Corbin, Sargent, Russell Day Long? Who has these? What do you think?

[greenmonster]

I have a 2015 BMW R1200RT and I'm thinking about swapping out the seat for an aftermarket brand. I'm not planning on doing any cross country riding, just want something a bit more comfortable.
My 10 minutes of Googling shows that Corbins are not recommended by some, Russell Day Longs take a while to get since you have to send in your stock seat and they custom make it from that. Which leaves Sargents. They seem good but I was wondering if anyone else has real world experience they can impart?

And the big question is - was it worth the price? A full front and rear Sargent seat is $700+ and a single seat is $400+

 

[RWMaverick]

I have a Corbin that came with my '92 Nighthawk and I love it. What are some reasons that some don't recommend Corbin? Their factory is right in Hollister and you schedule an appointment to get the seat custom made to your specs for no extra cost. They even let you test it before it's completed to make sure all the foam is in the right places.

 

[greenmonster]

I have a Corbin that came with my '92 Nighthawk and I love it. What are some reasons that some don't recommend Corbin? Their factory is right in Hollister and you schedule an appointment to get the seat custom made to your specs for no extra cost. They even let you test it before it's completed to make sure all the foam is in the right places.

The Corbin comment may be an outlier which is why I wanted to put it to the group. Was it worth the cost to you? Did you notice a big improvement over the stock setup?

 

[dravnx]

I'm on my third Corbin.
Every butt has a seat and every wallet has a budget.
Asking which seat is best is kinda like asking which oil is best.
IMHO the Sargent is a better seat then stock but not as good as a Corbin. If you want to sit in a seat for days on end, the Russell is the way to go. I like Corbin because I can get them custom fitted and they work for me.
Another option is the Seat Concepts. You buy the seat cover and foam and recover your seat yourself or bring it to an upholstery shop and have them do it. Once again, it's better then most stock seats but not as good as a Corbin or Russell.

 

[bikeama]

I have has 3 Corbins they just fit for me*. A friend loves Russells he told me they're butt ugly and his ass thinks they are beautiful. Laam also make a nice looking seat but I have not used one. Laam also does ride in fitting.
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*Disclaimer I got two of my Corbins for free. Lucky enough to have the first ones make for my K1600GT. The Red BMW is mine.

 

[greenmonster]

I guess I should take back my Corbin comment. As mentioned I spent maybe 10 minutes reading different things. I’ll check out Corbin a bit more.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Corbin is magical if you have your own natural padding. I hate Sargent seats. HATE.

 

[senpai71]

I had a Corbin, but honestly, it never really seemed to break in. I had hip issues (since had surgery and they're fixed) but it was much wider where the seat hits the tank and was always uncomfortable, so I sold it.

Maybe if I'd kept on with it, it would have broken in, but after 500-ish miles it hadn't changed at all....

 

[Frame Maker]

I have a Corbin and a Sargent for my Ducati Monster. I've only used the Corbin as it came with the bike. The Corbin is comfortable, but VERY firm.... so you if the shape is correct for you they are great, if not, you probably want something with softer padding.

Looking at the Corbin and the Sargent side by side, the Sargent is a MUCH better quality product. I just haven't had time to swap the mounting hardware over and use mine yet.

 

[GPzPop]

I had to give up on my Corbin on my xsr900 and went back to the stock seat

too firm and the ass bucket seemed to be 3 inches too far to the rear, to the point where I was always scooted up to the nose of the seat.

not my first Corbin, the one on my zzr600 is just about perfect

 

[Frame Maker]

I think the Sargent (on the right side of my photo) has a little bit cleaner appearance with the upholstery. On the underside they are much different. The Corbin looks very basic, while the Sargent looks higher quality, plus has a small storage compartment and fold-out hooks for use with a cargo net. So it has some nice "extra" features. Sargent gets my vote:thumbup

[/url]20200803_180944[1] by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]20200803_181107[1] by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[fubar929]

I bought a Corbin. Once. Rode down to the factory to have it custom shaped to my specifications. Turns out I really don't know anything about designing a great saddle. Aside from the shape not being perfect, their seat pan weighed a ton and the foam was only slightly more forgiving than concrete. I went back to the stock seat in less than a year and I've never been tempted to try another Corbin.

 

[GPzPop]

I think the Sargent (on the right side of my photo) has a little bit cleaner appearance with the upholstery. On the underside they are much different. The Corbin looks very basic, while the Sargent looks higher quality, plus has a small storage compartment and fold-out hooks for use with a cargo net. So it has some nice "extra" features. Sargent gets my vote:thumbup

[/url]20200803_180944[1] by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]20200803_181053[1] by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]20200803_181107[1] by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

But also comparing materials :

laid up fiberglass vs hydro-dipped thermo-formed plastic

well executed in both cases

no experience with Sargent on any bike of mine, so I am not in any place to compare

 

[davidji]

And the big question is - was it worth the price? A full front and rear Sargent seat is $700+ and a single seat is $400+

Will you be sitting on the back much? Will anybody?

I just got the front for my Africa Twin. I had a 1-piece Sargent seat on my FZ1.


That was probably the most comfortable seat I've had on a bike.

Haven't used the one on the AT that much, since I haven't been riding much. Seems better than stock, though I won't really know unless I spend the day on it. The fit is really good: It's easier to fit into the low position that the stock seat.

 

[davidji]

...the Sargent looks higher quality, plus has a small storage compartment and fold-out hooks for use with a cargo net. So it has some nice "extra" features. Sargent gets my vote:thumbup

My FZ1 seat had that handy plastic tool can.

I was looking forward to a little extra storage from their Africa Twin seat too, since there's very little room under that seat. That seat comes with a cutout for a flashlight that comes with it. No tool can though.

Those fold out hooks are cool! I don't remember having those.

 

[davidji]

I think the Sargent (on the right side of my photo) has a little bit cleaner appearance with the upholstery.

True, but the pillion position of the Corbin looks more comfortable--it looks a little lopsided though, which I hope is just photography angles. The pillion seat on the Sargent looks like it was shaped for style (rounded cowl shape) rather than comfort.

Pillion comfort doesn't matter to me (not like it will get much use), but it must to some.

 

[NoTraffic]

For the OP, to make it even more complicated, Laam fabricator is well known in the BMW community and he's maybe a day's ride out from the bay: laamseats.com

 

[mrzuzzo]

I've had quite a few Corbins. Corbin sucks balls and here is why:
- The seat pan must be made from lead. Incredibly heavy.
- I find fitment is never perfect. It could be good enough on some bikes but on some bikes it can rub and ruin the tank like it did on my Ducati Diavel.
- I have their "carbon" like material on one of my bikes and it's hilariously slippery to the point where it was dangerous to ride until I took some chemicals to it
- They look worse than other aftermarket seats
- I feel like the quality isn't there for the retail price they are asking

 

[Whodat]

I've had or currently have, Rick Mayer, Corbin, Saddleman, Russel Day Long. For me it's Russel by a mile. Right now they're booking ride in appointments for November, I'll be there on the 17th. Really nice folks to work with and a great product.

 

[Pushrod]

Bought a used bike with a Corbin already on it. Much difficulty in maintaining good riding posture, odd angle between hips and lower back. Agony after 100 miles. Bought an eBay stock seat and rode happily ever after.