It’s called mission creep. Scooters, originally designed to be small, friendly, urban transportation modules, are morphing into larger, more powerful, more capable traveling companions, equally adept at taking you across town or across the country. But some scooters’ do-it-all aspirations are held back by their seats, like the one on the Honda Silver Wing I recently added to my fleet. It’s narrow, and too soft, and the backrest pushes me too far forward. Corbin’s off-the-shelf Dual Saddle solved all these problems.
Corbin’s Silver Wing seat, like all the seats the company makes, is available with a long list of optional colors and materials. Simple soul that I am, I opted for black vinyl throughout; the only frill I asked for was a plain vinyl rider backrest. The seat comes with a new hydraulic cylinder to prop the seat up when you open it. The stock cylinder had decided not to do that any longer, so the new one was welcome.
The installation instructions hint that the job will go more easily with a friend helping. At 24 pounds without the backrest, the seat makes the point more forcefully. I managed it alone, but if I had to do it again I’d call a friend. Fit was good, and required no fiddling or filing to align with the latch. The only glitch was the front of the seat, which hangs down so low it covers the screws that secure the spark-plug cover. The seat will have to come off to remove the cover.
Corbin seats have a reputation for being hard but well shaped. The Silver Wing seat was much softer than I expected, yet still firm enough for good support. The pilot’s portion is wider and more comfortable over long rides, and the backrest adjusts forward and backward through a wide range; it also works as a passenger backrest in the hole at the back of the seat. The stock seat base has a sealing channel molded into it that you lose with the Corbin’s flat base; a piece of adhesive-backed weather-stripping is included to restore the seal.
The hole the backrest’s post fits into presents a potential problem; it’s right over the storage bin under the seat, and the base pan is cut away so you can get at the bolt that secures the post to the seat from underneath. Rainwater dripping down through the hole will eventually puddle in the storage bin. There probably isn’t much you can do if you ride in downpours, but if you park outside where it might rain while you’re away, get a cover.
At $499 (plus $229 for the backrest) the Corbin Silver Wing seat better be a big improvement over stock. It is, no matter if you’re riding to class or work, or taking two weeks off to see the country. Regardless of which direction your scooter mission is creeping, it’ll make getting there a lot more comfortable.
For more information:
Call (800) 538-7035 or visit corbin.com
Very disappointed with quality of Corbin. After 1 of use piping on the main part of seat and piping at passenger seat position has come apart. I contacted Corbin and was told I could ship it back and they would reset it all at my cost. Does not seem like reasonable customer service after a little over a year of use. Would not purchase a Corbin seat for the kind of $ they charge and poor customer service.