I was just at the BMW MOA rally in West Bend, WI.

I thought that Corbin saddles were for cruiser riders and show bikes, certainly not sport touring bikes.

I was looking at other brands. I stopped by their booths and all were prepared to measure and take pictures. All were prepared to promise me a saddle in late summer or early fall. None of these fine folk had a single saddle for sale that would fit my bike that I could try.

After an hour and a half or two hours the stock saddle would start to hurt and I would have to climb off the bike and stretch out. As the ride would progress, I would need shorter intervals for posterior relief. I kept on thinking to myself that I wished that someone made a saddle that would just let me ride however long I wanted to. I finally got tired of the factory saddle. I rode my bike up to your semi and took a look at the various displays that were set up. I met one of your guys named "JR", out of your Florida operation. We had a short discussion about what I was looking for and he pulled up the info on the computer as to the correct saddle. We walked over to the table and he grabbed the right saddle, took the factory saddle off of the bike and set the new one in place. I then sat on it and notice several things. I noticed that my weight was distributed differently and it was not pushing on the memorable sore spots.

All of the talk in the ads about the quality was there. The grade of the leather, the quality of the stitching, the firmness of the foam, the construction of the seat pan, and the fit to the bike. This was all good enough to make me purchase it plus the passenger backrest.

I took an eighty mile ride home that night and was surprised that night. I got home and felt tired from the long day at the rally and notice that my tired old butt wasn't sore. I noticed that there seemed to be a difference in my confidence of riding on the bike and somehow I felt more "one" with the bike. I slept soundly without any of the soreness.

The next morning, Friday, I was running a little bit late and got caught in a traffic jam that was going to make me very late for a light installation on the bike. I got past the traffic jam and was only thinking about arriving on time for the appointment. I may have exceeded the posted speed limit by double, but that is not my point. My point is that I was more in control of my bike riding over grooved pavement, frost heaved expansion cracks, tar snakes and combinations of concrete and varying types of asphalt. At those speeds, the knowledge of what the bike was doing at any moment always felt positive and under control. I finally felt as though I was part of the bike and that the bike was part of me. If OJ's glove fit his hand like this seat fits me, the verdict would have been very different.

You have transformed one, sore assed, old biker into one, happy assed biker. You have designed, constructed and delivered a very fine saddle. I appreciate every aspect of your process.

I know that the BMW rallies may not provide you with all the customers that other brands can. I do know this, that many of the BMW riders are long distance riders spending a very long time in the saddle. I would like to see you at more BMW rallies.

JR is a real asset to your company, Mike. He was worth pursuing as an integral part of your corporation. He certainly meets or exceeds all expectations of a pleasurable person to know from this encounter. He has more than product knowledge. He is fair. He is courteous. He is not full of hype and does not pressure people. He is the kind of employee that I would want in any business. A lot of people tell their employees to leave their attitude behind. His attitude is an asset to your company. He is a person I want to deal with again and again.

I know that positive feedback can help direct a company towards consistency of product, sales and marketing, quality control, and manufacturing standards. Whether or not you choose to keep the company focused on this, which you do well, or choose to diversify, keep all the good that was invested into my saddle within your company. It will satisfy millions.

Thank you, JR. Thank you Mike Corbin. Thanks to all of the un-named people involved in the manufacture of my saddle. I like it. The saddle that you have produced for my bike has made my bike a superb ride and a million times more enjoyable.

Sincerely,
Mike Greenwald
1999 BMW K1200RS Yellow Checkerboard