Advice Corbin Seat

[Herb]

I'm getting ready for our cross country trip. While my OEM seat has not seemed an issue, I'm tempted to buy an after market seat.

I'm thinking Corbin since they make their own fiber glass pan(I can't be out a seat for a month). I know there was an issue with one member and an ill fitting Corbin but this seemed to have been corrected with a later seat.

I have to make a commitment soon to make sure that it's gets built and delivered in time for my June 22nd take off.

Any problems or alternative thoughts.

thanks.

cost 433 plus shipping.

 

[Warren]

I purchased the Sargent seat because MCL had great things to say about it and it is built on the NT seat pan so I knew I would not have fitment issues and the seat height stayed the same. If I had to do it over I would have looked a little longer at the Russell based on the positive forum reviews it has received although it does have a higher seat height which might be a challenge for my 30" inseam. Other than what has been said about the Corbin on this list I don't know anything about it although it does look nice and its basic shape looks good on the NT.

 

[RedLdr1]

Herb,

I was the second owner of a Corbin, with less then 500 miles or so on it, and soon passed it to the third owner here... BTW the first owner sold it to me because his wife didn't like it... To simulate what I felt go to Home Depot, buy a one foot length on 1X6, preferably slightly bowed upward, tack a piece of vinyl over it, and sit on it... At least that is my impression of the Corbin...as you can probably guess I do not recommend the Corbin for the NT... Mine did fit well but I had to tear out my electrical farkles, mounted where the tool kit should have been, as it's seat pan is deeper than the stock seat...

The reason I qualified my opinion with "I do not recommend the Corbin for the NT" is my FJ1200 came with a Corbin GunFighter in the deal and it is quite comfortable... Same :butt1:, different bike, totally different feel....:rolleyes1:

 

[Madmax]

I've had several Corbins over the years. Too hard for me. Sargent is pretty good, but I've had two Russel Day Longs. The Russels are the best I've tried. Cee Bailey now makes a seat for the NT...

 

[MaggieMan]

My used 2001 Connie came with a Corbin and the stock seat. They looked virtually identical. After several months I put the stock seat on for about 10 minutes ... and then took it off! I couldn't believe the difference! It was night and day, the Corbin was much more comfortable.

Enter the NT700. I buy the bike new and after about 2 months I buy a used Corbin seat for it from a member here thinking there will be that same "night & day" difference. There wasn't. Except for the weight, the Corbin must weigh 2X what the stock seat does. The 2 seats do "sit" differently, but I will have to leave it to the individual to determine for themselves as to what is "more comfortable".

Now, let me be perfectly clear, so no one misunderstands what I'm saying, as a few seemed to do on my "Owners Survey" thread. I am in no way unhappy with the member that sold me the Corbin. We struck a deal and he was most honorable in fulfilling his obligations to that deal. That *this* Corbin seat didn't meet *my* expectations established by my previous experience with the Concours was all on me.

I'm also not saying the Corbin for the NT is a "bad" product. It's obviously a quality, well made, saddle. What I'm saying is that, knowing what I know now, I would not want to ride a 1000 Concours with a stock saddle when I could have a Corbin. I would be willing to ride my NT with the stock saddle even owning the Corbin.*

*The Corbin is installed on my NT and the factory saddle is leaning against the wall.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Corbins seem to work differently for nearly everyone. I have never owned one, but did ride about 200 miles with one on my first Concours 1000. I hated it. It buzzed my "happy parts" and made them numb. Plus it was very, very heavy.

I do like the way they look.

I've had a Rick Myers seat on my Connie and it was much better than the Corbin for me, but it wasn't that much better than stock.

I then bought a Russell DayLong and it was wonderful.

When I bought the NT, the stock saddle worked pretty well for me. But after my 4100 mile trip that first summer, I decided I'd get a Russell. I bought a stock saddle from Katherine. She shipped it to Russell for me, so we didn't have to pay shippping on it twice. It was sitting there when Rick rode in for his build and Russell loaned it to him for the day. Then they build my saddle on it and I have the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Saddle" seat that I'm willing to send to Russell so you won't be without your saddle. When you get your Russell back from them, you just ship the traveling saddle back to me.

Right now the traveling saddle is RedBird's (Ken in Lyons, CO) NT while his Russell is being rebuilt to fit him a bit better. I don't think there's any chance you could schedule a build on a Russell before June 22, but if you want to do that later, I can put your name on the List.

BTW, I've never had even one moment of buttockal discomfort with either of my Russells.

And, no, I don't get a kickback from them.

 

[Silver Ranger]

I purchased a Corbin in early 2011 and put on 4,800 miles with it. I ordered it with the Gun Fighter design not the standard NT design. Because I am 6'2" I also requested an extra inch in hight. The only problem with fit that I had was getting it to latch. I resolved this by adding a spacer between the latch bar and bottom of the seat. I do have a fuse block in the tool holder location and it has not been a problem.

I love the looks of it. As for comfort I would say it is better then the stock seat however not a lot. I find it to still be very firm after 4,800 miles. I am hoping it will soften up some more and form to my shape.

I would rate it as follows

Design - 10 - the shape goes well with the NT, the red trim adds some style.
Quality - 8 - I should not have had to add a spacer on a $500 seat.
Comfort - 5 - very firm after 4,800 miles.

Would I purchase it again? I don't think I would. Comfort would top looks.

 

[larrylarry75]

I've had a Corbin saddle on my Aprilia for nearly 14000 miles and it's still hard as a rock. To compensate for this I purchased an AirHawk inflateable cushion and that cured the comfort issue. When I bought my NT700 I rode it from NY to OR with the AirHawk and never had an uncomfortable moment. Well, not my butt anyway. I've owned other custom saddles from the big name firms and still use the AirHawk or sometimes a seamless sheepskin pad, both of which make a huge difference in comfort.

The AirHawk runs around $200 and a decent seamless sheepskin pad will cost between $50 - $75. The Corbin will set you back over $300 and unlike the AirHawk or sheepskin you can't transfer it to other bikes unless it's the exact same model. That's something to think about.

LL75

PS - if you'd care to read about my fast flight from NY to OR on the NT700 go here:

http://daysoftheredgirl.blogspot.com/

 

[vacanefan]

I have had my Corbin for about 14,000 miles now. It is still hard as a rock and not comfortable enough for me to ride all day in comfort without a pad (Airhawk) on it. I think if I had to do it again, I would opt for the Russell Day Long Saddle (I may have the name wrong on that). Just my opinion...

 

[loonytuna]

I have the Corbin and am happy with it.

I also have an Alaska Leathers sheepskin pad on it, I have had these on the last 3 bikes and like them a lot.

The Corbin had a strange "problem" when I first got it, my wife would slide into me on braking, and yes I did some sliding too. I didn't find it a real problem but it was solved with the sheepskin pad.

The Corbin fits my bike better than the stock seat, it comes off easier than the original did.

The height consideration was big for me and I'm happy with the Corbin.

The Russel is an amazing seat, but honestly if any seat maker put that much foam and contour into a seat the way Russell does, they would be just as comfortable, and just as high. They are just to high and wide for me.

 

[Phil Tarman]

The Russel is an amazing seat, but honestly if any seat maker put that much foam and contour into a seat the way Russell does, they would be just as comfortable, and just as high. They are just to high and wide for me.

I had a Rick Myer custom saddle for my Concours. He had experience as an orthopedic nurse and claimed to know all about foam. His seat looked as good as a Russell, but never worked that well. I think part of what makes a Russell work so well is the transverse spring "suspension" they put under the foam. I'm not a skinny guy at 240 #, so I got the "heavy-duty" spring, but I've never (never ever, not even once) had any buttall pain while riding on a Russell. That includes during 1000-mile days, and on 6,000 mile trips.

I do agree that the height can be a problem. I wish there were a way to have the Russell's suppport without the extra inch to inch-and-a-half of height.

 

[charlie b]

One reason the Russell works so well is they do have that extra inch in there. If not, have you seen how little padding there is on the stock seat? Not much. I think that's why mine was kinda OK for a few thousand miles. Then the foam broke down.

When I buy a custom seat I should not have to use a sheep skin or air hawk or any other aid. That's why I shell out the money for a custom seat. It should provide pain free all day, day after day, riding comfort. The Russell does that.

FWIW, if you don't have a seat that is wider than your rear end, you will have problems, ie, you'll need extra seat 'aids'.
FYI, there are exceptions to every rule

 

[RedLdr1]

I don't mind adding a sheepskin, they help keep you cooler or warmer, even on a custom seat. Even though it is a custom seat it is still vinyl or leather...and hot. But feeling the need to add an air cushions or Gel pad would tell me something isn't right....

 

[tawilke46]

I use a sheepskin pad on my Corbin seat. Sure makes a big difference getting on after the bike has been sitting in the sun for a while!
Cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Plus a little air flow under the bum.

 

[vacanefan]

I use a sheepskin pad on my Corbin seat. Sure makes a big difference getting on after the bike has been sitting in the sun for a while!
Cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Plus a little air flow under the bum.

Are there differences in sheepskin pads? Are they all the same: sheepskin, or do some have unique backing that makes them "better" than others? With so many swearing by their effectiveness in adding comfort, I may want to try one...

 

[larrylarry75]

Are there differences in sheepskin pads? Are they all the same: sheepskin, or do some have unique backing that makes them "better" than others? With so many swearing by their effectiveness in adding comfort, I may want to try one...

Here's a couple of things to chew on:

The sheepskin pads I looked at were similar in thickness but some were made up using several pieces of hide while others - the best ones in my opinion - were made of one seamless piece. It's my thinking that seams have the potential for two issues, pulling apart from normal wear and maybe causing a little discomfort just because they're there. Price-wise mine cost fifty bucks plus a couple bucks for shipping.

Should you decide to go with an AirHawk you'll soon find out the best feel is achieved when the air bladder is almost empty, not pumped up which makes it too firm. Riders with camping experience using air mattresses will be familiar with that principal. What you do is blow the thing up and while sitting on it let the air out until it's nearly empty; the air valve is just like a bicycle's, easy to use.

If there's a negative thing about the AirHawk it's that they can develop leaks, same as any inflateable pad. The good thing is when they do they're easy to fix using a plain old fashioned innertube patch kit. One comes with the pad but if you forget to take it along you can buy a kit at most hardware or automotive stores. I've had two flats with my first one, none so far with the 2nd one. Not sure how many miles on the first one, around 40k I think, and no idea on the second one but probably approaching 20k. Both are still in service.

Note: Just for grins I went back to an old blog covering a ride I made to Nova Scotia and located the post with the flat fix: http://larrylarry7575.blogspot.com/2009/06/last-night-i-slept-like-i-was-comatose.html

I've used both items and frankly I find the sheepskin to be very comfortable but the AirHawk is too so maybe this is one of those subjective things? If price is a relevant issue then the sheepskin wins out.

Some riders take issue with using any kind of cover or pad over a custom made saddle and I can understand why they might feel that way. In a perfect world it would be nice if merely buying a custom saddle guaranteed 100% satisfaction but sadly that doesn't always happen.

LL75

 

[charlie b]

Some riders take issue with using any kind of cover or pad over a custom made saddle and I can understand why they might feel that way. In a perfect world it would be nice if merely buying a custom saddle guaranteed 100% satisfaction but sadly that doesn't always happen.

LL75

I felt that way until I got my Russell seat. I can understand wanting something else in VERY humid weather. But, out here on over 100deg days the Russell is still comfortable.

After having or ridden on Corbin, other custom and stock seats, the Russell is a world of difference.

 

[Herb]

Thanks for the feedback. You convinced me to hesitate/wait on the Corbin(it was going to be a tight schedule to be ready by the end of June anyway). So we'll be riding stock seat cross country. We've already ridden stock for 8 days of 4-8 hr rides without much complaint so we should be ok(I'm really talking about the Mrs. since I just did a 10 hour ride a couple of weeks ago that was plenty comfortable), but the way some of you pump the Russell seat is really tempting. Hopefully, I can test it out at the summer NT Gathering. If I like it, I can stand in line for the spare seat build.

thanks.

 

[EX Winger]

Herb,

There ae going to be at least three Russell's maybe four that i know of at Spearfish all of them built for folks of differnt dimensionsI would specuate that you will be ab le to find one that is close to your dimensions speaking for me you are welcome to ry mine should we be similar in weight etc, Mine is built for me at 200 LBS , 68 inches of height with a 30 inch ( Actural measurement).

I don't think if you try a Russell that is close to fitting you that you will want anything else. Oh yes, Mrs Herb may not like it as I only had it built for me, the rear is basicly still stock Honda.

I will let other happy Russell eider put in thier own coments.

Eldon

 

[larrylarry75]

I'm getting ready for our cross country trip. While my OEM seat has not seemed an issue, I'm tempted to buy an after market seat.

I'm thinking Corbin since they make their own fiber glass pan(I can't be out a seat for a month). I know there was an issue with one member and an ill fitting Corbin but this seemed to have been corrected with a later seat.

I have to make a commitment soon to make sure that it's gets built and delivered in time for my June 22nd take off.

Any problems or alternative thoughts.

thanks.

cost 433 plus shipping.

Hi Herb,

There are lots of diverse opinions regarding Corbin here so by now you've probably realized dealing with Corbin can sometimes be a hit or miss deal. I've already stated I wouldn't buy another one of their saddles but a few days ago one became available in the For Sale section and I snagged it. The Ad was only up for a few minutes and the seller removed it within minutes after I bought it so it's unlikely very many members even knew about it. It was offered by a former NT owner and really great guy who I immediately trusted so I felt there was no risk involved. It arrived this afternoon and it's beautiful, looks exactly like new just as he said. As expected there's the typical Corbin hardness, same as on my other one but not so bad as to cause issues. I know some riders prefer a different feel which is why there are so many saddle makers in business, different strokes for different folks.

One thing that's really a benefit is that it's lower than the stock saddle by an inch or so which coupled together with what I achieved with the lowering link now places me about 2 1/2" closer to the ground. I'm thinking anyone with a short inseam would be impressed with those results, I certainly am.

LL75