Is the Corbin seat softer than my stock one? When the question of seat softness

Is the Corbin seat softer than my stock one? When the question of seat softness

Mike Corbin Frequently Asked Questions
Can I order a saddle different from what is shown here?
Absolutely YES! Corbin is a custom saddle manufacturer and virtually all of our products are made to order. We can offer you a variety of colors in styles ranging from flames to scollops or even just a tasteful welt. For complete information, see the info. section or call us and ask for specific color samples.
Is the Corbin seat softer than my stock one?
When the question of seat softness is raised, it actually brings up several issues. First off, a soft foam is actually detrimental to riding comfort (most stock motorcycle seats use a foam density of 3-4 pounds). When a foam is too soft, it does not offer the rider the support that is needed for the long haul and given time will compact to the point to where it offers no resiliency at all. When this occurs, the rider usually assumes that the seat is too hard, when in fact the problem has arisen from the foam being too soft.
Corbin's solution is to use a contoured "Comfort Cell? foam. This foam is of the closed cell variety which means that it is made up of a series of small bubbles which hold air pockets that keep the saddle resilient indefinitely. Corbin foam is designed to give us the flexibility to vary the density of it to suit the design of the saddle (low profile seats require denser foam) and is cast into a shape that disperses the rider's weight over a greater area of square inches, therefore eliminating pressure points. This is what we call "ergonomic shaping". On average, Corbin foam is used at a density of approximately 7 pounds which after extensive testing has proven to provide the best combination of softness and true touring SUPPORT! In addition, Corbin's foam has a memory feature. After a break-in period of approximately 1500-2000 miles, the saddle will actually take on the shape of the rider which provides even better weight dispersion and custom fitted comfort.
Do you still offer a print catalog?
Short answer: Sorry, we do not. Long answer: In an attempt to keep the price of the Corbin saddle reasonable, we are always searching for ways to keep costs down. Our products are extremely labor intensive and we use only the finest materials available so this is not a simple task. Over the years, a large full color catalog has served very well and was the only means available of providing specific product information to riders and dealers alike. With the advent of the internet, we have found the ability to provide extended information that is more timely without incurring the huge cost of a printed catalog (along with postage, handling, etc). This has enabled us to actually lower prices on some seat models! We still have the ability to send out specific information upon request and will likely have some form of general literature later in the year.
What happens if my saddle gets wet?
Don't panic, water won't damage your Corbin saddle. Corbin covers are extremely durable and are weather resistant too. However, the stitching in the cover allows for water intrusion! If this happens, your behind will probably get wet a couple of the times as you squeeze the water back out while sitting on the seat. The solution is to let the seat dry out in the sun. To assure that your saddle's cover retains it weather resistance, we recommend conditioning your seat on a regular basis with CorbinCare Leather, Vinyl & rubber cleaner & protectant. You should condition your seat at least as often as you wash your bike. In the case of leather seats, we strongly suggest a regular coating of a good silicon based leather conditioner such as Corbin's Saddle Cream (do not use cleaners or conditioners with a petroleum or kerosene base). This will help the leather to stay supple and keep it looking great! Rain covers are also available for motorcyclists who spend a lot of time in the rain or for bikes that are stored outdoors. TIP: Remove your saddle from your bike when washing it, especially if you're using a pressure washer.
Can a saddle be modified to suit me?
Yes, however the Corbin saddle is designed to work perfect for about 90% of the riding population. If there is any doubt, you can provide your height, weight and inseam to your sales representative and they will provide that information to the people making your saddle. We strongly suggest that before any modifications are made, that you try riding our standard shape seat, that way, if modifications need to be made, we will have a point of reference. If you have to send a saddle back to us for modification, we will change the shape of your seat to your specification at no charge as long as we can put the same cover back onto the seat. If the changes are such that the cover cannot be reused, then we would have to charge for a new cover at cost. The Corbin Saddle fits almost everyone after the suggested break-in period.
If I order a leather seat, will the entire seat be made of leather?
Mostly, we only use leather in the seating panels. That is to say, any area of the seat or backrest that actually comes in contact with your body while you're riding. The reason for this is simple: The side panels of your seat and backrest take the most beating from day to day use and the advantages of leather are lost since your body doesn't contact those areas. Instead, we use a coordinating vinyl that is a perfect match to the grain and color of the leather, but does not stretch like leather, therefore keeping your saddle tight. This provides you with a motorcycle saddle that stays looking brand new for a much longer period of time.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of the various cover materials?
We'll take this one material at a time:
Vinyl is a popular cover material because it is durable, weather resistant and is available in the widest range of colors. Since it is a man made material, it doesn't breathe very well which means that it can trap heat against your body. The solution to this if you prefer a vinyl saddle, is to order basketweave or some other textured seating. Basketweave material has a pattern to it that allows for some air space between your body and the seat itself. Conditioning a vinyl saddle every time you wash your bike will assure a long lasting cover!
Leather is the best material for a motorcycle saddle especially if you are a long distance rider. Since leather is a natural product, it breathes well and helps to keep your body cool where you contact the seat. Leather will also conform with the foam shape as it breaks in to give you a personalized fit. For leather saddles, we recommend a regular conditioning with a good silicon based cleaner/conditioner such as Corbin's Saddle Cream to help it age well and stay weather resistant. We have a wide range of styles and colors to choose from, click HERE to get complete information.
Velour is a very plush material for touring seats as it provides a very cool and comfortable ride. Since it is a cloth material, it must be treated well with some form of protectant such as Scotchguard. Even when well treated, velour is not very weather resistant and gets dirty fast, which means it requires the most amount of care out of all of your material options. Additionally, Velour does not last as long as the other material options.
My seat's about 30 years old, can you recover it?
Naturally we offer recovers, repairs and restorations of your Corbin saddle. The cost of recovering a seat can vary quite a bit and your best option is to contact our department directly. To give you an idea: If your saddle needs a new cover made, the cost will be approximately 75% of that seat model's current price. This is because the greatest area of cost on a saddle (in raw materials AND labor) is in the cover and assembly. Before sending in a saddle for repair or rework, always contact us for a "TLC" number first to assure you get the quality service you deserve.
What is "Carbon Fiber" Leather? Is it Carbon Fiber? Is it leather?
This material is a Corbin USA exclusive! First off, YES it is leather. What our manufacturer has done is taken a nice supple hide and laminated a black nylon to the top that has a herringbone pattern that matches true carbon fiber. Why didn't they use real carbon? Simple, when real carbon fiber was tried as a laminate, it had a tendency to fray and scuff. This eventually left it looking like an old sweater with those funky little fuzzy things all over it. The custom made black nylon doesn't do that and holds up very well to constant use.
Recently we've added a Carbon Fiber embossed vinyl to the material choices available. Unlike the leather, this material is actually a weave pattern embossed into the surface of the material. We like to use the embossed material in the side panels to coordinate with Carbon Fiber leather seating.
If I order a Corbin saddle now, can I add the backrest later?
Yes, you can add the backrest at any time you like as long as you have made provisions for its addition. In some cases, the Corbin seat has a type of hardware that bolts into the bottom of the seat (parts #OPL & #OPS) in which case, you just order your backrest and the required hardware. In most cases, however, the hardware is built right into the saddle. If you think you may want to add the backrest at some time in the future, make sure you tell us when you order the saddle and we will build the hardware in place at no charge to you. "Better safe than sorry" as the old story goes.
Can I order a saddle without the backrest hardware?
Yes you may, but in most cases there is no reason to do so. Later, if you or a buyer of your motorcycle wants to add a backrest, they will not be able to do so.
Can I order a touring saddle without the "Lumbar Lever"?
In the case of our Dual Touring saddle for the Harley-Davidson Dresser models, the answer is yes, but you will lose the ability to adjust the backrest while you are seated on the motorcycle. All of our other touring models require the Lumbar lever to support the backrest, so it is required if you want to use the rider's backrest.
Can you recover my stock seat or build a Corbin seat on my stock basepan?
If you simply want your stock seat recovered, it is best to just have it done at a local upholstery shop where you can choose your colors and design your pattern. As far as stock basepans are concerned, we cannot build a Corbin seat onto the basepan that many motorcycles come with. Most basepans do not offer the strength to support the Comfort Cell foam and provide you with the comfort that Corbin saddles are famous for. If you are building a custom chopper and have had a steel or very strong fiberglass basepan made, then we can build a seat for you on your basepan, but we cannot build in the support for a rider's backrest. For additional information, drop us a line:
I have a two piece stock seat, will the Corbin front work with my stock rear and vice-versa?
In some cases (Harley-Davidson Softails & Suzuki RF 600R for example) the Corbin components were designed to work with the stock pieces. This is not true on all models, however. In many cases, we have designed our components to accept the removable rider's backrest and this may interfere with its ability to be used with the factory seats. In any case, the Corbin components make a much more comfortable and better looking alternative.
What is the Warranty period on Corbin Saddles?
Corbin offers a full one year warranty on all materials and labor. Normal wear & tear or physical damage due to external forces (like your dog chewing it up) are not covered under the Corbin warranty. Any problem encountered with the material or workmanship of your Corbin saddle will be repaired at no charge to you. If you have a possible warranty situation, please contact our customer Service department so they may determine the cause of the failure.
Recently I've seen some information about "Gel Seats". Why doesn't Corbin offer this?
Mike extensively tests every new foam technology that comes to market. Over the past 30+ years, Mike has done much testing on the gel padding and its possible usage for motorcycle seats and found that our advanced Comfort Cell foam is superior in both comfort and durability. Gel padding was originally developed as a prosthesis for mastectomy patients and was never intended to support more than its own weight. Gel has been tried as a cushion in running shoes, bicycle seats and gloves among other things (in fact, Mike has a gel seat on his exercise bike at home!) Gel is also very cold and is an inadequate cushion for most serious enthusiasts. Even when new, gel can apply pressure to areas of the body that are not well suited to load bearing. When subjected to heavy pounding, gel deteriorates developing pockets or holes. This situation worsens as the gel deteriorates.
Cooling air flow is also blocked by gel. Corbin saddles are contoured to distribute loads without applying pressure to sensitive tissue or blocking air flow. Instead of using a liquid displacement technology as in the gel foam, Corbin uses air as a cushion. (Running shoe manufacturers have found that air pockets make excellent padding.) Corbin does this one better by combining the strength of closed cell foam and the air trapped inside to give the best possible support and impact protection! Corbin foam adapts to your body and provides you with evenly distributed support.
Why do you use a Fibertech basepan for your saddles?
There are several reasons that Corbin uses fibertech as a basepan material. First off, fibertech offers us the design flexibility to fit each and every contour of the motorcycle to provide a precise fit. Fibertech is also very weather resistant and won't rust when subjected to the elements. When used in the proper thickness, fibertec is also lightweight and provides the strength necessary to support the contoured foam used in Corbin Saddles. With proper basepan strength, the seat will always support you in the right places! When making a new saddle design, Corbin engineers the basepan to ride on rubber bumpers which keep the basepan up and off of your paint job. This is a much better alternative than carpet or similar material which will trap dust and grit against your bike and ruin a paint job.
If I accidentally ordered the wrong sized Boots, can I return them for the proper size?
Yes, but they must be in perfect condition for resale. When you get your boots, try them on right away and walk around your house in them. Do not wear them outside or for a long period of time to where they will get scuffed up. Corbin boots will break in and stretch in the width, but not the length. They should fit snug against the widest part of your foot and have room in the toe area. Above all, keep `em clean!
If I order a seat today, when can I expect to get it?
If we don't have your saddle in stock, time in the shop can differ greatly depending on the season. During the "slow months" turn around time is roughly 2 weeks. During the peak spring and summer months this turn around can vary greatly. We will be happy to let you know what the current status is if you want to drop us an e-mail or call! If you order a seat via our secured server, we will confirm the order as soon as possible and provide an estimated delivery date. Please keep in mind that if we cannot reach you (undeliverable e-mail address, no answer at the phone number provided, etc...) your order will go on hold! If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours (excluding weekends) then we are most likely having trouble contacting you.
We've recently opened a warehouse in Daytona Beach where we try to keep stock on some of our more popular models. It is hard to predict exactly how this will effect turn around time as new bike models come out all of the time and predicting inventory can be tricky. We spent the winter stocking up, but there is an extremely wide range of options/combinations available which makes it very difficult. If you would like to find out if a particular model and design is handy, please feel free to drop us a line and ask. You may reach our Daytona store directly by sending e-mail to:
Do I have to pay sales tax?
If you pick up a new seat at a rally or from one of our locations and take it with you, then you will pay sales tax. If we SHIP your new seat to you, you will only pay sales tax if the shipping address is within the state of California, South Dakota or Florida. All other states will not pay sales tax on shipped orders. For international orders, you will be responsible for any customs charges and taxes that may be applied. When ordering internationally, it is always best to work with one of our Worldwide Distributors.
What are the shipping charges?
Unlike many companies, we do NOT markup our shipping charges. Our preferred carrier is UPS and you can expect an average saddle delivery to cost less than $20 within the continental US (for ground shipments). Naturally, air freight orders will cost more.
Did we forget something?
If there is information that you think we should post here for everybody's convenience, please drop us a line! corbin01@corbin.com
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