| I've found that the stock seat is reasonably comfortable for short rides when riding in my leathers but not so when riding in jeans. The reason, I concluded, is that the stock covering doesn't allow heat and moisture to pass through readily, making your butt sweat. But, it's waterproof.
I considered a gel insert of some kind but decided that it presented the same problem with body heat and moisture.
If you remove the stock covering and upholster it in leather it can be made more comfortable. Unfortunately, on longer rides, there's simply not enough foam padding to cushion bumps; so as we all know, your butt gets sore. Eventually, I was in the market for an aftermarket seat.
I bought a used Corbin leather seat off eBay for another $100. I had read warnings about Corbin's weight and relatively poor quality. All true. My Corbin had thick leather that is riveted to a very heavy fiberglass base and fitted-up poorly
For me, the shape of the foam cushion itself is very soft and comfortable, and that's the bottom line with Corbins. The leather that Corbin uses is thick and durable, but for me it was too slippery and didn't fit very well. So I decided to reupholster it.
Suede is just leather with the unfinished side up. You can buy all kinds of leather/suede that is suitable to recover your seat in any color, thickness and roughness (even perforated). Buy the leather and have a professional do it if you're not handy. All that's really needed is some contact cement and scissors. I first tried suede and found it to be too grabby which made it difficult to move around easily (it certainly prevents a passenger from sliding forward under deceleration.) Now my trousers stuck to the seat and I slide inside my trousers. A better solution, I discovered, is a very soft smooth leather.
I reupholstered my Corbin seat in black deerskin and it is ... truly, a luxury. Southern California rarely sees rain during the riding season so a waterproof seat covering isn't needed.
Perhaps try an artificial suede covering for your Corbin, Phil?  |