Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: GVmerle on May 15, 2011, 03:31:44 PM
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I have read many posts on this forum of riders happy with the Corbin seat on their Concours. I am curious if any of you with the Corbin seat have ever had a Corbin seat on another make or type of motorcycle that you liked as well or did not like. I found out yesterday after an all day ride that I need another seat and the Corbin factory is close to me. I have a Russell seat on my Goldwing and love it but Russell is much further way than Corbin.
I have talked to many people who had Corbins (not on Concours) and did not like them at all.
Thanks for any feedback.
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I don't have a Corbin on my C14, but I have owned a number of Corbins on other bikes. Corbins usually take a couple of thousand miles to break in. Some Corbins come from the factory better than others. The most recent Corbin I had on a 2008 FJR was very uncomfortable and it didn't break in like other Corbins I had purchased. I called Corbin and explained the problem and they said that if I would pay to ship the seat to them, which was about $20, then they would re-build the seat with softer foam padding. All I had to pay was for shipping the seat and there was no charge for the re-build. It took over a month, but when I got it back it was a very comfortable seat.
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I had a Corbin on my 06 VFR and it was not comfortable at all IMO... It was hard as a rock and never did "break-in" like they say. The only reason I got it was so that I could have the passenger backrest for my wife.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/vfr3.jpg)
But the Corbin I have on my Connie is very comfortable and it has been since the first day I got it, so I think they must vary by seat or model or something...
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00232-20110507-1441.jpg)
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I had a heated Corbin on the C14. I had a Corbin on my old C10. And I have a Corbin on my newer/older 86 C10 I have. The heated C14 seat took thousands of miles to break in, but was great afterwards. I used an Alaskan sheep skin over top of it, which made it better yet. Cooler/warmer and a little bit softer.
The older C10 Canyon seat was not as comfortable to me as the C14 seat and not shaped quite as good. But a sheep skin on that was good for me as well. The Corbin for my 86 was used and broken in. It seems comfortable. But I don't have enough time on it for a true comparison. But it seems like it would be better than my old C10 Corbin Canyon.
Do I recommend the Corbin? Yes, but you must be willing to accept that it will take a while to break in and shape to your butt. I recommend the heated version also. Once you have one, you'll never want a non-heated seat again. The C14 was well shaped and roomy. With the Alaskan sheep skin, it was hard to beat.
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I would really like to try a Corbin. I had one on my ZRX and I loved it. It's not my favorite looking on the Concours, but I stilll want to try one. A local ride or rally is a good way to see and try stuff the other guys have.
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I recommend the heated version also. Once you have one, you'll never want a non-heated seat again.
+1 to that Cap'n, if you get a Corbin definitely get the heated option! :thumbs:
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/c2.jpg)
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My problem is that I need a little fore and aft movement range that is not there on the stock seat. I wanna slide back and I can't. Is the Corbin any better in that aspect? I also don't want it lower which is the case in most aftermarket seats.
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A Corbin moves the rider back as well as down. It is one of the lowest, if not the very lowest seat available for a C-14. The passenger is moved rearward slightly as well as higher up. My wife likes the Corbin in that regard- it moves her up to help her visibility.
You can offset the lower seat by buying a pair of Murph's lower pegs; the pegs are about 1 1/2" lower than stock but provide the same ground clearance.
Brian
My problem is that I need a little fore and aft movement range that is not there on the stock seat. I wanna slide back and I can't. Is the Corbin any better in that aspect? I also don't want it lower which is the case in most aftermarket seats.
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A Corbin moves the rider back as well as down. It is one of the lowest, if not the very lowest seat available for a C-14. The passenger is moved rearward slightly as well as higher up. My wife likes the Corbin in that regard- it moves her up to help her visibility.
You can offset the lower seat by buying a pair of Murph's lower pegs; the pegs are about 1 1/2" lower than stock but provide the same ground clearance.
Brian
I already have to use the lowered pegs with the stock seat.
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My problem is that I need a little fore and aft movement range that is not there on the stock seat. I wanna slide back and I can't. Is the Corbin any better in that aspect? I also don't want it lower which is the case in most aftermarket seats.
The Corbin definitely pushes you further back in the seat IMO. When I had my stock seat on it was too tall at stops but when riding it was obviously fine, one of the first things I noticed when I got my Corbin was that it pushed me further back in the seat which resulted in me having to lean forward more for the handlebars, that was why I got my 2" Helibar risers to level me back out to a more comfortable riding position...
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Very interesting and informative views. Thanks.
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i had a corbin on my M109R and it was hard as a rock and not very comfy at all.
i have a sargent on my SV650n and its ok but still kind of hard.
i will be getting a russell daylong seat for the connie when money and time permit the bike to be down for a bit.
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I have a Corbin on my Suzuki DR650. Very hard. But amazingly MUCH better for long distance riding. It turned that bike into a real adventure bike IMO.
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I have now had 3 Corbin seats. First one was on my CBR600F3 and it was great for me, but not great for the passenger as it looked like it had a fastback design to it, which basically took the rear position and made it look more like it was a cowl than a seat. On my TL1000R, I had the Corbin on the front seat and the stock seat for the back, since Corbin never did make a rear seat for it. The TL1000R seat really was miles better than the stock seat. I had many 400 mile days on that seat and since it gave room to move around, it worked for me even though it was very hard.
On the C14, I can't speak a whole lot to it yet since I just got it, but it does give you more room front and back to move, which I like. It also allows you to slide on the seat which the stock seat didn't do as the material was too "grippy". You do have a lower seat which was good for me as I can now touch better with my 29" inseam.
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I would really like to try a Corbin. I had one on my ZRX and I loved it. It's not my favorite looking on the Concours, but I stilll want to try one. A local ride or rally is a good way to see and try stuff the other guys have.
Hi fellow previous ZRX owner :)
You should also consider the Sargent seat. They cost a bit less than the Corbin, look better (to me, anyway), have the same features/options (low/high, heat, storage, etc), and the people are just great. But you are right, it is almost impossible to compare such stuff.
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Hi fellow previous ZRX owner :)
You should also consider the Sargent seat. They cost a bit less than the Corbin, look better (to me, anyway), have the same features/options (low/high, heat, storage, etc), and the people are just great. But you are right, it is almost impossible to compare such stuff.
I'm a big guy and the Sargent is too crowded for me. I want a seat that emphasises the rider, not the passenger. No backrests or trunks to lean on, ya better hang on!
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I'm a big guy and the Sargent is too crowded for me. I want a seat that emphasises the rider, not the passenger. No backrests or trunks to lean on, ya better hang on!
+1 The Sargent is too confining for me also!
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Sent my Seargant seat back the day it arrived, it leaned too forward and had no room to move. Bought the Corbin, loved it from the moment I sat on the beauty, best seat I've had. Have a Seargant on my '06 VFR that I really like, not on the C-14 though. Go Irish!
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I'm a big guy and the Sargent is too crowded for me.
Well, I am only 155 lb, so I don't have that issue :)
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I don't like Corbin seats at all. I've had them on the last 15 bikes I purchased.
Reasons:
a. they use real leather and fiberglass base pans. The cheap seat and base pan used by all motorcycle manufacturers are much better.
b. Corbin uses closed cell foam which is hard. So hard in fact that the seats eliminate hot spots and support even distribution of weight.
c. the Corbin seat on my 10 Concours removed the forward slant of the original seat, something i was not in favor of as the tank was the only contact my "miss happy girl" ever got.
d. the Corbin seat has caused me to take much longer rides and overnights therefore increasing the money I spend on hotels, meals, and gas.
e. they had pink (or close enough) leather which makes a girl very happy.
88
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I don't like Corbin seats at all. I've had them on the last 15 bikes I purchased.
Reasons:
a. they use real leather and fiberglass base pans. The cheap seat and base pan used by all motorcycle manufacturers are much better.
b. Corbin uses closed cell foam which is hard. So hard in fact that the seats eliminate hot spots and support even distribution of weight.
c. the Corbin seat on my 10 Concours removed the forward slant of the original seat, something i was not in favor of as the tank was the only contact my "miss happy girl" ever got.
d. the Corbin seat has caused me to take much longer rides and overnights therefore increasing the money I spend on hotels, meals, and gas.
e. they had pink (or close enough) leather which makes a girl very happy.
88
Pink? Really? Picture please! ;D
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Every time I think I'm ready to pull the trigger and order the heated Corbin modular, I see a post like this and get nervous. It is a lot of $$$ and when the reviews are so mixed, it makes it hard to justify the chance.
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I don't like Corbin seats at all. I've had them on the last 15 bikes I purchased.
Reasons:
a. they use real leather and fiberglass base pans. The cheap seat and base pan used by all motorcycle manufacturers are much better.
b. Corbin uses closed cell foam which is hard. So hard in fact that the seats eliminate hot spots and support even distribution of weight.
c. the Corbin seat on my 10 Concours removed the forward slant of the original seat, something i was not in favor of as the tank was the only contact my "miss happy girl" ever got.
d. the Corbin seat has caused me to take much longer rides and overnights therefore increasing the money I spend on hotels, meals, and gas.
e. they had pink (or close enough) leather which makes a girl very happy.
So I don't get it. You like the corbin or you don't? A, B, and C are against the Corbin but then D and E are in favor of it? You say the seat is hard, removes the forward slant but then say that it is (apparently) so comfortable that you ride longer because of it.
Confused?
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So I don't get it. You like the corbin or you don't? A, B, and C are against the Corbin but then D and E are in favor of it? You say the seat is hard, removes the forward slant but then say that it is (apparently) so comfortable that you ride longer because of it.
Confused?
Think tongue in cheek.......
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Every time I think I'm ready to pull the trigger and order the heated Corbin modular, I see a post like this and get nervous. It is a lot of $$$ and when the reviews are so mixed, it makes it hard to justify the chance.
Read the can Doc... ;)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/IMG00097-20110107-1814.jpg)
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I had the same Corbin seat on my last two bikes and over 125,000 miles. Got a new one for the Concours. I find it to be very hard and it is molded to fit your butt (or somebody's) and holds me in just one spot, this adds up to aching legs after a long day. I'd prefer a flatter surface that doesn't hold you in one spot. It does keep me from sliding forward better than the stock or Sargent did. If you try one and don't like it you can probably sell it on the forum easily.
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Again, I appreciate all the posts and opinions. I believe I will get another Russell Day Long.
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Again, I appreciate all the posts and opinions. I believe I will get another Russell Day Long.
I bet they're comfy, but they sure fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
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"I believe I will get another Russell Day Long." ???
I bet they're comfy, but they sure fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
+1...
:doublepuke:
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Every time I think I'm ready to pull the trigger and order the heated Corbin modular, I see a post like this and get nervous. It is a lot of $$$ and when the reviews are so mixed, it makes it hard to justify the chance.
They *are* lot of money. IMHO the quality of both Sargent and Corbin are high- perhaps equal. They also have similar and/or identical features. You can tell from pictures what they "look" like and make that determination ahead of time. You can pick certain features. You can know the exact price. But as for what they FEEL like compared to what you want- that is a user preference that is hard for anyone to define in any way that would be terribly helpful. Even just sitting on one in a showroom somewhere is not the same as RIDING the bike with it. And even RIDING the bike a few times with it is not the same as USING it for many times (and on different days, different temps, different weather, different distances, and in different clothing). And even THEN, you still can't know what you MIGHT be missing with some other brand or model.
Such is life. Put it this way- most of us bought the Concours, itself, without test riding it (since most dealers won't allow test drives) and that is a hell of a lot more complex and expensive than a seat :)
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I have Corbin's on all of my current road bikes, Connie, Busa, RC51. The Connie has a modified Corbin via a ride in appointment.
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Even just sitting on one in a showroom somewhere is not the same as RIDING the bike with it.
Boy ain't that the truth. I remember when I bought my first C10. It had the most comfortable seat on it. I even took one out for a short test ride. It felt great. Then after I bought the bike and had it for a short time. I realized that at 30 minutes or 18 miles (which ever came first), I felt like I was sitting on the frame rails! Now the C14 seat is better. But not much. And like said, few actually get to test ride a C14! :D