back rest / sissy bar options

[Sparky]

So I was just wondering what you guys are doing for back rests/sissy bar setups. I have this one on the bike right now but Its a little too tall I think. It doesnt look right with the low handle bars up front. I was thinking of cutting it down and either making my own pad or re-using the one I have somehow.

That or if I could find a shorter one that will fit, or I could make fit easily, off of another bike.

[Sparky]

nobody?............

[Skateguy50]

I got one like that now, with the KG rack. it sits further back than the homemade one I had previously mounted onto my grab bar.

I would say something like that would blend in better... but if you go the home fab path the only limit is you.

I made mine out of aluminum square stock and heated it up and bent it to the shape I wanted using some hammers and metal patio table Came out ok by my standards... then I made the pad by glueing some foam (cut new car wash sponge) onto some painted plywood and wrapping it with some leather (salvaged from a free fake leather duffel bag). I think I just used a staple gun on the back and then attached it to the aluminum with sheet rock screws, used nuts as washers to look like bolts . Then I drilled the side and the grab bar together and attached it using ss eye bolts to double as tie down points.

It has been sent to another forum member already but this is what it looked like.











I made it that height to match the bag I got, the attaching strap fit right under the pad and height matched the top. Best part of custom is you make it any size / shape you want.

[posplayr]

I got one like that now, with the KG rack. it sits further back than the homemade one I had previously mounted onto my grab bar.

I would say something like that would blend in better... but if you go the home fab path the only limit is you.

I made mine out of aluminum square stock and heated it up and bent it to the shape I wanted using some hammers and metal patio table Came out ok by my standards... then I made the pad by glueing some foam (cut new car wash sponge) onto some painted plywood and wrapping it with some leather (salvaged from a free fake leather duffel bag). I think I just used a staple gun on the back and then attached it to the aluminum with sheet rock screws, used nuts as washers to look like bolts . Then I drilled the side and the grab bar together and attached it using ss eye bolts to double as tie down points.

It has been sent to another forum member already but this is what it looked like.











I made it that height to match the bag I got, the attaching strap fit right under the pad and height matched the top. Best part of custom is you make it any size / shape you want.

Wow that looks great, don't you just love it when you do something custom and it works out that way


Alot of times i start something from scratch and find when I'm done I could have bought something for cheaper although not exactly what i needed. Anyway that looks nice and sounds like the price was right.

[ddaniels]

Made my own backrest for the Corbine seat I had on the '87 Connie. The kind that inserts into the back of the seat. Came out ok. Even painted it to match the bike.

In reference to the original post, there are other shorter options for a backrest, but personally I kinda like the looks of that taller one. Fits in with that era bike I think. It's just me, but it confuses me why folks buy an old bike and then do things to it to try and make it look modern. I don't get that.

[Skateguy50]

Wow that looks great, don't you just love it when you do something custom and it works out that way


Alot of times i start something from scratch and find when I'm done I could have bought something for cheaper although not exactly what i needed. Anyway that looks nice and sounds like the price was right.

Yes it was, about $20 in materials for the SS hardware and aluminum, rest was stuff I had sitting around already.

Oh and the price was right on my KG rack & sissy bar thanks to a very generous deal from a forum member. I made the trip to pick up some shocks and he threw all that in for an extra $15.

[Redneck]

Well if you decide to go the home fab route and use Skateguy50 as a guide might I make a suggestion to give it a bit more professional finish.

Do everything he said about the frame because my comment is on the pad and how to mount it. I would build the seat, cover it, and staple it to painted plywood like Jared said but here is where the tweek comes in.

Cut a plate of sheet metal/aluminum large enough to cover the staples and rough edges of the leather. Next you can do it two ways, either buy threaded inserts and put them in the wood and then use bolts that fit the inserts to mount the plate to the wood or just use wood screws to mount the plate. I prefer the inserts because if you ever need to replace the cover all you have to do is unbolt and it does not tear up the wood. I would also use those same inserts, to allow you to put a bolt through your home made sissy bar and into your cushion so you can easily remove that with out causing damage. That is just my $.02, but all those materials with the exception of the leather or fake leather can be found at your local home depot or other decent hardware store all for less than $40 I am sure. Good luck

Paul

[Sparky]

skateguy, I really like that too. I dont have that grab bar though, but Im sure I could make something that just mounts where the current one does.

What did you use to heat the aluminum and bend it? did you make a form or something? Like some bolts in a piece of wood to bend it against?

[Skateguy50]

Um... it was nothing professional but I measured and marked the bends with a sharpie and did the top ones first, then when that was close did the slighter bends on the bottom to get the angle right on the mount.

I basically used a small propane torch over a metal patio table and bent it around a large wood handle from my 5lb hammer. I just made sure to get it good and hot and keep the heat on it while I bent.

I didnt have as good luck doing the one for the wifes 250 rebel, tried for closer bends and it was winter so the aluminum cooled to fast and would crack. However I cut some small notches out of the inside an bent the top to keep a clean line, once mounted 2 bolts in the top and 2 on each side locked it up really strong anyways.

Also what i did on that one was mount bolts sticking out of the wood that lock into the plywood, and glued them under the foam to have studs sticking out the back. I then wrapped kept some extra leather on the top and stapled the sides and bottom to the wood, but wrapped the back with the leather on the top and used some furniture tacks to secure that nice and clean on the back. It came out much nicer... sorry no pictures here. Also it had no real mount points either so just used some bolts and angle brackets to mount it to some points on the frame... Still was cheap and lets you shape it any way or size you want.

[machinest]

I did my back rest about the same way except with 1/4 x1 flat stock bent cold in a vice withe a piece of metal with the radius for the bend clamped to the stock to give me something to form to.