Corbin or Sargent or Stock?

[desertrider]

I am thinking of putting a new seat on my VTR1000F Superhawk. I like the way the Corbin looks but hear the Sargent is a better seat. Does anyone know if ther is that much difference or should I just modify the stocker.

 

[Sprocket]

I am thinking of putting a new seat on my VTR1000F Superhawk. I like the way the Corbin looks but hear the Sargent is a better seat. Does anyone know if ther is that much difference or should I just modify the stocker.

Ah ha! Here's one I can answer...

Having had a period of additction to the VTR (2 back to back), I was lucky enough to have had extensive time on the stock saddle(s) (about 5k miles), Corbin (about 18k miles), and Sargent's (about 12k miles).

Stock- I did one torture test ride to Big Bend from Dallas. Ouch. Very, very painful after 2-3 hours. I did weigh about 225 lbs without gear at the time, but still. OUCH! And the severe forward slide compacted my bits on braking, even when squeezing the tank with my knees hard enough to almost dent it. I hated it.

Corbin- Seemed stiffer, but wider. Rear cowl was a bit of a bear to get on/off, but it was possible. Comfort was great, fit and finish was solid. Customer Service when ordering was terrible. I went with whatever the default fabric was as I had no need for any custom colors and such.

Sargents- Firmer that stock, but softer than the Corbin. Also spread out my hind end over a wider seating area. Also had great comfort and solid finish. One of my VTR's had a "Tail-Locker" storage unit under the seat and the built-in storage tube under the Sargents cramped the volume of space a bit for larger items. On the stock bike the storage tube was great. Ordering was a much nicer process as the Sargent person seemed human.

Between the two? I can honestly say that the condition of my rear at the end of the day was the same on either saddle. I could easily do all day rides in relative comfort. Both greatly reduced the forward slide, but I think the Corbin was just a touch better.

I did just get a Corbin for my R1100S, but it was because the Sargent's in stock all had a silly little flag thing sewed into the side for that model. If it wasn't for that (I wanted all black to look stock) I would have a Sargents just because Corbin's service sucks.

Hope it helps. Just my $0.02, worth exactly what ya paid for it...

 

[vfrhugh]

It probably depends on your riding position and physiology. My "sit" bones are pointy. That makes me very uncomfortable on any stock seat I’ve tried. I’m on my third Sargent seat. Two on VFRs and one on and SV650. The VFR is an all day ride now. I could only stand two hours in the saddle with the stock seat. Although I don’t have any personal experience with Corbin, it seems like all you hear are bad things about customer service. The folks @ Sargent/Mustang have been great to deal with for me personally.
Good luck with your decision,
Hugh

 

[bushwhacker]

I had corbin's on my Virago and both Valkyrie's and I currently have a Corbin on my TBS and think they are generally great.

I did not get a Corbin for the Tiger because 1) it raises you too much and 2) they would not put a back rest on it. I got a Russell Day long for the Corbin.

I have a Corbin on the DRZ and am unhappy with it. I am replacing it with a Rick Mayer seat.

Tiger Russell

Rick Mayer on order for the DRZ (but w/o the blue)

 

[Tourmeister]

Corbins tend to be a good bit heavier than Sargents because of the seatpan material they use. Don't know if the weight matters to you though. My last Corbin was going to be for my VFR, it was crap. I was quite disappointed. I had a Corbin on my Nighthawk 750 and loved it. I sent the VFR seat back and ordered the Sargent. Much better seat in terms of quality, fit, and comfort.

My experience with Corbin's customer service was horrible. I could never talk to anyone that actually knew anything or that could help me. After eight weeks of trying to get past the clueless person answering the phone so I could tell them what I wanted done to the seat, I finally got through and their comment was, "We're done with it and will be shipping it tomorrow." I asked how the could be done if they had no idea what they were supposed to change and mentioned I had included a letter with specific instructions to NOT do anything until I talked to them abot it... No answer. So I cancelled the order and had them refund the seat cost and shipping.

My first Sargent seat showed up for my VFR and the backseat had a cut in the material. I called them and they agreed to send me a new back seat at their cost. They let me wait until the new seat arrived before requiring me to send the first seat back to them, again at their cost. They never questioned me regarding the condition of the seat. They simply made it good.

So in a case where I had a seat option from both, I would probably go with Sargent even if the price were a little higher.

 

[Mark G]

if you go with the Sargent, check www.partmonster.com, or just search ebay for "Sargent" and see if his name pops up. He sells lots of parts, I bought a Sargent from him, no hassles, arrived as scheduled, was quite a bit cheaper than anywhere else.

 

[bowillyard]

I love my Corbin saddles, Sprint (Gunfighter & Lady) and Bonneville (Smuggler), but as everyone has said their service is awful, I would have switched if the Sargent had been available just because of the service.

 

[Tourmeister]

So the KLR I bought has a Corbin leather seat on it. It is good, but heavy. Personally, I would not have gone with leather, especially for a DS bike. I did a long day in the saddle the day after bying it and it felt fine. The profile is not exaxctly what I would prefer, but close enough. I intend to keep it for a while to see if it grows on me. Otherwise I may sell it and get something different.

 

[Steve O Chap]

I'm pretty bummed that Sargent doesn't make a seat for the F4i... oh well. I did contact them and they stated they could make a custom seat for the F4i, they'd just replace and contour the padding. The bad thing is that my bike would be out of comission for a few weeks. I'm just not sure I want to go with Corbin after all the customer service horror stories I've heard.

 

[bluedogok]

I'm pretty bummed that Sargent doesn't make a seat for the F4i... oh well. I did contact them and they stated they could make a custom seat for the F4i, they'd just replace and contour the padding. The bad thing is that my bike would be out of comission for a few weeks. I'm just not sure I want to go with Corbin after all the customer service horror stories I've heard.

Find a second seat used or Ebay and sen the one in the worse condition to Sargent.

 

[ben1364]

desertrider said, "I am thinking of putting a new seat on my VTR1000F Superhawk. I like the way the Corbin looks but hear the Sargent is a better seat. Does anyone know if ther is that much difference or should I just modify the stocker."
__________________________________________________________________I am not a Corbin fan so take this for what it may be worth. Corbin seats are not customized to the rider/owners size, weight and posture and they (Corbin) uses it's own pan which may be heavier and may intrudde on under seat space. Not sure about Sargent. If iether Rick Mayer or Russell Day-Long will accept your seat pan, I think either is a better bet, especially if you ride more than an hour on a given day. They are pricey but do the job. I would go with either depending on how their schedule matches yours.

 

[Georgiapeach]

Corbin seats are hard! I have never had any customer service issues. I have a Corbin on the DRZ which I really like (sorry Bill, I rode with it all day yesterday and didn't get any numbness until 5 pm). I just got a Corbin for the Z750S and I am in the breaking in process. Funny thing is, I like the one on the DRZ much better. I am going to stick it out with the one on the Z750S and if it doesn't get better by their 2,000 mile break in period, I will sell it. I'm at 850 miles and about an hour is all I can take of this seat. I can feel where the pressure points are and if this leather ever softens up, the seat should be fine...I am keeping my fingers crossed. For long rides, I have reformed and refoamed the stock seat and it is working pretty well for now, but I know the cheap foam I used will crush down.

 

[wonder91178]

I love my Corbin seat on my bike...I'm sad to see they have a bad customer service reputation. I think your seat comfort will depend on the person, some prefer this, some prefer that. I know people with my bike that prefer the stock seat, but it always made me slide forward onto the tank.

Just my .02

Kim

 

[bushwhacker]

(sorry Bill, I rode with it all day yesterday and didn't get any numbness until 5 pm).

Seats are very personal. Some love them, some hate them. I like the Corbin on every bike I have had except the DRZ.

Hopefully, I will make you jealous when my Rick Mayer saddle comes in.

 

[Tx Rider]

Yeah I've never understood the corbin "break in" thing. The one on my FZ has about 10k miles on it and feels just like it did when I got it. Hard

Much better than a seat that compresses and leaves my bones on a seat pan though. Most comfortable all day seat I think I've ever had.

 

[Loyd]

Had a corbin on both an 84 vf750f and an 02 XX. HATED em both. The corbin rearseat post was nice if you were dragging a passenger. But in both cases, my stock seat was WAY more comfy than the corbin for all day riding.

 

[kurt]

I seldom like stock seats and have faithfully replaced them with Corbins. Yeah, they are harder, but for me, they are very comfortable for longer distances. Recently, I bought a Sargent seat and had mixed emotions about it. It is comfortable, but the cover is not glued to the foam making it look kind of cheap.

 

[Tourmeister]

Not having the cover glued to the faom allows the cover to move and stretch when you sit on it. This helps to reduce the intensity of pressure points. MCN had a good article a while back about the ins/outs of custom seat building and tushy tenderness. The reason the under armour stuff helps is that it stretches, unlike jeans, and thus creates less pressure. They mentioned the same is true with seats. Basically, the cover is cosmetic and to keep dirt and water out of the foam underneath.

 

[BrutusTx]

I'll add my .02. I just ordered a Sargent for my RC, not that I'm really unhappy with stock, but I do slide into the tank more than I think is comfortable. I put 350 miles on it in one day and really didn't have any complaints other than that. The Busa has a Suzuki Gel seat on it, and after 400 miles I get hot spots, if that makes sense. The one thing that I did discover with the Gel, and it just never occured to me I guess, it get's REALLY REALLY hot if it sit's in the sun very long. AND IT STAYS HOT FOR HOURS I thought some parts of me would be blistered when I got home.

 

[kocook]

Had a Corbin. Ordering was excellent. Lady on the phone knew exactly what questions to ask and made sure she had it right. BTW, I like the firm seat. Works much better for me than the soft.

The key info is your weight (for foam density) and your inseam as they measure it (for the seat height). If you have special requests, make sure you put it in writing and follow up with a phone call.