Custom Seats, Corbin vs. Russell, others?

Gabe

Gabe

Tek Monkey
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
72
Location
Maryland
Bike
2011 Black Honda NT700VA
So thinking about getting a custom seat, ideally comfort + heated, no passengers for some long touring this year. After poking through a few threads it seems Corbin and Russell are the top seats out there. What is everybody's experiences and recommendations with custom seats? (Keeping in mind of course that seats are relative to each rider.)

Gathered so far:

Corbin: Seems uncomfortable but some testify great after breaking in for 300+ miles.
+ Pro: Customization, heated options, some ability to alter padding and customize rider placement.
- Con: Horrendous customer service, possible stitching problems, no chance at warranty or repair.

Russell: Big fan base here, lots of good things to say.
+ Pro: Lots of good testimony and happy butts.
- Con: Requires a seat cover in bad weather to keep water from getting inside the seat - surprising for the price. Toilet-size seat looks like it might inhibit leaning into turns.

Other recommendations & thoughts?
 
I have no direct comparisons. But I think my NT with a RDS is the most comfortable bike I've ever had.

I had them build it 1" taller and that made my knees happier. But then I had to add bar risers to off-set the seat height. No issues with a sore butt since getting that saddle. The only sore was paying for it and that is healed.

I don't slide my butt off the saddle in turns much, although it is possible. Folks who ride like that don't have NTs for the most part. The seat cover only goes on at night when I'm traveling and takes very less time than wiping the dew off. They seem very willing to build your saddle however you want it done.
 
Another con to the Corbin is the heavy weight of the seat. It is very heavy compared to the stock seat or other after market seats.
The fit is not the greatest on the NT either, just say adequate at best.
I have had mine for well over 300 miles, and it is still a very firm seat. Much better comfort than when new, however. Some folks like firm seats. In that case a Corbin might work. And yeah, forget about any customer service from Corbin.

I also use a AirHawk seat cushion or Alaska Leather sheepskin seat pad.
 
Here is my take on seats.

Corbin - Did not try them but the comments above are consistent over time. Corbin makes their own pan and some say it does not fit well. All other build a seat on a stock pan you provide so fitting the seat to the bike is never a problem.

Sargent - I did try one of these. Workmanship was quite good. The reason I don't still have it was a botched adjustment primarily due to me giving them incomplete instructions. On a budget, I would try them again. Just be careful and clear when communicating.

Russell - My current seat. It is great. I am short and they were even able to accommodate by building the seat "low", meaning it came it at stock height. Russell seats are usually on the tall side. I had mine covered in vinyl, not leather. I knew I would not take proper care of leather. I have had no issues with it being rained on. With Russell you will work directly with a builder who will do your seat. Send them any photos.

Spencer's Great Day to Ride - If your budget is tight and you only need to improve the stock seat, give this one a look. He will replace some of the padding with a more comfortable insert, do some minor sculpting, and has a very fast turn around. I had one on my first bike, Suzuki GS500F. It improved the stock seat 1000% and I was able to exceed 500 miles per day on that little bike. The caveat is, he does not sew covers, so all mods have to fit under the stock cover. Still, for $75 plus shipping, it's hard to beat.

I hope all this helps you some.

Keep the shiny side up,

Chuck
 
The Corbin I had on my NT was the absolute worst seat I've had on any bike...period. Take a slab of overweight fiberglass, cover it with cheap vinyl, and you might be close to what I though of that piece of :censored:! It also required me to relocate my FZ-1 Fuseblock as the Corbin seriously intrudes where the factory tool kit should have been installed. I have the exact opposite opinion of the Corbin Gunfighter that came with my FJ1200 as it is very comfortable, looks and fits great, but it is very old. That leads me to think Corbin has seriously declined in the last few years. But like Tim said if you like a really firm seat the Corbin may work for you....
 
The only Corbin I ever rode on was one I borrowed from a friend who had a Concours like mine. I rode it 200 miles and it was awful. It put my "manly parts" to sleep and weighed about twice what a stock Kawasaki saddle weighed.

If you get the crescent stitching pattern on a Russell (which looks better than the old diamonds and squares anyway, IMNSHO), you have fewer needle holes for water to seep through. I've had two Russell saddles, one on my Concours and this one on my NT and I've never had a moment of discomfort.

Because of the way my old-crippled-up knees work and my topbox, I have a tendency to drag my leg across the seam on the right front side of the saddle and it finally needed repair after about 55,000 miles. I had Russell recover the front of the saddle and they moved that seam a bit and I haven't noticed any wear since I got it back about 30,000 miles ago.

Whatever bike I buy next WILL have a Russell saddle!
 
I also had a Russell on my NT and would consider it as one of the only custom seats I would buy.

Yes, if you leave it outside all day in the rain then put a rain cover on it. I never did (but we don't get much rain out here either). It is only really an issue in really heavy stuff or if left with standing water. And, it will dry out. There isn't anything in there to rust if it does get wet.

FWIW, almost all seats with stitching in the seat will get wet if left in water long enough. Over time any sealant used will start to leak a little.

As far as cornering, it is a non-issue for 99.9% of riding. If you need to shift your weight that much in a corner the NT is probably not the bike for you (unless you upgrade the suspension and change the pegs and such).
 
I have the Deauxville on mine with over 3500 miles on it and am still comfortable after several 400 mile days. I removed the rubber bumpers which gave me enopugh room to flat foot. Works good for me.
 
If I do a custom seat, it will be a Russell or if I feel in a penny pinching mood, Laam.
 
When in a penny pinching mood I redo the seat myself :)

About the only other folks I'd trust with the job would be Rich's in Seattle (other than Russell).

And, yes, it should take about 1,000 miles to break in a seat. Maybe even a bit longer. I liked the seat on the NT until about 5k miles, then it suddenly became horrible. Don't know what happened. One month I could to a 8 hr day on it. Next month it hurt after 20min.
 
I'm pretty happy with the Sargent. It is well made and is a good fit (Uses the Honda Seat Pan) It is a lot more comfortable than the stock seat. It also uses a much higher grade vinyl.
 
While perhaps not in the same league as the Russell the Sargent works well for me. The marine grade vinyl has held up well thru both summer and winter riding and required no maintenance or rain covers. No matter what seat you have you do get used to them. When I took my NT to the dealer to have a coolant leak fixed I put the stock saddle back on. The ride to the dealer felt very strange.
 
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I'll admit to being part of the "large fan base" of the Russell.

As Charlie b said, I wouldn't worry too much about the rain cover. I think if you lived in a really wet climate, probably leaving it uncovered all the time would allow water into the seat and cause decay in the foam if the atmosphere is too moist to allow much drying. However, as JungleJim mentioned, I do put it on at night when I'm on the road - just to keep the dew out of the stitches and to have a dry seat when I get on. The half moon pattern has the fewest stitches.

There is an exception - if you have a back rest built into your Russell. That leaves a big hole when you remove it. For daily riding and/or commute, I don't use the back rest, but I always do when I'm touring. If it looks like its going to be more than a sprinkle, I'll stop and put the seat cover on, simply because of the back rest mount.

BTW - I'm with Chuck 500 - I got the vinyl. I know I'm too lazy to properly care for the leather.
 
Thank you everyone for the feedback and sharing your personal experiences. Based on that I might have to try out a few seats on various NT or other bikes as I come across them, though I'm leaning towards the Russell as there seem to be fewer complaints (effectively zero that I can find). The other pro is customer service - I like being able to send it back for repair, adjustment or a warranty claim. Things it just sounds like Corbin can't really do well, if at all. I may have to look at / try the Sergeant too. Looking forward to trying a few.
 
charlie b said:
Rich's in Seattle
Click to expand...

Rich built one for me and it is great. It is leather, and he told me there was no need for a cover with occasional treatment. It rains plenty in Louisiana, and I spend the summer in Washington State a few miles from a rain-forest. I've never had a problem. I considered a Russell, but after talking with both builders I liked Rich the best. YMMV

Ken
 
I am very PRO Russell, But I will say Rich did a fine job on my wing, a little over !00,000 on his build with leather insert. It worked very well, But I will stay with Russell . among other reasons I prefer the ride south to the ride north, I have family in Medford area of Oregon and most always stop ther going and coming, I also have friends In Yuba City and Marysville Ca to see. Plus there are two major liquer stores , one in Redding, and one in Granada to choos from if it is time to restock with cheaper prices.

If for some reason Russell can't get me in I would call Riches and see if he can. All the others, No Thanks

Eldon
 
Howdy,
There is another option. I had a custom seat made locally several bikes back and am going to have the same shop do the NT seat with a heating element from Heat Demon. It should be a lot less expensive and quite satisfactory. I will post photos when I get it done, which I hope is pretty soon.
Gary
 
Some local shops can do a good job with motorcycle seats. Some will screw them up badly. Ask what kinds of bikes they do and for references.
 
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