Corbin, Sargent, or other?

[MacGyver]

Well, I'm back, I followed the majority of everybody's advice and called TPI. The result of the phone call dissapointed me a bit. Reason being that the dual platform won't be sold again for a few months. Because it's the least popular of their seats. I was specifically looking for the lowest seat possible. Thats the only reason for me to change it.
So now I'm at a loss of what to do again. I completly understand that when it comes to what seat is best to buy, it's personal preferance. I called TPI because the majority of this forum said so.
Alot of the negative feedback with the Corbin scares me (too hard, you slide forward, vibration, not comfy). But on the same not, lots of people praise it. And I also highly consider the Sargent still, but what bothers me is that I'd only be able to gain 1" with that.
So whats next? Get the TPI flat? (only 1" shorter)
                      Sargent seat? (also only 1")
                      Or reconsider Corbin dual platform (2" what I was looking for) and don't believe the hype?
Why does everyone trade their dual platforms for flat? Are they uncomfortable or what?

 If you want the dual platform, you might check with KLR650.com or Arrowhead Motorsports. Their seat is the same seat as the TPI. As for the Corbin,several folks like them ,the ones I sat on were firm. I like the Sargent and my inseam is about 33",plenty of room left. It's kind of personal taste.  

[Iron Horse]

I have the Corbin dual. I like it very much. Is it firm? Yes but I prefer it that way. I don't like super squishy seats. And I have had no issues with sliding around. But perhaps thats more of a function of what the pants are like than the seat material.

The Corbin was a bit of a tight fit at first, but is easy to install now. I have about 2k miles on it. No plan to switch.

+1 on trying Arrowhead etc.

[dewdneyklr650]

I've logged some 47,000 K's on my Corbin Flat seat and wouldn't trade it.
They are slightly on the firm side (not hard) and from my experience a slightly
firm seat is far more comfortable than one that is too soft. I can do 8 -10 hours
with no ill effects to my legs or back. I've never had any dealings with Corbin
directly so I can't comment personally about their service or lack thereof.

One plus to a flat seat is that you can move about on it to change your position
which I find helpfull on a long ride.

[fjteal]

jade1535- I ordered one of the TPI dual platform seats and just got it last week. It must have been one of the last ones but it shipped out to me real quick. If they come out again I highly recommend, it is a great seat and looks great on the bike to.

[jade1535]

fjteal,
I'm jealous, I should have made a decision sooner on that TPI. It sure does look good on your bike. I'd appreciate if you kept me posted about those dual plat. TPI's. The lady told me a few months. That stinks because I don't want to wit that long. So now I'm back to square one, and I don't k now what to do.
Do you think I should get the Corbin Dual Plat.?

[golfmuch]

I have a dual platform corbin. Let me assure you it is not 2 inches shorter. If you look at the two seats side by side you may think it is lower. But the corbin is extra firm. You sink down on the factory seat. The corbin spreads your legs out and makes it farther to the ground. If you had the two bikes side by side and could switch quickly from one to the other. You may think the Corbin is higher.

[KLRBlue]

Jade1535 - Have you considered Rick Mayer seat? http://www.rickmayercycle.com/

He has them on special for $269 for the KLR and it's a custom made seat for your dimensions. I've read other posts where people seem to really like the quality and comfort. I'm thinking of going this route since your findings on the TPI.

[Iron Horse]

I have a dual platform corbin. Let me assure you it is not 2 inches shorter. If you look at the two seats side by side you may think it is lower. But the corbin is extra firm. You sink down on the factory seat. The corbin spreads your legs out and makes it farther to the ground. If you had the two bikes side by side and could switch quickly from one to the other. You may think the Corbin is higher.

My 29 and 3/4 inseam begs to differ. Noticeable difference for me. Just sayin'

[jade1535]

I'm going to look further into the Afrika dual plat. since I hear it's the same as TPI. And come up with a decision between Afrika (dual), or the Corbin (dual). Anyone have the Afrika dual plat. to help compare? Which one shall it be?  I certainly like the price ($315-free shipping). How much is the Corbin?

[Green Machine]

People either love or hate the dual platform.

The most common complaints is that you slide forward into the tank and secondly, you can not move back on the seat to stretch out.

The TPI is also softer and more comforatable then the Corbin.

[fatjack]

hey jade...i also had a seat problem for my 09,  i went out to bobs in tenn and he personally allowed me to check out the  tpi flat and platform,  he had a flat on his 650, i liked it, but i thought the platform looked better, so i took the platform home,,,yes it does lower you a bit and it is better than stock, but no room to move around on (for me) i really dont think i have that huge of a butt ,  but anyway, i sold the platform and got a flat tpi from bob,, absolute great seat,,,i should have listened to him from the start, he knows what he's talking about.....hope this helps some....

[speedr73]

I get confused just as well about these seats. I can't figure it out. The Corbin website says about 1.5 or 1.75. The Sargent site says 2" for the low seat. The Sargent website even has a diagram that compares stock, Sargent regular, and Sargent low.

Not sure where you saw that the Sargent low is only 1".

That TPI looks like a great deal on top of the fact that everyone is praising it. I am just in the same boat as you (jade1535) regarding instability with my short (28-29") inseam and 1.5" lowering links. Therefore, I am mostly concerned with the lowest seat first, then comfort second.

Starting out, it's uncomfortable being off balance so a comfortable seat doesn't matter if I can't touch correctly.

I'm leaning towards the Sargent, but if someone sells me on this TPI and the low height compared to the Sargent, then I will probably jump on this bandwagon.

My :2cents:

[jade1535]

fatjack,
When did you get a dual platform from TPI? I called a few weeks ago and was told they're currently not selling them due to them not being as popular as the other seats and they didn't sell very well.

[Green Machine]

I get confused just as well about these seats. I can't figure it out. The Corbin website says about 1.5 or 1.75. The Sargent site says 2" for the low seat. The Sargent website even has a diagram that compares stock, Sargent regular, and Sargent low.

Not sure where you saw that the Sargent low is only 1".

That TPI looks like a great deal on top of the fact that everyone is praising it. I am just in the same boat as you (jade1535) regarding instability with my short (28-29") inseam and 1.5" lowering links. Therefore, I am mostly concerned with the lowest seat first, then comfort second.

Starting out, it's uncomfortable being off balance so a comfortable seat doesn't matter if I can't touch correctly.

I'm leaning towards the Sargent, but if someone sells me on this TPI and the low height compared to the Sargent, then I will probably jump on this bandwagon.

My :2cents:

With a shorter in-seam a wider seat may be a problem.

Here is comparison between the stock 06 seat and the TPI Flat. My inseam is about 35" and the seat raised my feet about an inch or more over the stock seat. I can just flat foot on the TPI.

[fatjack]

fatjack,
When did you get a dual platform from TPI? I called a few weeks ago and was told they're currently not selling them due to them not being as popular as the other seats and they didn't sell very well.     i was on vacation last year (early july)  i decided to drive out to nashville and give Bob a visit, he told me me then that the tpi flat seats were selling better than the platform seats, but i bought a platform anyway,  that was a mistake, after some time hoping that i could break it in , i just gave up on it and ordered the tpi flat,,,,this is a great seat......i sold the platform to some guy in texas.......

[fatjack]

yes the platform was very uncomfortable for me.....

[fatjack]

yes the platform was very uncomfortable for me.....absolutly no room to move around on...

[daskraut]

well, from this post it sounds like a TPI flat is the way to go. I am a football lineman size silverback at 5'11" and 280 and have a Corbin dual on my '08 KLR , it hurts my backside after an hour and I think it is time to upgrade to a TPI flat unless someone says the sargent is far better....and I doubt they will. If any of you are "big boys" like me and DO NOT like your TPI, let me know.

[MacGyver]

 As far as any seats being "better" than another,it's more about which fits better. Different riders find one seat more comfortable than the other. The Sargent seems to be more narrow towards the front compaired to the others I have sat on. My inseam is about 34",with this seat I can sit on the bike with feet flat on the ground and still have my knees slightly bent. Someone that weighs less or more, or has a different suspension setup will have a different feeling of the same seat. All of them are good seats,it's just a matter of getting the one that fits the best.
 

[slatsman]

I have a Corbin dual platform on my 08'. I love it now but admit it took a few months for me to get it "broke in." I am rather short legged and it does help a ton in balancing the bike. I had no issues with mine other than it took about 3 months for it to come in. 2 years later and 8000 miles and it is holding up well. Seems like it does take a bit to get it to conform, mine was pretty stiff when new. I rubbed saddle soap in it several times when new and it seemed to help soften it up.

[Green Machine]

well, from this post it sounds like a TPI flat is the way to go. I am a football lineman size silverback at 5'11" and 280 and have a Corbin dual on my '08 KLR , it hurts my backside after an hour and I think it is time to upgrade to a TPI flat unless someone says the sargent is far better....and I doubt they will. If any of you are "big boys" like me and DO NOT like your TPI, let me know.

6'2" 250 Lbs here and love the TPI flat.

[daskraut]

Ok green, sounds good to me.

[Nomad888]

I've had all three seats, Corbin dished, flat and sargeant flat.  Get the corbin dual platform or the sargeant. If height is a main concern get the sargeant because the foam is softer and will be lower more than 1 inch. I also sell corbin and sargeant seats. PM me if you have further questions.

[jade1535]

Well I shouldn't be bugging you all anymore (god, do I hope so) about what kind of seat to purchase. I finally (after several month of debating, and researching) made a decision on what seat to purchase. I've decided on the Sargent (low version). So I hope it pays off finally making this decision, and I hope I'm happy with my ground reach, comfort, and looks with this seat. I'm pretty much in the dark as far as how long until I will receive it (I think 5 days). I purchased it from Schnitz (recommended by plenty of you fellow KLR owners/posters.
If there's anything at all that I'll need to know now that I finally bought this seat, please feel free to let me know and I'd appreciate it very much. I hear that it's practically maintinence free. And, will it be simple to hook up?

[Green Machine]

It mounts very easily. Remove the side covers and then the two mounting screws on either side of the seat. Pull up at the back of the seat and pull backwards to remove. Install in reverse order.

When you mount the new seat, you will see that you have a tongue that fits in under the tank. There is also another bracket on the 08+ model seats. I am not sure exactly how that mounts, but the tongue at the bottom of the seat must slide in under the tank.

The picture below is from my 06 but the 08 and later models has the same tongue. When inserting the tongue, make sure that it goes in all the way and that it does not jam on any of the breather tubes.