Corbin All Day Seat Mod

[Redfish Hunter]

My dear sir, you are not "telling me something I don't want to hear." You are telling me something that I have heard many times. If your FrankenCorbin makes you happy, great. You modified it, you are proud of it, I am proud for you. I have spent money on "off the shelf" seats, so I have been where you are. I have also spent money on true custom seats so I have experience on both sides of this coin. Therefore it sounds as though I am Telling YOU something you don't want to hear.

The best seat builders use a combination of different foams in different locations. They build the seat based on factors like body weight, size, height, seating position, individual needs, and intended uses. They understand about what foams are necessary to either support or cushion, where support is needed, how the body functions after long, long days in the saddle. The Russell also has a spring which just happens to be patented that provides support in ways that foam simply cannot.

You have done something good by tearing into and improving your seat. Rather than criticize the craftsmanship that you do not know anything about, why not try to learn something from those folks who have built thousands and thousands of custom seats? That information might put you in a position to improve what you have already done.

Of course if you already know Everything There is to Know...

 

[ionbeam]

Occasionally we get a new Forum member participant that arrives via a cannon ball dive into the pool. They tend to poke the hornets nest with a stick and then disappear PDQ.

I have had Corbin seats on a couple of bikes and for sure you break-in to the seat, not the other way around. The Corbin on my V-Max was a step up from the OEM seat, but that's faint praise.

The Russell seats are very expensive but they return value for the money unlike my Corbin experience. In order to get the best value from a very expensive seat you have to use the seat as intended. If you are a short distance day tripper a Russell seat will not return much value, if you ride long days and cover lots of miles the Russell will become near priceless. I waited until there was a group buy and got my Gen I seat at a relatively good price, about the same as any of the other top tier seat makers.

If you are going to deconstruct a Russell, go get the heavy weight seat with internal spring support. Take note of the types of foam used, foam is not foam. Some seat makers use foam types which are used for medical patients which will be in bed for the long term. Also, foam has air bubble size and ratio of air bubble size. Also note the density of the foam, if the foam is closed cell or open cell, it changes support and how hot and uncomfortable the foam can get. It would be helpful to look at the foam 'packing down' under weight and how resilient it is. Often the seats have different foam types in layers for shape and support in different areas such as under the hip bones vs the front of the seat. The shape of the seat foam contributes to the long term comfort. Pop quiz: Why do some seats have wings?

And, notice that nobody got poked in the eye in this post.

 

[rushes]

opcorn:

 

[Nanahanman]

opcorn:

Pass me the box plz

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

My FJR came with a Corbin set and it was OK. It looked great but was hard and low - adding a sheepskin made it tolerable. The bust for me was the shape of the rear seat - my daughters hated it because it forces a slouch and pushes you into the driver. It is also short because Corbin left room for a backrest. My daughters actually liked the stock seat better.

The Russell front and rear I replaced it with (which I got off EBay in brand new condition for less than the price of a Corbin) is higher for me, flat for the passenger and heated!

If your Corbin mod works for you, great. It's always great to hear about how someone has improved somerthing themselves. Corbon didn't work for me and I don't think adding foam would make it much better but it would sure make it uglier. Not as ugly as a Russell, perhaps, but since it exists to cradle my butt, I don't really care.

Coming in here as a new member and going

probably isn't the best way to introduce yourself to the forum.

As to the rest of you - cut it out! I'm never going to be able to sell this Corbin if you let everyone know how bad they are!

 

[rushes]

.

 

[BCJeff]

I'm really disappointed about the way this thread imploded.

When I bought a Gen I bike it came with a stock and a Corbin Canyon.

We always ride with the stock seat as it is nicer for both myself and my Pillion.

I thought that this thread was going to help me make some changes to the Corbin that just sits in the garage collecting dust.......

 

[Fred W]

I thought that this thread was going to help me make some changes to the Corbin that just sits in the garage collecting dust.......

Sell the Corbin to someone else and take the money that you get (and a little more) and send it along with your stock seats to Russell or Laam and get the seat you want and deserve.

See... this thread did help you figure out how to fix your Corbin.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Just a note to oreana: As ionbeam noted, we've often had posters "cannonball in" with a strong and challenging point of view. Some of these people take (and give) offense and never come back. Some, though, quiet down and read, learn, and continue to participate and contribute. This is a fairly tight-knit community that has developed over quite a few years. It always welcomes useful contributors, but usually stands together against, well, and I'm working hard to be tactful, people who come in with a major attitude.

So you took offense when your seat mod was not praised and shown proper appreciation. Happens. Try not to be so sensitive. The fact is, you did something pretty interesting and gave a good explanation of how you did it. That's useful. I can see that your posts might be valuable in the future. We don't all have to go to war. Even though we're spread out all over the continent, many of us have become friends on line and in person, and we kind of stick up for each other. We also know who here is extremely knowledgeable and helpful and who is full of shit. Many of the people who have replied in this thread are in the first group. Sometimes it's good just to listen. Feel free to decide who's who for yourself as time goes on. The jury's still out on you.

 

[oreana]

Wow I never took any offense from the posters here. My feelings aren't hurt, I am from a generation where we didn't care about feelings. Actually, just the title I selected for the post was kind of a troll, I knew I'd get outrageous comments like shooting the seat with a gun or selling it to unsuspecting people. Please take this with a grain of salt: I don't really care about anyone's opinion of my seat mod, it feels great to me. Planning a long ride soon through upper Idaho for a real test.

The fact is that I did use different layers of foam, I did take into consideration where pressure points would be and where I would end up sitting after the mod. Don't even take into account the seat upgrades I've done in the past. There are none so blind....

The technical information on this forum is very useful and I have read many many previous posts about maintenance, upgrades, and trouble spots. Thanks to all of those who posted. I tend to be a technical person, as I am a mechanic by trade. But when a subjective thing like seat comfort becomes dogmatic religion in any form, well, you just invite a poke in the eye.

So I not only can do a cannon ball, I swim very well, too.

 

[Bokerfork]

Why is it that everyone thinks a $600+ seat(new that is) is such a great deal?

I'm willing to concede that there is some skill and knowledge involved but, when you do a "Ride In" and watch the entire process take approximately 90 minutes, I'm sorry, but there is a bit of highway robbery going on.

Sure you can add a little for redo's and assorted overhead but it is really the law of supply and demand that allows these specialists the ability to charge those prices.

And as far as Ionbeam's logic goes, to get real value out of anything, it all comes down to hours of use? Sorry, not where I stand. Value is somewhat intangible but basically comes down to cost versus quality, perceived or real. The value of a custom seat is how much more comfortable over a stock seat versus the cost, not the miles driven. The number of miles I drive only helps me figure out what that ratio should be.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I am extremely pleased that the OP has agreed to keep swimming. Even if I do not agree with another member's opinion, I do respect that opinion. Well... most of the time.

Anyone with the gumption to tackle a project like this has to have some qualities that will prove useful to the forum. I look forward to RESPECTFULLY disagreeing with him again.

And with regards to opinions... The Laam Custom seats have been one of the most worthwhile and cost effective upgrades to our two FJRs. That is of course MY money. How anyone else chooses to spend their own money is their business. Of course I always regard those folks that agree with me as being just a little bit smarter than average...

And for the record, I did not even come close to spending $600 for any of the three Laam Customs I have bought.

 

[oreana]

I am a noobie, but I am not a noobie to motorcycles or even forums. I'll be first to buy you a beer and listen to your opinions, then disregard them if the evidence so proves otherwise. I ended up arguing about russell seats when I just thought I'd improve on a Corbin.

Just when I seem to start to get edgy, I go out and weed whack for a batterys worth, then I feel better somehow. I was just out whacking in the yard when I ran across a very expensive knife that I have been missing for over a year. So I have to thank you all for helping me find my pocketknife.

Which leads me to admit that the finest pocketknife for working as a sailor on the foredeck is a Boye knife. It costs over $180 and I am willing to pay that sum. I'd pay $600 bucks for a seat if I thought it were worth that....

 

[Chiefblueman]

"Value" is in the eye of the "value-er". When I bought my Gen1, it came with an almost new Corbin seat. It was really nice to look at, not so nice to sit on. I also had the stock seat. Switching back and forth, I determined the Corbin was a 1 hour seat, the stocker about 45 minutes.Yes, the Alaskan sheepskin helped, but not enough. After 2 hours in the saddle they both made me want to get off and walk for a couple hours.

Here's where the value part came in for me. I value my time. I could spend hours researching and experimenting and working on my seat. I also value my time spent riding while my ass doesn't hurt. Since I'm not a seasoned seat builder, I decided to sell the Corbin and go custom. Took 30 minutes of my time to box up the brick and send it to its new home. With the proceeds from the sale of said brick, I added some cash and got in touch with Mr. Laam. Full leather, passenger and rider both customized. My ass perceived this to be an excellent value. When my nether region is happy, I'm happy. Value all around.

After the first 8 hour day on my new saddle, I was well chuffed!

Some folks may value the time spent to solve this dilemma with their own skills and ingenuity. All good. A valued experience with a good outcome. Some might spend a bunch and be satisfied because it looks cool. Once again, all good. I don't have to sit on it.It may not be a good value to me, but it may be a good value to the owner of the buns that will be placed upon this mobile throne.

Oreana, sounds like you've got a thick hide. Good thing, you're going to need it around here! I hope you stick around.

 

[Punkinhead]

Now I will get a russell and take it apart to show its interior. I dont want to wreck a good thing for these high dollar seat producers, but there is nothing magic in seats. I tip my hat to those who can command large payments, taking advantage of rubes

If there nothing to it then the Corbin should have been fine out of the box. Apparently there's a little bit more to it.

And I'm not defending Russell or Laam since I've never owned a Laam and the only Russell I've owned is on an '84 R100 so I don't have any idea what their modern products are like. I've had mixed success with Corbin. I got lucky with one on a '95 VFR - it was comfortable (I was younger then) and fit the bike fine, but like all Corbins it was ungodly heavy. On other bikes I tried a Corbin and they were uncomfortable and on several I either couldn't get them to latch or I had to pry them off the bike with a screwdriver. They aren't known for doing a good job on their pans.

I must be an odd duck because I find the stock FJR seat to be comfortable. I bought an FZ09 a couple weeks ago and will probably just pry the staples out of the stock seat and fix it similar to what you did. I certainly won't pay $400-$500 for an aftermarket seat only to modify it. That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Well...this was quite an entertaining read...glad you got the Corbin to work for ya.

 

[oreana]

Here's a quick weight compare:

Stock front seat 3 lbs

Corbin front seat 7.4 lbs

Stock rear seat 4 lbs

Corbin rear seat 11.4

These are kind of apples and oranges. The front seat has much more structure (the part around the tank) and the back seat has a backrest with a steel upright bracket. Also the front Corbin seat now has new layers of varying density foam.

4.4 lbs increase in the front seat gives me protection from crushing my balls on the tank in a panic stop, and a much more cushy butt pad, plus I like the look of black leather. Worth it

Wife is totally sold on the backrest- getting her to accompany me is worth the extra 7.4 lbs- she'll have much more than that in the luggage

 

[Fred W]

Which leads me to admit that the finest pocketknife for working as a sailor on the foredeck is a Boye knife. It costs over $180 and I am willing to pay that sum. I'd pay $600 bucks for a seat if I thought it were worth that....

That is a perfect analogy. There are many people that would not see the value of that knife and tell you that you are insane to spend so much money on one. There are many others that can appreciate the value of a fine tool. It's all about our own totally subjective values and what each of us feel an object it worth. To compound that, this also depends on what a dollar is worth to each of us. How long you would have to labor to earn one can bias how freely you spend them.

I have come to my dislike (disgust?) of Corbin seats with a great deal of first hand (first butt?) experience with them, both on the two FJRs and on a couple of other bikes. The amount of money that I have wasted on uncomfortable (to me) seats exceeds what I've spent on having a Russell seat made for each of my bikes..

The only reason that the miles or years of use matter is because that is an indication of how much discomfort you would be avoiding, assuming of course that the stock seat is uncomfortable to you.

If you are comfortable on the stock seat it would be foolish to spend money on a replacement. If you are a day rider or commuter and tend to stop every hour or so for a butt break, a better seat may not be worth it. But if your riding style is to climb aboard and ride for 10 to 12 hours (or longer?) stopping only for gas or to take a pee, and doing that for weeks at a time, tolerating an uncomfortable seat becomes a much bigger issue, and so is worth spending more money to eliminate it.

Of course being subjective means that each of us has their own opinions. Is it any more offensive for someone to ridicule your opinion of a home modified Corbin than it is for you to ridicule their having spent (what you think is) too much money for a Russell. Do you see the irony there?

I know there are people that can be comfortable on a Corbin. I hope that your modifications work out for you. But I'd still shoot it full of holes or better yet sell it off, if it were mine.

 

[timk]

Someone should've told you not to badmouth Russell. That and keep mum on looooong distance riding. Me, I have a $100 Corbin unmodified that has served me well. i drink beer with the $650 I saved.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Now we are drifting off the original topic even further. At least we are all happy. Let me nudge us back toward the Original Topic.

I confess that I was ignorant of Boye knives. That is no longer the case. Thank you.

If I say that I bought a knife for $4.95 at the counter of the convenience store while I was paying for my gas and it looks just like that Boye knife and it is just as good, what are your thoughts? I have never had a Boye knife, I have never used a Boye knife, but mine looks Just Like That One and I sharpened it with Mom's electric sharpener so it is Just As Sharp as yours and I am sooo happy because I saved $175 and you were Stupid To Pay That Much because mine is just as good.

Does this sound like a familiar argument?

With a knife, the majority of folks would never be able to tell the difference if they did have both together. With motorcycle seats, after a few hours in the saddle most of us can tell the difference.

To Re-re-repeat what I typed earlier, I applaud the OP for having the gumption to tear apart an expensive seat and start modifying. I would probably not do so. I appreciate that the OP posted a pic even though he did not want to deal with the extra effort required.

I am happy that the OP is happy with his own work. It is always nice to enjoy the fruits of our own labors and a good craftsman should be proud of his/her work.

I do urge the OP to consider my knife quality argument above. If you have never experienced The Best, how do you know what standard your work is being measured against?

I propose that if the OP keeps his current work ethic in place but opens his mind a bit there may come a time when we are sending HIM our seats to be Professionally Modified.

But I bet he starts charging Too Much Money.