Numb Nads..

[C14PAINKILLER]

Hear you KawiG, had the same problem on my trip to Cali last year. Never happened with previous Corbins. Must be the design. Wearing my leathers I don't notice it as much, but the seat has given way. Don't really recall it with my trip to the Cabot Trail this year.

[twowheeladdict]

The only problem I have had with all aftermarket saddles was tank slide... breaking with a passenger and I became painfully more intimate with my tank.  The stock saddle is a little grippy.. Does anyone know of some ways to prevent tank sliding?  I'm putting Techspec on tomorrow; that helps.  Been using them since 2002.

On a sport bike you should be gripping the tank with your legs to keep you from sliding around. 

[ZG]

Eh, heh, eh.  You said 'hump'.  Eh, heh, eh....

 
 

[Rhino]

Got my Corbin today. I like it so far but a long trip will tell. ZG, what exactly did you have Corbin do on your "nose job"?

[Rick Hall]

Had a Corbin on my C-10 for a bit. About the same padding as black Rustolium sprayed on a brick.

Bought a used Russell from a Floor-idiot I met in AK 'many moons ago'. Wisest thing I've done (the Russell).

I also gave up boxer briefs, that helped too 

Rick

[MGvaleri]

..

With KIT moving platforms guide, the rest is stardust.
1° solution

2° solution



MGvalerio.

[Slideways]

In the industry I work in (bicycles) numb nuts are a big deal. You think there are many choices for saddles for the Connie, you should see the selection in almost any bicycle store. Anyway on longer rides I always wear a pair of quality bicycles shorts. The pads in cycling shorts are a big deal to bicycle riders and are offered in different configurations. Most however are designed to relieve pressure on the 'taint' which when sat on is usually the cause of Big Jim and the Twins getting sleepy. These pads and the shorts themselves are made of hi-tech materials the transport moisture well, they are molded so they do not bunch up down there and they move with you so there should be no chaffing. One tip. The pads are intended to be worn without any whitey tighties so no under pants.

[KawiG]

I tried the bike shorts a while back and it made the numbness worse Have to get the seat up to Corbin and get it trimmed down. Hopefully it will get rid of the problem because I really like the quality of the seat and it looks awesome on the bike.

[ZG]

ZG, what exactly did you have Corbin do on your "nose job"?

The "nose job" as they refer to it cuts down that front middle hump, which helps in reaching the ground when stopped for shorter folks like me... 

[PH14]

In the industry I work in (bicycles) numb nuts are a big deal. You think there are many choices for saddles for the Connie, you should see the selection in almost any bicycle store. Anyway on longer rides I always wear a pair of quality bicycles shorts. The pads in cycling shorts are a big deal to bicycle riders and are offered in different configurations. Most however are designed to relieve pressure on the 'taint' which when sat on is usually the cause of Big Jim and the Twins getting sleepy. These pads and the shorts themselves are made of hi-tech materials the transport moisture well, they are molded so they do not bunch up down there and they move with you so there should be no chaffing. One tip. The pads are intended to be worn without any whitey tighties so no under pants.

I have mixed results with padded shorts on bicycles. I have a pair of Enduras that make it worse. I have a pair from Bontrager that work well, but usually I go without padded shorts even on tour. I have a Brooks B17 and I can go all day without padding. If only the Corbin would break in as nicely as the Brooks. Actually I would probably be fine on the Corbin if they had designed the shape better.

Corbin seats can be very comfortable. What I have seen with the seat they made for the C14 is a complete misunderstanding of the style of bike they made it for. They dished it out too much in the back, completely altering the ergonomics. It is too bad, if it weren't for that it could be a good seat.

[Slideways]

From the looks of the Corbin the hump may be intended to help keep the rider back and on the sits bones. The problem, as I see it, is that if you are comfortable slide forward the 'hump' is likely putting pressure right where God did not intend you to sit.

Concerning cycling shorts: Look for inserts (pads) that have channels down the middle. Make certain the insert is molded. Do not wear baggy mountain bike shorts (did I really need to say that?). Finally do not wear underpants as they have you sitting right back on a bunch of seams that the inserts so carefully did away with.

Have had many Brooks saddles over the years, ride the rivet bother, ride the rivet!

[KawiG]

  I agree 100%

[PH14]

From the looks of the Corbin the hump may be intended to help keep the rider back and on the sits bones. The problem, as I see it, is that if you are comfortable slide forward the 'hump' is likely putting pressure right where God did not intend you to sit.

Concerning cycling shorts: Look for inserts (pads) that have channels down the middle. Make certain the insert is molded. Do not wear baggy mountain bike shorts (did I really need to say that?). Finally do not wear underpants as they have you sitting right back on a bunch of seams that the inserts so carefully did away with.

Have had many Brooks saddles over the years, ride the rivet bother, ride the rivet!

The problem with the Corbin is that it is too deeply dished. They could have prevented you from sliding forward without dishing it out too much. And you don't just sit on your sit bones as you do on a bicycle, the Corbin is made specifically to spread your weight onto a larger area, which is why it is dished out, so your legs are cradled by the seat. The biggest issue is the hump is too high, the back part of the seat is too low, and it is too far back, unless you carry extra weight, then you need more room and the seat is good for that. I do not, so it is an ill fit for me.

The Sargent fixed the sliding forward issue for me and is more comfortable overall than the Corbin. I tried the Corbin because I do like a firm seat and I do like leather seating for a motorcycle. A firmer seat also has a slight advantage on a hot day, you don't squish into the seat so much that it makes you hotter. It breathes better. Unfortunately, for me at least, the position is badly designed.

The seat makes you lean forward more, placing more pressure on the parts in question. I really wonder why they did that, unless it was to give a larger rider more room. IN that case, great, just tell us so that we won't waste our money. Oh, and when they take the order and you specify the fact you don't need the extra room, and they make a point to take your measurements and weight, saying they will make it to your specifications, adjusting it a bit here and there, they should probably actually do that, rather than just boxing up their stock seat and being done with it.

[Slideways]

Thanks PH14, a good primer on the differences between bicycle & moto saddles.

Bummer that a company with Corbin's rep seems not to listen as well as their customer might expect. Have also heard that returns are not possible, anyone?

I bought a used Corbin from a member of this forum not for comfort but because it was the low version. After a month on it the stock saddle went back on to give my back side a chance to determine which it likes better. For me anyway determining how well something works is often best known by not having it for a while then going back to it. The stock saddle is cushier and to my surprise not as comfortable for some of the same reasons PH14 mentioned (hotter). I tend to sit well forward dirt bike style on the Connie and the Sargent lets that position work and is comfy for me.

[Rhino]

When I'm sitting on the sweet spot of the Corbin seat it feels excellent. I know from experience on my DR650 Corbin seat the firmness is better for long days at least for me. The problem is that I tend to sit farther forward so I'm not bent over as much. So I've decided that the solution is Helibars. Expensive I know but still less expensive than a beemer or a lot of other alternatives. The first 31,000 miles on this bike have been fantastic and now the next 100,000 miles will be even better.

[Snype]

Corbin has an amazing saddle, provided you go to corbin and watch it being made... be sure to get all of your kinks out there, because they are notorious for bad customer support.  last year (I think maybe the year before) Motorcycle Consumer News published 2 pages of people talking about their experiences with Corbin.  That was one of the main reasons I did not go to Corbin, even though he is like 40 minutes away from me.

Corbin also redesigns how the saddle meats the bike, making switching out seats or returning to stock more of a pain. 

I thin I am going back to Rick Mayers just before the Spring riding season.  It seems that that guy always seems to be riding the bike I own so I know he knows how the seat is supposed to fit.

Snype
btw.. thanks for the thumbs up on the erector-set handlebars.  I love the idea.  I am hoping I can find someone that has them on their bike in the Bay Area, so I can see them first hand.

[PH14]

Corbin has an amazing saddle, provided you go to corbin and watch it being made... be sure to get all of your kinks out there, because they are notorious for bad customer support.  last year (I think maybe the year before) Motorcycle Consumer News published 2 pages of people talking about their experiences with Corbin.  That was one of the main reasons I did not go to Corbin, even though he is like 40 minutes away from me.

Corbin also redesigns how the saddle meats the bike, making switching out seats or returning to stock more of a pain. 

Returning to stock isn't a pain, the stock seat is a pain, period. 

I too believe Corbin seats are well made, the one for the C14 just isn't designed well, for me as far as positioning goes.  The Sargent allows me to do day after day of 800 mile days without a problem. It is just comfortable. I honestly thought the Corbin would be as well, but it isn't. If you ride a lot of pothole infested roads, or roads with a lot of bumps at all, soon you will be crying the pain of the backside. I was basically bruised the other day.

The other thing people who carry passengers need to know, is that the Corbin passenger eat is higher than the Sargent. My wife, so far, prefers the Sargent. She didn't have one good thing to say about the Corbin. It is too bad, I actually wanted to experiment with the Corbin some more. Of course every I take the Corbin off and put the Sargent back on, I am pleased at the better position and seat design. If Corbin would flatten the seat a bit more and get rid of some of the dish, it would be better. Leaning over the hump isn't enjoyable. I just wish they would have made their saddle, with their firm foam, in a design that doesn't alter the original ergonomics so much. Had they have done that they would have fewer complaints about their seat. I still love the way it feels when I first sit down, the leather is nice, the build quality is top notch, but the position drastically alters the ergonomics in a way that is simply uncomfortable.

They have made a lot of great saddles over the years, but this isn't one of them. Honestly, I would have to gain at least 70 pounds in order to have enough a** to make the fit right.  Who do they think are riding these things anyway, Goldwingers? Cruise ship passengers?