Corbin Smuggler

[TWILKIN650]

My Smuggler shipped today from California. Should be here this weekend or early next week. Will take pix, and report when it's installed.

 

[sgoat]

TWILKIN650,

Looking forward to your review and PICS of the new smuggler. Hope it shows up this weekend!

 

[SkooterG]

And TWILKIN650, if you don't like it I will take it off your hands for oh, how about $150?

:lol:

 

[Tom of VA]

TWILKIN650,

Please post a picture as soon as you get it. If you like it, I'll get one.

Thanks,

Tom :good: :thumbdown: :thumbup:

 

[yamahlr]

At Daytona on Friday, stopped by the Corbin shop. The Smuggler looks to be a quality piece of hardward for the FJR. I'm going to inquire if Gary @ University can get them for us at a discount. I bought the Sargent seat from him at a better discount than Sargent offered us in the pre-production buy. I'll post what Gary says.

 

[TWILKIN650]

Smuggler arrived yesterday, will install and post pix and impressions this weekend.

 

[rockabill]

TWILKIN650,

Are you using it with the stock seat, or do you have an aftermarket seat?

I have called both Corbin and Sargent, and neither of them can tell me if a Sargent world sport seat/Corbin smuggler combo will work together. :eh:

If anyone has tried or will try this combo, please let me know.

yamahlr,

Any luck with Gary @ university?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[jestal]

del

 

[sgoat]

If ya just can't wait to see a Galaxy Blue version, a guy over on the "other board" has posted up pics of his. Gotta say it looks great!

 

[newsantafe]

here are some pics- that I posted on the other forum- I am more than pleased with the looks and it was pretty easy to install- I you did orderone- you MAY have to enlarge the 2 holes in the bottom of the front seat so the acorn nuts that come on the smuggler will fit in there. The paint is a perfect match, down to the amount of metal flake

inside the smuggler

 

[SkooterG]

Pretty.

But, holy cow, $$$$$$! :erm:

 

[TWILKIN650]

I had considerable trouble with the bolts used to mount the trunk to the crossmember that locates the stock rear seat. I futzed with them for about an hour before giving up. The crossmember that the seat is bolted to has a "bunch 'o stuff" under it that prevents easy access. Let's think about the mounting system for a moment:

1) Corbin supplies two bolts with two different heads; one hex and one cap screw. An allen wrench, a 10mm open end, and a rachet wrench needed to install and remove. No room for my big fingers.

2) Stock rear seat is held in place by two plastic locating pins. It ain't going any where when the rider's seat is locked down.

3) Why not fasten a bolt/nut arrangement similar to the stock rear seat assembly onto the chromed Corbin tabs to position the tabs above the two stock seat locating holes in the crossmember? What happens when you want to swap the Smuggler out and ride with a pillion? "Darlin' you're going to have to wait about an hour until I can get this damn thing off."? It needs to come off as quick as the stock rear seat IMO.

I'm going to fix up a similar arrangement as the stock rear seat on the front of the Corbin, and then just use two industrial strength zip ties to hold it down and some heat shrink tubing over the bolt threads to keep it from rattling. Sheesh!

I agree, first rate construction on the trunk, great paint match, but poor thought on a quick release mounting system. I can do better myself! Pix to follow when I get this done.

 

[Tom of VA]

Why not fasten a bolt/nut arrangement similar to the stock rear seat assembly onto the chromed Corbin tabs to position the tabs above the two stock seat locating holes in the crossmember?

I agree. If the back seat is fixed enough with just the pins and the front seat to holds it down, why wouldn't the trunk work the same way? Rear seat stays in place just fine with a rear passenger moving about on it, and getting on and off ect. I was really hoping it would install same so you could make quick swaps back to the seat cushion when you needed it. I'm glad to hear you like the quality, but having to modify something that pricey is disappointing.

 

[Tom of VA]

Maybe something like this?

 

[TWILKIN650]

Tom of VA, that's a plastic pin similar to what is used to locate the stock rear seat. I'm thinking of simply finding the correct bolt OD to fit the two stock rear seat locating holes, running it down through the tab protruding from the Smuggler, backing up with a nut, cinching it down. Trial fit the length of the bolt (should be same seating depth as the stock rear seat pins) cutting off excess, deburring, fitting with shrink tubing, and be done with it.

As an alternate, I might be able to find the right sized captive panel nut to slide over the back of the cross brace and then thread a cut down bolt through it to tighten. It would have to be pretty big, but this would allow you to pull off the captive panel nut and then use the stock rear seat pretty quickly. Home Depot has a small selection of these nuts but I might be able to find a local fastener supplier that has just the right size. That would be as secure as the Corbin bolt downs.

 

[sgoat]

That sucks about the clumsy mounting system for the Smuggler. I too had hoped that it's design copied the pillion seat set-up. Probably wouldn't be as much of a problem for me since I never ride with a pillion aboard and wouldn't need to change back and forth. Still, as much as I like it, my pockets aren't quite that deep.

 

[TWILKIN650]

Just got a phone call from Corbin tech who explained that the bolt setup I was using was mixed up. I now understand what they had in mind, and will post pictures as I fab it up the RIGHT way. Corbin's photo instructions leave out a critical shot of what it's supposed to look like when assembled. Photos will reveal this in a way that words won't.

 

[Tom of VA]

Why is one tab hole open and the other has some kind of bumper/gromet hardware?

larger pic

 

[Bounce]

Looks like they want you cumming and going. Big $ for the smuggler and then design it for their seat.

 

[sgoat]

huh....... :huh: