Anyone using the Corbin Dual Tour Saddle? We're looking at purchasing an aftermarket seat for 2 up long distance riding on our Strat and like the style of the Corbin seat. However, there is quite a bit of "love it/hate it" controversy about whether the firm seat is wonderful or a pain in the ass. Since I've never used a Corbin seat before, I'd appreciate any feedback from people who have. Thanks!
Corbin Dual Tour Saddle
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Seats
Stratonut,
I do not have a Corbin seat. I have a Mustang two peace seat. I have not seen any bad reports on the Corbin. I am also happy with my Mustang seat.
I see if you go with heat, rider and passenger back rests you are talking some pretty serious money. I wonder if the locking seat latch works the same as on the single stock seat?
I don't believe the firm feel would be a problem. There is a misconception that a seat must be soft enough that you can compress it with your finger tips. If a seat were that soft you would just compress it to nothing when you sat on it. Spreading your weight out and breathing are the top important things. The Corbin is leather stock is vinyl.
Yamaha also makes a replacement firmer leather seat. You can also send your seat to a custom seat make for a lot less money.
Dave
Stratonut,
I do not have a Corbin seat. I have a Mustang two peace seat. I have not seen any bad reports on the Corbin. I am also happy with my Mustang seat.
I see if you go with heat, rider and passenger back rests you are talking some pretty serious money. I wonder if the locking seat latch works the same as on the single stock seat?
I don't believe the firm feel would be a problem. There is a misconception that a seat must be soft enough that you can compress it with your finger tips. If a seat were that soft you would just compress it to nothing when you sat on it. Spreading your weight out and breathing are the top important things. The Corbin is leather stock is vinyl.
Yamaha also makes a replacement firmer leather seat. You can also send your seat to a custom seat make for a lot less money.
Dave
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422 Posts
I've done 140 miles, just stopped to refuel, the whole day was about 350 miles and no monkey butt. When you order your seat online you give them your weight and inseam and they cut the seat to best fit you. Corbin has a ton of colors and textures to choose from at no extra cost. I went with all black leather and I absolutely love it. The passenger seat is really comfey too.(so my wife says) This is my second cobin saddle and I will never have another bike without a corbin saddle. I put one on my V65 sabre because it was the only one available for that bike and it was so good I knew that this bike was getting one too. I actually ordered the seat before I even laid eyes on the bike. It takes about 3 weeks on average to get your seat because they are made to order.
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I've got ultimate and LOVE 'em. So does passenger.
http://www.ultimateseats.ca/yamaharoadliner.html
Bought bike used and they were on there so, I'll dig and find out which model only if you're interested.
Only problem is my back rest has four bolts holding it in, front two are loose and the only thing I can figure is you have to take the leather off to get to them; a bit of a project.
http://www.ultimateseats.ca/yamaharoadliner.html
Bought bike used and they were on there so, I'll dig and find out which model only if you're interested.
Only problem is my back rest has four bolts holding it in, front two are loose and the only thing I can figure is you have to take the leather off to get to them; a bit of a project.
I have used the Corbin seats on a Gold Wing, and a Bill Mayer Saddle on the last Harley. The seats were adequate and certainly better than the OEM seats. But, because I was unable to visit the factory and get them fitted exactly to me and my wife so they were no where as good as a local guy in Albany, Oregon's seats that are custom fitted.
Regarding firmness, that depends on your age. When I was a youngster I wanted more softness in a seat, but as I got past 50 I found the firmer the better. It has to do with our physiology as we age, and the loss of elasticity in the connective tissue in the pelvis that holds the sacrum seated. Now, I have a very firm seat with a great deal of support for the ischium on each side (I call the seat parts Buffalo Butt Wings), and find it to be an easy 350 mile a day seat with zero back pain or monkey butt.
Unlike the Wing, the far lower to the ground Yamaha requires a much narrower front section on the seat so the inside of the thigh does not bind when you put your feet down and forward.
The short is to try some custom seats before you buy, and if there is a local seat maker that actually requires you to visit and sit on the seat for fitments, you will likely find their product far better than the big name mail order seats.
Regarding firmness, that depends on your age. When I was a youngster I wanted more softness in a seat, but as I got past 50 I found the firmer the better. It has to do with our physiology as we age, and the loss of elasticity in the connective tissue in the pelvis that holds the sacrum seated. Now, I have a very firm seat with a great deal of support for the ischium on each side (I call the seat parts Buffalo Butt Wings), and find it to be an easy 350 mile a day seat with zero back pain or monkey butt.
Unlike the Wing, the far lower to the ground Yamaha requires a much narrower front section on the seat so the inside of the thigh does not bind when you put your feet down and forward.
The short is to try some custom seats before you buy, and if there is a local seat maker that actually requires you to visit and sit on the seat for fitments, you will likely find their product far better than the big name mail order seats.
I purchased a new Corbin Dual Tour saddle for my Stratoliner and took it out for a spin today. Since I had difficulty finding reviews of the seat, I thought I'd give feedback for those who might be interested.
I didn't have an opportunity to try the seat before buying it so my decision was based on the way it looked (low profile and nicely integrated into the design of the bike), the reputation of Corbin products, and the belief that firmer might be better in the long run than a softer seat.
The Dual Tour fit right onto the stock fittings of the Stratoliner and looks sharp. I got all black so it looks very similar to the stock seats but is obviously of higher quality. First impression was that even though the Corbin was significantly firmer, it seemed more comfortable than the stock seat. It's definitely smaller so there's more leg room and less of your butt actually on the seat. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but the fact it's smaller resulted in less room to move around than with the stock seat. There's basically one position where you sit with the Corbin which is a little more forward than with the stock seat. Again...this isn't necessarily a bad thing since the reason I moved around on the stock seat was trying to find a comfortable position. If the one position on the Corbin is more comfortable, there won't be a need to move around as much.
After 100 miles I can't really say my butt was any less sore than it would have been with the stock seat, but Corbin contends their seat requires a couple thousand miles to break in so I'll be patient. There's no doubt the passenger seat will be significantly more comfortable than the stock pillion and since the comfort of my partner was the primary reason for purchasing an aftermarket seat, I feel satisfied with the purchase. Time will tell whether I come to love it after it's broken in, but it will certainly be better than stock.
I didn't have an opportunity to try the seat before buying it so my decision was based on the way it looked (low profile and nicely integrated into the design of the bike), the reputation of Corbin products, and the belief that firmer might be better in the long run than a softer seat.
The Dual Tour fit right onto the stock fittings of the Stratoliner and looks sharp. I got all black so it looks very similar to the stock seats but is obviously of higher quality. First impression was that even though the Corbin was significantly firmer, it seemed more comfortable than the stock seat. It's definitely smaller so there's more leg room and less of your butt actually on the seat. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but the fact it's smaller resulted in less room to move around than with the stock seat. There's basically one position where you sit with the Corbin which is a little more forward than with the stock seat. Again...this isn't necessarily a bad thing since the reason I moved around on the stock seat was trying to find a comfortable position. If the one position on the Corbin is more comfortable, there won't be a need to move around as much.
After 100 miles I can't really say my butt was any less sore than it would have been with the stock seat, but Corbin contends their seat requires a couple thousand miles to break in so I'll be patient. There's no doubt the passenger seat will be significantly more comfortable than the stock pillion and since the comfort of my partner was the primary reason for purchasing an aftermarket seat, I feel satisfied with the purchase. Time will tell whether I come to love it after it's broken in, but it will certainly be better than stock.
I don't have experience with Corbin but I've done a number of custom seats on various bikes.
My thought is that firm and well shaped is the ticket, with well shaped being a key point.
If you don't want to have a seat made by somebody like Rick or Bill Mayer, or Russell then I would be thinking Mustang myself, mainly because i have had such good results with mine. I've heard so many bad stories about Corbin customer service over the years I'm a little leary of them. Mustang offers a 15 day money back guarantee, Corbin offers no such thing.
I've had a Mustang Wide Vintage Solo with driver's backrest on my Superglide since day one and put in many a long day on it over the last ten years. never walked away sore even after a sixteen hour day.
What I can't say is how comfortable the Mustang is for a passenger, never have had one on it for any distance and all I have is the narrow pillion so it wouldn't tell you much anyway.
Hope this is of some use.
My thought is that firm and well shaped is the ticket, with well shaped being a key point.
If you don't want to have a seat made by somebody like Rick or Bill Mayer, or Russell then I would be thinking Mustang myself, mainly because i have had such good results with mine. I've heard so many bad stories about Corbin customer service over the years I'm a little leary of them. Mustang offers a 15 day money back guarantee, Corbin offers no such thing.
I've had a Mustang Wide Vintage Solo with driver's backrest on my Superglide since day one and put in many a long day on it over the last ten years. never walked away sore even after a sixteen hour day.
What I can't say is how comfortable the Mustang is for a passenger, never have had one on it for any distance and all I have is the narrow pillion so it wouldn't tell you much anyway.
Hope this is of some use.
Thanks for the feedback. I've read some negative comments about Corbin customer service but I think most of the problems may have occurred a few years ago. I know the company was up for sale recently so hopefully it was purchased by a more responsible owner or, if they didn't sell, they cleaned up their act. My experience with them was fine and the seat is of excellent quality. It remains to be seen how well it breaks in, but what's done is done...hopefully the Dual Tour will work out for us. It's unfortunate others have had negative experiences with the company. I will certainly post if I encounter any problems in the future.
Ride on.
I will certainly post if I encounter any problems in the future.Ride on.
Cool, if you get a chance post a pic of it on your bike.
Hard to know whats up with Corbin, they're a big company, they must get it right most of the time, but in todays world bad news travels really fast.
I do know in my area of at least two shops that clearly post that they will not accept returns on Corbin products. They've told me this is because Corbin is so difficult for them to deal with.
Then again there is a fellow on our XR1200 forum who says he has had many dealings with them and never a problem so clearly there are always at least two sides to a given story.
Hard to know whats up with Corbin, they're a big company, they must get it right most of the time, but in todays world bad news travels really fast.
I do know in my area of at least two shops that clearly post that they will not accept returns on Corbin products. They've told me this is because Corbin is so difficult for them to deal with.
Then again there is a fellow on our XR1200 forum who says he has had many dealings with them and never a problem so clearly there are always at least two sides to a given story.
Haven't taken an pictures yet and wouldn't know how to post them even if I had them (ie. technologically challenged).
Here's a Strat with the Dual Tour seat and other Corbin accessories (fairing, bags, spoiler, backrests). My seat is the same without the doodads, backrests, or chrome railing. Hope this gives you some idea. I'd like to get those sweet Fleetliner bags (twice the size of stock Strat bags!), but they cost a pretty penny so will have to wait until I can afford them.
http://www.corbin.com/yamaha/ylnr07_360.shtml
Here's a Strat with the Dual Tour seat and other Corbin accessories (fairing, bags, spoiler, backrests). My seat is the same without the doodads, backrests, or chrome railing. Hope this gives you some idea. I'd like to get those sweet Fleetliner bags (twice the size of stock Strat bags!), but they cost a pretty penny so will have to wait until I can afford them.
http://www.corbin.com/yamaha/ylnr07_360.shtml
Corbin stuff is pretty pricey on the fairings and bags. That is a good looking seat though.
Hopefully the bags off that new Stratoliner deluxe or whatever they call it fit on a normal Stratoliner. Not that they are likely to be cheap but maybe a little less.
That is one of my few reservations about the Stratoliner, those bags are awfully small. Wouldn't be quite so bad if they offered a good sized trunk for it.
The delux model is probably the best answer but I don't want to pay full bore for a new one and I dislike the blacked out look.
Hopefully the bags off that new Stratoliner deluxe or whatever they call it fit on a normal Stratoliner. Not that they are likely to be cheap but maybe a little less.
That is one of my few reservations about the Stratoliner, those bags are awfully small. Wouldn't be quite so bad if they offered a good sized trunk for it.
The delux model is probably the best answer but I don't want to pay full bore for a new one and I dislike the blacked out look.
Thought about that as well and it is a possible option. I probably will do the Strat for two reasons:Another option would be to buy a Roadliner and add aftermarket bags and luggage rack. Either way, you really can't go wrong with the Liners...but it'll cost ya.
1. Theres more Strats than Roadliners running around for sale used in my area. Theres some very nice Strats available for about $8k in this area.
2. I suspect it will be a while before the bags from the deluxe are available and cost is a question. I may want to do this purchase a little sooner than that.
But then I could lose all sense of reason and just buy a new Road king as well, then I could have ABS, cruise and access to all kinds of accessories. might be pretty broke afterward but easy come easy go.
I saw your thread on this forum requesting info on the Stratoliners.They are great bikes, but they are first and foremost a cruiser not a touring bike. Yes they have bags and will go all day at highway speeds, but comfort can be an issue. If you really want a bike that will take you 600 miles a day for days at a time in comfort, the Stratoliner may not be the bike for you. I like everything about my Strat and didn't want a strictly touring bike, but it became clear to me early on that if I really wanted to put in lots of miles carrying a full load I'd need a new seat, bags, rear shock, passenger floorboard, and aftermarket grips/throttle assist for it to be reasonably comfortable. A big V-twin cruiser will probably never be as comfortable as a full on touring bike, but then again, a touring bike doesn't have the style, power, and acceleration of a cruiser. I went with the cruiser and have been making modifications so that I can use it for touring, but obviously that involves additional expenses.
Good luck with your decision.
Good luck with your decision.
Thats always the way. No bike is all things.
I don't need a 'pure' touring bike per se. i get maybe two weeks a year off that I can actually go somewhere. On may of these trips I ride a Dyna Superglide simply because I like the bike. It is not a touring bike either but its evolved into an acceptable facsimile.
What I've come to over time is a number of things I like on a bike, I do not expect to get all of them in one package so most are negotiable.
1. Shaft or belt drive.
2. ABS
3. Electronic cruise
4. hard, locking luggage
5. Wind protection.
In many ways a Harley Road king is the closest and may win out. There is a consideration of money though and a good Stratoliner can be had for roughly half of a Road King.
Also, I'm a little different in that I think almost anything can be toured, maybe not necessarly one's first choice, but can be. Just depends on the compromises you are willing to make.
Rs
I don't need a 'pure' touring bike per se. i get maybe two weeks a year off that I can actually go somewhere. On may of these trips I ride a Dyna Superglide simply because I like the bike. It is not a touring bike either but its evolved into an acceptable facsimile.
What I've come to over time is a number of things I like on a bike, I do not expect to get all of them in one package so most are negotiable.
1. Shaft or belt drive.
2. ABS
3. Electronic cruise
4. hard, locking luggage
5. Wind protection.
In many ways a Harley Road king is the closest and may win out. There is a consideration of money though and a good Stratoliner can be had for roughly half of a Road King.
Also, I'm a little different in that I think almost anything can be toured, maybe not necessarly one's first choice, but can be. Just depends on the compromises you are willing to make.
Rs
I agree "almost anything can be toured". Back in the day I covered several thousand miles on a Honda XL600 on/off road bike. You just have to adjust expectations and acknowledge limitations.
Check this out:
http://www.lynchnet.com/sstory/pics/ss23.jpg
It's from the movie: The Straight Story:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3690201369/
Where there's a will, there's a way...
Check this out:
http://www.lynchnet.com/sstory/pics/ss23.jpg
It's from the movie: The Straight Story:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3690201369/
Where there's a will, there's a way...
Thats exactly right, adjusting expectations.
Two years ago I bought a 1976 BMW R75 from an acquaintance in Indiana and flew back to pick it up, then rode it home to oregon.
Mounted a small windscreen and soft bags and away we went.
Now riding an unknown bike, 33 years old for 2500 miles or so may not be the wisest thing but some things became apparent.
Good ergonomics are good, in 1976 or now.
Brakes have come a long, long way in thirty years.
People are basically good, as evidenced by how many offered to help me when I lost the charging system outside of Sioux City Iowa.
Right now I'm lucky to have a stable, an '01 FXD, an '09 XR1200, an '06 Tiger 955i, an '03 SV1000 and an '07 DR650. Each could be 'toured' and you can have a good time doing it.
One of the things I find most curious and difficult to take in motorcycling is the issue of brand bashing. I don't get it at all. Over 40 years and 50 bikes I've had lots of brands and had a good time with all of them. I have Harleys but I'd be happy to have a Stratoliner. In fact on any given day I can think of at least a half dozen bikes I'd like to have of several brands and types.
Life is short and we all have only so many bikes left. Most importantly its all such a great time to be into bikes. Its all good.
Two years ago I bought a 1976 BMW R75 from an acquaintance in Indiana and flew back to pick it up, then rode it home to oregon.
Mounted a small windscreen and soft bags and away we went.
Now riding an unknown bike, 33 years old for 2500 miles or so may not be the wisest thing but some things became apparent.
Good ergonomics are good, in 1976 or now.
Brakes have come a long, long way in thirty years.
People are basically good, as evidenced by how many offered to help me when I lost the charging system outside of Sioux City Iowa.
Right now I'm lucky to have a stable, an '01 FXD, an '09 XR1200, an '06 Tiger 955i, an '03 SV1000 and an '07 DR650. Each could be 'toured' and you can have a good time doing it.
One of the things I find most curious and difficult to take in motorcycling is the issue of brand bashing. I don't get it at all. Over 40 years and 50 bikes I've had lots of brands and had a good time with all of them. I have Harleys but I'd be happy to have a Stratoliner. In fact on any given day I can think of at least a half dozen bikes I'd like to have of several brands and types.
Life is short and we all have only so many bikes left. Most importantly its all such a great time to be into bikes. Its all good.
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