I was looking through the Corbin (they make custom motorcycle and scooter seats) website this afternoon and saw that "you will receive an estimated delivery date when you get your order confirmation." Hmmm... I didn't get a notice of a delivery date, so I dropped them a note through their website to see what the status of the order might be, and when to expect delivery.
About 20 minutes later, while I was out making pork chops on the griddle, I heard the FedEx truck stop in front of our house. To my surprise...
I put it in the garage and went back to finish griddling. Then ate (I made the pork chops, Joan made everything else that made it a meal: green beans, mac & cheese, carrots & brussel sprouts, and fresh baked bread. When we were done eating, I needed to clean the griddle before moving on. With that done, I went out to the garage and tore into the box (being careful to not cut deep when cutting the tape)...
Yeah, they really pack these things. There is a seat in there...
That is Joan's hands in the image directly above - not my color of nail polish. ;-) The box was huge - that was because the seat is huge...
Here's a look at it beside the stock seat...
Besides being big, the Corbin weighs more than twice what the stock seat weighs; that means it was not a one person job to hold it in place and mount it to the stock seat mount. Joan tried, but it was too heavy for her to hold steady - we recruited Dan to hold it while I bolted it in place.
The only thing that doesn't fit is the loop from the seat that goes into the latch on the bike. Corbin gives you a couple washers that they call a "latch adjustment"... still comes up short. Dan and I made a shim out of very firm foam Joan dug out for us - tightening down the bolts smashed the foam. I know we can make something fit, so it's time to take this thing out for a ride to see how it compares to the stock seat!
I didn't go for a long ride. I stopped to take a few photos...
You can tell from the shadows that it was getting towards sundown - it wasn't a long ride, but what a difference this new seat makes! It is so far beyond the stock seat for comfort, and I think it looks a lot better, as well. Oh, she's still a "fat bottom girl," but she doesn't look so stodgy. The main seating surface is a black leather with a carbon fiber texture; blue welt and stitching; the sides and center trim are a dark smokey gray leather - it goes great with the trim panels on the bike that are a dark gray. And the blue welt and stitching really pick up the blue of the bike. The rider's seat is much roomier than stock and dished, so your butt and thighs are cradled, instead of the slope of the stock seat that puts pressure on your tailbone... well, on my tailbone.
The other concern I had about the seat was if the seat pan (the structure the seat is built on) intrudes into the storage space. Yes, it does. I had to move my helmet around a bit to find a place where the seat pan doesn't rub on it. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to put a top case (trunk) on this scoot.
Back home, I took a couple more photos before putting the bike away...
The wind has really kicked up this afternoon, and the weather is supposed to turn rainy and even stronger wind for tonight, Sunday, and Monday. It was good to get that ride in, 'cause it will be a couple days before I can get out on the bike again. I need to put some miles on this new seat - Corbin says it will take at least 1,500 miles to break it in. The Corbin on my CTX definitely got more comfortable after 1,000 miles or so... this new one feels really good right off the bat!
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