Comfort Seat 2" shorter?

[Richard Budden]

I am considering purchasing a comfort seat ( 219400483 ) and a backrest for the comfort seat ( 219400488 ) and am concerned that the drivers seating area being pushed back 2" will shorten the passenger seating area. There is not much room for the passenger now and I did not want to make it worse. Has anyone purchased this seat to provide feedback on my question?

Richard, In Newfoundland, Canada

[ARtraveler]

I am considering purchasing a comfort seat ( 219400483 ) and a backrest for the comfort seat ( 219400488 ) and am concerned that the drivers seating area being pushed back 2" will shorten the passenger seating area. There is not much room for the passenger now and I did not want to make it worse. Has anyone purchased this seat to provide feedback on my question?

Richard, In Newfoundland, Canada

If you have an RT, the comfort seat does indeed move the driver back another two inches or so. This does encroach on the passengers room. If you add a backrest it makes it a bit worse because the passenger will have to sit behind the installed backrest.

[PW2013STL]

I am considering purchasing a comfort seat ( 219400483 ) and a backrest for the comfort seat ( 219400488 ) and am concerned that the drivers seating area being pushed back 2" will shorten the passenger seating area. There is not much room for the passenger now and I did not want to make it worse. Has anyone purchased this seat to provide feedback on my question?

Richard, In Newfoundland, Canada

It does take away from the passenger so unless the passenger is small in the diameter area it will be uncomfortable for her/him. This is the reason I sold mine.

[MikeT]

The shorter passenger distance is THE reason why there will be no backrest for me. I think some people have used the "more compact" UTOPIA backrest inplace of the BRP. I'm sure someone who has installed this backrest will chime in and provide a DIY link for you to look at.
Mike

[Oldmanzues]

I am considering a 2014 RT, physical problems dictate I can not use a regular seat with my wife 5' 110 lbs. Trial sitting sitting, pouring out, She said the reduced space on the comfort seat from my stock 2010 RT was fine. Guess it all depends on the size of the passenger.
Good luck in any case.
Oldmanzues

[ARtraveler]

I am considering a 2014 RT, physical problems dictate I can not use a regular seat with my wife 5' 110 lbs. She said the reduced space for my stock 2010 RT was fine. Guess it all depends on the size of the passenger.
Good luck in any case.
Oldmanzues

Yes, size of the passenger is an important part of the equation.

[Chupaca]

to lazy to look up part numbers to see what they fit but on our RS it changed the passengers ryding position for the better. She sits higher and level and with the backrest more comfortable. But this is hard because butts on bikes are like finger prints on glass... But this is what we have found..

[zamfield]

Buy a seat that's really a comfort seat... Go with a Russell Day Long.
Not that much price difference and really worth it.

[robmorg]

I am considering purchasing a comfort seat ( 219400483 ) and a backrest for the comfort seat ( 219400488 ) and am concerned that the drivers seating area being pushed back 2" will shorten the passenger seating area. There is not much room for the passenger now and I did not want to make it worse. Has anyone purchased this seat to provide feedback on my question?

Richard,

There is less room for the passenger - but only about 1" less. The other inch the driver gains is absorbed in the smaller size of the "raised section" between driver and passenger. I took a picture of the two together... perhaps this picture will answer your question. (The Comfort Seat is the one that is NOT yet installed on the bike in this picture.) I also have the Utopia backrest installed While I do not believe that will cut down on passenger leg room (if you use one of the higher settings), it will intrude further on front-to-back room for the passenger, as any backrest would. You can see that picture in this post.

[Bob Denman]

Rob...
NICEST description so far!!

Thanks!

[robmorg]

Thanks, Bob.

[Bob Denman]

I sat on a Comfort Seat, and realized that I'd need to lose a WHOLE bunch of weight...

Your picture also shows why if you get the wrong backrest; you end up with wrinkles...
The angle of that "raised section", is different.

[robmorg]

I'm not sure if the angle is a tad more reclined on the comfort seat, or if it just looks like that in the picture because of the way that follow is holding the seat. In either event any real difference is small. I'm not familiar with the new BRP backrests, but the Utopia backrests are identical for the two seats, except that the mounting bracket on the comfort seat version is a little shorter to accommodate the shorter distance from the top of the seat to the pan.

[finless]

I have the comfort seat with the Utopia backrest.
My wife fits and she likes the backrest as it makes her feel more secure in the seat.

She is 5'5" 125 lbs and a little rounder than when we were young.
Sorry I don't know her waist size.
I am 6'4" and 250 lbs.

I was worried about this when I got the seat and backrest but it worked out.
Just remember you could remove the backrest when you have a passenger and use your wife as the backrest

Here is a picture of us on it so maybe this helps to show the relationship and fit?



Bob

[jgwoods]

I have the comfort seat on our 2014 RT-L.
I had a 2011 RT-S with the standard seat. My wife and I took a 7000 mile trip out to New Mexico and I concluded I could not live with the standard seat. I'm 6'9" around 300 and my wife is not small. I found myself pushed forward too much for comfort.

When I bought the 2014 I ordered the comfort seat as well and never told my wife. As I said she's a pretty big gal and I wondered if she would notice and complain that she had too little space or that I was crushing her(!). I ordered the backrest as well and I knew that the two of us would never fit with that in place- true. Well she never noticed that the back seat portion was smaller and I am happy to have the hump in the seat a little further back. When we cruise together she is my backrest. She likes it fine, I love it and somehow she doesn't feel squashed...

[Oldmanzues]

Richard,

There is less room for the passenger - but only about 1" less. The other inch the driver gains is absorbed in the smaller size of the "raised section" between driver and passenger. I took a picture of the two together... perhaps this picture will answer your question. (The Comfort Seat is the one that is NOT yet installed on the bike in this picture.) I also have the Utopia backrest installed While I do not believe that will cut down on passenger leg room (if you use one of the higher settings), it will intrude further on front-to-back room for the passenger, as any backrest would. You can see that picture in this post.

Thanks for this, best explaination yet.
Oldmanzues

[MikeT]

My wife need all the room she can get. This makes any seat option and any backrest that reduces her "throne"area a NO-NO. That being the case I need the largest "raised section". Looks like I'll have to live with the stock seat. Hopefully there is a company like Wing Soft that modifies the stock GW seat for the Spyder.

Richard,

There is less room for the passenger - but only about 1" less. The other inch the driver gains is absorbed in the smaller size of the "raised section" between driver and passenger. I took a picture of the two together... perhaps this picture will answer your question. (The Comfort Seat is the one that is NOT yet installed on the bike in this picture.) I also have the Utopia backrest installed While I do not believe that will cut down on passenger leg room (if you use one of the higher settings), it will intrude further on front-to-back room for the passenger, as any backrest would. You can see that picture in this post.

[robmorg]

My wife need all the room she can get. This makes any seat option and any backrest that reduces her "throne"area a NO-NO. That being the case I need the largest "raised section". Looks like I'll have to live with the stock seat. Hopefully there is a company like Wing Soft that modifies the stock GW seat for the Spyder.

If you find such a company, another option may be for them to shave an inch or so of foam off of the passenger backrest. The rear backrest is easy to remove and it looks as though that may be a viable option for anyone who would need more space back there.

[happyspyder2039]

If you have an RT, the comfort seat does indeed move the driver back another two inches or so. This does encroach on the passengers room. If you add a backrest it makes it a bit worse because the passenger will have to sit behind the installed backrest.

[Dakotaspyder]

I am considering purchasing a comfort seat ( 219400483 ) and a backrest for the comfort seat ( 219400488 ) and am concerned that the drivers seating area being pushed back 2" will shorten the passenger seating area. There is not much room for the passenger now and I did not want to make it worse. Has anyone purchased this seat to provide feedback on my question?

Richard, In Newfoundland, Canada

Richard,

I am not sure what year RT you have but if it is not a 2014 you may what to order a 2014 limited passenger backrest as it gave my wife about an inch more room that the 2013 RT Limited passenger backrest did. The 2014 backrest is a little flatter and gave her more room.

dakotaspyder