GSA 2 up

I have 2015 GS Adventure with BMW side paniers. My wife has decided to ride with me to the up coming rally in TN and would like advice on a back case for a back rest and should I wait till the rally to purchase a better pillion seat? We will be camping at the rally so will be hauling gear on paniers as well.

mbrooks149720 said:

should I wait till the rally to purchase a better pillion seat? .

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Having the seat fitted to you and your wife would be a big plus if you want a custom seat.
If you were at Des Moines you probably saw Bill Mayer working on seats.

A custom seat is generally best for long distance comfort, though some off the shelf seats do well with generic butts. That said, riding to the rally on a stock seat will likely not endear you to your better half! I'd strongly suggest some training rides to get her used to the miles and the saddle.

As for the back rest, both my wife and my niece found a jacket with integrated spine pad much more comfortable than any back rest.

Pete

Just to emphasize Pete's point, make sure you've done a few acclimation rides of progressively longer lengths to ensure your wife can handle the seat as is until the Rally. My story:

When my wife and I lived in Philadelphia, we decided one fall to make a "leaf peeper" tour through New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, etc. At the time, I was riding a new Harley Road King and my wife did not have a lot of pillion miles on it. The first night we rode to Boston and stayed on the waterfront...everyone happy and enjoying the trip. Unfortunately, as the trip progressed my wife became more and more angry at the discomfort of the seat, at which point the romantic "leaf peeper" tour began to head down the toilet. It got so bad by Day 4, we rode by a sign for an airport and I seriously considered pulling off and buying her a ticket home. Well, we did finish the trip and we have had many laughs about the experience since then...but, I learned my lesson and have never again taken long trips without first making sure the pillion seat worked for my wife. We've been married 41 years and counting, so I guess it's working.

Make sure mama is happy.