pharmer
Junior Member
I recently purchased a Corbin seat for my 2006 FZ6. There are a lot of reviews on here of this seat, but I thought I'd add my $0.02 to the mix. It will help to know going into this that I am 6'1" tall, weigh about 240 lbs, and have a 31 inch inseam.
I have a Corbin on my ZR-7 and have been really impressed with the quality. Based on this experience, and the fact that the Corbin is made here in the USA (that matters to me), I decided to go with them over other potential vendors. The seat I ordered is Corbin model #Y-FZ6-4-GL. Here is how I had it configured:
Overall quality:
As before, I was very impressed with the overall quality of Corbin's product. It is a very well made seat. The leather is soft and consistently colored, and the workmanship is perfect. The carbon fiber effect in the leather looks just plain awesome. It really sets the bike off.
Installation:
This was actually the worst part of my Corbin experience so far. The overall fit of the seat is fine, but I had a really hard time getting it to lock down at the latch. I literally pounded on the seat to try to get it to engage with no luck. Yamaha specified the cheapest possible seat lock for the FZ6, and that doesn't help. The root cause turned out to be two-fold.
First, the lock hasp Corbin provides is just not quite long enough to engage the striker on the bike with the hard, thick basepan pads that Corbin uses. I solved this by shimming the hasp with some thin, flat washers. The extra clearance was all that was needed.
Second, the hasp needs to be carefully aligned to the striker. In my case, I pushed the hasp all the way to the left (as you're sitting on the bike) to get the striker to fully engage through it. It hasn't popped off since, so I think I got that solved.
Riding Impressions:
Let me start off by saying that, at least in my experience, the slipperiness issue has been somewhat overstated. After doing some research on other forums, I think the key is to make sure you order the carbon fiber leather. By all reports the carbon fiber vinyl is very, very slippery. I would say that, after 60 miles of riding, I find the Corbin to me no more slippery than the stock seat. Your mileage may vary, but I'm really happy with the materials I chose.
For me, the rake that Corbin built in is just about perfect. I don't slide into the tank anymore under heavy braking. The Corbin has a larger, wider area for your butt than the stock seat. It's what Homer Simpson would call an "ass groove." You just settle right into it, and it is VERY comfortable and also more secure feeling. I sit a bit lower, maybe a half an inch or so. When I'm up and riding the relationship between feet, butt, and handlebars is much more comfortable. This is a seat built to put miles on.
Conclusion:
I hated, HATED, the stock seat so much that I was actually considering finding a different bike. I just felt so much fatigue in my butt and back, even on short trips. The Corbin changes all of that, and I whole-heartedly recommend going for one. The bike is now a total pleasure to ride and put miles on.
If you decide to order a Corbin for yourself give them a call, talk with them about the materials, your body's measurements, and what you are looking for. They were good to deal with on the phone and can tell you a lot about the materials and the way they build the seats to order.
Good luck!
I have a Corbin on my ZR-7 and have been really impressed with the quality. Based on this experience, and the fact that the Corbin is made here in the USA (that matters to me), I decided to go with them over other potential vendors. The seat I ordered is Corbin model #Y-FZ6-4-GL. Here is how I had it configured:
- Black carbon fiber leather cover
- Black carbon fiber side panels
- Black carbon fiber welt
Overall quality:
As before, I was very impressed with the overall quality of Corbin's product. It is a very well made seat. The leather is soft and consistently colored, and the workmanship is perfect. The carbon fiber effect in the leather looks just plain awesome. It really sets the bike off.
Installation:
This was actually the worst part of my Corbin experience so far. The overall fit of the seat is fine, but I had a really hard time getting it to lock down at the latch. I literally pounded on the seat to try to get it to engage with no luck. Yamaha specified the cheapest possible seat lock for the FZ6, and that doesn't help. The root cause turned out to be two-fold.
First, the lock hasp Corbin provides is just not quite long enough to engage the striker on the bike with the hard, thick basepan pads that Corbin uses. I solved this by shimming the hasp with some thin, flat washers. The extra clearance was all that was needed.
Second, the hasp needs to be carefully aligned to the striker. In my case, I pushed the hasp all the way to the left (as you're sitting on the bike) to get the striker to fully engage through it. It hasn't popped off since, so I think I got that solved.
Riding Impressions:
Let me start off by saying that, at least in my experience, the slipperiness issue has been somewhat overstated. After doing some research on other forums, I think the key is to make sure you order the carbon fiber leather. By all reports the carbon fiber vinyl is very, very slippery. I would say that, after 60 miles of riding, I find the Corbin to me no more slippery than the stock seat. Your mileage may vary, but I'm really happy with the materials I chose.
For me, the rake that Corbin built in is just about perfect. I don't slide into the tank anymore under heavy braking. The Corbin has a larger, wider area for your butt than the stock seat. It's what Homer Simpson would call an "ass groove." You just settle right into it, and it is VERY comfortable and also more secure feeling. I sit a bit lower, maybe a half an inch or so. When I'm up and riding the relationship between feet, butt, and handlebars is much more comfortable. This is a seat built to put miles on.
Conclusion:
I hated, HATED, the stock seat so much that I was actually considering finding a different bike. I just felt so much fatigue in my butt and back, even on short trips. The Corbin changes all of that, and I whole-heartedly recommend going for one. The bike is now a total pleasure to ride and put miles on.
If you decide to order a Corbin for yourself give them a call, talk with them about the materials, your body's measurements, and what you are looking for. They were good to deal with on the phone and can tell you a lot about the materials and the way they build the seats to order.
Good luck!
