Better than Corbin/Sargent?

Hey,

I got tired of sliding into the tank of my 6th Gen under hard braking, plus the OEM seat creates pressure points that bring on monkey butt for me after 50 or so miles. So, as with my '05 Concours, I took the stocker to the same local auto upholsterer ( he's also a rider) that did my Concours seat. He added 3/4 of an inch starting at the tip of the seat, which tapers down to a 1/2 inch up to the seat riser that separates the rider and pillion. None was added to the seat sides in order to maintain tank-hugging ability. Upgraded the cover to a thicker skin with more graining. Cost was $125; much cheaper than the $350-400 for an aftermarket. Click on pic to see close-up.

Much more comfortable now plus I'm more in control since I stay put during braking. The jewels are happier, too Worked for me, maybe it'll work for you.

Joe

 

I'm kind of liking that idea. I have stayed away from the aftermarkets for one reason or another.

Do you have an idea as to what kind of weight gain you added, and were you able to avoid doing the passenger seat. Also how does it feel in relation to feet on the ground, CG, shifting etc..?

 

There is virtually no weight gain; just the insignificant weight of the hi-density foam. I padded only the riders section, up to and including the riser; I have GIVI luggage and the stock passenger seat section just clears underneath the top box when I remove the seat, with added padding there I might need to take the top box off to remove the seat.
Everything else feels the same; and since there is no change to the sides of the seat you don't notice a difference in height since your legs are not spread side to side any more than stock. All in all I'm very happy with the outcome.

 

I'm kinda liking that too. I'm gonna start looking around for someone in the area. Thanks for the tip!

 

Glad that you found it helpful. I may be incorrect but I believe a fair amount of the cost of an aftermarket seat is for the seat pan and labor plus shipping costs; by keeping with the OEM seat you eliminate the costs of both the new pan and shipping, and you also minimize the labor costs.

I'm not saying my finished product is necessarily better than a Corbin or Sargent (or even quite equal to them); I'm just saying that I believe I have somewhere around 90% of the benefits of an aftermarket seat at 30% of the cost. Good luck.

Joe

 

Im with you guys! I have a 5th gen and need a new cover, I would like an upgrade but dont want to spend 400 bones to add 5 lbs to my bike. Please ask your guy if he has any pics to give someone loca(NW Florida) an idea of what I want.

 

Hi,
Your best bet is to do what I did and that is to find a local upholsterer who's done bike seats before (most have) and ride your bike over to him. My guy wanted to see the seat on the bike so he could ascertain what the proper seat/tank relationship should be. He took angle measurements and had me sit on the seat while he calculated how much foam was needed.

You are much more likely to be happy with the finished product if the upholsterer gets to see the whole package (you, the bike and the seat together). For example, I weigh 180 but if you are a lot heavier you might need additional foam. By the way, i've got to say that the grained cover looks a lot better than the plain jane stock cover. Good luck.
Joe

 

RE: the sliding issue, check out AllSport "Hight-Tac Black" vinyl. The stuff is awesome, keeps your nuts off the tank and keeps the passenger from sliding into you at every stop. I've re-covered the seats on every one of my bikes with it, it works great and now my passenger demands it whenever I get a new bike.

AllSport "High-Tac Black"