2-up on a Nomad

[vulcans2]

My wife hasn't been riding her own bike since February after having surgery on her right hand. Still waiting on it to heal enough so riding isn't so uncomfortable for her. So yesterday we started to go out for what should have been a very fun ride. Unfortunately, she couldn't get her Gerbing jacket to heat up--I think the control unit I just bought is defective) and the backrest hit her in mid back, right where she has a herniated disc, and everytime the bike hit a bump, it really jarred her back, and painfully, too. We gave up after about 20 miles. That was the down side.

On the plus side, though, I found that the Nomad handles 2-up effortlessly and it seemed easier to manage than the Gold Wing with a passenger. And, I got 40. xxx mpg for gas mileage, too.

I just have a couple questions: What can I do to make the bike less abrupt on bumps for my wife when she rides as passenger? She found the Nomad more comfortable, otherwise, than the Wing, believe it or not. Is there a better backrest for the Nomad or can it be modified, or what? And how about the shocks. I think I've got 20# of air in them, and the rebound/damping is set in the middle. She doesn't mind riding in back, but those items now have her declining to be a passenger.