Corbin Smuggler Saddle another Perspective

As a VF/VFR owner since the original came out in 1983 I recently discovered your site and have been enjoying all the information contained there. Keep up the great work (how do you find the time?).

I currently have a 2000 FVR and I'm thoroughly pleased with all that it offers and delivers. I also replaced my stock seat with a Corbin Smuggler "saddle" and have the following comments regarding dealing with Corbin and the quality of their work. I guess the most important question would be, "would I do it again?", and the answer would be, "maybe"! I really like the idea of the seat, especially the "smuggler" part, but the total package leaves considerable room for improvement. Perhaps the route you took (customizing) is the best one. I was surprised how much the seating position changed with the Corbin seat. I now find myself sitting "in" the seat as opposed to "on" it and it puts you somewhat lower on the bike. Some may find that a plus, but for me it's just "different." Of course the 8-10 week wait to get the seat was a bummer, but they told me that up front and it was shipped "on time." Quality turned out to be another concern. The fiberglass portion of the system was painted with a very light coat of paint that isn't quite the right color. In the right light you can actually see through the paint down to the dark fiberglass . This was a real disappointment and it forced me to disassemble the seat and take it to a paint shop to have it painted properly with the right color (Pearl Yellow). I didn't want to wait another 8 weeks for Corbin to do it. The actual fit isn't nearly what it should be either. It's off enough that you can see the holes where the stock cowl ears slip into the stock side pieces and the seam is very irregular all around. There are high spots along the seam, which has caused the paint to rub off in several spots down to the bare fiberglass. The fit of the lid isn't what it should be either, and it's far from being even water resistant, let alone water tight. The other oddity is the lack of any mid-seat anchor points. It seems Corbin would have provided a mid-seat anchor to clip into the crossbar that runs under the seat that provides the anchor-point for the stock seat. If someone wanted, they could simply pull up on the middle of the seat and dislodge it from either or both ends. I fixed that problem by fabricating and attaching two "J" shaped brackets to the seat with the bolts that attach the cowling to the seat. They hook perfectly under the crossbar, thus securing the middle of the seat to the motorcycle. A simple enough fix that should have been included in the original design. I now like the seat a lot, but only as a result of some work and added expense on my part. I've been contemplating the Corbin Beetle Bags, but at their asking price and my limited experience with Corbin, I think I'll stick with the Eclipse soft bags that I've used for years.

Anyway, just some more food for thought for those considering a different seat for their primo VFR's. Thanks.