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King of Seats

9K views 65 replies 24 participants last post by  Bugface 
#1 ·
I have five different Diavel seats now, and I plan to try them out and then sell off some of the ones I don't want. I'll also report my mostly subjective findings regarding these models:
  • Stock (2011-2014)
  • DP Touring
  • DP GT
  • Corbin
  • Sargent (high)
A few initial remarks:
  1. The stock seat is a torture device.
  2. How can Corbin build such comfortable seats, and yet they still cannot make them fit quite right?
  3. And why do Corbin do irritating things such as using non-stock lugs for the cowl mounts?
  4. Sargent is miles ahead of Corbin on the underside of the seat. They even include an LED flashlight in its own little nacelle.
  5. The GT seat is the most comfortable of the three Ducati seats; but fitting the cowl requires custom-made extension tabs
 
#2 ·
I am using the stock 2015 model seat on my new gen2 Diavel, but I confirm that the stock seat of the gen1 Diavel in a pain.
They did improve a bit the stock seat on gen2 but I plan to get the GranTurismo model aswell. Best Price/Comfort I could fine around...

Plus, the stock seat on gen2 is absolutely not waterproof and if you take 1 rain, it takes 5 days to dry off...
Is the GT waterproof ?

And finally, which one is your preferred, comfort/waterproof related ?

Thanks !

KoVeN
 
#3 ·
you weren't able to fit the cowl on the GT seat?!? hmm, haven't even tried that... I assume you can't use the same amount of force on the cowl as you'd do on the DP tailbag thingie... might shatter
 
#4 ·
I have a Strada which has the GT seat as standard, I have seen another GT seat which looks slightly different than mine, not sure what that'.s about.
For the first 5000 miles my seat was fine, did a tour of France with long days and no arse ache at all however recently I have noticed that the padding seems to have compressed and I can feel the hard part of the seat through it, there actually feels like there is a hard lump in the middle which is starting to get very uncomfortable. Also I have noticed that if the bike gets wet or after I have washed it the water is getting into the seat as when I sit on it afterwards my jeans are wet even though the seat is dry to touch, was wondering if the one they put on the Strada is a cheaper version of the seat.
 
#5 ·
Damn, so the GT from the strada suffers the same problem as the gen2's stock

I'm in France, and as in UK, if you drive everyday, you get often under the rain

Maybe the GT seat you purchase separately has been fixed by Ducati for better waterproof behaviour ?
 
#8 ·
Sorry to tell you this but my Corbin fits like a glove.
I love my Corbin compared to the Strada seat it replaced.
 
#12 ·
I'll be working on my report, but it's not done yet.

One thing I've realized - both from my personal experience and from comments others have made - is that my findings and opinions will not necessarily be generalizable to other riders. So, while I think there will be *some* value in the comparisons I will offer, I have no expectation that I'll be able to make strong conclusions about which seat is "best" for everyone. In fact, as of now it' shaping up that even for me, there may be one seat that's better for shorter rides, and another that's better for longer rides. That is a realization that really surprised me.

Heck, even though many of us feel the stock (gen 1) seat is terrible, there have been some who found it to be just fine.

One objective thing I do plan to do, however, is to photograph each seat in exactly the same way, so you can all compare the heights and angles, etc.

Oh, and I'm thinking about ordering up a Russell Day Long custom saddle, to see what those reputed masters of bun comfort can produce.
 
#14 ·
After time off due to work, summer heat, family, and vacation, I'll be riding again today. I think today I'll give the Corbin another chance. Last time I used it, I thought it was fine for the first two hours or so, but then it became very painful. I was still hurting the next day. That is very different from my experience with other Corbins. But maybe some other factor was to blame, so I'm giving it another try.
 
#20 ·
I've put about 500 miles on the Sargent, and I like it, but don't love it. Keep in mind I have the high version of the Sargent.

The Sargent high seat pushes me forward, which at first is unsettling; but if I adopt a more sporting riding position (toes on pegs), it actually feels good. So far, the Sargent is best for LONG rides. The last time I rode on it, after about 100 miles it actually started feeling better than when I first set out. I've never had that happen before.

But, as I say, this is just an early impressions.

I can say certainly that Corbin and Sargent are both better than ANY Ducati seat I've ever ridden.
 
#17 ·
To be honest with the Corbin it was for for the first few hundred miles.
 
#18 ·
I have five different Diavel seats now, and I plan to try them out and then sell off some of the ones I don't want. I'll also report my mostly subjective findings regarding these models:
  • Stock (2011-2014)
  • DP Touring
  • DP GT
  • Corbin
  • Sargent (high)
A few initial remarks:
  1. The stock seat is a torture device.
  2. How can Corbin build such comfortable seats, and yet they still cannot make them fit quite right?
  3. And why do Corbin do irritating things such as using non-stock lugs for the cowl mounts?
  4. Sargent is miles ahead of Corbin on the underside of the seat. They even include an LED flashlight in its own little nacelle.
  5. The GT seat is the most comfortable of the three Ducati seats; but fitting the cowl requires custom-made extension tabs
Hey Bud, good info!!!!!

All I know is my
'15 Gen2 seat....Feels perfect for my skinny ass!

Is mine built like your OEM Gen1 seat, or are there build differences?
 
#22 ·
I didn't weigh the seats, but the Corbin is heavy - at least double the weight of the others, which all are light.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
I finally got around to taking some comparison photos. Sorry I didn't use a tripod, so there is some variation, but I think this should be useful info.
 

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#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
My subjective ratings of comfort:
  1. Sargent
  2. Corbin
  3. GT
  4. Touring
  5. Stock

My subjective ratings of build quality and fit:
  1. Sargent
  2. GT
  3. Touring and Stock (tie)
  4. Corbin

My subjective ratings of materials quality:
  1. Sargent
  2. Corbin
  3. Touring and Stock (tie)
  4. GT

My VERY subjective ratings of value (comfort and quality versus cost), not including stock seat:
  1. GT
  2. Sargent
  3. Corbin
  4. Touring
 
#25 ·
My Corbin fits perfectly.
It replaced my Strada seat and it is more comfortable, I am glad I bought it .
 
#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
My Corbin fits perfectly.
It replaced my Strada seat and it is more comfortable, I am glad I bought it .
Noted. And not surprising at all. Seat comfort is very subjective, and people are different. I have no doubt that many people would love the Corbin, and that almost everyone would find it more comfortable than a stock seat.
 
#28 ·
You may be right that GT and Strada are the same. They look alike to me. But they have different part numbers and very different prices.
 
#31 · (Edited by Moderator)
I've dropped my plan to have Russel make me a seat. Why? Because the Sargent seat is now broken in, and it no longer cants me forward uncomfortably. It is now completely neutral. For the first time in a long time, I no longer think about the seat while riding. Just as fixing the forks removed them from my constant thoughts, so has the Sargent seat done.
 
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#33 ·
I didn't evaluate that; maybe someone else has. I can say that the pillion seating area is about the same, but on the Sargent it is slightly higher than stock. Corbin seems about the same as stock. Both will feel different, however, since they have different underlying foam than the stock seat does.
 
#34 ·
Thanks for the info Reid! I have the stock and touring. I don't like the touring much because I sit too high and comfort wasn't much better. I can't do very long rides because my back can't handle it anymore so touring is out of the question. I've stuck with the stock seat. I have found that over the years it has got more comfortable or maybe my ass is just broke in.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 
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