Okay so i have been thinking about getting a corbin seat for a while and think it would be perfect considering the majority of riding i do is commuting to school/work as well as the bike being a primary mode of transportation. I do however like to ride aggressively for fun and will prob see 1 or 2 track days a year. I have read up alot about them and for the most part have heard good things. Ideally i would like to find one used for pricing reasons regardless used or new they are not cheap so want to make sure im getting the right thing before i buy it.

My bike is red and black so would like to go with a seat that is black with the red stitching. My biggest thing is what materials for the top and sides should i go with? I have heard mixed things about different materials getting damaged easily, ripped, torn, fading, being too slick, being to sticky etc.

I am naturally indecisive and a bit of a perfectionist so lots of options tends to mess with me haha. Want the seat to flow with the rest of the bike and not stick out so thinking no to any of the alligatorish ones. Have a carbon fiber slip on so carbon seat may go good with it.

The ones which seem to be a possibility are the:

Leather:
Black leather
Carbon fiber leather black
Carbon fiber hi gloss black
carbon fiber leather charcoal

Vinyl:
Asphalt Vinyl
Carbonium
Carbon fiber vinyl black
Carbon fiber vinyl charcoal
Husky black
Black

Additionally the bike will see occasional rain Ohio's weather is so unpredictable.

Thoughts/opinions appreciated

 

On a side note, the Corbin seats that I've seen were thicker then the OE split seat for our bikes. If you're on the shorter end of the bell curve, the additional seat height might be a factor. Good luck.

 

If ur shooting for a pre-owned...then you must wait for the right opportunity. If seat in good condition, you will not go wrong with Corbin. I got lucky with all black....seat feel hard at first but breaks in well with you ****!!!

 

I would stay away from the leather. While it does look nice, vinyl will last much longer if exposed to rain and sunlight. Just my $.02

 

Never used a Corbin, but I have an all leather Russell Day Long seat on my FJR and it is the best saddle I have ever used. Have done several 700+ mile days, back to back and never had any pain. The leather holds up well with a leather conditioner applied every once in a while.

They make a sport version with less defined "wings", which is something I will probably end up purchasing for my '06 at some point. Vinyl would be much less maintenance, and cheaper I assume.

Josh

 

Don't let the occasional track day or canyon carving impact your decision to buy a Corbin. You'll want to switch your seat back to stock on those days, anyway. Corbin, while amazing for everyday riding, is not hard riding friendly, mainly due to its shape.

 

I still cant figure out why people are so set on over exspensive aftermarket seats when your stock one can have cushy foam added to your specs and be re-coverd for less then $100. If your really worried about it you can buy a spare stock seat just for canyon runs and track days.

 

A cushy seat that has some support is a must for me on any longer ride as I'm a lightweight and have no cushion of my own. Keeping a stock seat to supplement whatever cushy one you decide is a great idea for track days though. I would have never made it on the trips I have taken without a custom seat. The money was well worth the comfort.

 

The Corbin is shaped very differently than a stock seat - it's not like they tossed some cushy foam in and charged a few hundred bucks for it. And I believe it's that shape that provides far more comfort than any added padding.

And for what it's worth, the Corbin isn't exactly like floating on air. But you don't notice because your weight is distributed evenly, unlike the stock plank.

 

This reminds me of the seat I had on my Sportster... It was the harley pillowtop and took me from MI to AZ and back. It was definitely better than stock, but still burned after a half day on the road. It didn't have the support, although it was plush.

The Russell and Corbin are formed to support which should eliminate pressure points. I did a 2000 mile round trip from Cincinnati to Wisconsin and never once thought about my seat because there were no painful "reminders". It has also taken my wife and I down to Orlando and back with no complaints.