Corbin or Sagent Aftermarket Seats?

Got a gift certificate for Cycle Gear but they only carry Corbin.

I have heard great things about both and I was just curious.

 

My 2 cents...
I bought a Corbin and a Sargent. There are good thing and GREAT things about both.

The Corbin was of heavier (weight wise) construction. Although it felt a little more comfy than the Sargent saddle, it sits the rider up an inch or two higher than the stock seat, making you lean over a little further. Not much, but on a longer ride you will notice it. Corbins look more "custom" or shop made, but are well constructed. The pan appears to be heavy fiberglass or of a similar material...it has no "give" at all.



You will find that your rear solo-cowl will not fit as well on the Corbin seats (notice the gaps near the front corners?)



The Sargent was lighter and appeared more like it was factory constructed. It sits about an inch lower than the factory seat, which I liked on longer rides. It was not as comfortable as the Corbin (to sit on), but the lean factor has to figure in. The Sargent saddle has a plastic factory-type pan and includes a little storage area for your documents or extra smaller tools or keys. The solo-cowl fits perfectly, but over time wears on the seat, at the front of the cowl, just a little...not enough to really bother me.



I ended up selling the Corbin and exclusively use my Sargent. Good luck!

 

I've got a Corbin and love it. Like ictghost said, you sit a little higher on the bike, and the cowl does not fit as well as the stock seat.
I would get it with black piping like you see in pictures above. Better for resale

 

Thanks! Yea, I want it all black and looking stock.

 

The pads are actually for an ST1300, but work perfectly on the VFR. They are a little pricey, but I've had them on for a year and they still look great.

 

They stay with 3-m tape or similar?

Saw them for sale on the webernets but no details on the backing/installation.

 

Yep, 3m style tape but it's very sticky and has held the edges well. The hardest part was centering and locating exact locations they belonged...a little personal preference. I installed the center pad about a 1/2" above the front top where the seat is.

 

I have the sargent seat for my 5th gen and I love it. I also love the two piece design that allows for a little storage under the seat. I really do like the ST1300 tank pads you have, I wonder if they would look ok on the 5th gen?

 

You keep getting answers back and forth from both sides, but I bought my bike with a corbin and it is super comfortable. I love it. I didn't realize that my factory cowl would work with it at all... Does it snap on there like on the factory seat (not trying to thread jack, but one quick question won't hurt I hope)?

 

The Corbin I had, had 2 bolts underneath to the rear. You'd unscrew them and slide the cowl on, then screw them back in, through the cowl eyelets. It was tight though and I often wondered if the cowl tabs were going to snap.

 

Tough choice and I'm still split. I'm leaning a little towards sargent but I got that $200 gift certificate a cycle gear.

I think sargent are a little cheaper.

 

Thanks I'll have to check out that article.

I'm just trying to plan for this long distant trip. One thing I was thinking, since my budget is tight, is to try a pair of those cycling padded briefs. There's padding already built in them and those guys are riding on some hard seats.

Cost $15 to $30

 

I have a pair of cycling shorts I used when I had a functional mountain bike, they made a huge difference. Not sure if they will be effective on a motorcycle or not.

 

Yep, a bicycle shop will have those skivvies for less than a MC shop.

Your other seat? Sell the gift certificate and check out Rich's near Seattle. Got one on my bike in the gallery, another on a thumper and a pic on Rich's website of another on my BMW.

 

I feel old even having to bring up the topic. But being in construction my body takes a toll.

I'm planning this long ride and If I can get my back in line I'll do the Iron But ride to Colorado to start off the trip.

Ever since I got back into construction riding has been a little harder, so I'm looking for any help.

The suggestions here have been great and I'll have to let you know how my long distant ride turns out.

 

I, like many others on this thread, have tried both. I originally went with Corbin but had major problems with fitment. It wouldn't stay "latched". No matter how hard I tried, and no matter how many times I thought it was latched, if I hit a bump or something that I never was able to determine, it would come loose while I was riding. I even had a couple of my stronger friends latch it for me, then tug with all their might on it to make sure it wasn't coming up. Then, 10 minutes into the ride, it was loose and unlatched. I called Corbin, complained and they didn't want to do anything for me until I mentioned it was a safety hazard and I could get killed if the seat came off while I was riding. I was VERY unhappy with their customer service, but they eventually agreed to take it back for a full refund. Yes, it was comfortable, but I never got to ride long enough with it to determine if it would be comfortable on the longer rides. Many members here told me that they had to shave down some of the contact points to make theirs fit. I never did that because I felt that for the money I was spending, it should fit, right out of the box.

I bought the Sargent seat after that, and have never looked back. It DOES use the stock seat pan, so it is a perfect fit in every way. I've never had any issues with the Sargent at all... whether fitting my bike or my butt!!

 

PS... you should check eBay. There was just a Sargent seat for a 6th gen VFR last week on there for $190.00.