Convert your Buttrest to a Backrest

Came upon this conversion item which looks pretty good if you're not handy enough to make your own. I recently made one for mine and its not hard but i know some folks don't do that kind of work.

http://www.bestbackrests.com/011_Honda_Silverwing.php

I did this mod yesterday...spent about 9.00 for steel flat stock (Home Depot) and material for the pad. I shaped the lower pad to fit the contour of the seat. Fairly easy to do, took a couple of hours ...hardest part was covering the contoured pad. Could probably do the whole deal in less than an hour now.

I did mine this weekend too but I'm not handy at all so I ended up paying 45.00 to buy one from ebay. It raised the back rest to sit in the exact spot that I need my back support. Only problem is that the temperature has dropped and haven't been able to test it out yet on the road.

Thank you for the Link. I went bought one as I do not have talent or tools to make it. I will be installing this weekend.

I tried one. But not my cup of tee----I prefer to be active part of bike---not plopped on it. Ruff roads, it and other back rests beat you in back. More harm than good.

It also offsets the balance Honda built in the the seat balance/lift mechanics. Better have skinny passenger. Even Size 2 doesn't like it.

I tend to ride a lot---Yesterday finished Natchez trail---only real solution is to get off every hour, walk around. Play with standard back rest to make sure you have it in best position for both short and long rides.

SilverWing...and my new Burgman=handle bars TOO HIGH----try TMAX or Vespa for scooter bar height and riding position. High bars.forward feet place real load on spine.
I have seen in Japan Helix with flat bar conversion---so I assume somebody as done with SilverWing,too.

So, I've been commuting on my scoot from the very north end of Las Vegas, to Henderson (south of the Las Vegas strip, on your way to the dam) as much as possible. My company just incorporated a plan for those of us that commute, to receive kudos and paid lunch/day off. You have to accumulate multiple commutes, to recieve rewards.
With that in mind, I went looking on the SWing Forum to see about the brackets to move the Buttrest to Backrest.
I went to Lowe's for the parts. I had to buy the bracket in a 36" strip, and cut it down.
I followed the directions on how to fabricate the brackets. I spray primered the brackets and then, shot them with gloss black spray paint. To cover the bolts, instead of making the little padded piece that covers the bolts, I used black shrink tubing. It worked out perfectly.
I can't wait to ride in comfort, next week.
Ann~ p.s. parts and paint....$13.00, not bad!

that sounds like a winner and the price point is awsome as well. id think the best part is when someone ask ,hey whered you get that backrest ? you can say ,i made it myself. if ya get a chance post a pic of it i wouldnt mind seeing it.

looks cool idk if id like it i may try to find someone close to sit on theirs and judge from that. i was suprised at how comfy this seat is right out of the box. but being able to lean back might be nice too.

Took my extension back off today.

It ended up pushing on the back armor plate in my riding jacket, making it uncomfortable. In addition, I had 3 different passengers/pillons tell me that with it on their legs were rubbed weird.

OK....if you go into the "Album", and look under Dreamrsmom, you'll see a photo of my backrest.

dikkiedo wrote:

looks cool idk if id like it i may try to find someone close to sit on theirs and judge from that. i was suprised at how comfy this seat is right out of the box. but being able to lean back might be nice too.

You can try this at home! Remove the buttrest. You will find 4 bolts holding the pad on. Remove them and refasten the bottom two holes of the buttrest to the top two holes of the bracket. Install the buttrest on the bike and feel for yourself. For this modification it will only move the buttrest up about 1-1.5 inches, but it will be noticable and give you a preview of what the full modification will deliver in comfort.
Just a word of caution: don't lean back with too much pressure, and don't over tighten the bolts holding the pad.

Either way this a $20 mod newbies can experiment with!

Masscoot, wasn't there a pictorial of this modification, i've looked in the mods section but can't seem to find it. I am sure it showed how to convert and what was needed

Yes....that's how I did my manufacturing....I looked at the photos and went from there. It was quite simple to follow along. My photo doesn't do it justice....somehow, the bracket on the left looks like it bubbled, when it didn't. LOL I'm going to give it a ride, today and adjust where it fits best. If I decide I don't like it, it's an easy switch back to original.
Have a great day, everyone.
Ann~

Leroy Beal is the man-Backrest

Just took my scoot for a ride around the block, to get a feel for the backrest. Ohhhhhhmygawd, it is so comfortable. What a difference.
Ann~

One thing I found when I added my backrest was that I (hypothetically) glued myself to it, thus reducing my cornering ability.
I had to train myself to 'slide' across it to keep myself a bit more upright when leaning the bike into a bend.

MikeO wrote:

One thing I found when I added my backrest was that I (hypothetically) glued myself to it, thus reducing my cornering ability.
I had to train myself to 'slide' across it to keep myself a bit more upright when leaning the bike into a bend.

Or lean forward slightly, reducing the pressure on the backrest rest.

Ok I give up HELP! I have been looking for the pictorials on changing the Buttrest to a Backrest they showed details of the metal struts needed and thier measurements. Iam sure some kind person will point me in the right direction,PLEASE pretty please.

Leroy Beal !!!!

Old Limey wrote:

I have been looking for the pictorials on changing the Buttrest to a Backrest they showed details of the metal struts needed and thier measurements.

http://www.leroybeal.net/motorcycles/silverwing/articles/backrest/backrest.html

Many thanks honda silver-bikerboy. I did move the rest as suggested by masscoot and it was very much better, with this info i can get on and make the rest proper.

completed this mod last week. worked out perfect. Also took an 8" tall "pull over the head" neck warmer and pulled it over the backrest and it now hides the extension bars and cleans up the look of it.
Thanks for posting it.

I made my "Buttrest-Backrest" conversion about 3weeks ago now. I am a bit of a make my own version person, so not having a piece of metal the correct size, i noticed a hanging basket bracket that i had not fitted. The back section was 1" wide so that would do. It was approx 10" long, i cut it in half and drilled the holes after bending the pieces it fit perfectly. I now have the Backrest, i think it cost about £1:40p. Now i can sit further back i might have to cut another half inch off my screen, I have the Givi 214DT. Thanks for the thread lead chaps.

I did this conversion last year but didn't find it that comfortable,i think that the angle of the back rest wanted adjusting.but i took it off after one ride out because the good wife found it too uncomfortable with the raised b/rest catching her legs and restricting her movement getting on and off the scoot.
I am thinking of of making a back pad that is raised but can be tilted forward which should make it more comfortable and easier for the pillion to get on and off.

I have to agree with "vmaximus" in that I found the butt rest to be at the wrong angle (tilted too far back at the top) once I had made the "leroybeal" mod. I made my own mods with additional nuts, bolts, and spacers to make it 'fit' me; and tho it works just fine, it really looks like a cludge. The 'fit' for a passenger is really bad too (with the mod). Might post a pic one of these days if I feel it wouldn't be too embarrassing .

Spent about $11 at Home Depot this weekend to do the "mod" - thought that it turned out well but the wife wasn't happy when we took a test ride - had to splay her legs out to clear the backrest.
Have some extra 1" flat iron left over - might give it another go and make the pieces of flat iron longer to see if (1) makes the wife more comfortable and (2) fits my back OK.
If you ride solo, this mod is a great bang for the buck.

Greetings, this mod looks interesting but the link
http://www.bestbackrests.com/011_Honda_Silverwing.php
Brings up a “file not found 404 error”. Are there Any photos inside site please? Thanks for your time and talent.

I purchased one of these kits back in 2012 and am still using it. A bit more money but it is easy to convert and looks nice:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/270772988952?hash=item3f0b53ec18:g:Qx4AAOSw37tWAbSK

And amazingly they are still available for the Silver Wing!

Thank you Glenn. I’m six 1 and need to sit back as far as possible so will this give me, in your opinion, that extra 2+ inches? Thanks for your time and talent.

Naples Vidiot wrote:

Thank you Glenn.  I’m six 1 and need to sit back as far as possible so will this give me, in your opinion, that extra 2+ inches? Thanks for your time and talent.

It worked for me and I am 6'0" so I am guessing it will help you too!  Good luck.

I ordered the backrest that has been mentioned several times on this site and had it installed to my SW. As someone mentioned and I mentioned it, too, it made me to lean backwards too much and didn't give the support I would have needed. The worst thing, though, was that the space between my top box and the backrest became too narrow that there wasn't enough space for my Givi 60l soft bag. So I sold it to another Silver Wing rider and I'm totally happy without the extension.
I ordered a net for the seat from Ebay and that was a good tip on this site.

There are alternative and less expensive ways to provide lower back support when riding a Silver Wing or similar sized maxi scooter in the feet forward position. Elastic kidney belts are popular for back support with European riders, worn either under textile gear or over leather. Wearing one is comfortable and it's easy to forget you're wearing it, until you're hastily reminded when unzipping your pants on bathroom breaks if you wear it too low. Insulated versions provide cold weather warmth too.

An even cheaper alternative is strapping a loaded luggage bag to the passenger seat, directly behind you and lean back onto that. That worked for me very effectively on every solo touring trip I took on my Silver Wing. 

Now I've had two and a half years on the shorter compact Forza 300, a feet forward riding position doesn’t work, semi- feet forward doesn't work either and looks rather silly. So I had to adapt feet flat like a a Trad scooter rider, and I don't suffer from any seat comfort or back ache  problems at all.

Meldrew wrote:

There are alternative and less expensive ways to provide lower back support when riding a Silver Wing or similar sized maxi scooter in the feet forward position. Elastic kidney belts are popular for back support with European riders. ............. Insulated versions provide cold weather warmth too.

An even cheaper alternative is strapping a loaded luggage bag to the passenger seat, directly behind you and lean back onto that. That worked for me very effectively on every solo touring trip I took on my Silver Wing. 

I wear such a kidney belt on longer trips in both Summer and Winter.

I also have a Bikers Friend bag - not as cheap as a loaded luggage bag but can be used empty as it's a stiff plastic tube covered in leather-look fabric.

This subject never gets old. Just did mine yesterday. Had the 1 1/2 inch flatbar in the junk pit. Ever easy. Two 8 " pieces, bang them with the hammer, drill 8 holes, paint, assemble , ride. I cover the bolts with a sheepskin. Thank you guys for the idea, you are amazing.