Replacement Seat Wanted

Does anybody have a suggestion for better seat for my 1996 VFR 750?
I have heard good things about Sargent seats but they don'y make one for the 750.

How are the Corbin seats?
Anything else available??

Thanks,

Bikermike

 

I hear ya, man. I just took my first 200 mile trip on my VFR this weekend... everything's fine untill about 2-3 hours in. By the time I got home it felt like I'd been shot in the ass!

 

i've got a '94. I bought a pan on ebay and sargent put a new seat on it. the whole thing cost under $250 and the sargent seat seems fine.

digger

 

Hey Digger,
Did Sargent modify the stock seat?
How is it for long rides?

Thanks,

BikerMike

 

They did a "custom" job - very standard for them. I discussed it with them and they made a suggestion or two. The seat has red piping to match the '94 paint and their non-slip covering on the portion I sit on. It looks verry nice. I've had it on about a week, with an 700 mile ride over the weekend, and I don't even think about it anymore... gettin' comfortable!

It took maybe five weeks? from the time I shipped it to them until it came back.

digger

 

FYI, sargent will sell foam in 12x12 inch blanks for $25 for DIY'ers. They don't advertise it. It's buried deeeep in their website. The funny part? They ship the foam in a super heavy duty box stuffed full with foam peanuts.

 

I have a spare pan I was going to send to daylong. But, got a Corbin cheap and I'm using it. (I don't think I need 3 seats for 1 bike.)

 

I may be interested in a spare to send to Sargent,
Let me know how much $$ for it?

Thanks,

Bikermike

 

I got on Ebay and bought gel and foam from a seller called knoplace upolstery.
I followed the directions on their website and it worked great. Set me back $60
and about an hour of my time. Did two 500 mile days this weekend, no problem.

Search under motorcycle seat gel.

 

I just bought my 94 VFR 3 weeks ago, which included the Corbin seat. It is excellent to say the least. Perfectly contoured with no pressure points that I have found yet. I have not had a chance to really test it, as my longest ride has only been about an hour each way. The guy I bought it off rode it to Nova Scotia twice and Myrtle Beach once from Boston, so my guess is that it's pretty good on long rides too, or else he would have changed it.

 

I bought a Sargent for my '94. I got a torn seat for $20 and sent it to Sargent. They redid the seat and returned it to me in about a month. Cost about $250 total, and the seat is great.

digger

 

Sometimes a good upholsterer can take your stock seat and make it better fit your behind and use more comfortable padding, gel, or foam. I have not done that with mine but is a thought I have had. It's also cheaper than $300+ aftermarket seat.

 

I personally am not a fan of the Corbins even though I have had two. Although they make a real quality product, the fit style is not for everyone. I've had one I put on my FJ1200 and one that came with my 93 VFR. In both cases, I have gone back to the stock seat for most shorter distance (under 2 hours) solo riding (ie where my wife does not demand the back rest that the corbin allows).

I found that the "neutralized" seating position that Corbin likes involves lowering the seating position and pulling it rearward from the tank and bars which for me is great on the butt, but uncomfortable both on the legs (additional bend) and to the bars (additional reach). In addition, it takes the rider out of the "attack" position up over the bars and forward against the tank that you want for aggressive sport riding.

The contour is comfortable, but I also found that even with the lower seat and me being 5"10 with a 32 inseam, the wider nose makes it a bit more difficult to maneuver the bike while stopped as it holds your legs out more - manageable for me but certainly not good for the short of inseam.

In defense of the Corbin, I do find that while accelerating hard it makes it easy to be relaxed and neutral on the bike because the sharp rear step does an awesome job of holding the rider in, and hanging off the wider rear perch with its sharper edge provides a great perch for the edge of the cheek. The seat also goes on in a snap, as opposed to having to fiddle with the clips on the stocker where the 'wings' meet the tank at the front.

I have heard similar positioning complaints from other riders, but never anyone who had this type of issues with a Sargent. Corbin will custom build a seat for you as well, but by default unless you try one first you may end up with something you don't like and it's expensive to get Corbin to change it. Takes a long time by many accounts as well.

Not that Corbin doesn't too, but Sargent has a reputation for a good product, excellent customer service, tanding behind their work, and it costs a lot less to boot. Next seat I buy I will probably give them a try....


Steve