wcarter
Mar 27th, 2006, 11:44 pm
I posted some pix of the Utopia backrest on the bike. I'll try showing the installation step-by-step. Picture 1 shows what came in the package: The backrest with the storage pouch and the "upper" mount, covered by the optional bar cover in this photo, the T-shaped base mount, the "boot cover" and instructions.
Remove the rear seat, and pull out the staples holding the cover on, from the front edge about two thirds of the way back. Peel back the cover as shown in Picture 10. Pull back the foam and place the T-shaped bar against the "floor" of the seat pan. Mark and drill two holes in the center "ridge" to align with the mounting bolts, then bolt the bar into the seat pan as shown in Picture 14.
That done, push the foam back down into the seat pan. The directions tell you to use a long serrated knife to cut a relief slot in the foam to clear the bar. I used a red Sharpie pen to mark the edges of the bar, and sawed away. Picture 17 shows the foam back in place around the bar, before pulling the cover back down. In that shot, it looks like the bar will protude above the seat, but only the little tube will poke up when you're done.
The instructions tell you to replace the cover over the mounting bar, and to staple it back into place before cutting a slit in the cover to let the mounting tube out. It's easy to see where to cut; the vinyl seat cover is surprisingly stretchy. Be careful not to cut on the sewn seam, and avoid wires if your seat is heated. As Picture 19 shows, I made my cut (with a single sided razor blade) before I stapled the seat cover back on. I think it came out OK but I'd recommend following the instructions. Utopia supplies an adhesive-backed "boot" to help cover the hole.
Now you simply bolt the backrest to the horizontal tube, as shown in Picture 22, and you're ready to adjust the height and angle of the backrest to your liking.
Picture 21 shows the finished product.
I did not find this to be very difficult to do. I hope this post is helpful; I've certainly gotten lots of helpful tips from other members' posts in the past.
Remove the rear seat, and pull out the staples holding the cover on, from the front edge about two thirds of the way back. Peel back the cover as shown in Picture 10. Pull back the foam and place the T-shaped bar against the "floor" of the seat pan. Mark and drill two holes in the center "ridge" to align with the mounting bolts, then bolt the bar into the seat pan as shown in Picture 14.
That done, push the foam back down into the seat pan. The directions tell you to use a long serrated knife to cut a relief slot in the foam to clear the bar. I used a red Sharpie pen to mark the edges of the bar, and sawed away. Picture 17 shows the foam back in place around the bar, before pulling the cover back down. In that shot, it looks like the bar will protude above the seat, but only the little tube will poke up when you're done.
The instructions tell you to replace the cover over the mounting bar, and to staple it back into place before cutting a slit in the cover to let the mounting tube out. It's easy to see where to cut; the vinyl seat cover is surprisingly stretchy. Be careful not to cut on the sewn seam, and avoid wires if your seat is heated. As Picture 19 shows, I made my cut (with a single sided razor blade) before I stapled the seat cover back on. I think it came out OK but I'd recommend following the instructions. Utopia supplies an adhesive-backed "boot" to help cover the hole.
Now you simply bolt the backrest to the horizontal tube, as shown in Picture 22, and you're ready to adjust the height and angle of the backrest to your liking.
Picture 21 shows the finished product.
I did not find this to be very difficult to do. I hope this post is helpful; I've certainly gotten lots of helpful tips from other members' posts in the past.