For me, a comfortable pillion seat is non-negotiable.
Normally, I’m not that much of a princess.
I don’t need a glittering crown.
I don’t need my own castle.
But I will stamp my foot, and demand one must-have royal accessory…
The right motorcycle passenger seat.
Our touring bike is a Triumph Thunderbird. It’s long and low, silver and sleek. It has a crazy torque of 150 NM, and overtakes angry car drivers in 3 seconds. It’s beautiful, it’s powerful.
And it’s the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden pillion on.
This is a motorcycle you can ride from morning until night, and love every second. We’ve ridden 700 km in a day, checked into our motel, and gone out for dinner.
No worries.
I’m almost disappointed when we get to our destination on this bike, because it’s such a joy to be aboard.
But it wasn’t always like this.
Motorcycle seats can make you very very cranky
The first time I rode on the back of the ‘Bird, we were taking it out for a test ride. It wasn’t ours yet.
I was in serious trouble within minutes. That pillion seat was pure torture. Narrow and thin, it cut deeply into the back of my thighs something cruel.
I started to lose feeling in my legs. I wondered if I was maybe having a stroke.
And that motorcycle passenger seat from hell had a distinctly backward-leaning slope. If we rode up any hills, I’d surely slide right off the back, and be left sitting smack bang in the middle of the road.
I wasn’t happy.
Now, I’m not usually such a princess.
I’ve done plenty of very long rides. I’ve ridden on 100+ degree days, when the roads are actually melting. I’ve ridden in gale force winds, and icy rain straight from Antarctica that cuts like knives through 5 layers of riding gear.
Never before have I insisted we stop because I’m suffering. But this time, much to my shame, I begged Pat to pull over. He did, surprised.
Don’t buy this bike, honey. I just can’t ride it with you.
Too late. He was already in love.
The Solution: Get a Better Pillion Seat
Luckily for me, Triumph make an awesome touring seat. It’s as comfortable as your favorite couch, but it doesn’t look like one.
It’s perfect for princesses who like to dress up as rough, tough pillion riders.
It wasn’t cheap, but it was a sound investment in our motorcycling marriage:
- Pat’s happy, because he doesn’t have to watch me standing at the window sobbing in my tiara as he rides away.
- And I’m happy, because I never have to miss a road trip on this beautiful machine.
The right motorcycle passenger seat can make you feel like royalty
I don’t go to many garden parties with the queen, it’s true.
I don’t have Prince Harry’s private number.
But I bet my princess pillion seat is more comfortable than any feather bed at Buckingham Palace.
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You are hilarious! I enjoy reading your blog. I can relate to everything you say. My hubby is considerate and does everything he can to make me comfortable! Yay for chivalry. I’m married to my knight in shining armor! I say that because he makes our rides fun and comfortable, it certainly isn’t “all about him”.
Thanks for your kind words, Jody! You’re a lucky woman! And you so obviously ‘get’ how good riding can be for your relationship, too! Is there anything better than roaring through the world with your favorite person?
…but you you leave your reader dangling! Just what seat did you buy?
Thanks for your question, Mark: we got the Triumph touring seat for the Thunderbird – a little pricey but very plush…I deserve it! 😉
What happened? Your posts seem to be getting less and less…
Anyway, I currently ride a ’17 FLSTN, it is cholo’d out & I swore it would never have a pee-pad, having a one-of-a-kind custom solo saddle with backrest & matching tank & fender bibs. But when you meet the one, what can you do? So, I definitely did not want to sacrifice my style, my sweet Lola had been my first love for a while. Looking at the pillion, you would probably be thinking “that poor gal”, but looks can be deceiving *IF* you are willing to lay out some dough. Both my gals are priceless, so even though the passenger setup cost me more than my custom solo, it was worth every penny. I now have a matching pillion & sissybar pad. I looks almost like a 2-up, but as I eluded, the passenger pillion is very thin, maintaining that sleek bib-like look I wanted. Now, it does rise up & cup a bit about 2/3 the way back, where the bones in your rear are, but then it slopes down past the lines of the sissybar to nearly flush. While that still isn’t thick, it is ultra-comfortable. The pillion pan is layered with varied density memory foam, has an intermediate gel layer & a top gel layer to keep her bottom cool, dry & to more evenly distribute weight. Everything is also wrapped in the same source & grade leather that Mulliner uses in custom Bentley Mulsanne interiors, complete with the large padded double diamond stitching. While many would cringe at first glance, we have ridden over 2000 miles each month together, including a 500 mile day last weekend. If looking for a way to maintain your style & have a lot of options, many that aren’t any more expensive than a decent off the shelf saddle, I would highly recommend calling Shad at C&C Motorcycle Seats a call, or checking out ccseats.com.