Seats & Sissy Bars

Seats and sissy bars for your motorcycle

The seat is the only place where your entire weight meets the motorcycle, and the sissy bar is what keeps the passenger and luggage in place. The wrong seat makes itself known after 30 minutes in the saddle.

A seat determines three things at once: seat height, the distance to the bars and footpegs, and how long you can ride without shifting position. Change one, and you move the others too.

A sissy bar does more than look right. It gives the passenger something solid to brace against under acceleration, and with a luggage rack the rear end suddenly becomes useful for the weekend trip.

This guide covers measurements and fitting, the difference between foam, gel and vinyl, choosing by riding style, and what to look for when the seat starts to wear.

At Parts Denmark you'll find seats, covers and backrests from Saddlemen, Le Pera, Mustang, Drag Specialties, Cobra, Zodiac, V-Twin, MCS, C.C. Rider, Slyfox, C-Racer, Selle Dalla Valle, Z1r, Blackbird Racing and Moose Offroad — with free shipping on orders over €200.

Measurements, construction and markings you need to know

A seat consists of a baseplate, a foam core and a cover, and the combination of the three determines both comfort and seat height. Sissy bars are measured by height above the seat, width between the side brackets and mounting point.

The seat's key measurements

The measurements that decide whether a seat feels right are ones you can take yourself with a tape measure on your current saddle.

• Seat height: a low-profile seat typically drops the rider position 25-50 mm.
• Seat width: narrow solo seats run around 200-230 mm, touring seats often 280-330 mm at the rear.
• Reach: a Reach Seat moves the rider a few centimetres forward towards the bars.
• Foam height: the thicker the core, the further it is down to the baseplate.
• Baseplate shape: it has to follow the seat rails exactly, otherwise it cracks at the bolt holes.

Measure from the ground to the lowest point of the seat, where you actually sit — not to the highest edge.

Sissy bar and backrest

A sissy bar is rarely universal. It has to match both the mounting point and the shape of the fender.

• Height: low Sissy Bar models support the lower back, tall ones reach up behind the shoulders.
• Bracket type: fixed side brackets or detachable docking points.
• The pad: Backrest and Bar Pad are available separately.
• Luggage rack: load capacity is determined by the bracket, not by the tubing.
• Material: chrome or black-painted steel.

Cobra, Drag Specialties, Zodiac and V-Twin cover the bulk of the sissy bar range.

Choose your seat and sissy bar to suit your riding

Riding style decides the choice more than the model does. The commuter needs to get their feet down, the touring rider needs support over many hours, the offroad rider needs to be able to slide freely on the saddle.

Riding style	Type	Advantages	Drawbacks	Brands in the range
City riding and commuting	Reach Seat / low profile	Lower seat height, better footing	Less foam on long rides	Saddlemen, Mustang, Drag Specialties
Cruiser on the open road	Solo Seat / Silhouette	Clean look, good back support in the seat	No passenger space without an extra pad	Le Pera, Saddlemen, Cobra
Touring two-up	Enhanced Comfort + Sissy Bar	Good weight distribution, backrest, room for luggage	Greater build height and more weight	Mustang, Saddlemen, Cobra
Bobber and custom	Solo / Vinyl / Pyramid	Slim look, plenty of cover patterns	Limited comfort on long stretches	Le Pera, V-Twin, Zodiac, C.C. Rider, MCS
Offroad and cafe racer	Seat Cover: Predator, Tailwhip, Kickflip, Step	Gripper surface, cheap refresh	Doesn't change the shape of the foam	Blackbird Racing, Moose Offroad, Slyfox, Z1r, C-Racer, Selle Dalla Valle

If your riding is mixed, prioritise the two-up seat with the wide rear section. A seat that's too narrow can't be made up for with better foam.

For the passenger, the backrest matters more than the pad. Without a Backrest, the passenger hangs on the rider at every acceleration.

Materials and variants explained

The difference between two seats that look alike lies in the cover and in what's underneath it. Vinyl, leather-look and gripper fabric behave very differently in rain and sun.

Vinyl and cover materials

Marine-grade Vinyl is the standard on cruiser seats because it takes UV and water without going stiff. It's also the easiest to wipe dry after a wet ride.

Perforated covers ventilate better, but require treated seams so water doesn't work its way down into the foam. Le Pera and Saddlemen offer several patterns on the same base shape.

Foam, gel and core

The firmness of the foam matters more than the thickness. A soft seat feels nice for the first ten minutes and then starts to press.

Gel inserts spread the pressure under the sit bones and are typically used in Enhanced Comfort models. Gel adds weight and makes most sense on heavy machines that cover long distances.

Gripper covers for offroad and cafe racer

Seat Cover series such as Predator, Tailwhip, Kickflip, Step and Pyramid from Blackbird Racing and Moose Offroad mix slick and grippy panels, so you can move around and still stay planted.

For cafe racers, C-Racer and Selle Dalla Valle supply complete seat units with baseplate. Check whether new brackets are needed for the subframe.

Wear, service life and maintenance

A seat wears from the inside out. The cover splits first, but the foam is often the cause — when the core settles, the cover works over the edges.

Cover and stitching

Look for splits along the seams, white stretch lines in the vinyl and areas where the surface feels tacky. A split of just a few millimetres lets water in.

If the foam is still firm, a new Seat Cover is the cheapest place to start.

Foam and baseplate

Press down on the seat: if it gives without springing back, the core is saturated or collapsed. Water in the foam makes the seat noticeably heavier.

Check the baseplate for cracks around the bolt holes and rubber buffers. A cracked plate makes the seat rock and wears into the paint.

Sissy bar, brackets and pad

Check the side brackets at least once a season, especially after riding with luggage. Loose bolts wear through chrome and pull threads out.

The pad wears faster than the bar. Backrest and Bar Pad can be replaced separately.

Fitting in practice

Most seats fit using the original brackets and need nothing more than an Allen key. Sissy bars more often require the rear fender or side covers to come off first.

Lay a cloth over the fender before you start work. A seat with a steel edge will cut through paint in a second.

Hook the front tongue of the seat into place, press the rear down and check the rubber buffers before you tighten the bolt. If the tongue sits crooked, you'll get a clear gap.

Tighten the sissy bar's side brackets alternately in several stages so the bar isn't pulled out of line. M8 bolts are typically around 20-25 Nm, but the workshop manual takes precedence.

Use threadlock in areas subject to vibration and re-torque after the first hundred kilometres. You'll find brackets and fasteners under seat fitting and accessories.

Frequently asked questions about seats and sissy bars

Here are the questions our customers ask most often before ordering.

Does an aftermarket seat fit straight on?

Yes, if it's listed for your model and year. Seats from Saddlemen, Le Pera and Mustang use the original mounting points.

Use "Find your bike" on Partsdenmark.com and you'll only see approved models.

How much lower can I get?

A low-profile or Reach Seat typically drops the rider position 25-50 mm. That's often the difference between tiptoes and flat feet.

Can I keep my sissy bar when changing seats?

Usually yes, if the bar mounts in the frame's side brackets. If the seat has a tall rear edge, check that the pad meets your back and not the edge of the seat.

Can I just fit a new cover?

If the foam is intact, a new cover is the quickest fix. See seat covers and pads.

If the foam has sagged or is waterlogged, the problem comes back within a season.

Is gel always better than foam?

No. Gel spreads the pressure well over long stretches, but it weighs more. A well-shaped foam seat in the correct width beats a badly shaped gel seat.

If you're building further, you'll find the full range of seats and sissy bars in separate collections, so you can match cover, pad and bar in the same finish.

Everything is covered by 2-year right of complaint, and we offer European price matching. Use "Find your bike" on Partsdenmark.com so you only see parts that fit your machine.