New seat coming

[Water Warrior 2]

I know I am not the only Vstrom rider here so this may be of interest. I am patiently waiting for a Corbin seat to arrive in a couple weeks. I can post some pics to anyone interested in a comparison of the stock 650 seat, a gel seat and the Corbin seat.

[Dupo]

A couple of weeks? Who's delivering it ... an 80 year old china woman on a donkey?

[Water Warrior 2]

3 or 4 weeks delivery maybe more if the border folks take a longer coffee break. Corbin seats are made in California I believe. To avoid many of the cross border hassles I ordered from a Canadian distributor for Corbin. Then they order from Corbin who then makes the seat and sends it to the distributor. Eventually it will arrive back on the west coast after a detour to Ontario and the distributor.
I keep telling myself all good things are worth waiting for.

[Dupo]

I tell myself that all the time. Which one did you get?

[Water Warrior 2]

I ordered the Corbin Canyon model. The seat is a lot more comfy looking and actually designed for the human body rather than an excuse for a seat. Not cheap but it is either that or a different bike that might also need a different seat to be happy.

[Dupo]

Nice. I was gonna say post a pic, but i know you will once you get it installed :D

[mrlmd1]

So what are you going to do for the next month, ride around standing up on the pegs?

[Water Warrior 2]

I can sit or stand. I still have the original OEM seat and a OEM gel seat that I have been sitting on since 2006. The first seat was good for 15 minutes before it caused me extreme pain. Got the gel seat and it was just wonderful by comparison. But as my body gets older and whatnot I need better support and a more proper surface to sit on. Most factory seats are there to cover bike parts not for any real comfort factor.
Pics will be posted after my first ride and comments as to fit and finish. Supposed to be about a 1000 mile break in period. Sounds like a road trip to me.

[CMS]

I can sit or stand. I still have the original OEM seat and a OEM gel seat that I have been sitting on since 2006. The first seat was good for 15 minutes before it caused me extreme pain. Got the gel seat and it was just wonderful by comparison. But as my body gets older and whatnot I need better support and a more proper surface to sit on. Most factory seats are there to cover bike parts not for any real comfort factor.
Pics will be posted after my first ride and comments as to fit and finish. Supposed to be about a 1000 mile break in period. Sounds like a road trip to me.

Water Warrior, I have the Sargent Seat on my Vstrom and it works great for me.I too had issues getting a Corbin for the Vstrom and ended up with the Sargent Seat, hope yours works out ok. I had a Corbin on my DRZ 400 and it made all the difference, very comfortable. You can sell your stock seat and the Gel seat. I had more interest for the stock seat than the Gel, not sure why,but did sell them both. I don't understand why a stock seat can not be built for comfort and come standard on the bike. I'v never had a good seat on any of the new bikes I'v purchased with one exception, the Suzuki TU 250, its not great but much better than all the rest. for me its the width of the seat,they are always to narrow for my rear [ no comments please]. The Corbin should help you make the longer trips enjoyable. CMS

[Water Warrior 2]

The blasted bean counters won't allow a good comfy seat to be OEM.

[Water Warrior 2]

Still waiting and the weather is actually nice for riding. Bah Humbug.

[Water Warrior 2]

Finally my seat arrived at the Post Office. Just finished putting it on the Vstrom. Looks a lot classier than the stocker. Had a bit of a challenge because Corbin has a different set-up for the front of the seat to anchor to the bike. Also had a question answered when I got the seat on. It was able to slide in between the posts for my drivers backrest. Feels not too bad in sweats and sneakers but the real story comes with all the gear and a road test. Got a feeling I might be on tippy toes but we will see after the bike is off the center stand.

[BillInGA]

Congratulations, WW! I know you've been waiting for some time now.

It definitely looks to be of higher quality construction. Hope you get a chance to test it out soon.

[burkbuilds]

Glad this finally arrived for you. Now we want a ride report and pictures of it on the bike. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Glad this finally arrived for you. Now we want a ride report and pictures of it on the bike. :2tup:
That will happen later today if all my errands and shopping gets done. Seems to take far too long to do daily things compared to when I was still working. I seem to have forgotten how to get things accomplished in a set time. Hmm, maybe that is a good thing. :lol: :lol:

[Water Warrior 2]

So I said to heck with the errands and shopping. Thought I would take the camera and do a Tagorama and show off the seat at the same time. So here is my story. Forgot the camera and tried to get out of the gated parking area. B88stard would not open. So park the bike go upstairs to get another opener for the gate and cross my fingers. Upstairs and where the heck is my bike key ? Should be in my gloved hand. Now the search is on for a key and I have forgotten the camers that would be picked up with the other opener. Found said key, still forgot camera but did get opener that works. On the road to a pic site of a barn until I remember the camera is at home. No pic but a really nice ride with the new seat.
Corbin seats need a break-in period. How about that !! Hard as a rock even with a sheep skin but 3000% better than sitting lengthways on a fence rail like I have lived with for too long. The seat is actually lower than stock, wider overall and there are no pressure points so far. So yes I am a happy camper at this point of the break-in period. Took these pics at home after the ride with the sheep skin removed.

[mrlmd1]

Looks good and looks comfy.
Better even yet that it's lower than your other seat so you can flat foot the bike.
Question - before you put it on your bike to see if it would fit OK. did you sit on it when you got it out of the box to see how it fit your butt? :tongue: :roll:

[alantf]

Looking at the bottom picture - what's that little red thingy at the front of the seat? :??:

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks good and looks comfy.
Better even yet that it's lower than your other seat so you can flat foot the bike.
Question - before you put it on your bike to see if it would fit OK. did you sit on it when you got it out of the box to see how it fit your butt? :tongue: :roll:
No I didn't. I decided to wrestle with it to see if it fit the bike first. After my first ride yesterday I can still flat foot it with a slightly wider front on the seat due to being a bit lower. Did I say I really liked it ??.....................After I log off there will be some comfy riding to do. Vroom Vroom. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Alatf, the little red thingy is the power connector for heated gear. Full sleeve jacket liner with heated collar, heated pants liner and real heated boot insoles. 3 power levels.......... warm, really warm and bake till dead. Everything connects to each other so there is only one heat controller and wire. Sure I am a wimp but I really hate being cold when I can push a button and be comfy when the temp drops more than expected.

[burkbuilds]

WW, that seat looks great and it also looks comfortable. I hope it re-inspires your riding. Thanks for posting the pics. Now, remember the camera and hit the road. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Took the pic box today but was enjoying the ride too much to stop. Rode into Vancouver to a Suzuki shop/dealer. Was enquiring about a throttle body sync next week. Going in Wednesday.
Wow, all I can say is it is a good thing that seat is so nice. They have some smoking deals on cruisers right now. Vstroms were not discounted at all.
Oh yeah, removed the sheep skin today and it was just as good if not better. Still a virtual rock to sit on but it does feel good. Go figure. :2tup:

[mrlmd1]

Maybe you can get some shorter bolts with acorn nuts to clean up the attachment of your backrest (or cut down those bolts). Maybe paint them black to be less conspicuous. Does that backrest help, do you actually lean up against it?
How long, how many miles or months, 'till the seat gets "broken in" and feels softer?

[Water Warrior 2]

Maybe you can get some shorter bolts with acorn nuts to clean up the attachment of your backrest (or cut down those bolts). Maybe paint them black to be less conspicuous. Does that backrest help, do you actually lean up against it?
How long, how many miles or months, 'till the seat gets "broken in" and feels softer?
ME pretty up a bike !!! No way. I have a one of a kind ugly dirty Vstrom that will never be a target for theft. As for the backrest, it fits just about perfect. I can now feel support on my back and bottom almost in a continuous feeling. It is so different from what I had before that I am truly amazed. From what others have mentioned about break-in on a Corbin there is one fact. It will always be hard as a rock. It does slowly settle in to your bottom's profile and just does it's magic.
As to why I have a backrest if anyone is interested. I am a natural sloucher and that is very hard on the back. Combine that with bruised discs a few times over the years and the backrest is a life saver to me.

[blaine]

ME pretty up a bike !!! No way.
That would drive me NUTS!! It would be a one way quest to the hardware store for stainless bolts & acorn nuts.
:poke2: :tongue:

[mrlmd1]

Well maybe no one will steal your dirty scuffed up bike, but they might steal your shiny new seat. :poke2: :cry:

[Water Warrior 2]

The seat is locked on the bike. Needs the ignition key to unlock the seat. Bike is well insured too. And if I park next to a H-D it is even safer than normal.

[burkbuilds]

I'm glad to hear how much better you feel with the new seat. I was afraid we were losing you last year. Amazing what a difference comfort can make at our age huh? I am beginning to think that its the support not the "softness" that makes a seat a great seat. Just think back to the farmers who rode a steel seat on a tractor all day in years past, no cushion at all, yet great support and they survived. Okay, you are forgiven for enjoying the ride so much that you didn't want to stop and take pics, but you live in some very beautiful country, and we can't be deprived of those shots for too much longer.

I'm thinking of heading home the long way tomorrow and taking in the Fort Mountain side of the state. I haven't decided yet, since it will add a lot of time to my commute, but it is supposed to be in the mid 70's and sunny around here tomorrow, so it might be a good time to take that route. If I do go that way, I will post about my ride.

[alanmcorcoran]

Not sure if it is applicable but the fanciest bike seats on racing bikes are pretty narrow and about the consistency of an inflated football. They are much better for your ass over 100 miles than the wide squooshy variety found on beach cruisers.

Of course, I'm always envious of the BarcaLounger style backseat on a Goldwing. Think I could nap in that.

[Water Warrior 2]

BB, you have obviously been around old farm equipment. The tractor seat is/was the best thing going providing you covered it while parked in the sun. Hot hot hot. The Corbin is made with some tractor seat heritage I suppose. The Russell Allday seat is even more of a tractor seat and pretty well recognized as the 1st in it's class for custom seats.
Even my long departed riding lawn mower had a fairly decent tractor seat to park my butt on for 3 or 4 hours without any discomfort. Dang it, maybe I should have just tried one of those and saved some $. :lol:

[Water Warrior 2]

Alan, my friend's new 2010 Wing is super comfy. Although the seat seems very plush and softer than you might think it does make one smile. He is riding every minute when not a work.
I sat on the bike a couple days after he got it and found the seat plushy and supportive with the backrest just about right even while having both feet on the ground rather than the footpegs. Honda did not skimp on the assembly line when designing the seat for their #1 touring bike.
I am of the opinion that only real high dollar bikes have anything resembling a suitable seat for the human body. The rest just have seats for cats to sleep on in the sun.