rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 10, 2002 01:54 PM
Corbin Seat changing riding position
I know some of you know about the Corbin seat because you've already purchased one, but I got to sit on a ZX-12R with a Corbin and then sit on one without. The Corbin does tilt you back a bit and take some of the burden off your hands. It also slides you back some and doesn't force you all the forward into the tank. I'm planning to get the Corbin seat custom made at the factory AFTER I put on a set of Helibars. I figure 1.5" rise with the Helibars HAS to be noticeable. I guess I'll let you know when I've gotten those 2 things done. BTW, I'm 6'6" and 220 lbs.
Also...I keep hearing red and green....where's the "silver pride" section?? 
   
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harryzx-12
Needs a job
Posts: 3643
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posted July 10, 2002 02:45 PM
I didn't buy a corbin seat till just before the DG-3 get together.I bought it from a friend along with a Zero Gravity tinted sport touring shield (I bought a ZG double bubble a month or so before) I paid $140 for both the seat and the shield.I didn't think I would like it because I heard the seat was harder and spread your legs out and with me being vertically challenged and with my bike set up to go around corners (real tall and with a forward leaning stance I didn't think it would work well for me.I was wrong, the seat is much more comfortable to me and my ass is no longer sore after 300+ miles.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways- Body thoroughly used up, totally worn out...Screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride !!!"
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 10, 2002 04:01 PM
damn rlynker,
6'6" and you had the balls to buy a zx12? i thought i was pushin things at 6'4. how do you do it? do you ride 5 minutes and then take a ten minute break? if i dont get a corbin seat and some thinner footpegs soon, i think im gonna die.
jg
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted July 10, 2002 04:53 PM
not to worry about silver pride. fish & i both ride silver 12s. given that we gots our fingers on the buttons, everyone HAS to agree silver is best, or risk cyber execution  but of course, we dont have to flex out virtual muscles, cause it's so obvious that no-one can deny it anyhow.
as to being tall, i believe thats one of the primary reasons many people bought this bike. i know it was by far the biggest reason for me. i tried sittin on ALOT of bikes, including bmw's and other supposedly comfy bikes, and the 12 was the only one that fit. oddly enough, the 6r was almost as comfy. oh yeah, the suzuki tl1000 (the parially naked version) came in second, but i was looking for a fully faired bike.
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 10, 2002 07:09 PM
Well my legs fit great due to the frame (or lack thereof by your legs). Also, remember that being tall actually makes me more upright when I ride. It's not that much different than my ZX-11 was....at least it won't be when I get rid of that stock seat...that is driving me nuts cause it keeps making me slide forward into the tank. I wanted a sport bike for speed and handling....The ZX-12 was my only choice. I had the ZX-11 until I found this leftover 2001 for a price I couldn't refuse.
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 10, 2002 07:37 PM
im right there with ya rlynker,
i had a 95 zx11 since 95, it was the sportiest bike i could fit on until now. i actually was prepared to buy a zzr1200 and just on a lark i decided to sit on the zx12 in the dealership while waiting . sure enough it was a pretty good fit.
but i share the same seat problems as you do, and i cant wait for a corbin seat, thinner pegs, and helibars.
jg
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 10, 2002 07:54 PM
As long as you brought up Helibars.....any lead on where to get a good price on them? I think it's around $180 from Helibars.com. I would like to get a set, but anything I can do to save a buck....
Thanks.
-Roger
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 10, 2002 09:43 PM
the latest buzz is on the spencercycle triple clamp, i beleive a few members mentioned that it was much more adjustable than the heli's, not to mention that quite a few people mentioned a great dislike for the helis. might want to ask around, i'm still in the market myself for all items that would make my big guy riding more comfortable.
(seat, risers, footpegs/rearsets, raising or lowering the rear).
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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Tapani
Novice Class
Posts: 56
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posted July 11, 2002 06:42 AM
Gilles Variobar system
Jason... How do you like them?
Regards Tapani
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 11, 2002 10:38 AM
tap,
i dont know cause i havent bought anything yet, i'm hoping to geather some more member info before pulling the trigger on all of this stuff, its gonna cost plenty .
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 11, 2002 10:42 AM
found a guy here in the colorado mountains that does upholstery for furniture and i've been told that he does damn good seat work on all types of bikes. im gonna have him look at the seats on my '02 zx12 and see if he can do as good a job (hopefully better) than corbin on both front and back. dont know what he charges but if his work is good and his prices are reasonable then i'll post pics and prices for all to see.
i didnt just break the advertising policy, did i?
jason
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted July 11, 2002 01:41 PM
I'll tell you how it will change your riding position, you will be frikking standing up because your ass will be so sore. A concrete park bench is softer and cushier. If you want padding, bring your own, or just keep drinking beer and get a fat ass. I sent mine back to have softer foam put in and the thing is still hard as a rock. I love the cover and shape, so I am goung to have someone who understands about foam use my origional seatbase, copy the corbin shape and use the cover.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 11, 2002 02:37 PM
RE: Corbin Seats comfort
Ya know it seems like a funny thing about Corbin. Apparently, the heavier you are the better the Corbin seat feels. From people I know here it seems 200 lbs is a rule of thumb. If you weigh less than 200, the Corbin doesn't work well and hurts. If you weigh more than 200, you can't figure out how you lived without a Corbin so long. I'm sure that depends on the model of bike and several other factors.
Having said that, I find the stock ZX-12R seat to be really uncomfortable....especially in comparison to my ZX-11...but I guess that's to be expected. Can someone explain that damn seat? You end up sliding forward and have little or no contact with the wider part of the seat. I feel like I have more seat contact on a bicycle. In any case I'm very shocked to hear anyone say anything negative about the Corbin....even MORE shocked to hear that when comparing to the stock ZX-12 seat.
Corbin's workmanship is tough to beat. I'd be very interested to see another vendor's product though.
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 11, 2002 03:23 PM
i have to agree with rlynker on this one, i am 225 and i had a corbin seat on my zx11. the difference was night and day. i still cant figure out what the kawasaki engineers expect me to do on that stock seat. the only realistic riding position i can find is to have my balls crushed against the tank.
75% of the seat goes unused due to the fact that if i did use it i would be completely off balance and the downward pressure on my arms might snap my wrists in half. that being said, i have hear an unreal amount of complaints about corbin as far as fit, service, and hardness is concerned.
i want to learn from others bad experience and tell corbin to go to hell, but its tough after having such a good experience on my zx11 corbin seat.
jg
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted July 11, 2002 05:44 PM
ya know, i think i know the reason the stock seat is like it is. every damn time a new bike comes out, the bikes inevitably complain that this or that should have been sporty. of course they ALWAYS suggest crankin up the compression & preload etc. so i'd bet the seat was made really aggressive and comfort sacrificed to try & shut up the critics. but as it happens, we got a board of less stupid members (read fogeys), so we complain about the opposite
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted July 11, 2002 08:13 PM
I weigh 155 on a heavy day. That corbin is really painful after an hour or so of non agressive riding, but I love the shape. I have renamed my bike tyrannosoreass.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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beansbaxter
Needs a life
Posts: 5911
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posted July 11, 2002 09:13 PM
For all you that are using a Corbin on your 12...
Does the Corbin seat sit higher than the stock seat on the 12?? The last thing I need is for my seat height to go up.
$250 bucks is a lot. I guess I'll have to go black since there isnt blue on there to match my bike.
Does anyone have problems sliding off their Corbin?
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 12, 2002 08:57 AM
I can't answer the question about being higher because everything is too low for me  However, I will tell you this. You have a LOT of options at Corbin. You have your choice of any color piping even if they don't show it for your model on their webpage. You can also choose any type of leather texturing. Just cause they only show ostrich and snakeskin textures (shudder) on the Harleys doesn't mean you can't have them on your Ninja. When I was there they brought a bunch of leather swaths for me to choose from. You can even go plain smooth black (which I did). Personally I don't like the color piping unless the match is PERFECT (it wasn't for my ZX-11 so I went black). Check out the blue piping on the following bikes for example...also check every bike on their page for a better match if you want. Also, call them and tell them which bike you have and they may already know if they have the right color to match it. I'll bet you could convince them to mail you a couple pipe samples.
1995 - 1993 Suzuki Katana 750
1997 - 199? Suzuki Intruder 1500 Motorcycles
2000 - 1993 Kawasaki Ninja 500 / EX 500 Motorcycles (the EX)
Good luck!
Roger
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 12, 2002 09:07 AM
Whoa....I just looked deeper on their page...check THIS out:
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Here is the general information page with links to their different options:
http://www.corbin.com/general.shtml
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Next, here's a link to the piping (I guess they call it welting) color options:
http://www.corbin.com/color/colors.shtml
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Next, here's a link to the leather texture/color options:
http://www.corbin.com/material/index.shtml
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Lastly, here's a link showing what terminology to use when custom ordering so everyone is on the same page:
http://www.corbin.com/panels/panels.shtml
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Good luck again!
Roger
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Wildman
Expert Class
I only look confused
Posts: 318
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posted July 12, 2002 05:39 PM
The really nice thing about Corbin is the fact that they will make it however you want it.
I asked them to *Not* lower the seat height as they often do. The result is that mine is softer than the ones I've tried with the "soft" foam.
I love it, I wouldn't part with it for anything.
BTW, for reference, I weigh about 200# with gear on.
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If you build something Idiot Proof, The world will build a better Idiot.
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rlynker
Parking Attendant
Posts: 19
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posted July 12, 2002 09:50 PM
Yeah the thing with Corbin is that they make the base foam in house. It comes out as a liquid into a form with the shape they design and is very dense. The modifications made from that involve a softer foam on top. Maybe that's why I liked my custom made ZX-11 seat so much.
Lighter people don't push down enough on the base foam. I think they'd be ok with the softer foam, but typically if you're tall enough to handle the extra foam (ie: higher seat) you weigh enough that the base foam doesn't bother you. It's a problem for sure if you're short AND thin.
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 13, 2002 07:12 PM
hey wildman,
would you be so kind as to describe the difference between the stock seat and the corbin seat (seating position, firmness, texture, breathability, height? width?)
thanks,
jason
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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Wildman
Expert Class
I only look confused
Posts: 318
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posted July 14, 2002 06:45 PM
My Corbin or a Standard Corbin?
I can't say much about the standard one, my buddy has one and I've ridden on it a little bit, but not much.
I specifically asked them to not build up the front of the seat like they do on some bikes, and to not lower it either. They typically make a dished out shape, kinda like an old metal tractor seat. They are very comfortable, but they don't let you move around.
The way I did it, I can sit anywhere I want on the seat. It is most comfortable to my backside when I slide toward the rear of it. And it is easiest on my wrists when I sit toward the front.
If you get it standard style, you will get a seating position that is biased to the rear of the seat, and noticeably lower than stock. They are quite firm, it is pretty surprising just how firm. But they are much more comfortable than stock (at least I think so).
Texture? Depends on what you want, ask them.
Width? they seem wider than stock. It is a little harder to touch my feet with mine than with the stock seat. It doesn't bother me, but if I was much shorter it would. (6' with a 32" inseam)
They seemed quite happy to make it any way I wanted for no extra charge. They just said it would take a little longer. I'd call and talk to them about any concerns, check out their website for color and material options.
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If you build something Idiot Proof, The world will build a better Idiot.
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted July 15, 2002 06:05 AM
so if i want to get exactly what you got, then i should just call thm and describe what you have described, or do they have a certain name that they place on that model?
which seat texture did you choose?
jason
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted July 15, 2002 06:34 AM
First things first...
235+ in full gear and 5'9".
I have about 25,000 miles on my Corbin and it has the "standard" foam. Here's my personal opinions on it...
1. It spreads my thighs out further then I'd like.
2. Being 5'9", I kinda like the higher front. It makes it a little easier to get up on the tank. I guess you could call it a "booster chair".
3. The standard foam is pretty hard and it does take longer then a 1,000 miles to get it "broken in".
4. The apperance is great. Mine is the "faux CF" with no colored piping.
5. The fit on the bike SUCKS! I sent it back and it still has gaps.
6. The customer service SUCKS EVEN MORE! When I did send it back, they "lost" my seat TWICE and kept it for almost TWO MONTHS!
Just prior to DG3, it thought I'd give my OEM another try. I figured that with the OEM no spreading my thighs so much, I'd be able to shift my weight better in the twisties. For the first 100 miles of the ride, the OEM seat just felt weird. It felt almost flat and had little to no support in the back or sides of the seat.
After 150 miles, I started regretting the change and my legs started cramping. After 180 miles, while getting off my bike, I got a "charlie horse" cramp that was so bad, I almost fell to the ground. I could bearly walk for close to 30 minutes. By the end of the 250 mile ride, I was hating it and was just happy to get home. I suffered from the leg cramps for almost two days after that ride.
Needless to say, the Corbin went back on before I left for DG3.
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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