2012 Honda NC700X | Doin' Time

Wrist: Marc Cook
MSRP (2012): $6999
Miles: 9146
MPG: 57
Mods: Corbin seat

Finally, I resolved to do something about the NC’s narrow, too-steeply sloped seat. At the moment, Corbin is the only company I know of with a bolt-on replacement. Sure, there are companies that will modify your stocker, but Honda expects the 700 back more or less in original shape.

So, Corbin it is. The seat I received is what you see on Corbin's website (www.corbin.com): black leather seating surfaces with white piping. Really handsome. Corbin offers the front seat heated ($493) or not ($347). The rear section is extra ($283, no heating option), but the front part of the Corbin saddle will work with the stock rear.

I’m glad it did, because the initial fit with both Corbin pieces was poor enough that I couldn’t latch the rear seat without great force. Corbin says the pieces will bed in over time, and I’m already seeing that with the Corbin front/stock rear combo. After a few more miles, I’ll try again with the rear saddle. Because the fuel filler is under the rear seat, this is no small inconvenience.

True to Corbin form, the seat is very, very firm. It is, however, much better shaped than the Honda original. So far, I like it. As for the heating feature, I’ve used it once and found it to be really potent. I’ll need to devise a controller or get used to reaching for the power switch often. I really could have used this seat in December.