CCHOUSEKY
Kentucky Wildcat Fanatic
I've been meaning to post this (literally) for a couple of years. Some of the older members might remember that at one time I had a Corbin and a Comfort Seat at the same time and was trying to decide which to keep and which to sell. A member PM'd me and asked if I'd decided which one I was going to keep and I replied to him with a (very long) review talking about each seat (including the stock seat). I thought the review might help others out if they're trying to decide between these seats.
I'm just cutting and pasting this straight from my PM box, so if it seems worded weirdly, that's why. But here ya go...
"Actually, I have made a decision. I've decided to keep the Corbin based on a few different factors (which is not to take away at all from the Comfort Seat). I wanted to try both equally to make sure I made the right decision and have done that, I think.
The most important factor for me was getting rid of the "hot spots" that I would feel after about 30 minutes on the stock seat. Both of these seem to do a great job of that. The Corbin is, by touch, much more firm than the Comfort Seat, so I wasn't sure it would do the trick. But, whatever type of foam Corbin uses works wonders. The seat IS firm, but supportive. It also seems to soften the longer you're on it during a ride. That may just be my imagination, but I think it's true. As for the Comfort Seat, it's great too at relieving the "hot spots". The deciding factor here was that the Corbin has much more of a "cup" shape...that is, you seem to sit IN the Corbin and ON the Comfort Seat.
Another thing about both of these seat, as compared to the stock seat...they're both HEAVY. I would say the Comfort Seat weighs twice as much as the stock and the Corbin, maybe three times as much! But, I think the weight of both of them helps to dampen out most vibrations that get translated to your butt from the bike. But you still get good feel for what's going on under you.
Really, the final, and least important factor in my decision was looks. I like how the Comfort Seat looks on the bike, but I LOVE the way the Corbin looks. It's got a sleek style to it. Plus, not that I'll ever do this, but the Corbin offers the option of adding the passenger backrest. Also, and this is pure vanity, but I like the prestige of owning a Corbin and knowing that if I need to have it adjusted (such as having the "nose" enlarged to further keep me from sliding forward while braking), Corbin will do that for a nominal charge.
There are only two downsides that I could find with the Comfort Seat. The first, and this is purely for looks, so not really important, was that you can see the outline of the gel pad that's under the seat cover. It's not so obvious that it's ugly, but it always kinda bugged me for some reason. The other, and this was a slightly bigger problem, but still not something that couldn't be tolerated, was I found that if you parked the bike in the sun on a warm day and came back later, the gel pad REALLY heats up and seems to put that heat back into your butt. One day it was hot enough to be uncomfortable for the first few miles. That was pretty big in the decision-making process.
One more thing. I felt the build-quality of the Corbin was just a bit better for this reason...the Comfort Seat, like the stock seat, uses staples to attach the seat cover on the underside. The Corbin, on the other hand, uses rivets to attach it's seat cover. I just feel like it would last much longer with fewer problems in that area.
Oh, and if you decide to go with a Corbin, I would suggest you get the regular leather on the seating portions. The one I've got, I bought from another member and didn't have the option. I've got the "Carbon Fiber" looking seat, and while it looks great, it IS more slippery than the stock seat or Comfort Seat. Everyone that has the "Carbon Fiber" type seat says this and it's true. It's not BAD, though. I may do what wrightme did and add that stuff that you line cabinets with in black to the seating area. It sounds like that really does the trick.
All-in-all, I would say the Corbin is worth the price. But, instead of buying one new, I would look for someone selling their's or watch Ebay. You can definitely find one cheaper than new if you're patient. I got the deal of the century on mine (which is probably another factor in keeping it). But I don't want to dissuade you from looking at the Comfort Seat, either. Both of them are light years better than the stock, no doubt. Plus, the Comfort Seat can be had new for around $150 on Ebay if you can find it. If money's no option, I would say go with the Corbin. Otherwise, I believe you'd be perfectly happy with the Comfort Seat. I would recommend either of them to anyone."
One note. I commented about the "slipperiness" of the Corbin in the Carbon Fiber pattern. I have since found that this is actually a good thing if you ride a lot of twisties and are trying to hang off the seat. It makes moving around much easier and I have absolutely no problems when hard braking of sliding into the tank. IMO, the slippery issue is overstated.
Again, hope this helps someone out! :thumbup:
I'm just cutting and pasting this straight from my PM box, so if it seems worded weirdly, that's why. But here ya go...
"Actually, I have made a decision. I've decided to keep the Corbin based on a few different factors (which is not to take away at all from the Comfort Seat). I wanted to try both equally to make sure I made the right decision and have done that, I think.
The most important factor for me was getting rid of the "hot spots" that I would feel after about 30 minutes on the stock seat. Both of these seem to do a great job of that. The Corbin is, by touch, much more firm than the Comfort Seat, so I wasn't sure it would do the trick. But, whatever type of foam Corbin uses works wonders. The seat IS firm, but supportive. It also seems to soften the longer you're on it during a ride. That may just be my imagination, but I think it's true. As for the Comfort Seat, it's great too at relieving the "hot spots". The deciding factor here was that the Corbin has much more of a "cup" shape...that is, you seem to sit IN the Corbin and ON the Comfort Seat.
Another thing about both of these seat, as compared to the stock seat...they're both HEAVY. I would say the Comfort Seat weighs twice as much as the stock and the Corbin, maybe three times as much! But, I think the weight of both of them helps to dampen out most vibrations that get translated to your butt from the bike. But you still get good feel for what's going on under you.
Really, the final, and least important factor in my decision was looks. I like how the Comfort Seat looks on the bike, but I LOVE the way the Corbin looks. It's got a sleek style to it. Plus, not that I'll ever do this, but the Corbin offers the option of adding the passenger backrest. Also, and this is pure vanity, but I like the prestige of owning a Corbin and knowing that if I need to have it adjusted (such as having the "nose" enlarged to further keep me from sliding forward while braking), Corbin will do that for a nominal charge.
There are only two downsides that I could find with the Comfort Seat. The first, and this is purely for looks, so not really important, was that you can see the outline of the gel pad that's under the seat cover. It's not so obvious that it's ugly, but it always kinda bugged me for some reason. The other, and this was a slightly bigger problem, but still not something that couldn't be tolerated, was I found that if you parked the bike in the sun on a warm day and came back later, the gel pad REALLY heats up and seems to put that heat back into your butt. One day it was hot enough to be uncomfortable for the first few miles. That was pretty big in the decision-making process.
One more thing. I felt the build-quality of the Corbin was just a bit better for this reason...the Comfort Seat, like the stock seat, uses staples to attach the seat cover on the underside. The Corbin, on the other hand, uses rivets to attach it's seat cover. I just feel like it would last much longer with fewer problems in that area.
Oh, and if you decide to go with a Corbin, I would suggest you get the regular leather on the seating portions. The one I've got, I bought from another member and didn't have the option. I've got the "Carbon Fiber" looking seat, and while it looks great, it IS more slippery than the stock seat or Comfort Seat. Everyone that has the "Carbon Fiber" type seat says this and it's true. It's not BAD, though. I may do what wrightme did and add that stuff that you line cabinets with in black to the seating area. It sounds like that really does the trick.
All-in-all, I would say the Corbin is worth the price. But, instead of buying one new, I would look for someone selling their's or watch Ebay. You can definitely find one cheaper than new if you're patient. I got the deal of the century on mine (which is probably another factor in keeping it). But I don't want to dissuade you from looking at the Comfort Seat, either. Both of them are light years better than the stock, no doubt. Plus, the Comfort Seat can be had new for around $150 on Ebay if you can find it. If money's no option, I would say go with the Corbin. Otherwise, I believe you'd be perfectly happy with the Comfort Seat. I would recommend either of them to anyone."
One note. I commented about the "slipperiness" of the Corbin in the Carbon Fiber pattern. I have since found that this is actually a good thing if you ride a lot of twisties and are trying to hang off the seat. It makes moving around much easier and I have absolutely no problems when hard braking of sliding into the tank. IMO, the slippery issue is overstated.
Again, hope this helps someone out! :thumbup:
