Any feedback on aftermarket seats - Ultimate vs Corbin?

[Shadowmoose]

Looking for some feedback about replacing the stock seat. I am considering either a '23 Sea to Sky or the newly updated '24 Sea to Sky. I have done some initial research and have determined that there are a fair number of people who upgrade their seats, especially if they plan to do longer rides & touring. So I guess my main question is any feedback &/or pro's/con's on Ultimate Seats vs Corbin Seats? Does one stand out for a specific reason?

Thanks in advance for your information!

 

[mbranscum]

Ride it a few months and see how you like the stock seat before investing $1k on a seat. With that said, Corbin is gonna be firmer and Ultimate more similar to stock.

 

[pegasus1300]

I think that the first thing you might do is give Motorcycledave (motorcycledave.com), one of the site sponsors, a PM or call and talk to him about his gel seat pad that goes under the seat cover. I put one in my Spyder, and it turned a 1-hour seat into an all-day seat for 80 bucks for the pad and $30.00 for an air stapler. I really liked that seat that way and rode comfortably for several years. After the seat was 10 years old the upholstery failed and I did buy a custom seat from Hartco International. Mark Hart was very helpful and has been making great seats for a very long time. Since I had that seat made, I have also found out that motorcycledave also does custom seats. Since he builds custom seats for people who are wheelchair bound, he must do a really good job.

 

[Cirhere]

I have an Ultimate and I don't consider it any better than the OEM, I really doubt you can tell the difference without looking,
for $2 grand there are better options before spending that much

 

[Kromm]

In my opinion, I'd find a place that would do a ride in and have a custom seat made. I live about 2 hours from Corbin and have had them make seats for the last 4 bikes I have owned. The biggest secret is to do as I mentioned and do a ride in and have the seat made custom while you wait. Buying a "custom" seat off the shelf over the internet is not much different than the stock seat. By going in person you get it made the way you want, to fit you. With all that being said I am really partial to Corbin. Here is a link to the write up I did on them making my seat https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?154876-New-Corbin-Custom-Seat.

 

[Tango]

In my opinion, I'd find a place that would do a ride in and have a custom seat made. I live about 2 hours from Corbin and have had them make seats for the last 4 bikes I have owned. The biggest secret is to do as I mentioned and do a ride in and have the seat made custom while you wait. Buying a "custom" seat off the shelf over the internet is not much different than the stock seat. By going in person you get it made the way you want, to fit you. With all that being said I am really partial to Corbin. Here is a link to the write up I did on them making my seat https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?154876-New-Corbin-Custom-Seat.

Great advice about the ride in way to do it.:firstplace: Virtually all are in California which is difficult to do for most of us. Corbin IMHO is the worst when it comes to customer service! Bought a seat for my Victory, from my dealer in N.Y.. It didn't fit! Sent it back at my expense and they returned it. UNTOUCHED! Wife and I found a way to make it fit by making two brackets ourselves. I would never buy another Corbin. :thumbup: Tom :spyder:

 

[Tango]

I am presently using a "Custom Made" seat by Seth Lamm. I sent in a stock seat, pictures of me on the bike. Told him what I wanted. It's been a great seat for me. :thumbup: Tom :spyder:

 

[Shadowmoose]

Thank you all who took the time to reply! I appreciate your feedback and advice. I hope to pull the trigger on the purchase in the next month. I plan to ride it for awhile, get comfortable with it and then decide about any seat changes, if needed. Thanks again for the great info!

 

[troop]

I have a 2022 RT STS with about 1200 miles on it. I tried an Ultimate seat and wasn't happy with how it positioned me. I returned it after two days. The more I ride with my OEM "comfort" seat, the more I like it. Gonna give it a full solid season before I make any decisions. A Russell day Long seat would be a main consideration.

 

[nhoj]

Don't the Sea to Sky's already come with some sort of Upgraded seat?

We've had Ultimate & Mustang seats on our previous 4 Spyders.
The stock seats on our new 2023 RT's are the best yet and we don't feel either need changing.

 

[ARtraveler]

I put a Corbin seat on my 2008 GS Spyder. It even came with a built in gas door. I always thought it was necessary to replace the OEM Spyder seats. I did it on six out of seven Spyders over a 15 year period.

I am one of the few who "liked" the Corbin. The "likers" say the seat is firm. In 36,000 miles it never broke in much different from the day it was installed. It was definitely an all day seat though. I went on many excursions with that Spyder.

Never had an Ultimate seat. There are many comments from people who purchased them. They were all good. We used BRP upline seats. Four of our replacement seats were "comfort" seats and on my F3L I put on a BRP Cannonball seat.

Seats are a very personal thing. I also recommend a thousand miles on the OEM seat before making a $500 to a $1K plus on the upline seat. Linda actually liked the OEM on her final F3L, so that was the only seat we never "upgraded" on. :yes:

 

[Two2Three]

I've used Corbin seats on multiple bikes and love them. Excellent quality, IMO. I did use a Mustang seat once and it was pretty good too. Not sure if they're still around.
The Corbin for the spyder adds significantly more width and is much more comfortable than stock.
They do take time to break in though, so you have to expect that.

 

[troop]

Don't the Sea to Sky's already come with some sort of Upgraded seat?

We've had Ultimate & Mustang seats on our previous 4 Spyders.
The stock seats on our new 2023 RT's are the best yet and we don't feel either need changing.

It does.. It is the extra cost comfort seat.

 

[Quickdraw]

I have the Corbin one-piece and love it. But it's all in the arse of the beholder.

 

[Peteoz]

Consider Kromm and Tango’s words, Shadowmoose. Do it once and do it right. Buy a custom-built seat from Seth Laam or Daylong. They guarantee the seat will give you all day comfort, and they will adjust it if it doesn’t.

Pete

 

[ricford]

There is a significant price difference in the cost of an Ultimate seat from Ultimate directly or from an after market seller like Slingmods. Is the seat the exact same seat? And why the 200 or 400 dollar price difference?
I have used an Ultimate seat for 10 years and it is as comfortable today as it was on day one,

 

[Peter Aawen]

There is a significant price difference in the cost of an Ultimate seat from Ultimate directly or from an after market seller like Slingmods. Is the seat the exact same seat? And why the 200 or 400 dollar price difference?

I don't think you'll ever know exactly why there's difference &/or why it's that much, cos most businesses really try to keep that sorta thing a bit quiet; but I'd hazard a guess and say that the price difference is largely due to freight/delivery costs to the retailer plus the retailer's operating costs & profit margin.

Just Sayin' :thumbup:

 

[Sarge707]

I had the Ultimate on my GS, RT, Ryker, and F3. Love them!

 

[crossbowme]

I bought an Ultimate with the Croc inserts a month ago. I haven't gone on any long rides yet (2hr max), but I'm pleased with it so far. The stock seat and the Ultimate optional seat proved to be high, hard, and narrow. This seat is lower, softer, and wider.

When I take a long trip, I'll let you know the results.

 

[Cirhere]

I have an Ultimate and I don't consider it any better than the OEM, I really doubt you can tell the difference without looking,
for $2 grand there are better options before spending that much

Exactly what I think, I have one and its the same as OEM and I contacted them and they blew me off