Yet another Corbin seat review

FizzySix

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Thanks to a tip on this forum from larcklorn here , I picked up a used Corbin seat from eBay for much less than retail. Thank you! To give something back to the forum, I thought I’d post a review for the other members considering an aftermarket seat, with hopefully some new info, and pics.

Price paid: $250 + shipping. I probably could have found it for $200 with more patience, but I wanted to upgrade this summer. New is $440+, so I’m happy. To look at it, you would not know it’s used. There was also no wear-though on the pointy front tips of the seat like we’ve seen here with other seats after shipping, even new.

The seat is noticeably firmer than stock, and Corbin’s philosophy on that can be found here;
Corbin site

To Corbin, a firmer but wider seat results in greater long-term comfort by spreading the weight, rather than gel or soft plushy seats. There seems to be two camps of thought on the matter in my mind, with reports on Top Saddlery and Yamaha in one camp (softer), and Shad, Corbin, and custom makers like Bill Mayer in another (firm but wide). The jury is still out in my mind until I get some miles in it.

The seat is noticeably heavier, probably due to the denser comfort foam and real leather seat panels. The thing that caught my eye right away was the underside, not the top. Notice that the cover is riveted in place, not stapled. The tongue or tab toward the front of the seat that goes into the bracket on the bike is metal (oddly wrapped in leather?), not a soft plastic hook like the stocker. The seat tray is sturdy. Fit to the bike was perfect right away (clicked into place more easily than the stocker), and it feels like it is built to last.

In terms of comfort, the shape is a deep, wide “dish” with a higher back. I feel much more “in” than “on” the bike, and more stable in terms of forward/backward slip. There is also more support further down the backside of your thighs, which feels unusual at a stop with your legs down, but is more natural once you are moving and have your feet on the pegs. Clearly, this saddle is meant for putting on miles comfortably, not sitting in stop-and-go traffic, or hanging off. Not that you couldn't do either, or that others haven't with the same seat, just the "right tool for the right job" sort of thing.

Note that the carbon-fiber texture is reported to be slippery – this natural/pebbled texture is definitely not.

This seems to fit the need for a saddle that won’t invoke aches and hot-spots so my backside can keep up with the tank capacity…I’ll post up longer-range reports if I remember...and get off the bike!
 

iSteve

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Nice review couldn't agree more. I have the newer version of this seat. I found that it gets even better with age. Also if you buy it new from Corbin they will ask your hight and weight I'm guessing to make a better fit for the rider. They will also customize it for you if you order it over the phone.

As for weight it is noticeably heavier then stock but not that much heavier then the yamaha comfort seat. Also at first the firmness of the seat had me questioning if I made the right decision. Firmer seamed like it would be uncomfortable but after 3+ hours in the saddle you quickly understand why Corbin has been so successful after decades in business.

5674248156_9e42142a31_z.jpg
 
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FizzySix

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To finalize this, I spent a couple hours+ in the new saddle over the weekend, some impressions from riding in it:

It feels rock-hard at first. I was initially thinking:what the heck was I thinking? This is really going to hurt! About an hour in, it actually felt "softer" and supportive. No problems, or aching afterward. Firmer really is more comfortable long-term.

Second, I was wrong about the slipperiness. Sitting motionless on it in cotton jersey shorts in my driveway, admiring the new seat and sitting on it saying "vroom vroom!" it was not slippery. In textile riding pants, it is crazy slippery. Every touch of the brakes or throttle had me sliding fore and aft. But it forces me to grip the tank with my lower body, and the changing body position may contribute to long-term comfort.

[edit] you don't feel like you'll slide off the back, if that occurred to you, due to the deeper dish shape.

Overall, it's still highly recommended, and longer-ride comfort is greatly improved. Just be prepared to slide around a little if you wear textile pants, and the initial surprise at the firmness of it.
 

QwickFliCk

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i have the corbin carbon fiber leather and its super slippery. the gf used to slip n fall right on top of me.:spank: i bought a rubbery drawer lining and cut it to fit the passenger part and it stopped her from slipping on top of me.:thumbup:
 
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