The Yamaha Star Venture comes with a heated low profile backrest. This is the first motorcycle I have ever bought where the seat is comfortable and I did not replace it, my back has no issues at all.
I did opt to purchase the heated tall Yamaha backrest and installed it, the tall backrest will give more support up to the lower back than does the low profile stock backrest.
I have always installed a backrest on all my other motorcycles but I have to say this Yamaha accessory heated tall backrest works very well at supporting the back. No it does not reach your middle back like the aftermarket solutions do and that everyone is used to seeing and using.
I am reaching 18 months of ownership of this Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental and I have not had one issue with any back pain on this motorcycle.
My 1989 Honda Goldwing GL1500 I had to have a backrest for back pain. My 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour I had to have a backrest for back pain and my 2016 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited I had to have a backrest for back pain.
While everyone is different I suspect that most people would be satisfied with the Yamaha heated tall backrest as not only does it provide very good lower back support but you get the added benefit of it being heated.
Most aftermarket backrests refuse to even consider adding heat and many aftermarket back rests require you to cut the seat covering and they give you a hard plastic piece that sticks to the seat where you had to cut it for the bracket to go through the seat. I have never been comfortable cutting the seat covering so I always found solutions that did not require cutting the seat.
If you go with a Utopia backrest you will have to cut through your heated seat and then I believe their bracket attaches to the plastic seat pan, not the best solution or strongest if you ask me and you lose the heated backrest function.
Here are two photos of my Yamaha backrest, the tall heated backrest is installed and the low profile heated backrest is shown for comparison.
The Yamaha backrest will also adjust forward and back three different positions, I keep mine all the way back. The photos show the difference in the two Yamaha backrests.
The way Yamaha designed these backrests allows for more passenger room unlike all the aftermarket backrests that take up a lot of passenger room. My wife loves all the room this Yamaha design provides her on the passenger seat.
I did opt to purchase the heated tall Yamaha backrest and installed it, the tall backrest will give more support up to the lower back than does the low profile stock backrest.
I have always installed a backrest on all my other motorcycles but I have to say this Yamaha accessory heated tall backrest works very well at supporting the back. No it does not reach your middle back like the aftermarket solutions do and that everyone is used to seeing and using.
I am reaching 18 months of ownership of this Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental and I have not had one issue with any back pain on this motorcycle.
My 1989 Honda Goldwing GL1500 I had to have a backrest for back pain. My 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour I had to have a backrest for back pain and my 2016 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited I had to have a backrest for back pain.
While everyone is different I suspect that most people would be satisfied with the Yamaha heated tall backrest as not only does it provide very good lower back support but you get the added benefit of it being heated.
Most aftermarket backrests refuse to even consider adding heat and many aftermarket back rests require you to cut the seat covering and they give you a hard plastic piece that sticks to the seat where you had to cut it for the bracket to go through the seat. I have never been comfortable cutting the seat covering so I always found solutions that did not require cutting the seat.
If you go with a Utopia backrest you will have to cut through your heated seat and then I believe their bracket attaches to the plastic seat pan, not the best solution or strongest if you ask me and you lose the heated backrest function.
Here are two photos of my Yamaha backrest, the tall heated backrest is installed and the low profile heated backrest is shown for comparison.
The Yamaha backrest will also adjust forward and back three different positions, I keep mine all the way back. The photos show the difference in the two Yamaha backrests.
The way Yamaha designed these backrests allows for more passenger room unlike all the aftermarket backrests that take up a lot of passenger room. My wife loves all the room this Yamaha design provides her on the passenger seat.
