, but the back and bottom is something we can work on. So here are some tips and pointers for the need of good motorcycle seats and motorcycle backrest to make your ride a lot of comfy and enjoyable.
Importance of Good Back Rest
It is not for nothing that the Honda Goldwing is considered as the holy grail of touring bikes. After all it features a full set of sofa for the pillion and an equally good back support for the rider. Riding for long hours without back support is really tedious. Ask someone who rides a sports bike and their biggest woes, they will all complain about the lack of back support. Now it is true that most bikes don’t really have back support on them except some high end cruisers and well, some small cruisers like the Bajaj Avenger, but it is still limited.
Yet one can always invest in a good back support for the bike, especially for a pillion since they are the ones to get the biggest brunt of it. And not the mention the added protection from falling off the bike due to unwarranted and surprising wheelies and sudden acceleration. I have had an experience like this so I can safely claim the need for one always for all pillions on all bikes, big and small. Another good way for a nice back rest is using luggage bags positioned in a strategic way so as to support the back, but make sure they stay in place else they can cause more discomfort while riding than provide support.
Importance of Good Seats
Seating is literally the most important, especially if you are planning a ride with extended riding periods. Your bottom really bears the brunt of it all with the entire body weight needed to be supported thoroughly. Most bikes designed for touring have good broad seats. The idea is to distribute the weight as evenly as possible to reduce the amount of stress at a single point. Hence wider seats are always preferable. The most compact you sit; the more stress your bottom takes to keep you on it. Also it gives almost no room to move around at all so as to relax yourself a little by shifting positions. Worse are the ones with a curve on them. They feel really comfortable in the beginning 30 minutes or so, but after a little rough riding, they provide no room to move around at all and hence you end up with a sore ass at the end of the journey.
What Can Bad Seats Do To You
If your bike has bad or hardened seats, get them replaced with priority. Not just for the pillion but even for you as a rider, bad seats are really uncomfortable to ride in very short periods and you will not be able to ride for long with such seats. This is the reason why bad seats are pretty much like the one to ruin your journey. The discomfort can even go as high as causing a slipped disc on a bad patch and you really do not want that.
Too Soft Is Never Good
And for those who like to get those extra soft seats because they feel so comfy to sit on. They are like amazing over short rides. But when you have to make it 3-4 hours minimum in the saddle, they are your worst enemies. They will settle down and at the end provide absolutely no support to your backbone. You will feel squished inside your bike and eventually want to rip them apart and throw them away. A little hard seat is helpful as it is easy to mount and get off and even on all kinds of roads it keeps you comfortable throughout the journey.
So eventually the suggestion would be to have a seat which is soft yet hard, do not have a huge foam lining as it will simply wear off and set down with absolutely no comfort whatsoever over time. Also for back support, have them in such a position that it supports the lower back well and also has medium soft padding on it so it will remain comfortable, yet airy.
If you are worried about having the perfect looks for your bike and do not want to compromise on the comfort as well, be prepared to even invest that way for your bike, else you will have to compromise on one thing at least, either a little on looks, or totally on comfort. It is your decision to make, so make it wisely.