Russell Day Long Vs Corbin

[Canes]

I have the Corbin on the FJR now, but I still start aching after about an hour and a half. Is the Russell Day Long a big enough improvement on riding comfort to be worth the extra bucks?

 

[twowheelnut]

Geesh! I think I've commented about this lebbinty lebbin bazillion times lately...

The ONLY way to get a comfy seat is to do a ride in fitting. I don't care who builds the seat it ain't gonna work well if you do the mail order fitting. You wouldn't order a $2,000 custom tailored, mail order suit, would you?

 

[Canes]

You wouldn't order a $2,000 custom tailored, mail order suit, would you?

No. I wouldn't pay $20.00 for a suit, no matter how well it fit.

 

[speedjunkie]

Twowheel,

I'd love to do a ride in for my Russell seat, but unfortunately KS to CA is quite a hop! Although it would definitely be broken in by the time I got home!

Canes,

I have the same problem as you, that's why I'm finally springing for the Russell. Good luck.

Mike

 

[twowheelnut]

Speed, grab your seat (if the maker requires your pan), jump on a plane and have a fellow FJR rider meet you there. If you use risers, bring those too. Trust me, if you plan on keeping the bike any length of time, your 'seat' will thank you!

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

I rode in to Russell after having a Corbin and a Rick Mayer, the Mayer being better than the Corbin. there is nothing like a Russell. I can ride non stop and it feels like I just got on. Also the tech that built my seat told me that more guys that ride in send back their seat for adjustment than the guys who send in pictures. Go figure.

 

[Canes]

Thanks for the feedback.

I am going to go with the Russell. If there were someone that builds seats of the Russell quality near Atlanta, I would be more than happy to pull in to be fitted. However, it looks like I’ll have to go the picture to fit route.

 

[Warchild]

I had Russell do the "small squares" stich pattern, which allows the most airflow down in the nether regions (which is a huge advantage during summertime riding in the Desert West:

 

[Latech70]

Thanks for the feedback.
I am going to go with the Russell. If there were someone that builds seats of the Russell quality near Atlanta, I would be more than happy to pull in to be fitted. However, it looks like I’ll have to go the picture to fit route.

Just take plenty of pics. Even more then what they recommend. Have someone take some shots of you from behind the bike so they can see how you fit laterally on the stock seat. Too many pics are better than not enough.

I've been pretty pleased with my Russell. However, I do need to send mine back and have them angle it back a little--it still slides me into the tank when I hit a bump or when I slow down. Plus, I think one of my springs may have fallen...it's not quite as comfy as when I first started using it.

But, overall, it's a great seat.

 

[norcal]

I have a Corbin seat on my 92 BMW K75S that came stock. I like it better than the FJR seat, which is only ok. I'm 6'1" & 160 lbs and tougher than a boiled owl.

Well my ass isn't really that tough!

Does anyone have a picture of the Corbin on an FJR they can post?

How many degrees does that Russell recline? Could go ask them, I live near-by.

 

[04FJR4ME]

Russell seats highly recommended :clap:

My Webpage

 

[Bounce]

The ONLY way to get a comfy seat is to do a ride in fitting.  I don't care who builds the seat it ain't gonna work well if you do the mail order fitting.

I respectfully disagree. A ride in MAY get you a better fit, but this is my 2nd Russell on as many bikes and a good description with a metric assload of photos along with a willingness to answer their phone questions can get you great results.

Remember that the Corbin seat for the FJR is just a different kind of off-the-shelf seat. It's still designed for some kind of "average" rider. That average rider may be different than the OEM average rider, but neither are customs.

Russell makes a custom seat from the pan up based on your measurements and design specifications (taller, farther back, closer, etc.). They truly are day-long seats. With my first one I did multiple days of 1000 to more than 1600 miles each. On this one I've done consecutive days of between 600 and 1200 miles for 2 weeks (as well as other 1000+ mile days). During each of those rides my saddle and my ass were the last thing I had to worry about.

I went with Russell the first time only after spending more than 2 years asking around the endurance riding community. In the process I spent far more than the cost of the custom seat in hopes and wishes and also-ran solutions that never did really do the job like only a custom seat can (beads, gel pads, non-custom seats, etc.).

Got my FJR Russell in all leather and it's great. No slipping. Much more comfy than the velour with vinyl sides that was on my Wing.

 

[yanktar]

I have Russell on my FZ1. It's been problematic, sent it back 3 times, and a few weeks ago pulled the cover off and (finally) carved away the offending foam that for some reason, despite the piles of pictures, emails, measurements, etc, STILL wasn't quite right. It still isn't but it's better. Still, when riding, while it pushes me so my arms and wrists get sore, my butt never seems to.

I also have a Corbin saddle for my FZ1. It, too, had to go back, twice. All the angles and shape are perfect, unlike the Russell. However, I asked for the SOFT foam, and if this is the "soft" foam, I'd hate to ride the hard stuff. I've heard that it takes 1500miles of riding to break it in. 2000 miles didn't do $#it. It is STILL like riding a piece of concrete--and I'm no featherweight. 100 miles and if I don't stop, I get VERY cranky. Taking it down to Deal's Gap and back (1600 miles round trip) did NOTHING but give me a sore tailbone that took two weeks to recover from. Having to stop and rest for 15 or 30 minutes from that god-awful carved-stone every tankful stretched the trip out, too. I've bought my last Corbin.

If I could get Russell to build the seat to MY shape and needs, I would love one on the FJR. But at the fall Catskill rally, somebody had one his FJR. He complained that it pushed him too far forward into the tank. I sat on it, and, yup, just like my FZ1 seat, it didn't leave enough front-to-back room.

Maybe for the FJR I'll try a Myers saddle from one of the brothers.

Oh: Do NOT get a leather saddle. They look really good, but you slide all over the universe on one.

 

[twowheelnut]

I respectfully disagree.

No problem. I've just run into lots of of 'mail order' owners who had to repeatedly return their saddles to make the fit better.

Maybe for the FJR I'll try a Myers saddle from one of the brothers

If you choose to order your seat from Bill Mayer: If you want, jump on a plane, bring your saddle with you and I'll pick you up at the airport and bring you to Bill's shop. You can use my bike with your saddle while he fits you.

Oh: Do NOT get a leather saddle. They look really good, but you slide all over the universe on one.

Gotta disagree with you there, though... My leather saddle is just ducky! I slip not one bit.

 

[epoche]

See: https://homepage.mac.com/shafferron/index/PhotoAlbum48.html

for images of Corbin. Had Corbin on Connie for 50k and had no problem with long term confort.

I'm 6'2' and 220. Some complain of seam in Corbin, but I do not feel it, either with First gear or leather pants. I paid around $300 shipped to my door from AZmotorsports. Looked at others but couldn't justify double the price. Stock gave me ass burns in one hour in the saddle. Too soft foam caused pressure in all the wrong places. My experience with Russell and others is however nil.

 

[yanktar]

Gotta disagree with you there, though... My leather saddle is just ducky! I slip not one bit.

What's your secret? I would be much happier with BOTH leather seats if I didn't slide around like a dog on a waxed tile floor!

 

[twowheelnut]

Dunno. It's Bill's standard leather with no seams in the seat. I do treat it about once a month with conditioner. I might add that the leather is quite supple and pliable. Jeans or ballistic nylon riding pants both work well with the seat. Pillion's happy, too.

 

[yanktar]

Dunno.  It's Bill's standard leather with no seams in the seat.  I do treat it about once a month with conditioner.  I might add that the leather is quite supple and pliable.  Jeans or ballistic nylon riding pants both work well with the seat.  Pillion's happy, too.

I HATE sliding around on a seat--hit the brakes, it tries to launch you over bars using the tank like a Russian aircraft carrier deck (they slope up).

I have an idea for the Russell but not the Corbin.

I do find that vinyl seats don't have that problem, as a rule.

 

[Bounce]

I use Lexol cleaner and then their conditioner about once a month or so. Works very well. Got top ratings because it doesn't clog the pours of the leather.

Avoid silicon sealants and lotions with lanolin as they can clog the pours and make the leather slippery.