[bean]

well, after a 6 day wait, I pulled in the driveway and saw a rather large box on the doorstep. I asked my wife what she had ordered. "nothing that would be in a box that large", followed by , " do they ship refrigerators via ups?". yes, the box is very large. lots of packing. I see why it cost $50 for shipping. I assume that oneida has ordered a large quantity of corbin seats. I am sure that is the reason they offer only one version.
the installation went rather well. I had to remove the stock Suzuki bumpers for the seat and take a beltsander to them to remove an 1/8". I remember what paul had said about the bumpers settling in, but there was no way they would drop that much. I couldn't get the seat to latch with my 245lbs sitting on the passenger spot. with the 1/8" removed, it is a very snug fit, requiring a little shove to latch.
the fit is phenominal. if you have a 32"+ inseam, this seat is a must have. don't even hesitate ordering. it is that good. I had the backrest removed from my stock seat and it was still a little cramped. now, the seat is actually a little too far to the rear! I can fully lock my legs with them on the forward portion of the footrests. the flat portion of the footrest is also much much better now. feels very natural. the seat is wider and shaped better. the stock seat looks very cheap next to the corbin.
I plan to get the backrest for the driver for christmas, and maybe go ahead and order the givi case now.
the windshield is too short now. but, it is better than before. at least now I am getting the full effect of the wind in my face. before, it was like the upper half of my face was getting hit, while the lower half was protected. an odd felling to say the least.
I have limited mileage in the seat as of now. I will give my $.02 in a few days and a few hundred miles. so far,I love what the seat has to offer. absolutely worth the money.

 

[flintbobbi]

Thx for the note. I particularly like the comment about "I can fully lock my legs with them on the forward portion of the footrests. the flat portion of the footrest is also much much better now."

I wanted highway pegs for more legroom when legs are straight (esp. on a long trip), but perhaps this is a better way to go, since I want a softer seat anyway.

Question: Do you feel like you are "leaning forward" to reach the handlebars? Is your back straight up or leaning forward? Does this feel uncomfortable after a moderately long (1 hour) ride?

Thx for any comments, anyone.

Flint

 

[casek]

Bean,
Congrats on the new Corbin! I am getting my backrest for my Corbin via UPS tomorrow! I can't wait. The seat just seems to keep getting more comfortable the longer you ride.

Your Ohio Neighbor,
Kelly 8)

 

[bean]

I sort of want to wait to comment about the comfort of the seat. I think I need a few hundred miles behind me first. I can tell you this. the seat is very stiff. I have found that the more comfortable(soft) a seat fells when you first sit on it, the quicker it becomes miserable. stiff seems to stay comfortable much longer, so, I have high hopes for the corbin. the stock seat is stiff in an entirely different way. I think is is similar to my aces seat. it feels stiff initially, but you find yourself sitting on the seatpan in a short while.
I have forward controls on my ace, and think that the burgman is now more comfortable. there is a lot of legroom. after 800 miles, I was pretty unhappy with the stock configuration. if corbin hadn't made this seat, I would probably have traded the burgman in on a larger tourer.
the bars are farther away, for sure. I still don't feel that they are uncomfortable, but only a 1 hr trip in the saddle will tell(tomorrow morning and evening)
I will give you my honest opinion tomorrow and after several hundred miles.

 

[bean]

casek,
thanks. I have heard that it takes a few thousand miles to fully break in a corbin seat. so it will probably get even better.

 

[pauljo]

casek,
thanks. I have heard that it takes a few thousand miles to fully break in a corbin seat. so it will probably get even better.

Corbin claims that a seat is fully broken in after 1000 miles of riding.

I've been riding my V-Strom with its Corbin seat the last couple of days. I love that seat. I wish I could afford to "Corbinize" the AN650 too, but I just can't afford to right now. I also want to hear what Pappy has to say about the lower version they are coming out with, because that might be the right ticket for me too.

 

[bean]

Paul,
1000 miles is the official line. when corbin introduced a few saddles for the ace a couple of years ago, several people on the sa750 website bought them. after 1000miles, a lot of owners were complaining about the seat not changing much. corbin told several of them that the break-in period can take a few thousand miles.
fwiw

 

[DonRich90]

Hey Bean, take note to see if the Corbin seat lets ya slide forward a bit every time ya hit a sharp bump. That's my major complaint with the stock seat. Every time a hit a frost heave I tend to slide forward and have to slide back into my normal position. Gets really tiresome after a series of bumps. Thanks!
Don

 

[Edwljoseph]

I'm looking at the corbin too. my girlfriend is 5'3" and 125 lbs. She wants input from you all as to comfort for the passenger. She hates the stock seat.

 

[Pappy]

Hey Bean, take note to see if the Corbin seat lets ya slide forward a bit every time ya hit a sharp bump. That's my major complaint with the stock seat. Every time a hit a frost heave I tend to slide forward and have to slide back into my normal position. Gets really tiresome after a series of bumps. Thanks!
Don

The Corbin gives you a nice secure "POCKET" to sit in. Plus, a lot of positions in between. For ME at least....

 

[casek]

Edwljoseph,

Check out Greengoose's review regarding the passenger area. It is smaller with the Corbin.

 

[pauljo]

Check out Greengoose's review regarding the passenger area. It is smaller with the Corbin.

It is smaller, but that doesn't rule out more comfortable. The passenger area on the Corbin seat I have on my V-Strom is also shortened a bit, but my wife has never complained about that.

 

[billmeek]

Hasn't there been complaints about the passenger area being "too big" on the stock seats? It seems that in that case, the smaller area on the Corbin is a good thing.

 

[Burger Bob]

I'd agree with that.

Bob

 

[bean]

sorry for not replying to questions sooner. I was busy the last few evenings.
I have a few hundred miles on the corbin seat now, including four 1-hour rides. I am very happy with the corbin seat. I hated the stock seat. it was too cramped and angled the wrong way. it was also too soft to be comfortable for any length of time.
my observations about the corbin seat are;
1. when you mount the bike and sit down, you notice the seat is slightly firm. 1 hour later you notice that the seat is slightly firm. that is what makes it light years ahead of the stock seat. when I sat on the stock seat, I thought it was nice and soft. an hour later I was screaming to get off of the scooter. I believe I could ride on the corbin seat for 300-400 miles without a problem. unthinkable on the stock seat.
2. after installing the corbin seat, you will curse the stock windshield even more than before. the windblast is intolerable. even if you wear a full-face helmet, you will tire quickly from the buffeting. I wear a half-shell and it is not a pleasant experience. plan on a clearview or givi.
3. the legroom is incredible for me. (32"inseam). I have had forward controls and footpegs on other bikes, and the burgman is superior to all of these, when feet forward. and the best part is that your feet aren't out in the wind, catching wind/rain. they are very well protected. it will be a stretch when sitting at a stoplight. I can't flatfoot it, just the balls of my feet touch. no big deal though.
the seat is a bucket now, so no more sliding forward. the passenger seat is also a "bucket" design, with a definite upturned area in front of the passenger, to prevent sliding and produce a more secure feeling. it looks wider also.
4. the craftmanship is top notch. very well put together.(should be, for the $s!)
5. if you like the stock seat and don't feel cramped, the corbin , while a definite improvement, may not justify the price tag. however, if you are like me and disliked the stock seat and are tall, you will love it. it transforms the scooter into a touring bike(if you replace the freakin' windshield!)

 

[DonRich90]

Thanks, Bean! You answered all of my concerns. I will order one soon.
How difficult was the installation?
Don

 

[bean]

Don,
I think there is a detailed set of instructions in the seat review.
it is pretty straight forward. the difficult part is removing the bracket that holds the seat. it isn't too terribly hard to get to, you just have to take your time because of the limited room. you will definitely need a hand reinstalling the new seat.
I am probably going to order the backrest soon. btw, I didn't experience any problem with the piston that holds the seat up. might be because it is new.

 

[pauljo]

btw, I didn't experience any problem with the piston that holds the seat up. might be because it is new.

Did Corbin supply a new support strut with your seat, or are you using the stock one? (I think Bryan said in the review that they intended to supply a stronger strut in the future...)

 

[NormanB]

btw, I didn't experience any problem with the piston that holds the seat up. might be because it is new.

Did Corbin supply a new support strut with your seat, or are you using the stock one? (I think Bryan said in the review that they intended to supply a stronger strut in the future...)

Bryan- stated at his review that Corbin were investigating his report of weak strut action, but then he had the additional weight of the headrests (not sure how much that tips the balance - so to speak :wink: )

 

[casek]

The stock seat plunger seems to work fine with just the Corbin seat. It is the added weight of the backrests that causes the weight problem. I have installed only one backrest and the stock plunger is really tested with the extra weight. I know Greengoose has both backrests and thus the problem. By the way, the backrests are expensive :shock: ...but worth it!