Guest Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Sargent +1 - far better than the stock seat, which I would describe as slightly better then 3/4" plywood. Ditto on the sliding into the tank though. Haven't found a fix beyond exercising my thighs more. Just my $.02 Had a Corbin on my 83 VF750F and it was ++1. Great seat, all day comfort and no pesky sliding into the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDNbacon Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 anyone have the corbin seat with the lady gun backrest? My lady has been askign me to get a seat with a backrest, I was wondering if anyone has it and do they like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer RED RUNNER Posted December 8, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted December 8, 2011 I have a corbin seat that I had custom made for my '02 VFR. The first time I ordered the Corbin seat I ordered it stock: I didn't like it and I brought it to the factory. They had me sit on the bike and they sized it for me. I picked out the seat cover material and piping and hung out while I watched them make the seat for me. It took about three hours. I really thought the whole process was cool. They gave me free breakfast at their cafe too. I have a backrest attachment. My wife likes it a lot. It attaches to the seat with a square post and is very easy to put on and remove. When it is off the seat does not appear any different than a typical corbin seat. Although I think the seating surface is top notch in looks, durability, and feel, the backrest post seems a bit untidy in its design and fit. It just kind of clunks into a hole in the fiberglass seat pan. Although it is secure and does not move around once it is on, it's just not very elegantly designed where it attaches. That said, it looks very well made, it matches the seat, and it looks very nice when its on the seat (although it is a bit dorky). For extra nervous passengers, I recommend the "Buddy Belt," which is a waist harness that passengers can hold onto to prevent helmets from banking into each other. Also very secure. Caution: your passenger may fall asleep on long trips with a backrest, so take that into consideration. Also, as my wife learned, the front wheel comes up in glorious fashion with a passenger without much trouble. The corbin seat is very heavy, even without the backrest. It also does not snap on quite as readily as the stock seat. Finally, the rear cowl does not fit over the corbin as cleanly as it fits over the stock seat. This could be the result of the shape of the seat I selected. Like many of us, I have broken a tab off the cowl trying to fit the darn thing over the corbin seat. Be wary of buying a custom corbin seat, as it may have been designed to fit the original owner's height and seating preferences. I know that many manufacturers make accessory seats for smaller riders. These seats seem to keep a fairly similar seat height but are narrower, permitting the feet to touch down. I didn't think of this design option when I had my seat made, but I would probably have narrowed the seat a bit if I were to do it again. I really like the look of some Sargent seats and I suspect they are a similar quality (although ligher) to the Corbin. If they were a bit more narrow and kept the same forward/aft pitch, I'd have no problem getting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer bryan217 Posted December 8, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted December 8, 2011 I had the Corbin with the backrest for a season, then sold it. It was the carbon finish, which we found slippery for my textile pants and her denim. Leather may be different. That's why we sold it. My wife loved the backrest, especially being new to riding. But it limited where she and I could sit on the bike, and like I said, was quite slippery. So I sold it and went back to stock. It's more grippy than the Corbin and lets us move around a little more to find the right place to sit. With the side cases, she feels plenty secure even without the backrest. I'd like to try a Sargent one of these days, just to compare. But we're both happy with the stock, even for a full day of riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Love the Corbin! Had one on my Katana, Great seat, very comfy on a long Ride. I had the stock seat and its crap compared to Corbin. I'm not a big guy and its nice. My wife likes the backrest for rides as well. I generally do 100-200 miles a day and I do twisties and some highway. Great purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swelcher Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I have a Sargent on my 02.. it is much improved over the stock I could do about 50 miles on stock now I can do 100 to 130 straight on my Sargent before it KICKS my butt literally. So I started sitting on pieces of memory foam on my longer 300 miles plus rides.. of course foam compressed and I was dead in the water 70 miles away butt sore.. otherwise it's great! Finish Excellent short rides great sliding not a problem.. in the process of finding a pad of some sort for long trips.. Airhawk or Gel Pad ....hmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted December 8, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted December 8, 2011 I've had an '01 since 2006. The first four years I used the stock seat and found it comfortable (I'm 5'8 / 145# with a boney butt). During that time I did some long (7000 + mile) trips. Comfort was not an issue. With all the aftermarket seats seen on members mods list I figured I must be missing something. So I flipped a coin (between Sargent and Corbin) and bought a Sargent from a VFRD member. (I must admit that a bird crap stain I could not remove on the stock seat was the primary motivator.) It had a "carbon-look" finish. I found it also comfortable but not much different from the stock seat. Wearing my Stich Transit leather suit it was grippy. With my Roadcrafter it's slippery. It does look a LOT better. I have lusted for a Corbin because of the seat back feature. My female friends did not want to ride because of the effort to stay onboard. I'd never considered the moving-around aspect; now I'm not so sure it'd be such an obvious choice. Pretty much comes down to personal style of riding, IMHO. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhellent Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I have a Sargent seat on my VFR 1200 and I love it. Apart from the significant comfort over day long tours I like the fact that it allows a sporty riding style as well as it clearly supports foward leaning and sitting close to the tank. It is my third Sargent seat on my forth bike and I do not regret spending the high costs (including shiping and customs). Cheers Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JayTx Posted November 13, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 13, 2012 It will have to be Sargent cause it definetely is not Corbin I can tell you after now 2000miles. I had to sit on a sweatshirt to make it back home from the Ozark to Texas to save my spine and my ass (one day ride). Returned my seat to Corbin and asked to soften the foam, which they did for free and did make a marginal improvement. From talking to my tourbike buddies in Texas, Sargent is the marginal better seat. I did own a Corbin from 2003-2005 on my last CBR600F in Europe which was a devine seat, but Corbin changed something somewhere. Not content with the marginal difference, and wanting to move in to the IBA rally, I asked Russell all-Day to make me one. Sure, they look a little bit like a John Deere tractor seat , but nobody sees that once you are on the bike. Yes, it does cost more, I paid $780 as opposed to $460And then, your butt and your back is in heaven.... for 1000miles a day, I step off the bike and am still laughing. WHAT a DIFFERENCE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted November 13, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 13, 2012 After getting a chance to sit on a different corbins and sargent seats for a couple different gens, Sargent is definitely my favorite of the two. Here's how I would break them down, as it has been pretty consistent across the board. Stock seats are middle of the road. I find them plenty comfy, but I could sleep on a rock and be fine. Grippy enough that you don't slide back and forth from braking and accelerating, but can still slide around for the turns. Corbins are a bit more slippery than stock. Seem to have a pocket for your rear to sit in. More of a firm seat. Don't like the feel of sliding off the seat to lean off for a turn due to the ridges on the outside of the seat cutting into my thigh. Maybe better for people who sit in the middle and don't move. Sargents are super slippery. Great for leaning and moving around on. I find it a bit softer than the corbin and much nicer than stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted November 13, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 13, 2012 ^^^^ Seems seats are like - what is your favorite beer? I like dark beer in the winter, but not Guinness. --- On Corbins, I like the pocket in the back end of the seat for droning on strait roads. When it gets twisty, I move around quite a bit and just scoot forward a bit and have no problem working it side to side. Two people ride the same seat and end up with different conclusions. Windshields, seats and grips go to personal taste. Damn, just got an urge for a Becks Dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 And to throw yet another dissenting opinion into the ring, for anyone out there reading this, I've ridden 500-1000 mile days on an '85 Kawasaki ZN700, '07 Ducati ST3, and a '99 Honda VFR, all on the stock seats, without any more problems than sitting in more or less one position all day long will cause. Mind you I'm 24 years old and fairly light and skinny, which may play a part. But I'd encourage people to try the simple fixes like bead-covers, sheep-skin covers, etc. One friend even found a cheap ATV seat cover at Walmart that worked for her. I believe it was less than $30. ::EDIT:: I actually have no idea what the seat on the VFR is, it sure looks like a re-done seat, especially as it is almost as slippery as snot. Been meaning to hit up an upholstery shop to see if they would be able to put something a little less "WOAH NELLY!" inducing on it. Probably bring my Ducati's seat in as a pretty good example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazaev Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 The Sargent has been GREAT for being on the bike all day. Unfortunately a nasty side effect of its design has reared its ugly head. My bike lives outside. Though it's held up to the elements very well, since the front part of the two-seat design doesn't lock and is merely held down by the locking rear, it was very easy for some vandals to pry out and steal. The stock seat becomes a whole lotta worse after riding the Sargent for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted November 19, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 19, 2012 ^^^^ Seems seats are like - what is your favorite beer? I like dark beer in the winter, but not Guinness. --- On Corbins, I like the pocket in the back end of the seat for droning on strait roads. When it gets twisty, I move around quite a bit and just scoot forward a bit and have no problem working it side to side. Two people ride the same seat and end up with different conclusions. Windshields, seats and grips go to personal taste. Damn, just got an urge for a Becks Dark. I agree with your take on the seats. Sargent is my favorite compared to the stock seats on my VFR and my ST1300. The ST stocker was like sitting on a big banana! So much personal anatomy and preference, it's almost pointless to suggest what may or may not work for someone else. I do however believe that the Russell type seat is no good whatsoever for my type of riding (or anyone that really likes to move off the seat quite a bit)...unless I start only using the VFR to drone away on the slab...NOT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer texasvfr Posted November 19, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 19, 2012 You could look into a FREEDOM AIR pad- Motorcycle Consumer News-rated it way better than the other brand. I have to agree and you can move it from bike to bike. I am 6'4" and 240 lbs big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marriedman Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I have put about 1000 miles on my Corbin, and the comfort is a huge improvement. But there is one thing that bothers me; the seat is noisy. When I get on or off, or advust my butt at a stop light, it sounds like it is rubbing everywhere. Anyone else have this issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrAustin Posted November 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 20, 2012 I have had two Corbins saddles with plenty of miles on them and they just keep getting better and better. My current has a leather weave of some sort. Very tight pattern, just enough to give some texture/grip. I have never ridden a Sargent. Aint broke don't fix it. Fit and finish is exceptional with my Corbin. Yes, you give up some weight but it is well worth it. 1 vote Corbin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tc339 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I have done about 1000 miles in 19 hours on my Sargent and my butt didnt even hurt. My knees were killing me by the end of the day but my tush held up well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dallasb Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 The short story of the long evaluation: I am 5'9", 160 lbs and have a slim backside. 60K miles on my '02 VFR Stock: squishy enough, but BAD shape. Corbin: decent shape, quite firm, could do about 500 miles before I hated it. Pro: passenger backrest mount Sarget: decent shape, liked it better than the Corbin, softer. But it was wierd, after 45 min, I HAD to get off. Custom for me: Like nothing I have ever felt !!! cheapest of the 3, did 1000 mile day and my shoulders went before my butt. (Rocky's Seats of Fresno, Ca) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted November 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 20, 2012 I have done about 1000 miles in 19 hours on my Sargent and my butt didnt even hurt. My knees were killing me by the end of the day but my tush held up well. Same experience here...butt never hurts on the Sargent. Knees? Different story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roebling3 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I've purchased 4 Sargent seats for various motorbikes over the years; including one for a 5G. As mentioned by others: Sargent has outstanding customer service. In several close friends' experience Corbin does not. For one person, even when he went to the factory for 'a fitting'. +1 on the heavy as well. I've also gotten driving lights from Sargent. Terrific people, an excellent product, fast service. Good fortune, R3~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dalesvfr Posted November 22, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted November 22, 2012 I had a shop thin the horn of an ST1300 seat and add a gel pad - did it for $190 back in '06. Fast forward to 2012 and they wanted $300 to do the same to my VFR seat, so I just bought a Sargent. It didn't seem like a giant improvement but I put a sheepskin pad over it and at least my gentleman parts get a bit of a buffer - I do have more room to slide around than stock, though. I also wear textile pants with full pads so that can add to or detract from comfort. The Walmart cover is branded by Coleman for quads and such. I have one on a dirtbike and it feels like you're sitting on a bunch of plywood rectangles at first. It softens after a while but would raise your butt off a VFR seat quite a bit, so if you have inseam issues I would skip it. It would also look like crap on a VFR in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayo Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I after a year of riding with the stock seat I bought a Sergent seat and all I can say is wow, this seat is amazing. I don't understand why so many people had problems with fitment though, a solid punch (on the rear) and your good to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted March 9, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 9, 2014 I've purchased 4 Sargent seats for various motorbikes over the years; including one for a 5G. As mentioned by others: Sargent has outstanding customer service. In several close friends' experience Corbin does not. For one person, even when he went to the factory for 'a fitting'. +1 on the heavy as well. I've also gotten driving lights from Sargent. Terrific people, an excellent product, fast service. Good fortune, R3~ That was not my experience with Sargent at all. I was very polite and respectful with my inquiry, and the attitude I got from them was "yeah, so what?" YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viffviff Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 picked up a Sargent from their factory at Jacksonville. Very helpful staff. Good points: I find the seat way better than stock. Before I was starting to fidget after an hour on the bike owing to being uncomfortable. Looks good. Easy to move around on for cornering, if that's your thing. Like the separate rear seat - much easier to get to whatever you've got stored under the back of the seat. Weak points: the finish on the front edge where it meets the tank was slightly untidy - you wouldn't see it on the bike and they offered to sort it out there and then in the factory if I could wait 30 mins. There was some plastic over-flashing onto the latch which I needed to remove before the rear section would latch properly (easy job with a file but I shouldn't have had to do it), and there is a technique to getting it to lock in place - press forward and down at the same time. Overall, very happy with it and I'd get another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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