Harley-Davidson Road King Classic Style Adjustable Backrest

I took delivery of my 2013 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited FLHTK in October of 2012, but the honeymoon only lasted six months. During that time I had taken several rides that spun the odometer over 250 miles daily, but it got to the point I was wondering if I were riding my Electra Glide or it was riding me.

I had initially avoided adding a backrest – I figured I needed the upper body muscle building, and this could be achieved by using my back, arm and hand muscles to hold me in a correct riding posture. My upper body muscles still seemed to take the worst of the wear and tear, although I kept myself well hydrated and did a few muscle stretching exercises before starting any ride of one hour or more.

On one overnight trip, though, in desperation I rolled up a sleeping bag in a two-man military surplus tent and bungie corded it down on the passenger seat. This placed it nicely across my lower back and, as the ride went on, conformed to the shape of my lower back. The problem? This set up was totally inconvenient and it looked tacky.

The Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts and Accessories catalog offers items every rider can choose from to extend their riding pleasure.

I found a wide selection of backrests and selected the Road King Classic Style Adjustable Rider Backrest, which arrives with a mounting kit. This style seemed to best fit my needs as well as it would blend in nicely with the existing upholstery.

In a few days the kit arrived. I was surprised that it took me less than 30 minutes to install using the instructions provided. I selected one of the three positions for how close to my back it would be located. Adjusting the height from one of the three options placed the backrest right where I needed it.

The padded backrest tilts forward and back on top of the metal support rods so as to allow it to conform even better to the rider’s back muscles. It can also be removed from the mounting bracket in just a few seconds without removing the seat.

The next day I put 310 miles on my Electra Glide primarily riding two lane roads through the sparsely populated eastern Washington area and crossing into Idaho before returning home via the historic community of Walla Walla, Wash.

Clearly the backrest was exactly what I needed – I was ready to easily ride another 200 miles. No more excuses for this Kennewick man not to ride 500 miles a day or more.

The Harley-Davidson Road King Classic Style Adjustable Backrest retails for $109.95; for additional information, visit Harley-Davidson.