eisen
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I thought this post might be of interest to all those trying to decide which saddle to buy. I was having a tough time deciding between Russell and Corbin.
So being me, i decided to buy both.
For the record, I am 6' 1", 190lbs and have a 33" inseam.
The corbin comes in one size (unless you specify otherwise) - but i decided to leave it standard & add heating + backrest/glovebox.
Corbin use their own seat-pan - so no need to send one in
The Dual Russell saddle was built specifically for me & Valerie (wifey)
However, Russell requires you to send in an OEM seatpan. This is a major PITA for me (as i live abroad) - so I ordered a new OEM saddle (front+rear+rubber seating pads) from www.partforyamaha.com and the package was delivered straight to Russell.
FIRST OF ALL: Each and every company I dealt with was an absolute pleasure to work with and i would do it again without hesitation.
However a special word of thanks must go out to Heather @ Russell for arranging all the logistics and taking such good care of me.
THE RUSSELL:
The all leather, dual Russell is (like my 3 other Russell saddles) perfectly made, oozes quality and looks amazing on the bike (IMHO). The saddle requires around 1000km to break in, but honestly, i was comfortable from day 1. The only real drawback is that the seat is NOT waterproof. You have to schlep a cover around in case it begins to rain. Of course, this is a tiny price to pay for such comfort. Anyway, I think that the true test of a saddle is when the passenger comments on it. Here is Valerie’s review: “....all our future bikes MUST have a Russell seat - otherwise you’ll have to look for a new wifey
Enough said, i think!
*Note: Some shorter riders may find it very difficult to reach the ground at a stop due to the wings. But this can be overcome by sliding forward towards the tank when coming to a stop.
THE BACKREST:
A Pirates lair backrest
The backrest was sent straight to Russell in order to be recovered (matching leather)
The pirates lair backrest came recommended by many people & i can see why. It sits at exactly the right height (for Val at 5’ 6”), provides loads of support, never intrudes and has no hotspot after a long days ride (that is what Val tells me, anyway!)
Also, it is a major plus point that the backrest can be attached or taken off in a matter of seconds. The downside is that you lose the ability to install a rear box, even is the backrest is taken off (but the attachment plate stays on...)
Any backrest (pirates or otherwise) is a must have for anyone biker that cares for their passenger.
Here are some pictures of the Russell and pirates lair backrest:
THE CORBIN:
First of all, despite many comments to the contrary, Corbin's customer service was fast, efficient and friendly.
The Corbin, with its own base-pan is a heavy seat. Very heavy, in fact!
I found the saddle to be well made and a breeze to install. The leather is unblemished and feels excellent.
The glovebox/backrest is a fantastic feature, though i feel that for the price I paid for it – the quality should have been a tad better.
My first ride with the Corbin confirmed one thing: The Russell is the better saddle FOR ME & VAL. I am simply too tall for the Corbin & i feel that it forces me to sit too close to the tank (thereby squashing some vital areash34r: ).
Seat height aside, i found the saddle to be quite comfortable for my bum and Valerie loved the cute little glovebox/backrest setup. She said it gave good support and looked beautiful on the bike. But she also confirmed that as a passenger, the Russell + pirates lair was the way to go.
By itself, the Corbin is a great seat & I’m sure that if Val would have never felt a Russell under her little tush then she would be perfectly happy. But when compared side-to-side and ride-to-ride, then there is simply no comparison. The Russell has the Corbin beat for both rider and passenger comfort (true for both daily commuting in dense traffic and long open-road trips).
Another thing I noticed was that bumps and road irregularities were transferred through the Corbin & onto the rider/passenger, where with the Russell seat the same bumps were absorbed easily and hidden from us. This phenomenon could be explained by the Corbin’s heavy, fibreglass base-pan.
Since writing this report, i have installed Ohlins (front springs + rear monoshock) and the same comments are still valid.
Here are some pictures of the Corbin:
If i get a lot of demand from you guys, i will install the Corbin and post some more pictures – so you can see how it looks when on the bike.
Of course my review is open to debate, as some will find the Corbin much more comfortable. But the conclusion here is that you won’t go wrong with either seat. It just comes down to the fact that if you have physical dimensions close to mine – the Russell will get you to your destination without any discomfort OR a shopping list of complaints from your riding partner :assassin:
Ride safe,
E & V
So being me, i decided to buy both.
For the record, I am 6' 1", 190lbs and have a 33" inseam.
The corbin comes in one size (unless you specify otherwise) - but i decided to leave it standard & add heating + backrest/glovebox.
Corbin use their own seat-pan - so no need to send one in
The Dual Russell saddle was built specifically for me & Valerie (wifey)
However, Russell requires you to send in an OEM seatpan. This is a major PITA for me (as i live abroad) - so I ordered a new OEM saddle (front+rear+rubber seating pads) from www.partforyamaha.com and the package was delivered straight to Russell.
FIRST OF ALL: Each and every company I dealt with was an absolute pleasure to work with and i would do it again without hesitation.
However a special word of thanks must go out to Heather @ Russell for arranging all the logistics and taking such good care of me.
THE RUSSELL:
The all leather, dual Russell is (like my 3 other Russell saddles) perfectly made, oozes quality and looks amazing on the bike (IMHO). The saddle requires around 1000km to break in, but honestly, i was comfortable from day 1. The only real drawback is that the seat is NOT waterproof. You have to schlep a cover around in case it begins to rain. Of course, this is a tiny price to pay for such comfort. Anyway, I think that the true test of a saddle is when the passenger comments on it. Here is Valerie’s review: “....all our future bikes MUST have a Russell seat - otherwise you’ll have to look for a new wifey
Enough said, i think!
*Note: Some shorter riders may find it very difficult to reach the ground at a stop due to the wings. But this can be overcome by sliding forward towards the tank when coming to a stop.
THE BACKREST:
A Pirates lair backrest
The backrest was sent straight to Russell in order to be recovered (matching leather)
The pirates lair backrest came recommended by many people & i can see why. It sits at exactly the right height (for Val at 5’ 6”), provides loads of support, never intrudes and has no hotspot after a long days ride (that is what Val tells me, anyway!)
Also, it is a major plus point that the backrest can be attached or taken off in a matter of seconds. The downside is that you lose the ability to install a rear box, even is the backrest is taken off (but the attachment plate stays on...)
Any backrest (pirates or otherwise) is a must have for anyone biker that cares for their passenger.
Here are some pictures of the Russell and pirates lair backrest:
THE CORBIN:
First of all, despite many comments to the contrary, Corbin's customer service was fast, efficient and friendly.
The Corbin, with its own base-pan is a heavy seat. Very heavy, in fact!
I found the saddle to be well made and a breeze to install. The leather is unblemished and feels excellent.
The glovebox/backrest is a fantastic feature, though i feel that for the price I paid for it – the quality should have been a tad better.
My first ride with the Corbin confirmed one thing: The Russell is the better saddle FOR ME & VAL. I am simply too tall for the Corbin & i feel that it forces me to sit too close to the tank (thereby squashing some vital areas
h34r: ).Seat height aside, i found the saddle to be quite comfortable for my bum and Valerie loved the cute little glovebox/backrest setup. She said it gave good support and looked beautiful on the bike. But she also confirmed that as a passenger, the Russell + pirates lair was the way to go.
By itself, the Corbin is a great seat & I’m sure that if Val would have never felt a Russell under her little tush then she would be perfectly happy. But when compared side-to-side and ride-to-ride, then there is simply no comparison. The Russell has the Corbin beat for both rider and passenger comfort (true for both daily commuting in dense traffic and long open-road trips).
Another thing I noticed was that bumps and road irregularities were transferred through the Corbin & onto the rider/passenger, where with the Russell seat the same bumps were absorbed easily and hidden from us. This phenomenon could be explained by the Corbin’s heavy, fibreglass base-pan.
Since writing this report, i have installed Ohlins (front springs + rear monoshock) and the same comments are still valid.
Here are some pictures of the Corbin:
If i get a lot of demand from you guys, i will install the Corbin and post some more pictures – so you can see how it looks when on the bike.
Of course my review is open to debate, as some will find the Corbin much more comfortable. But the conclusion here is that you won’t go wrong with either seat. It just comes down to the fact that if you have physical dimensions close to mine – the Russell will get you to your destination without any discomfort OR a shopping list of complaints from your riding partner :assassin:
Ride safe,
E & V
