What a difference a new seat makes!
I’ve owned and have been riding my GoldWing for 10 years and have enjoyed a lot of miles and have worn out 3 Honda OEM seats. I say “worn out” but what I mean to say is that I’ve been worn out by 3 Honda OEM Seats!
That hugely padded, thick seat is likely more comfortable than any other factory seat out there, but after the accumulation of years, miles and the degradation of the foam combined with my weight increase etc… I decided to get what has become know in the GoldWing world as arguably the best seat to be had… the Corbin.
After much time and careful consideration I made the choice to travel to Northern California to the Corbin Saddle Co. where they are equipped and offer true custom seat build. I say “custom” to emphasis the difference between simply customized material and color selection. Corbin’s artisans are capable of designing and sculpturing to meet the needs of the rider; seat position, height, shape, width, custom stitching and a multitude of grades, colors and thickness of leather and vinyl, all for your selection.
I’ve not accumulated many miles on the new seat yet and can only really state that out of all that I’ve read over the years, and what has been said by the people that I’ve known who ride the Corbin… The seat looks great!
More to come.
(Update, 1 June 2012)
Well it’s finale, the expensive custom Corbin seat has not made me happy.
After several thousand miles which included a California Coast ride north into Canada, then back to Washington and through Oregon to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park and a subsequent trip from Ohio back to Arizona, I’ve decided that I’ve given this seat a good chance to please me and it hasn’t.
I haven’t decided yet if I intended to remove it and if I do remove it, what will I replace it with!
Corbin offers a lifetime free adjustment policy for as long as I own it. I’ve already had them alter it once, and alteration that I was not happy with because I felt that they should have increased the amount of padding and they didn’t. They told me that the maximum amount of padding that could be installed without replacing the leather seat cover had already been achieved. I told them to replace the seat cover if they needed to and they said that the lifetime free adjustment policy does not cover replacement of the seat cover and that I would be subject to about $200.00, an amount that I was not willing to pay since the seat was new and that it had never felt right.
(Update, 2015)
Well I haven’t updated this article in years and I feel that I have done a disservice to Corbin.
Since that last writing I have accumulated many thousands of miles on my Corbin saddle and have long ago changed my opinion of this seat and have only now thought to document it.
When I wrote the review (Update, 1 June 2012), I apparently hadn’t spent enough time suffering! Certainly my suffering dissipated and I became happy with my Corbin. I ultimately sold my 1500 with nearly 130k miles on it. I would estimate that the Corbin had 30k miles on it. I had long ago quite bad-mouthing the saddle. My only explanation for the extreme change of my opinion had to do with the “break-in period”. If only Corbin could know how much time it takes for the riders body to adjust itself to fitting the seat!
It’s been said that the saddle gets worn-in to the rider… I’m not sure how true and strict that is… May be just another way of promoting sales. I kept the Corbin and it is now being sat upon by my brother who’s undoubtedly going through some growing pains! Hopefully he will soon be a happy rider.
(Update, 2015)
It’s Corbin time again!
Before selling my 1500, I purchased a gently used 2003 ABS unit. I needed a Corbin. As life has been good to me! I have a friend who recently purchased his second GL1800 and had retained some items from the first. Prior to selling he too removed the Corbin and I became the beneficiary. I thought that I would take it to Corbin and get it adjusted and reupholstered… the cost was prohibitive and the lifetime warranty is for the original purchaser.
I decided to ride the saddle as it is.
(Update, July 2017)
Because of a loss of life of a friend, I was reacquainted with some old acquaintances and there was an expressed interest in my Corbin experience. That is my inspiration to updating this article today.
The friend who I received my current (2nd overall) Corbin Saddle from decided it was time for him to get a Corbin on his 2nd 1800. Because I had the experience and shared with him of visiting Corbin and having my seat built for me while I waited… He too decided to take the trip. See the photos!