I'm on my 3rd corbin over 3 bikes, Two I bought new and one bought used over Ebay. I just like the general seat layout shape and I can ride waaay longer than the stock.
I have had no problems with tears, fit or any real issues to mess with , I like them. I'm up to try a Sargent sometime.
Break in?
- 1st one took a while but ended up fine.
-2nd one on my 4th was a hard mofo. It got "softer" over years time, but never got that soft. Still better than stock.
- 3rd one present on my 5th gen bought used, so someone else did the hard work for me, it is about perfect of soft vs hard. A good all day saddle.
I have a Sargent seat on my VFR. It's for the RC-51, as that's the tail section that I have fitted. Compared to the stock RC-51 seat, it's much more comfortable, and doesn't limit my mobility in any way when seated on my VFR. When compared to the stock VFR seat, I'd say that it still has a little more padding, and is slightly more comfortable, but that's just from memory, as I've had the Sargent mounted for the better part of two years now. It's not really showing any wear that I can see, and it didn't really take too much to break in. Sargent also gave a 10% military discount, can't vouch for Corbin, as I never contacted them.
I have a Sargent on my 07 and a Corbin on my 93. I definitely prefer the Corbin because it feels more solid and provides better support in my opinion. The Sargent is a comfy seat but I tend to slide forward into the tank more.
[image: View Post]RollinAgain, on 30 August 2011 - 06:25 AM, said:
I have a Sargent on my 07 and a Corbin on my 93. I definitely prefer the Corbin because it feels more solid and provides better support in my opinion. The Sargent is a comfy seat but I tend to slide forward into the tank more.
Rollin
Get some StompGrips for tyhe sides of your tank. They'll help you from sliding forward, and crushing the "family jewels". Even if your Corbin seat keeps you firmly in-place, they'll still help you grip the tank during high braking situations, as well as help lock you into the bike during high angle cornering.
I have a Sargent on my 6th Gen. It is doing very well and break-in was really not an issue. Have about 4000 miles on the seat and still feels like the day I took it out of the box-Good.
Now with that in mind, I really didn't see a huge difference between the Sargent and the stock seat. The stock really doesn't fit me all that badly. My reasoning for buying the new one was this summer's trip to TN and NC. I came off a Goldwing to the VFR and was concerned about the long trip down and back from home. As it turned out, it was a piece of cake on the VFR no matter what seat is on it.
Is the Sargent better, yep. But not alot.
That's probably more info than you were looking for, but there it is.
I had a Corbin on my ST1100. Did not like it. Poor fit, too wide, seat "pocket" was in the wrong place for me. Replaced it with a Travelcade Stealth that I absolutely loved! Unfortunately, Travelcade doesn't seem to offer a seat for the VFR, so I bought the Sargent. Nicely made. Looks like new after 15K miles. Much better than the stock seat that jammed me into the tank. It has some pressure points that bother me towards the end of a long day.
I had a Corbin on my YZF 750R and it was a bit better than the stock seat but not as much as you might think...the shape was better but it was Waaayyyy too hard, was very heavy, was a PITA to put back on and to take off, and the leather cover was very slippery. It was well made though. I have a Sargent on my 6th gen VFR and its better than the stock seat but it takes about two hours or so, to see any real difference in comfort. The Sargent is very well made and still looks as good (20,000 miles later) as the day I took it out of the box. I'm going to send it to Spencers seats as soon as I get the time, to get the small issues corrected with it though. Those issues, for me anyway are; the seat tends to force me onto the back of the tank and hotspots (right at the hip joints) develop after a few hours on the interstate. Those aside, the Sargent seat is really good and will allow you to put in 5-7 hour, 500 mile, days on the interstate without too much drama at all. In the twisties I find, there are no issues at all with the seat.
Now, the above comments are only relevent to the riders portion of the seat...the passenger portion (as relayed to me by multiple ladies and my son) seems to be good for only around two hours, give or take a little, depending on passenger size...it seems to be too thin and too narrow to be of much use when touring. I also find that the VFR in general forces a passenger foreward onto the riders back...the extra weight and pressure gets bothersome, to me anyway, very quickly.
I've had a couple of Corbins and am now using a Sargent.... I'll have to +1 what has been said about the sliding forward on the Sargent due to the lack of the front angle(not that I have that problem, since I sit up against the tank all the time anyway)....... as for comfort I like the Sargent it's a all day saddle for me where the Corbin is not, about 5 hours. and the stock was about an hour and a half to two hours........
It's been a while since I've seen a Corbin, but the ones I owned the base was made of metal and heavy... and the Sargent's is plastic of sorts and lighter with a storage pocket built in.
I'm not a fan of Corbin whatsoever! They have what I consider some of the Worst CS of any company out there, also I prefer to remove weight from my bike with a mod. The Corbin adds lbs as it's Pig Pan! :dry:
I prefer Sargent, 100 times better CS and I have a Sargent AZZ. The foam did break down on my Sargent and comfort went to shitz, but that was somewhere between 32-45k miles. I sent the seat bake to Sargent and they installed new foam and returned it within a few weeks like new again! Cost was $146 shipped for the new foam.
It really doesn't matter who you like, it's who your BUTT likes! If you have a Corbin butt no other brand will provide better comfort, same with Sargent or any other brand. One will just work much better than any other and it all depends on your butt's liking.
BR
PS on the Sargent sliding, Sargent offers several cover materials one slick one grippier, they will also custom shape any seat you like. :beer:
This thread is exactly what I was looking for: just got my VFR700 in a useable state and put about 400 miles on it this weekend... and after about 120 miles or so, the rear end wasn't feeling so cushy.
Does anyone have a Corbin or Sargent seat on a 2nd gen bike? What's the verdict compared to the stock seat? Could I see a picture or two?
I recently found a cheap used Corbin seat with a faded seat cover. If I recovered it, would it affect how comfortable it is? I recovered my stock seat and I am really happy with how it looks... but I'm not opposed to buying the Corbin seat and recovering it. This would allow me to maintain the stock look / color of the bike, but have a more comfortable seat for longer rides.
It really doesn't matter who you like, it's who your BUTT likes! If you have a Corbin butt no other brand will provide better comfort, same with Sargent or any other brand. One will just work much better than any other and it all depends on your butt's liking.[/b]
BR
You hit the nail on the head. After perusing motorcyle threads for a bunch of years and reading all these seat threads, it does come down to ---- You got a Corbin butt or a Sargent butt, and it aint gonna flip back to one or the other. Guess I got the Corbin butt. :biggrin:
It really doesn't matter who you like, it's who your BUTT likes! If you have a Corbin butt no other brand will provide better comfort, same with Sargent or any other brand. One will just work much better than any other and it all depends on your butt's liking.[/b]
BR
You hit the nail on the head. After perusing motorcyle threads for a bunch of years and reading all these seat threads, it does come down to ---- You got a Corbin butt or a Sargent butt, and it aint gonna flip back to one or the other. Guess I got the Corbin butt. :biggrin:
but how do you know which it is? 4-600 is alot to spend only to find out that my butt is wrong.
It really doesn't matter who you like, it's who your BUTT likes! If you have a Corbin butt no other brand will provide better comfort, same with Sargent or any other brand. One will just work much better than any other and it all depends on your butt's liking.[/b]
BR
You hit the nail on the head. After perusing motorcyle threads for a bunch of years and reading all these seat threads, it does come down to ---- You got a Corbin butt or a Sargent butt, and it aint gonna flip back to one or the other. Guess I got the Corbin butt. :biggrin:
but how do you know which it is? 4-600 is alot to spend only to find out that my butt is wrong.
Which can you sit on longer........... A park bench(corbin), or a lounge chair(Sargent).
It really doesn't matter who you like, it's who your BUTT likes! If you have a Corbin butt no other brand will provide better comfort, same with Sargent or any other brand. One will just work much better than any other and it all depends on your butt's liking.[/b]
BR
You hit the nail on the head. After perusing motorcyle threads for a bunch of years and reading all these seat threads, it does come down to ---- You got a Corbin butt or a Sargent butt, and it aint gonna flip back to one or the other. Guess I got the Corbin butt. :biggrin:
but how do you know which it is? 4-600 is alot to spend only to find out that my butt is wrong.
Find a buddy that has one and try it or buy used off Ebay. There are other options as well --- Spencer (Great Day to ride), Saddlemen, Russel Day long saddles.
If your looking to go cheap I have heard Spencer is a very good way to go.
Those issues, for me anyway are; the seat tends to force me onto the back of the tank and hotspots (right at the hip joints) develop after a few hours on the interstate.
Those issues, for me anyway are; the seat tends to force me onto the back of the tank and hotspots (right at the hip joints) develop after a few hours on the interstate.
Exactly how my Sargent is.
Me too. I bought a Sargent thinking it would solve all my comfort issues - it didn't. Three hours tops and I'm wishing I could get off of it. For me it's about the same as the stocker, with the added downside that I can't get the seat cowl on it without fear of breaking it (6th gen). Seats seem to be like shoes - not necessarily good or bad, it's just that they fit some people but not others. The bummer is you can't tell how it will fit you without buying it. If I had it to do over, I'd look for a cheap used seat and have it modified to my taste. Might cost a bit more, but probably a better chance of the result I was looking for. I will give the Sargent high marks for fit and finish - it does look good on the bike and the storage compartment is a plus.
I own a Sargent as I stated above...however, I do have experience with Spencers modified seats (great day to ride) and if I had to do it again...Spencer would be the first stop. My room mate had the seat re-done (seat lowered one inch, narrowed in the front, rear dished and widened slightly, riding posture flattened, and the supracor long distance modification was done) the on her old Breva 750 and it was superb when she got it back. (she has since sold the bike and bought a Ninja 250)...had the seat on it re-done by Spencers too.
Total bill for the Breva seat was $117.00 including shipping, which round trip was three days...it was every bit as good as my Sargent and MUCH cheaper.Thats why I'm thinking of having him "fix" my Sargent.
My Sargent enabled week long tours without my butt being the weak link. Before the Sargent I was good for one 300 mile day on tour before aggravation followed by serious discomfort. By day three or four I was into searing pain! The Sargent solved that problem completely.
When I bought my KLR the stocker was reportedly better than other OEM DS seats. But it did not work for me after multiple days on the road/dirt. I tried a Spencer Mod on the stocker...but not there yet. I went to Sargent again and it is much improved but not as good as the VFR Sargent. After three weeks on an Alaska tour my butt was hurting.
This discussion doesn't mean much if folks are identifying what body type/size they are. Big butts on heavy bodies need large seating areas to decrease lbs/sq in pressure, light weght bodies with small butts, not so much. I fall into the latter category and the sargent has been great for me...I have one on my VFR and on my ST. Both for the same reason: gets the seating area more horizontal and textured cover work together to have my butt stay put. I also have stomp grip on the tank for aggressive cornering and braking.
[image: View Post]MRChickhabit, on 30 August 2011 - 06:27 PM, said:
but how do you know which it is? 4-600 is alot to spend only to find out that my butt is wrong.
I suggest you post up for a member in your area who would consider going for a hour or two ride with you and who's willing to swap seats for that ride. :fing02:
[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 31 August 2011 - 04:32 PM, said:
[image: View Post]MRChickhabit, on 30 August 2011 - 06:27 PM, said:
but how do you know which it is? 4-600 is alot to spend only to find out that my butt is wrong.
I suggest you post up for a member in your area who would consider going for a hour or two ride with you and who's willing to swap seats for that ride. :fing02:
thats an excellent idea.
anybody near riverside, ca? preferably on a fifth gen
I bought the Sargent seat with the yellow piping to match my 2000 yellow bike. It looks really nice and is kind to my butt. To be honest, the stock seat seemed pretty comfortable for short rides.
If you really want to pamper your butt, try an Airhawk pad. This thing is truly amazing. Everyone that has tried my Airhawk has gone out and bought one. The Airhawk technology from a medical company and is designed for people that must sit in a wheelchair all day long. A huge advantage is that I can switch it in a minute on the three bikes I currently own. For a short ride I don't bother, but I definetely put it on for any all day ride or trip. Well worth the $180.00!
Sargent +1 - far better than the stock seat, which I would describe as slightly better then 3/4" plywood. Ditto on the sliding into the tank though. Haven't found a fix beyond exercising my thighs more. Just my $.02
Had a Corbin on my 83 VF750F and it was ++1. Great seat, all day comfort and no pesky sliding into the tank.
anyone have the corbin seat with the lady gun backrest? My lady has been askign me to get a seat with a backrest, I was wondering if anyone has it and do they like it?
I have a corbin seat that I had custom made for my '02 VFR. The first time I ordered the Corbin seat I ordered it stock: I didn't like it and I brought it to the factory. They had me sit on the bike and they sized it for me. I picked out the seat cover material and piping and hung out while I watched them make the seat for me. It took about three hours. I really thought the whole process was cool. They gave me free breakfast at their cafe too.
I have a backrest attachment. My wife likes it a lot. It attaches to the seat with a square post and is very easy to put on and remove. When it is off the seat does not appear any different than a typical corbin seat.
Although I think the seating surface is top notch in looks, durability, and feel, the backrest post seems a bit untidy in its design and fit. It just kind of clunks into a hole in the fiberglass seat pan. Although it is secure and does not move around once it is on, it's just not very elegantly designed where it attaches. That said, it looks very well made, it matches the seat, and it looks very nice when its on the seat (although it is a bit dorky). For extra nervous passengers, I recommend the "Buddy Belt," which is a waist harness that passengers can hold onto to prevent helmets from banking into each other. Also very secure. Caution: your passenger may fall asleep on long trips with a backrest, so take that into consideration. Also, as my wife learned, the front wheel comes up in glorious fashion with a passenger without much trouble.
The corbin seat is very heavy, even without the backrest. It also does not snap on quite as readily as the stock seat. Finally, the rear cowl does not fit over the corbin as cleanly as it fits over the stock seat. This could be the result of the shape of the seat I selected. Like many of us, I have broken a tab off the cowl trying to fit the darn thing over the corbin seat.
Be wary of buying a custom corbin seat, as it may have been designed to fit the original owner's height and seating preferences.
I know that many manufacturers make accessory seats for smaller riders. These seats seem to keep a fairly similar seat height but are narrower, permitting the feet to touch down. I didn't think of this design option when I had my seat made, but I would probably have narrowed the seat a bit if I were to do it again.
I really like the look of some Sargent seats and I suspect they are a similar quality (although ligher) to the Corbin. If they were a bit more narrow and kept the same forward/aft pitch, I'd have no problem getting one.
I had the Corbin with the backrest for a season, then sold it. It was the carbon finish, which we found slippery for my textile pants and her denim. Leather may be different. That's why we sold it. My wife loved the backrest, especially being new to riding. But it limited where she and I could sit on the bike, and like I said, was quite slippery. So I sold it and went back to stock. It's more grippy than the Corbin and lets us move around a little more to find the right place to sit. With the side cases, she feels plenty secure even without the backrest.
I'd like to try a Sargent one of these days, just to compare. But we're both happy with the stock, even for a full day of riding.
Love the Corbin! Had one on my Katana, Great seat, very comfy on a long Ride. I had the stock seat and its crap compared to Corbin. I'm not a big guy and its nice. My wife likes the backrest for rides as well. I generally do 100-200 miles a day and I do twisties and some highway. Great purchase!
I have a Sargent on my 02.. it is much improved over the stock I could do about 50 miles on stock now I can do 100 to 130 straight on my Sargent before it KICKS my butt literally. So I started sitting on pieces of memory foam on my longer 300 miles plus rides.. of course foam compressed and I was dead in the water 70 miles away butt sore.. otherwise it's great!
Finish Excellent short rides great sliding not a problem.. in the process of finding a pad of some sort for long trips..
I've had an '01 since 2006. The first four years I used the stock seat and found it comfortable (I'm 5'8 / 145# with a boney butt). During that time I did some long (7000 + mile) trips. Comfort was not an issue. With all the aftermarket seats seen on members mods list I figured I must be missing something. So I flipped a coin (between Sargent and Corbin) and bought a Sargent from a VFRD member. (I must admit that a bird crap stain I could not remove on the stock seat was the primary motivator.) It had a "carbon-look" finish. I found it also comfortable but not much different from the stock seat. Wearing my Stich Transit leather suit it was grippy. With my Roadcrafter it's slippery. It does look a LOT better. I have lusted for a Corbin because of the seat back feature. My female friends did not want to ride because of the effort to stay onboard. I'd never considered the moving-around aspect; now I'm not so sure it'd be such an obvious choice. Pretty much comes down to personal style of riding, IMHO. Hope this helps.
I have a Sargent seat on my VFR 1200 and I love it. Apart from the significant comfort over day long tours I like the fact that it allows a sporty riding style as well as it clearly supports foward leaning and sitting close to the tank.
It is my third Sargent seat on my forth bike and I do not regret spending the high costs (including shiping and customs).
I have had both and like the Sargent. Loved the smuggler corbin but the Sargent is lighter, as or more comfortable likely less or the same price as the Corbin. I wouldn't waste my money on a Corbin horse saddle.
I have had both and like the Sargent. Loved the smuggler corbin but the Sargent is lighter, as or more comfortable likely less or the same price as the Corbin. I wouldn't waste my money on a Corbin horse saddle.
I've have both and agree with you. They both fit me great and are a vast improvement over stock. I've been lucky to pick up a couple of used Corbins. On for $25! Still can't believe that one. Another, gunfighter and lady were off an 01 I bought last fall. The seat goes on my daily rider and offers my wife a secure feeling when she is on the back. They are both top quality, and in my case, both comfortable. Probably can't go wrong with.a Sargent if you are buying new. Heard a lot of poor reports on Corbin's service, too. I have never needed them. Rubber side down, Dave
End of thread · 35 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 7 Apr 2015
![[image: Posted Image]](http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7775/ws526a.th.jpg){kind=link}
![[image: Posted Image]](http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1025/vfr98.th.jpg){kind=link}