Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Joncon11 on November 12, 2011, 12:05:29 PM
-
I searched (maybe not well enough) and found nothing definitive about leather seat care. I live in NC so when it's not raining is humid. This doesn't stop me from riding year round'. I just purchased a Corbin seat with the smuggler trunk. As you can imagine, getting a $1000 dollar saddle set-up wet concerns me a little bit. The Corbin web site said rain won't hurt the leather although you will experience swamp a$$ due to the wet seat (not a factor, I always wear riding pants). This put my mind at ease a little bit, but I would still like to hear about what folks around here do for their leather saddles, conditioning, waterproofing, covers, etc...
Thanks
Jon
-
I've not had an issue yet with my Corbin, but I've had few instances of it really getting wet. Most of the time it's just from the dew that settles on it when I'm on a trip. Several of my friends have grabbed the trash can liner in the hotel bathroom and wrapped in around the seat if we were expecting rain overnight. There's usually extra ones in the bottom of those trash cans.
I'd suspect that you could use one of those treatments that claims to waterproof the seams of your boots (bees wax??), but I've not tried it.
-
Don't know about bees wax but when I was in college (Humboldt State, a place known for lots of rain), I water proofed my boots with something that had was mink oil based with some other stuff mixed into it. I highly recommend something like that.
-
Thanks for the suggestions so far! I could try Corbin's proprietary leather balm, but on their web site it says "or equivalent", as long as it has no petroleum based products in it. Does anyone here use any type of seat cover? I would consider that too...
-
I use the leather conditioner sold on the Corbin site, comperable in price to other products out there so I figured might as well use their product that way if my leather got damaged somehow they couldn't blame it on another product...
-
I had a leather Corbin on a previous bike for about 75K miles. I hever used anything on it and it held up perfectly.
-
Sun beating down on leather is much much worse than wet/moisture.
-
Sun beating down on leather is much much worse than wet/moisture.
Maybe use a little SPF 50 sunscreen with moisturizer? ;)
-
Works on the seat also....
-
This guy on the Harley wasn't concerned about his leather seat
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/med_gallery_985_801_413117-599x399.jpg)
-
This guy on the Harley wasn't concerned about his leather seat
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/med_gallery_985_801_413117-599x399.jpg)
Yeah, I saw that whole series on Killboy. I guess railing corners on a 900+Lbs steel pig is not a good idea. Looks like the Corbin leather balms have it. I still want to get one of those reflective seat covers, the sun here in the summer is savage. I made it to the Vanson factory a couple years ago and they commented on how dirty my jacket was. I pleaded my ignorance when it comes to cleaning leather, then they proceeded to spray it down with Lemon Pledge and buff it off with a terry towel, who knew. Pledge for cleaning, Corbin balm for treating.
-
I had a leather Corbin on a previous bike for about 75K miles. I hever used anything on it and it held up perfectly.
I love hearing stuff like this, thanks, Phil!