Sissy bar

A sissy bar, also called a "sister bar", "bitch bar" or "passenger backrest", is an addition to the rear of a motorcycle that allows the rider or passenger to recline against it while riding. Alternately it can serve as an anchor point or support for cycling supplies that are not part of the bike, including spare helmets, backpacks, or sleeping bags.

Sissy bars for cruiser-style motorcycles are usually affixed to the rear fender struts, and are typically made of chrome-plated steel with a foam padded seatback for comfort. Some elaborate custom examples can extend three feet or more and often serve as mounts for novelty flags. A backrest for a touring motorcycle is often shorter and less elaborate and may be built into a top box.

Inspired by its motorcycle counterpart, a smaller version of the sissy bar was a common modification added to a 1960s- and 70s-era Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle. This extended backrest, which attached to the rear of the bike's banana seat, gave a passenger something to lean back on and hold onto besides the rider doing the pedaling.