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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | Utopia Products in Akron, Ohio makes what many believe are the best backrest on the market today. I have talked to Bob the owner and he would love to make one for the Vision but needs a seat to fabricate one. If one of you who live in the Akron area could get with Bob so he could make a backrest for the vision it would be a great service to us all. Their webpage is www.utpr.com. Their phone number is (330)666-2602, 12 Noon-5PM EST and their address is 3867 W. Market, #202, Akron, OH 44333. Bob’s email is utopia@utpr.com. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 810
| Spock, You also might want to post on TheVMC as well. I gave him a heads up in September of 2007, but there didn't seem to be much interest at that time.
I hope he ends up making one for the Vision that works with the premium heated seats. He makes one for the GL1800 that requires a little surgery on the seat, but it seems to be the best option of the GL1800 out there. The rest of them have brackets that go down the sides and hit the passengers inner knees. Tim
Edited by TimS 2008-01-28 12:27 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| TimS - 2008-01-27 11:25 PM
He makes one for the GL1800 that requires a little surgery on the seat, but it seems to be the best option of the GL1800 out there. The rest of them have brackets that go down the sides and hit the passengers inner knees. Tim
You are correct, I've had a Utopia backrest on my '03 GL1800 since I purchased the bike in '02 and before that I had one on my '99 GL1500SE. They are by far the best backrest available as an ad on for just about any touring motorcycle. I hope that when they make the one for the Vision they give the same removable option as they offer for the GL1800. |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | He will make one for the Vision he just needs to get a stock seat for a couple of days to build the bracket for it. He will use his backrest he has already but will build the bracket that mounts under the seat to hold the backrest. If someone in the Akron Ohio area can let him use their stock seat I am sure he would give you a very god deal on a backrest. Who is in the Akron Ohio area that could help on this? Many thanks,
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | I meant a good deal on a backrest. Sorry. |
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Tourer
Posts: 354
20 miles west of Chicago. | Mr. Spock, Thank you. I contacted Utopia and have made arrangements to send in my seat so they can develop a prototype. As you said, the price was indeed attractive, but much more important will be the backaches I won't be having in my worn-out lower back. I have pull back bars and a Mustang seat with a driver's backrest on my Kingpin, and I think I may have had to rule out really long rides on the Vision without one, in spite of the fact that the Vision seat is otherwise very comfortable. |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | Thanks Mudge, I really appreciate you doing this. Tell them me and my riding buddy Fergy will each order a backrest for our Vision’s as soon as they get yours done. Mudge - 2008-01-29 2:11 PM Mr. Spock, Thank you. I contacted Utopia and have made arrangements to send in my seat so they can develop a prototype. As you said, the price was indeed attractive, but much more important will be the backaches I won't be having in my worn-out lower back. I have pull back bars and a Mustang seat with a driver's backrest on my Kingpin, and I think I may have had to rule out really long rides on the Vision without one, in spite of the fact that the Vision seat is otherwise very comfortable. |
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Tourer
Posts: 354
20 miles west of Chicago. | You're welcome, though my motives were not entirely altruistic. I shipped the seat to Bob this afternoon via UPS. When I notified him of the shipment, per his request, he did reply that he had only just found out the Vision has (Mostly) heated seats. He did not indicate that this would be a problem, though of course he has not yet had an opportunity to examine one. I hope it does not present a problem. I saw on the website that they do make backrests for the Wings which have heated seats, but of course neither he nor I know if the placement of the heating elements and wiring is the same. Hoping for the best, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. My seat should be there by thursday, and he told me they do development work on tuesdays, so we'll probably know by sometime next week. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 810
| Mudge, If you ride 2-up, how does the passenger like the backrest? Is it too wide for the passenger or crowd them? I would like to get one, but my better half thinks it will be too wide. Thanks, Tim
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Tourer
Posts: 354
20 miles west of Chicago. | Tim, I'd like to help ya', but my wife won't go near the bike; she almost had heart failure when our son bought one a few years ago. Perhaps one of the guys who has a backrest and a pillion rider will be kind enough to respond. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | I just posted pics of my backrest. Someone asked about the bracket, one pic shows that. Don't think your wife will have any issues with the backrest. My wife does not have an issue with the backrest. It also has a pouch that goes with it, not shown, to store stuff for her. Pretty cool.  |
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | I did a 350 mile trip today and it was comfortable. After around 250 miles, I find my upper back needing some support. However, some of this might be due to the fact that I'm a shorter rider and have a different reach from others. |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | I believe once you ride the Vision with the Utopia backrest and experience the support and comfort it provides you will not be able to get it fast enough. I have had a backrest on my other bikes and the Utopia backrest is far better than any other I have tried. If you mount one on your bike and don't feel it enhances your riding comfort greatly the nerves in your back must be dead.  |
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Cruiser
Posts: 64
Northern RI | Visiontex,
Does it have the quick out option? |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | vtwin17 - 2008-03-27 5:18 PM Visiontex, Does it have the quick out option? They offer a quick disconnect option but I did not go for it. I had it on my Mustang seat and because it was so easy to pull off you had to take it in everynight when traveling so no one would steal it. On the standard Utopia you can remove a nut and slide out a bolt to remove the backrest which is what I wanted but they offer the other option for those that want it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Spock - 2008-03-27 6:26 PM
vtwin17 - 2008-03-27 5:18 PM Visiontex, Does it have the quick out option? They offer a quick disconnect option but I did not go for it. I had it on my Mustang seat and because it was so easy to pull off you had to take it in everynight when traveling so no one would steal it. On the standard Utopia you can remove a nut and slide out a bolt to remove the backrest which is what I wanted but they offer the other option for those that want it.
Spock, that may be the logical reason, but the logic of numbers suggest that VERY RARELY does a removable backrest get stolen from a motorcycle, just see how many people have the Travelcade, Corbin, Mustang, or Ultimate seats with the removable backrest that just leave them in all the time unless they have a passenger. I've had both the Utopia and Travelcade on my 1800 Goldwing and the Ultimate is on my VTX and I've never had a problem, even at all the rallies where people have the opportunity to buy a seat from the vendor and steal a backrest in the parking lot, it's a respect/fear factor among bikers and the non-riding public. |
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Utopia Backrest for Vision