Me and a friend were looking at sissy bars. Are they really needed for a passenger? How about for a trip? Who makes the better ones? I want a small one with a possible rear rack that I could put a duffle bag on.

 

Makes it more comfy for the passenger.

 

Passenger safety is paramount. My old lady rides her own scoot,but she likes riding 2 up with me,aggressive riding turns her on........so whaddaya' gonna' do? Would never think of letting her mount up without the passenger backrest......the term " sissy bar" is a load of crap.Any body dumb enough to sit a passenger without one,well...........'nuff said.I can goose the throttle anytime,without worrying about tossing precious cargo.With the addition of a fender rack,I haul a lot of gear on long trips,using detachable luggage, bungy-corded to the backrest and rack. A good,versatile addition to any motor that's going to see long runs,2 up or solo.

 

Exactly. Your passenger will thank you too for the added comfort.

 

The dealer threw one in for me when I bought the fatboy, it's a quick detach one. The wife likes it when we go on the highway, or long rides so she can relax more, it gives her a sense of security. The majority of the time, it sits in the basement though.

Is it needed? Absolutely not. My mom won't ride on a bike with a sissy bar ever since the pres of HA told her not to, in the 80's. lol He said if you ever get into an accident or needed to get off the bike quick the sissy bar might get in your way.

 

Not needed, but IMO highly recommended. If you don't have one and you whack the throttle, and she isn't holding on, You better be wearing a shirt that says if you can read this the Bitc* fell off.

 

If you travel 2-up, get a sissy bar! It will make your passengers ride feel more comfortable and safer! Once my wife figured out that the bigger bikes had floor boards (not pegs) grab rails and if equiped with a tourpak, a wrap around backrest, that was the end of "our" Sporty. Heck, I put an adjustable backrest on my half of the seat, it was that much more comfortable!

 

I have a tall one with pad on my FXSTC.

While in high school, I had a Honda 350 with a short one and pad. I was giving my mom a ride and after fueling up at a gas station, I popped the clutch and the bike stood straight up.
It was at the point of any more and it was going over backwards. I hit the back brake and when it came down, my mom said if I ever did that again she would kill me.
The sissy bar and pad kept her from falling off and me from getting killed...

 

A sissy bar is not necessary if the passenger is your soon to be ex wife.

 

Well Played!