Hello all,
I will be coming home from Afcrapistan in a few weeks. Making the jump from Japan to Milwaukee. Been on GoldWings for decades, now going for the Electra Glide Ultra Classic.
My sweetheart is giving me a ton of grief over this. :rolleyes:
She is 5’3" - I am 6’ even. Will she be able to see over my helmet or will I need to get a custom taller seat for her?
Thanks in advance for all assistance.
david.
Does she need to see over your helmet?
Nm
If I was sitting in back, I’d want to have the better view. I think that’s true of most people.
My wife and I bought an '05 Soft tail and installed a different seat. It was what Harley referred to as a “King and Queen” seat. The front was deeply dished and the rear pillion portion was raised up about 4 inches from the front, wider than the stock pad and longer. That’s not going to make up the difference for you two, but that’s about the best you can do with Harley parts. Don’t know if a custom seat maker could do any better without putting her on a crate, so to speak. She might feel like she’s a little off balance if you put her on a pedestal that high.
As a rider, I think the taller pillion seat is a bad idea. You are:
[ol]
[li]Raing your bike’s center of gravity, which is horrible for handling. On a bike already not known as a well handling bike.[/li][li]You’re raising her up higher to where she’s not really riding the bike, as much as she is perched on the bike. She’s moving higher away from footpegs, grab bars, and the the like. You are basically putting her in a position where she will have nothing to hold on to but you. While that may seem sweet and all, it’s horrible riding technique.[/li][/ol]
If she is 9 inches shorter than you, a sidecar is really the only safe thing that is going to give her any kind of view of the road ahead.
I am completely confused by this OP. “Seeing over the helmet?” Is this a question about sex?
Let her drive and you ride pillion - sorted.
OP is asking about his wife riding behind him on a motorcycle. She is short enough she will have difficulty enjoying the view other than the back of his helmet.
Russell has been in the business of custom motorcycle seats for years, and they have a really good reputation. You’ll probably get some great information about what’s possible by talking to them.
I would second leftfield6’s concern that raising your wife’s seat is going to move her further from the footpegs. So you’d have to raise the footpegs, and you’ll be raising the bike’s center of gravity. Just something to think about.
As far as raising the CG, Harleys carry their weight low, compared to a bike like a Wing. She (the OP’s wife) isn’t tall, and we’re not talking putting her another foot in the air. The overall combination just isn’t a worry. My wife is 5’9" and even with her on the higher pillion of the King/Queen seat, it was never a concern, certainly once the bike was rolling. On my street legal Honda XR600R, I tower over guys on sport bikes. The XR has just under 12" of wheel travel and I’m 6’3" and weigh about 220 in riding gear. The bike has a seat height of around 34". That’s a lot of weight up high, yet I seldom have trouble pacing sport bikes.
As far as Harleys not handling well, that’s a very relative statement. Yeah, compared to a sport bike they don’t lean far enough over to develop much cornering speed, but they do handle quite well other than that. Any lack of handling owes more to the riders skill deficit than the bike. Google “Jerry Paladino” and check out his “Ride like a Pro” series of videos. It shows what can be done with a big heavy bike and a set of skills that are not that hard to acquire.
I thought razors rather than motorcycles were involved and was equally confused.
No, the Electra Glide is. Duh.
Are you sure you are interpreting her objection correctly? Maybe you don’t need to get her a taller seat, you need to get her a bike of her own.
Or a car.
When I read the title “New Member with Short Wife” I thought “At least it’s better than the alternative: ‘New wife and a short member’”.
We’ve been asked for help with that challenge before. Not much good advice was given.
Why? What? And where are you going on a bike?
I’m in the same boat as you, only my S. O. has an inch on yours! We’ve done a lot of riding over the past 15 years and I would not put her on a seat that is high enough for her to see over me. It puts her up too high and she’s right in line with everything that comes over the windshield. Bugs, rocks, rain, etc.
On an extended ride, if traffic permits it, I will shift a little to one side so she has a bit better view. Otherwise, she’s busy looking out the sides, or right overhead at the mountains. That’s simple the way it is for motorcycle passengers.
And there has been times that I did not want her to see what was coming.
Moderator Action
This thread will do better in IMHO, where folks can give their opinions and share personal experiences as well.
Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion.
Periscope?