My backrest arrived yesterday, installed it this afternoon. I have to say, so far it's turned out to be a great product for the price. Haven't ridden it yet, but will tonight. I should mention that I have a Kawi Gel seat, and Protac hadn't actually done one for this type yet, so it was a bit of a calculated estimate on their part to get it right. I sent them some photos of my Gel seat prior to their making the brackets and vertical rails for it. They said that I may need to have the stainless vertical posts bent slightly if the seating angle wasn't right for my size. I'm 6 feet tall and all legs, short upper body.
Install requires taking off the saddlebags and removal of the chrome sissybar support brackets that sit between the bags and fender. The Protac mounting bracket hides nicely behind the chrome sissybar bracket, except for the holding tube that sticks up from the front of the mount. The brackets mount securely to both front and rear saddlebag bolts, ensuring a solid fit.
The studded cushion is a touch softer foam than the OEM passenger backrest cushion, and a slightly different shape (not as tall). I like that.
If you have a luggage rack like I do, then that has to come off, too. Its a little more work to install, but the hidden bracket when finished is well worth the added trouble.
To maintain a solid fit at the height I wanted, I dropped 2 sponge-type earplugs into each hole. When the backrest is inserted into its vertical holding tubes, I push down on it (squishing the earplugs inside) until it just touches my Gel Seat. The vertical posts have to be pulled outwards slightly to fit into both holes, which is perfect because of the added friction fit snugness this creates.
Even my Airhawk cruiser cushion still fits perfectly on the passenger seat! Fortunately, with my protective riding jacket on (has back armor inside), the seating position with this backrest seems nearly perfect for me. The lumbar support from the Kawi Gel seat will be enhanced nicely by this additional mid-back support.
I've put a bunch of photos in a album to view, including the mounting brackets behind the chrome ones. The entire list of photos including mounting brackets can be seen below.
Protac Backrest Photo Slideshow.
