New FHLT Problems - Your Comments Please.

[Urrell]

Originally Posted by Maggar

I thought that the back rest ruins the look of the Street Glide but is a must for her majesty's arse when she (rarely) desires a ride on the bike. I bought the demountable back rest which easily clips on and off and leaves no visible trace when it's off the bike.

That's the best of both worlds. The seat looks great when one up.

[grbrown]

Addressed to nobody in particular!

An unfortunate feature of Harleys, ever since I bought my first in the 70s, is their almost complete disregard for passengers. This is made worst by the quest for style over substance.

For the majority of us a passenger comes in the form of the love of our life, who routinely has wider sit-bones than us chaps. So the bl**dy pillion seat should be wide enough to accommodate them in commodious comfort.

If you want your bike to look good when riding one up, do as you please! If you want to ride two up and enjoy the pleasures of your passenger at the end of the ride, forget 'style' and get a proper touring seat! You are allowed to have two....

Of the current UK range, as best I can judge, the only models with decent pillions are the RoadKing and Ultras.

So for everyone else, stop fannying around....

Rant over.....

[banquo]

... and my better half would more than agree with that.
She has urged me on many an occasions to take H-D to task for selling a machine that was not fit for purpose in its original form. Can you imagine buying a car, where you had to purchase an after-market seat because the one they supplied caused permanent spinal damage, or at best, a need to stop after 50 miles....? A triumph of form over function is their seat, and many of their aftermarket seats are even worse than the stock one, as far as the pillion is concerned...
OK, so it's not a Glide, but even a Softail should have a seat that is fit for purpose, and what it came with was dangerously inadequate, even with a sissy bar fitted. With the stock seat, you got a grab strap that was so flimsy, it would snap rather than stop you falling off, and you got a pillion seat that was so narrow, and the foam so inadequate, that any signifcant bump in the road, resulted in total compression, and the whole passenger weight crashing down on the rear fender. I cannot definitely pin the pillion's back troubles down to the seat, but her back was just fine until we got the Harley. I wondered what she was complaining about at first, because the rider's seat was wide and pretty comfortable.
Saddlemen seat sorted it, but I was glad I managed to get an as new one from Groundhog, otherwise it would have been the most expensive bolt-on fitted...

[FBB]

Ah yes, the age-old problem of keeping the Leader of the Opposition happy! I'm gulity as charged too. I had to change the seat on my last Fatboy, and went from the std HD seat to a Mustang Extra Wide Deluxe, with backrest to match. Now we have the Electraglide Ultra, with a seat & pillion that puts most of the stuff in DFS to shame. Gets rid of that annoying whine from the back!

I think most people just bite the bullet & change the seats, Corbin or Mustang seem to be the seats of choice. It's annnoyng to have to do that straight out of the box, but thats H.D. for you

Cheers
FBB

[Urrell]

Originally Posted by FBB

Gets rid of that annoying whine from the back!
FBB

And not just in 5th gear eh.