Corbin seat

[sonofafinch]

I have only purchased one seat from Corbin and it didn't fit well. Their support was not very helpful. Basically, you can ship it back and we'll make changes at your direction, but you'll pay for it all. There was a 1" gap between the fuel tank on my old bike and the seat itself, and a 3/4-inch gap everywhere else. They either didn't think that was their problem or a big deal.

The materials were great though, very high quality, and it felt comfortable the few days I rode it. I had hoped it would break in and reduce some of that gap, but it didn't and looked horrible. Maybe looks shouldn't matter, but it bothered me and they wouldn't stand accountable for a sub-par product. At the price they charge, they should stand by their seats.

 

[Craigmri]

I recently purchased a Corbin from a forum member last month and finally got a chance to evaluate it on a 200 mile ride this past weekend.

A little history first. In July I went on a 2.5 week vacation to Nova Scotia on the NC with stock seat. Each day when I got 50 miles into the ride I began to squirm. By days end I was extremely uncomfortable. Even after 2.5 weeks and 3400 miles my butt or seat ever broke in. I knew I had to upgrade. For me I found two primary issues with the stock seat. The seat was too soft. Yes it felt great on the showroom floor when sitting on it for a couple of minutes but after 30 minutes it caused too many hot spots. In addition, the seat has too much forward lean so it feels like it rolls you forward towards the tank...Just annoying after 50 miles.

I looked at the 3 or four options out there and was going to pursue a couple of options when I learned of a forum member selling his Corbin front seat. I decided to give it a try. I owned Corbins before and understand the concept. Yes they initially feel like your sitting on a hardwood plank compared to the stock seats but the concept is your weight is distributed over a larger surface area. In addition, they do "break-in" after a couple thousand miles. How would it work for me on my NC?.....

Got to ride this past Sunday to a buddies birthday party(100 miles each way). Perfect trial. I did both 100 mile legs without stopping to get off. First observation with the corbin is it feels like you sit up slightly higher. I have long legs and it feels like I have more legroom...I like it! I also notice the forward lean is reduced. I dont know if I will state its eliminated but I can say this old characteristic didnt even occur to me all day Sunday.

OK I was watching my trip meter anxiously watching the miles click by as I knew the 50 miles mark was when the pain would begin....Guess what....it didnt! I made it the 100 miles with no butt discomfort. My lower back was fatigued but thats a totally unrelated issue for me. Considering this seat hasnt broken in for me yet I'm calling it a success. I'm not considering the corbin utopia but it is a vast improvement over stock in terms of comfort of the miles.

The seat fits on the NC well but the rear seat needs a little press to get to snap closed properly and to open the rear seat you need to press down upon it while turning the key. I've read this on several places and am led to believe this will ease over time as the rear seat and front seat break into each other.

I am in the market now for the matching rear seat.

 

[pismocycleguy]

Craigmri,
I purchased my Corbin seat at the Hollister facility in April this year. I have an appointment in Hollister tomorrow morning to have a redo to correct a few comfort issues that have developed. I also have a correction idea to fix the difficult opening and closing issue with the pillion seat on all of their NC700 seats. If I am successful with this idea I will post photos of what I had done.
I'm glad that you are happy with your Corbin. Much better than the stocker!

 

[docb91b]

My Corbin seat arrived tonight!!!! I will be installing it tomorrow AM and riding to work. I will give an update tomorrow evening.

D

 

[docb91b]

My Corbin seat arrived tonight!!!! I will be installing it tomorrow AM and riding to work. I will give an update tomorrow evening.

D

OK. I installed it this AM and have put around 100 miles on her.

First thing, the front part of the saddle on the right side doesn't lay down like the left side. Makes a squeeky sound when you get on.. Kind of disappointing out of the box, but it seems to be smoothing out a bit.

Second, I haven't noticed much of a difference. Yes, a bit higher but not really more comfy yet. I am hoping this gets better with break in.

I am a little scared/pissed off. This saddle wasn't cheap and it isn't getting my excited yet.

D

 

[pismocycleguy]

Craigmri,
I purchased my Corbin seat at the Hollister facility in April this year. I have an appointment in Hollister tomorrow morning to have a redo to correct a few comfort issues that have developed. I also have a correction idea to fix the difficult opening and closing issue with the pillion seat on all of their NC700 seats.
I'm glad that you are happy with your Corbin. Much better than the stocker!

Well I returned from Corbin's with my seat redo. I had the tech, Gus, cut 1" off the back of the Corbin front seat and cut it in a slightly circular shape to better fit with the OEM rear seat. Also removed foam padding in the area of the front seat where the rear seat overlaps the front seat. (Which causes the difficulty of opening and closing the rear seat). Then reshaped the bucket pocket at the rear of the front seat to better accommodate my butt and completely reduce the tendency to slip forward while stopping or riding down a slope. So I think this is my final adjustment, (2nd on this seat).
On my Versys' Corbin Seat, it took 3 sessions at Hollister to make it "perfect"!
(No photos to post right now)

 

[Nortwestrider]

Well I returned from Corbin's with my seat redo. I had the tech, Gus, cut 1" off the back of the Corbin front seat and cut it in a slightly circular shape to better fit with the OEM rear seat. Also removed foam padding in the area of the front seat where the rear seat overlaps the front seat. (Which causes the difficulty of opening and closing the rear seat). Then reshaped the bucket pocket at the rear of the front seat to better accommodate my butt and completely reduce the tendency to slip forward while stopping or riding down a slope. So I think this is my final adjustment, (2nd on this seat).
On my Versys' Corbin Seat, it took 3 sessions at Hollister to make it "perfect"!
(No photos to post right now)

So they had to mod the stock Corbin to fit the bike !!!!.


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[pismocycleguy]

Stock Corbin Seat Modified to fit me and my bike

So they had to mod the stock Corbin to fit the bike !!!!.
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Yes, I had it modified when I originally went to Corbin's in Hollister last April and bought the seat. The stock Corbin is just a rough template that needs refining. It will initially only satisfy a few riders. After riding the seat for 5 months it needed a few further modifications. So I returned for more adjustments. The seat initially fit the contours of my bike fine, no gaps, spaces, or crooked margins, but the slope, height, and width of the stock Corbin was not so good. Hence the modifications.
Now after the ride returning home, the seat is probably as good as it gets. It suits me fine and I really can't think of any other fine tuning.
Finally, the Corbin, in any configuration, is still head & shoulders above the Honda OEM seat!
But if you are hard to fit, you must do a ride in when purchasing.

 

[Nortwestrider]

I can understand adjustments over time ( I had my Rick Mayer seat adjusted ) but a brand new seat thats not cheap needing adjustments just so it fits doesn't sound good !!.


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[wrksux]

From the first time I sat on the bike at the Cycle World Intl. Show I loved the bike and hated the seat. I tried to make the best of it, but after about 2K it had to go. I ordered the Corbin because I had one on my ZRX and loved it. I also had a Sargent on my VFR. Both excellent saddles, but I prefer the shape and stiffness (rock hard) of the Corbin. The fit and finish of the saddle for my NC did not disappoint. (although the $$$ did) The only issue I had/have is that to easily open the rear (stock) seat I have to press down on it while opening the "frunk". (no big deal IMO)

Note: I'm 6' and about 200#. The saddle shape raised the height enough that I am now standing on the balls of my feet rather than flat footed when at a stop. Also it will raise you up above the windscreen an 1" +/-. In my case this was just enough to create annoying turbulence, resulting in the purchase of a Wunderlich spoiler to go above the Honda tall windscreen.

 

[pismocycleguy]

Free is Good!

I can understand adjustments over time ( I had my Rick Mayer seat adjusted ) but a brand new seat thats not cheap needing adjustments just so it fits doesn't sound good !!.

But there is no charge for adjustments to the Corbin seat for the original owner. What's the downside to FREE!
Plus, the Rick Mayer seat was probably more expensive than the Corbin, and it needed ADJUSTMENTS! So what's your point? If it takes longer to need adjustments, is it a better seat?
I think being able to get free adjustments early is better than riding a long time with an uncomfortable seat. Why wait?

 

[Nortwestrider]

The downside of free is that you don't have the seat you spent good money on that SHOULD have atleast fit the bike if not your butt.
My RM seat was $249,and fit the bike perfect but it was built on the stock pan.


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[jmflh]

Bought a Corbin seat for the NCX. Still felt the forward lean was too much. Sent it back for an adjustment so hopefully that will fix it. I've owned about 10 Corbin seats and have enjoyed most of them.

 

[pismocycleguy]

Bought a Corbin seat for the NCX. Still felt the forward lean was too much. Sent it back for an adjustment so hopefully that will fix it. I've owned about 10 Corbin seats and have enjoyed most of them.

Jmflh,
I did a ride in for my Corbin Seat, and then did a return trip to get an adjustment. On the initial ride in I had Gus add more foam in the nose of the seat and add width, height and more butt scoop to the rear of the seat. I then rode with the seat for several months before returning for a slight reduction of height in the rear and a reduction of the butt scoop in the rear. Seems to have reduced the tendency to slide forward and is now very comfortable.
Good luck on your alterations.

 

[surf1div1]

I did not have any thing done other than install the seat. After getting the custom Corbin the pillion had trouble (and still does 12,000 miles later) closing over the Corbin seat. In addition, I still do not have the comfort that I was hoping for . I believe it also is the angle and needing to have some additional customization on the foam they use. If I had known about the several threads on Corbin that I'm seeing here currently , I would of waited on ordering any seat from them, but as they say hindsight is 20/20. Corbin WAS the only game in town for ordering an after market seat at the time. I'll await the feedback I get from them but I believe based on the numerous posts (pismoclycleguy are especially insightful) it appears that will need a refit to get this right. We'll see how they respond and will post on my experience. I would hope it won't take two visits though to a factory hundreds of miles away to get it right. I'm curious though- do others that have custom seat have the challenges that I'm seeing with Corbin for comfort?

This is to all the members who bought and installed a Corbin Seat on their NC700X.
Did you use any rubber grommets on the two bolts that fasten the seat to the bike when you installed the front seat?
Did you remove the rubber and aluminum grommets from the original seat? And use them to secure the Corbin Seat?
Or did you just use the two stock bolts and washers to connect the Corbin Seat to the bike's frame?
Thanks

 

[surf1div1]

Not! 12,000 miles and a little easier but as Dale posted in response #42:

We have always have fitment problems with corbin, you would have to ask them if they made the seat to use the stock rubber grommets?. If the seat rubs on the rear seat. it will wear threw the material sooner or later. I the key lock to open the rear seat is harder to turn then stock??? you will brake the lock assembly. If you buy something like this it should take the place of the stock part without doing damage, and it should fit. thats my two cents worth. If you brake the lock look at my post on how to open the frunk without a key. Dale"

After a few hundred miles the rear seat opens much better.

 

[Nortwestrider]

My a Seat Concepts seat fit PERFECT from day one !!
Just my 2 cents worth .


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[mercurydog47]

I have finally thrown in the towel and ordered a Corbin seat. I was hoping that the insert idea would work but alas, it did not. The stock seat is truly an instrument of torture. Too bad.

 

[surf1div1]

I figured after reading this last post that I would state good luck. I've recently done a ride in in what is hopefully my first/only ride-in to Corbin after ordering and trying their seat for the last 9 months and 13,000 miles.
Since I ride daily, sending my seat in for a 3-4 week wait for my seat to be adjusted was not really practical unless I wanted to put the stock seat back on. This is based on Corbin's current lead time which is a product of their production. During the holidays they work only 3 & 1/2 half days (Wednesday through Friday) and part of Saturday. So, Caveat Emptor! In hindsight despite being very well taken care of on my Ride in to Corbin, I would NOT purchase a seat from anyone but a local seat builder for the following reasons:
1- Mail order- For the cost of your investment, how do you know that what you are ordering is going to work for YOU? I mean for that price you might as well have a custom tailored seat to you specs and if it doesn't work out you have to send it back. How many times with postage and loss of use does this make for a practical investment?
2- Lost time- either from loss of use or driving to get it custom fit to you? I drove in my case 300 miles plus ONE WAY. Obviously for most people that's either half or almost all of the cost of the seat alone. If you're probably taking time off (unless you live close enough to go in on a Saturday) perhaps that isn't a consideration, but I spent nearly the entire day adjusting my seat and for a complete build figured the whole day. In your case it was twice and possibly counting more if this last time doesn't work.
3- Expense- For me, I had the cost of fuel, hotel and food away from home. I've referred to lost wages above, but that comes into the equating since it's either the lost wages in driving up and taking time off of work , or using up your vacation or personal days.
4- Multiple attempts to get it right- I ordered the seat and it wasn't right out of the box. For most, unless you arrange ahead of time to have a ride in done, you will at a minimum have to have the back of the seat carved out to get the pillion shaved down so that it closes properly. Compressing the foam is not a great solution since you're putting undue wear on the part as well as the springs in the pillion anyway. For a custom seat for this bike that should NOT be a continued issue at this point.

In summary, this was an experiential lesson for me that doesn't make fiscal sense for all the reasons above,even if the seat is better now. I would rather go with a custom local builder as any custom seat is going to need adjustment. Because they are free doesn't on balance make up for the amount of time you spend coming and going. Thus it's not FREE

But there is no charge for adjustments to the Corbin seat for the original owner. What's the downside to FREE!
Plus, the Rick Mayer seat was probably more expensive than the Corbin, and it needed ADJUSTMENTS! So what's your point? If it takes longer to need adjustments, is it a better seat?
I think being able to get free adjustments early is better than riding a long time with an uncomfortable seat. Why wait?

 

[mercurydog47]

I just installed my Corbin front seat an hour ago and the rear seat will not close and I am not about to break anything by forcing it. I looked at the rear curve of the original seat and compared it to the curve of the new seat and they don't match at all. The back end of the seat is way too close to the rear seat mechanism and it just won't close. I am thinking of just sending it all back for a refund. The part that annoys me is that Corbin has to have heard of this problem since there has been a lot of chatter about it.