In deep...with Corbin seat

[Toby6938]

My new Corbin seat wouldn't latch in the rear so I added 2 washers under the loop on the seat. With a good shove the seat now latched securely. Very much to my dismay the seat won't unlatch tho. There's no movement whatsoever in the seat with turning the key in the lock. Short of taking a sawz-all to the seat does anybody know a way to unjam the latch?
I haven't talked with Corbin yet, with the time difference between Cal and Ky, they're closed ( and it seemed like a simple fix at the time).
Thanks

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Toby, Put the key in the lock and put a bit of pressure trying to turn to the unlock position. Don't break the key or anything, but just preload it. Then slam your fist down onto the seat right above where the latch is. This should bounce the seat enough for the latch to let loose. Once you get the seat off you likely just need to add another washer. Check also that the alignment it proper so that the loop is going into the center of the latch. Good luck!

[D-Rider]

My (similar) technique:

1. As Bob said, insert the key and preload it.
2. Tap the back of the seat downward with your hand.
3. With each tap, you should feel the key turn a little bit.

It's second nature to me at this point. You could use slightly thicker washers to make it easier.

[mogu83]

Had the same problem and the 'nice work a--hole' alarm went off in my head. My initial resolve was to have two beers and then go to bed.

First: DON"T put too much pressure on the key, the hold down latch opens fully with very little pressure.
Second: While turning the key to the unlatch position, hit (with great gusto) the top rear edge of the seat in a forward and slightly downward direction. I found that putting the force in a mostly forward direction had the best results.

Once I figured how to unlatch it I left it that way for a while and after time the problem resolved itself and now it opens as easily as the stock seat.
BTW: I also added a few washers.

[bmwk100]

Be careful that you don't break the key. I had one break on me on the side of the road.

[mogu83]

Just remembered I had someone sit on the seat while I turned the key, then I hit it after they got off.

How are you making out - the world is holding it's collective breath.

[Toby6938]

Thank you guys, thank you so much. The seat did come off using a combo of the above techniques. The right fit isn't figured out yet, in fact my new bright idea was to reverse the loop on the seat and now of course I'm right back where I started.
I know, I just need to stick with the washers.
Access to you all's experience/wisdom is definitely a perk of R12R ownership, thanks again.

[lewellen]

FWIW, I took my bike in to the Corbin plant in Hollister.

It took the guy about half an hour to finish my seat (they had the major foam and baseplate ready to go, as I had made an appointment) and an hour of fiddling to get it to even latch down.

And I *still* have to do the same sorts of thing as described in this thread to get it to unlatch.

Love the seat's feel, but.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[Don C]

The rubber bumpers that fasten to the frame underneath the seat can be rotated like screws, to set their height. Lowering them all a half turn or so will probably make it much easier to unlatch the seat.

[gezerbike]

The quality of their seats, and I mean especially their pans, leaves alot to be desired. And it is not like it is new news. The pan on my 98 GS creaks and moans something fierce. And my seat has two height positions and I still don't think I have ever gotten it in the lowered position. But this thread has now got me thinking I should go out there and start doing some shimming to see if I can.

[Rolando33]

This thread is exactly why I got a Sargent seat made with the original BMW base.

[mogu83]

This thread is exactly why I got a Sargent seat made with the original BMW base.

OTOH - The fact that Sargent (the seat I've always used in the past) uses the BMW seat pan is the reason I went for the Corbin seat. I generally keep my bikes a long time and I couldn't see investing money in, what I consider, a flimsy seat pan. My BMW seat with 20K was showing signs of stress cracks where the front of the seat mounted to the frame. People fault the Corbin seat as being heavy - well, if five pounds on the bike was that big an issue with me I would just stop eating jelly donuts and keep the seat.

[gezerbike]

This thread is exactly why I got a Sargent seat made with the original BMW base.

OTOH - The fact that Sargent (the seat I've always used in the past) uses the BMW seat pan is the reason I went for the Corbin seat. I generally keep my bikes a long time and I couldn't see investing money in, what I consider, a flimsy seat pan. My BMW seat with 20K was showing signs of stress cracks where the front of the seat mounted to the frame. People fault the Corbin seat as being heavy - well, if five pounds on the bike was that big an issue with me I would just stop eating jelly donuts and keep the seat.

Hmmmmm. Every Sargent seat I have had has had a Sargent seat pan with the nifty little tool tube built into the pan. Much lighter than Corbin and BMW. Have they started something new ? One of the plusses to the Sargent was that you always had the stock seat to fall back on when you sold your bike.

[RT-Mike]

[/quote]

Hmmmmm. Every Sargent seat I have had has had a Sargent seat pan with the nifty little tool tube built into the pan. Much lighter than Corbin and BMW. Have they started something new ? One of the plusses to the Sargent was that you always had the stock seat to fall back on when you sold your bike.[/quote]

Sargent now has a "Premium Foam Conversion" for the R12R...you send them your stock seat/pan and they refoam & recover,much like the Mayer brothers.


http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.415 ... 90/it.C/.f

[mogu83]

Hmmmmm. Every Sargent seat I have had has had a Sargent seat pan with the nifty little tool tube built into the pan. Much lighter than Corbin and BMW. Have they started something new ? One of the plusses to the Sargent was that you always had the stock seat to fall back on when you sold your bike.

Must be something new. When I was shopping for a seat I called them a few times and they were just reusing the stock pan and they wouldn't commit to having any plans to make their own pan, other wise I may have waited because they have always been good people to work with.
I was hesitant about Corbin because of all the bad press they get and the leather covering (thought it would be maintenance intensive). As it worked out Corbin was easy to work with, the product was with out fault and keeping the leather looking good has been no problem.

[lewellen]

Hmmmmm. Every Sargent seat I have had has had a Sargent seat pan with the nifty little tool tube built into the pan. Much lighter than Corbin and BMW. Have they started something new ? One of the plusses to the Sargent was that you always had the stock seat to fall back on when you sold your bike.

Must be something new. When I was shopping for a seat I called them a few times and they were just reusing the stock pan and they wouldn't commit to having any plans to make their own pan, other wise I may have waited because they have always been good people to work with.
I was hesitant about Corbin because of all the bad press they get and the leather covering (thought it would be maintenance intensive). As it worked out Corbin was easy to work with, the product was with out fault and keeping the leather looking good has been no problem.

Re Sargent, as far as I know they have always been willing to do "one-off" conversions - re-foam and re-cover using a stock seat pan. This is what I had done with a KLR650 seat and one reason I'm such a fan of them - it was perfect in both fit & finish and comfort. As it turns out, at least at one point in time Corbin was also willing to do this, albeit I think it was on a ride-in basis only. That's how I got a new seat on my first bike, an '85 Nighthawk 650.

Sargent, when they think they will generate enough sales, will - like Corbin - go ahead and make their own seat-pan mold. However, they seem to have a level of service somewhere between these two with the "conversion" product - not enough likely sales to make a seat pan worth the bother, but enough to formally market a product that replaces the foam and covering.

If you're really worried about the stock seat pan failing, but don't want a Corbin saddle, I suppose one could buy a used Corbin and send it to Sargent for a custom refinish. (I don't know of anybody who's tried that, but I can't see why they wouldn't do it.) Or take it to one of the other custom shops. (I've only ever used Corbin or Sargent, so I'm not familiar with the procedures of other vendors.)

Does anybody know of another aftermarket vendor for complete R1200R seats besides Corbin?

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[jess]

This behavior -- the poor fit and difficulty with the lock -- is a consistent theme among Corbin seats. Every Corbin seat I've ever encountered had this exact issue, which seems to boil down to their "custom" seat pan. They say it needs to be "broken in" to latch properly. I say phooey.

[deilenberger]

I've had the same experience with Corbin seats.. plus usually the pan fits so poorly that it starts rubbing at some painted bits on the bike, damaging the paint. The Sargent is on the factory pan, so fit is as factory. The problem Harry mentioned is real - I had one side of mine crap out, but rather easily fixed with a bit of aluminum sheet, some JBWeld and three pop-rivets. I think I posted photos of the fix at one time. It's holding up just fine.

[durtysoul]

hoot Corbin,enough said.

[hbrandan]

I got a corbin seat, and it came with the "attachment" support on the passenger end for a back rest. I have a top bag, so don't need the back rest, and this support was creating a pressure point on my passenger's butt.
It took several phone calls and a lot of arguing with Corbin, they didn't want to take it out. they said it was the standard pan. Now more than 5 weeks since I sent the seat back for adjustment, I STILL don't have it back, and can't get a straight answer from Corbin. They are very rude on the phone, I keep getting the run around, and nobody tells me poo.
In my opinion the service Corbin has provided has been extremely poor, and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.