Corbin vs Gel Seat

dezzy7

Registered
After a year on a Corbin seat I switched over to a gel seat, just to try somehing different. And after several hundred miles I decided to post my thoughts.

First of all these are 2 very different seats. The corbin is a saddle, the gel seat is ..hmmm well a seat.

The Corbin:


Pros: The corbin is a saddle. Its thickly padded and shapes itself to your buttocks. Its turned up toward the tank, which keeps you firmly and securely planted in the saddle and prevents you from sliding the family jewels into the tank. After the padding breaks in I don't think there is a more comfortable seat on the market for long distance riding. The seat is well made and built to last a long time, taken care of it would probably last the life of the bike.

Cons:[/b] The seat padding causes rider to sit slightly higher in the saddle which may be an issue if you have a 30in or shorter inseam. the seat is also noticable wider which also may also be of concern to shorter riders.  The saddle holds you firmly in place which is great if you want to stay in place but in a corner where you want/need to shift your hips off the saddle ...well you're gonna have to work that out because its not as easily to shift you weight because of the seat's design. Esthestically the seat looks like a saddle and doesn't quite fit the streamline looks of the busa.



The Gel seat

Pros:[/b]About the same size as the stock seat in height and width. This allows you to roll roll off the sides in those knee dragging turns with little effort. The seat is comfortable but not noticably more comfortable than stock (but perhaps it I just haven't broken it in that well yet). The construction of the seat looks good, seems to be well made, but I don't think it will wear as well as a leather seat.

[/b]Cons:[/b] The family jewels are going to become intimately connected with the gas tank. The gel heats up when the bike is left out in the sun on a hot day..

Summary

These are definitely two different seats for two different riding styles imho. The corbin is by far the more comfortable seat for long distance touring, but hinders the rider's agility in the corners. The gel seat is comfortable, but not noticably more comfortable than the stock seat, but it does look better than the corbin. I wouldn't pay $125 for one. THANKS to VINCEBUSA for hooking me up with a great price on his.  I'll repost more on the comfort aspect as the seat breaks in more and i have the chance to do a 600-700 mile trip on it

Overall, imho I'ld own a corbin for long distance riding (over 300 miles a day) and just keep the stock seat for day trips shorter than 300. I've ridden 600+ miles on stock seat in a day, but the next day by the time i hit the 800th mile my butt was saying "I GOTTA HAVE A BETTER SEAT".

Bottom line the best seat is the one that you feel best meets your need and fits your butt!

Hope this helps somebody out there!



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I've have the Corbin and largely agree with your assesment but mine isn't fully broken in yet. I may try the Gel.
 
I had a Corbin seat on my last bike - a Triumph Sprint St and I think that the "stock" Hayabusa seat on my '03 is just as comfortable as my Corbin was - its a great stock seat! I am in complete ageement that the Corbin seats look a bit outdated and clumbsy!

Kent
 
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