DrCohen
Active member
I've had Russell "Day-Long" saddles on four bikes over the years, and loved them. But I didn't want to be without my 2020 GT650C for the weeks necessary to ship the stock seat to Russell, wait for them to build the new seat on the stock pan, and have the new seat shipped back. So I bought a Corbin, and then sold my stock seat (for a pittance) on eBay. It's been OK, but if I could do it over I'd endure the wait and get the Russell.
The Corbin is significantly more comfortable than stock, especially after the 1000-mile break-in they recommend. And it looks sexier than a Russell. But...
It's not as comfortable as a Russell.
The Corbin attaches to the bike with only two of the four bolts used by the stock seat. Getting it aligned to insert the bolts is extremely difficult. I'm a decent mechanic, but I finally had to pay my shop to put those two damn bolts in. Another GT650C owner told me he had the same experience.
The tail of the seat has a lot more side-to-side play than the stock seat, so you can't just drop it and expect it to latch. I had to bend the tang on the seat to the side to align it with the latch, and I still have to lower it carefully and then guide it into the latch and push it down to engage.
The backrest is not adjustable in any direction. I had to send it back and have two inches of padding added. They didn't charge for the work, but the shipping was expensive.
The seat locates me perhaps an inch further back than the stock seat, so the reach to the handlebar is a bit longer than comfortable. I don't know why Corbin did this. Russell saddles, of course, are made-to-measure, and the backrest is adjustable.
The Corbin is significantly more comfortable than stock, especially after the 1000-mile break-in they recommend. And it looks sexier than a Russell. But...
It's not as comfortable as a Russell.
The Corbin attaches to the bike with only two of the four bolts used by the stock seat. Getting it aligned to insert the bolts is extremely difficult. I'm a decent mechanic, but I finally had to pay my shop to put those two damn bolts in. Another GT650C owner told me he had the same experience.
The tail of the seat has a lot more side-to-side play than the stock seat, so you can't just drop it and expect it to latch. I had to bend the tang on the seat to the side to align it with the latch, and I still have to lower it carefully and then guide it into the latch and push it down to engage.
The backrest is not adjustable in any direction. I had to send it back and have two inches of padding added. They didn't charge for the work, but the shipping was expensive.
The seat locates me perhaps an inch further back than the stock seat, so the reach to the handlebar is a bit longer than comfortable. I don't know why Corbin did this. Russell saddles, of course, are made-to-measure, and the backrest is adjustable.
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