Keith,
I believe the rack requires the solo seat. How much that distracts from or enhances the appearance is a matter of personal choice. I've seen a few on pic. posts and one or two in person. They seem to look ok. If you don't want to lose the seat and want to experiment, Harley has a shorter version for the sportster that goes above the tail light. I once thought about seeing if it would adapt be opted for the backrest/rack instead.
