Anyone have or tried the Corbin Smuggler two piece C-14 seat..?

[ninjawarrior1400]

Was looking over the Corbin website regarding the Smuggler two piece seat...and maybe detachable backrest....looks pretty good...

Does anyone here have this on their C-14, and if so...how do you like it?  Good, bad, or whatever comments..??

Mostly how does it feel after several hours in the saddle over stock or a Sargent?

Ninja

[ljcorby]

My wife and I have the two piece Corbin seats with the heated option, and the backrest.  Love them.  No problems here.

[SVonhof]

Those pics you posted are not the smuggler, but just the standard seat. The smuggler is a little trunk that gives the rider a backrest and takes the place of the rear passenger seat.
Front saddle no heat, Concours 1400    $289
Front saddle Heated, Concours 1400    $459
Rear saddle no heat, Concours 1400    $209
Rear saddle Heated Concours 1400    $369
Smuggler Trunk Painted Concours 1400    $799
Ovalbac Leather Backrest (ea)            $229

If you need the passenger seat on occasion, you would need to purchase the two seats and the smuggler and if you want it, the backrest for the passenger, so you are looking at $1530 for that package and if you want heat all around, it jumps up to $1860.  That's a chunk of change!

http://www.corbin.com/kawasaki/kc8fre.shtml

[leisyman]

I have the standard two-piece seat. a little hard, but shaped very well and with 10k miles on it now, it is beginning to soften up a bit. Have used Corbin before on other bikes and, tho they are a bit stiff, the shape and angle of the seat is terrific.

I have arthritis in my lower back, and I can now sit for 4+ hrs in the saddle with no isues.
Love it:)

[ZG]

My wife and I have the two piece Corbin seats with the heated option, and the backrest.  Love them.  No problems here.

+1...
 
Me and mama love it, especially with the heat option and backrest! 
 

[Bob]

Loved my heated Corbin!

[papaboomboom]

I have the heated seat and smuggler. Hate them both. See below:

a. Corbin seat is made of leather so the thought of sitting on a dead animals skin is repulsive to me.
b. the seat gets very hot in cold weather with the heat switch on. A warm tush gives me diarrhea.
c. Seat eliminates the forward push of the stock seat. I miss having my ? rubbed.
d. The Smuggler has caused me to use my stock side bags once since I got the bike. Damn smuggler is so small that all I can carry are my tools, hat, clothes for 2-days, gps, cell phone, camera, and binoculars.
e. Smuggler paint matches bodywork and causes that damn annoying question, "did the bike come with that"

88

[ZG]

I have the heated seat and smuggler. Hate them both. See below:

a. Corbin seat is made of leather so the thought of sitting on a dead animals skin is repulsive to me.
b. the seat gets very hot in cold weather with the heat switch on. A warm tush gives me diarrhea.
c. Seat eliminates the forward push of the stock seat. I miss having my ? rubbed.
d. The Smuggler has caused me to use my stock side bags once since I got the bike. Damn smuggler is so small that all I can carry are my tools, hat, clothes for 2-days, gps, cell phone, camera, and binoculars.
e. Smuggler paint matches bodywork and causes that damn annoying question, "did the bike come with that"

88

 


It's also very annoying that the Corbin backrest can be used with a trunk mounted or not if you have a Phils rack, now I don't have passengers complaining...      

[maxtog]

I have the heated seat and smuggler. Hate them both. See below:

a. Corbin seat is made of leather so the thought of sitting on a dead animals skin is repulsive to me.
b. the seat gets very hot in cold weather with the heat switch on. A warm tush gives me diarrhea.
c. Seat eliminates the forward push of the stock seat. I miss having my ? rubbed.
d. The Smuggler has caused me to use my stock side bags once since I got the bike. Damn smuggler is so small that all I can carry are my tools, hat, clothes for 2-days, gps, cell phone, camera, and binoculars.
e. Smuggler paint matches bodywork and causes that damn annoying question, "did the bike come with that"

You do have an art for that backwards-meaning posting stuff.

Actually, having outdoor-related leather CAN be a negative (compared to a high-quality vinyl) from a care and wear standpoint.  Guess it depends where and how it is kept.  And don't be dissn' vegetarians... I am a semi-vegetarian myself   (although I have no dislike of leather, in general)

[mikeboileau]

I would love to try a Corbin some day.

[jonathan]

I have the seat and smuggler also. I don't have the passenger seat as I ride solo. The seat is firmer and a little wider than stock, which for me works much better for long distances. Also by putting my back against the smuggler I find I'm consistently in the most comfortable position so I no longer have to keep shifting around until I find it. My seat isn't heated because I wear pants when I ride and I bought it second hand so that wasn't an option.

[Conrad]

I have the seat and smuggler also. I don't have the passenger seat as I ride solo. The seat is firmer and a little wider than stock, which for me works much better for long distances. Also by putting my back against the smuggler I find I'm consistently in the most comfortable position so I no longer have to keep shifting around until I find it. My seat isn't heated because I wear pants when I ride and I bought it second hand so that wasn't an option.

Pants you say?

[mbishara]

Hey how’s it going? I know that this is a rally old post but I’m thinking of buying the modular Corbin with the Smuggler trunk. Is it a simple matter to swap the trunk with the back seat and vice versa?

I called Corbin but they’re so abrupt in their replies and they just tell me to look at the pictures posted online (which are almost useless)....

[Rhino]

Hey how’s it going? I know that this is a rally old post but I’m thinking of buying the modular Corbin with the Smuggler trunk. Is it a simple matter to swap the trunk with the back seat and vice versa?

I called Corbin but they’re so abrupt in their replies and they just tell me to look at the pictures posted online (which are almost useless)....

Can't comment on the Smuggler but absolutely LOVE my Corbin. I've tried OEM, Spencer's mod and Russell Day Long before getting the Corbin. It does take a thousand miles or more to break it in but once broken in, the best seat for the C14 for me.

[just gone]

Hey how’s it going?

Pretty good, thanks for asking! (none of these other folks ever ask me this, I'm starting to think that they don't really care.  )
 

I’m thinking of buying the modular Corbin with the Smuggler trunk. Is it a simple matter to swap the trunk with the back seat and vice versa?

Well I think that ZG is our resident expert on this, except that he doesn't seem to reside here anymore. Try asking him over on the COG forum and I'm sure he'll reply
as soon as he's done painting somethin' or taking photos of it.

I called Corbin but they’re so abrupt in their replies and they just tell me to look at the pictures posted online (which are almost useless)....

I've been told that they are even less friendly after the sale. Pretty much "if you're not happy with it then resell it, as we could not care less."

Can't comment on the Smuggler but absolutely LOVE my Corbin. I've tried OEM, Spencer's mod and Russell Day Long before getting the Corbin. It does take a thousand miles or more to break it in but once broken in, the best seat for the C14 for me.

I've only sat on a Corbin once and it was like sitting on a rock, so I gotta ask, was it the seat that broke in..or your derriere that broke in?

[1jeep]

I don't have one YET...I did order one yesterday, leather non heated both rider and passenger $622 with shipping and was told 3-4 weeks. I didn't get the smuggler but I do like that I can add that or the passenger backrest if I want.

My bike has 9k miles, bought it last may and the stock seat had to go soon, I couldn't do another season on it!

[Conrad]

Pretty good, thanks for asking! (none of these other folks ever ask me this, I'm starting to think that they don't really care.  )

I'm sorry Marty, I had no idea that you were feeling so neglected!

 

There, is that better?

[elp_jc]

I've only sat on a Corbin once and it was like sitting on a rock, so I gotta ask, was it the seat that broke in..or your derriere that broke in?

Indeed. I owned one for a year, and with my paltry 155#, only my derriere broke . I never even dented the damn thing. You just cannot make a proper one-size-fits-all seat. Corbins are for 225+ lb guys, IMO. Will never buy one again.

[Rhino]

I've only sat on a Corbin once and it was like sitting on a rock, so I gotta ask, was it the seat that broke in..or your derriere that broke in?

Definitely the seat. The point of the hard foam is that it never bottoms out. It eventually softens just enough to mold to you every time you get on it. I now have 2 bikes with Corbin seats. Both are excellent for all day riding. The OEM seat on my DR650 felt like a 2x4 after an hour or so. With the Corbin I've taken it on 5 day adventure rides.

[philipintexas]

I had one for a while. If you look at the seat you'll see it looks like it was molded from someone's derriere. When seated I could not change positions to relieve sore spots, shift forward, back, side, it didn't matter, I'd slide right back into that double-molded indentation and ended up with very red, sore welts on my sit-bones. The seat was as hard as concrete and I couldn't manage more than 50-75 miles without looking for an excuse to get off. It did stop the forward slide though.  I had a Corbin on two ST1100s and put over 150K comfortable miles on it, but the C-14 seat is a different animal. I eventually sold it.