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Corbin Smuggler For Spyder (review) (updated 09/18/08) my opinion/expierience after 2,500 miles of use Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 01:28 AM

Corbin Smuggler Trunk For Can-AM Spyder

Colors Silver, Yellow, Red
Price $ 799
Weight 14 lbs (my scale)
Capacity 12 Liters
Warranty 1 year paint, manfacturer defects-Lifetime
Dimensions (see pic below)

Animation of Smuggler HERE

When the Corbin modular seat system was installed on Spydie it occured to me that I was going to loose the seat cowl, along with the look of a solo seat that I had become accustomed to. But that concern was short lived as I learned that Freddy was in the design stages of the Smuggler.

Becasue of the design and lines of the Smuggler it appears to be part of the Spyder, not merely an aftermarket accessory added on. The center line of the Smuggler is part of a "centerline" that begins with the trunk lid, then on thru the fairing, the tail piece, and ending with the point on the Corbin replacement fender.

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The Smuggler follows the lines of the grab rails making it appear they are part of the Smuggler and they do not draw attention or seem out of place.

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The bump pad is of the same leather as the seat, so it also blends in making the seat and Smuggler as being one piece. One of the most common statements by people is they don't think Spydie is capable of riding two up. I want to note that the "bump pad" is just that, it was not designed as a back rest. While visiting the R&D department one day, I tried sitting on the shop Spyder and suggested adding additional
height to the Smuggler so it would provide more of a back rest. This was attempted but in the end it was not possible as it made the Smuggler too high and it looked out of place in respect to the rest of the Spyder.
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The Smuggler is fully lined to aid in protecting your valuables, the heavy duty stainless steel hinges provide the largest opening possible, and the weather strip keeps the Smuggler dry. This I have proven by riding thru 6 nasty thunderstorms in 5 states on the trip home from Sturgis. B)
The release latch at the bottom of the picture releases the Smuggler from Spydie.
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The four rubber bumpers support the Smuggler, the two metal bars align the Smuggler to the seat, and the latch mechanism attaches to the pin that also secures the passenger seat.
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When not using the seat, the sensor needs to be connected to keep the computer happy, and it stows nicely in the tail piece, out of the way of the Smuggler.
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Someone on chat requested "exact dimensions" that is rather difficult because of the many angles, but these are the basic ones, hope they help some.
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This is my 15" laptop, power supply, wireless mouse, digital camera and cell phone, there was still some storage space under the laptop for small items.
Posted Image

After having used the Smuggler for 12 days at Sturgis, the two day road trip home, and over 2,500 miles, I feel the Corbin wizards have a real winner with the design/function of this unit. I have found myself using it more than I expected, sun glasses, sun protection lotion, digital camera, cell phone, map of the western states, LED flash light, bottle water, all of these were daily needs in Sturgis and on the rode trip home. The keyed latch and hinges were used a minimum of over a hundred times per day at Sturgis, and are still in new condition. The Smuggler is shipped with two keys, I have one on the keyfob for Spydie, and I now keep the spare key for Spydie in the Smuggler, the odds of loosing the Smuggler key is less than a Spyder key, so I should never have a Spyder key issue.

I know while at Sturgis and the surrounding area, the road trip home, I have talked to a few thousand people about the Corbin products on Spydie. I have not had one negative comment, nothing but praise, and most people are surprised when I inform them they are accessories and need to be purchased separate from the Spyder.

If there is a negative issue with the Smuggler, it would be that it does require a Corbin seat. However if you only ride solo, you can purchase just the front seat and the Smuggler, that would save a few bucks on the investment. I will be making a review on the Corbin seat system in detail, but for now, it only takes a few minutes to change out the rear seat and snap in the Smuggler.

Having the opportunity to tour the Corbin factory and spend time in all of the departments, seeing the amount of time and investment of money it takes to produce the first units of a new line, I can justify the cost of a Smuggler. Contrary to a few members comments about "mass produced" items, that is not how the Corbin factory operates.

When you purchase a Corbin product you are paying for a custom designed item that is made to appear as part of the bike it is installed on, once a product is out of the mold, it is fully hand painted, hand assembled, and folks in the USA this process comes at a price. Corbin is not a factory of robots. :)

If there are any questions just ask and I'll try to be of assistance. :thumbs:

:up-date: added pics of Smuggler with and without the saddlebags. (in post below)

This post has been edited by Tharkun#409: 18 September 2008 - 09:49 AM

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#2 User is offline   bigd 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 02:04 AM

:beerchug1: Very good post and wonderful information . The Smuggler is a nice edition to the seat and bags and as you say very funcutional.
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#3 User is offline   NVR2L8 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 02:09 AM

Can it be installed with the Factory Back Rest installed?
Is it easy to remove when a passenger is part of the trip?
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#4 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 02:29 AM

View PostNVR2L8, on Aug 19 2008, 12:09 AM, said:

Can it be installed with the Factory Back Rest installed?
Is it easy to remove when a passenger is part of the trip?


It can be used with the BRP Spyder Sport rack, but with the Smuggler in place, you would not need the back rest. :TgC_emoticon142:

Yes it easy to remove, to re-install the rear seat you just need to attach the seat senor with two screws, snap the seat into position.

This post has been edited by Tharkun#409: 19 August 2008 - 02:50 AM

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#5 User is online   Marc 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 06:52 AM

Super write-up. :thumbs:
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#6 User is offline   Napalmseth 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 08:14 AM

I would love to see a better picture of the trunk without the hard bags. the one on the corbin site doesn't show enough to get a good picture.
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#7 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:23 AM

View PostNapalmseth, on Aug 19 2008, 06:14 AM, said:

I would love to see a better picture of the trunk without the hard bags. the one on the corbin site doesn't show enough to get a good picture.

I will be detailing Spydie this week and will get a pic when I remove the saddlebags for cleaning.
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#8 User is offline   Napalmseth 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 02:32 PM

Great, thank you! :thumbs:
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#9 User is offline   Bimjo 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 05:14 PM

Very informative post Tharkun, thanks for taking the time. I'm also curious how the Smuggler looks without the bags.

This post has been edited by Bimjo: 19 August 2008 - 08:40 PM

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#10 User is offline   B1TTEN #509 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 08:39 PM

+1 on the smuggler only without bags pictures. Thank Man GREAT write up. :thumbs:
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#11 User is offline   Tony Mac 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 08:39 PM

That was very informative, thank you. I like your feedback on the Corbin product process and as I work for a small manufacturing company, can appreciate the investment to support a relatively low volume bike like the Spyder. Everything I've seen about Corbin says "quality" and "custom" so I think I'll be really happy when the seats and back rests I ordered arrived. My interaction with Sergio and his sales guy has been great. I even got a thank you card for placing my order. Looking forward to longer and more comfortable rides.
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#12 User is offline   spyder-dude 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:01 PM

Great review! I may have to buy that to go with my corbin saddlebags! Also how is the backrest on it? I drove my buddies bmw R1200GS with a corbin seat and backrest.....man it was a comfortable backrest.
Spyder Upgrades:Corbin Seat with Backrest,Hindle exhaust,Evoluzoines power bus & performance filter & brake light conversion kit,BRP Riser + No Magic Neon 3" Risers,CHAD windshield,Kuryakyn footpegs,highway peg brackets,Spyder web radiator side cover,trim kit, 12v outlet,Corbin Saddlebags, Trunk Liner,BRP Backrest/Rack,Scalia Q2 headset,Scorpion Alarm..

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#13 User is offline   bjt 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:09 PM

View Postspyder-dude, on Aug 19 2008, 10:01 PM, said:

Great review! I may have to buy that to go with my corbin saddlebags! Also how is the backrest on it? I drove my buddies bmw R1200GS with a corbin seat and backrest.....man it was a comfortable backrest.


Does this mean the Bill Mayer custom is going up for sale?
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#14 User is offline   spyder-dude 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:17 PM

View Postbjt, on Aug 19 2008, 10:09 PM, said:

Does this mean the Bill Mayer custom is going up for sale?


NO WAY! I just want a backrest for it! :)
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#15 User is online   Marc 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:17 PM

View Postbjt, on Aug 19 2008, 10:09 PM, said:

Does this mean the Bill Mayer custom is going up for sale?



Careful, that was custom made. What's the chance of spyder-dude finding someone with the exact same sized butt :P
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#16 User is offline   bjt 

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Posted 19 August 2008 - 09:21 PM

View Postspyder-dude, on Aug 19 2008, 10:17 PM, said:

NO WAY! I just want a backrest for it! :)


Get yourself a Biker's Friend. If I'm not mistaken, Corbin's smuggler trunk requires the Corbin seat.
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#17 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 01:31 PM

Smuggler with the Corbin Fleetliner Saddlebags.
Posted Image

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Smuggler
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View Postspyder-dude, on Aug 19 2008, 07:01 PM, said:

Great review! I may have to buy that to go with my corbin saddlebags! Also how is the backrest on it? I drove my buddies bmw R1200GS with a corbin seat and backrest.....man it was a comfortable backrest.

As I posted above, the "bump pad" is a bit low to be used as a "back rest", and you need a Corbin seat to take advantage of the Smuggler. :(
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#18 User is offline   Napalmseth 

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 01:34 PM

I like it without the bags. Like a really big seat cowl.
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#19 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 01:37 PM

View PostNapalmseth, on Aug 20 2008, 11:34 AM, said:

I like it without the bags. Like a really big seat cowl.

In my opinion the Snuggler will look great and work either way very well. :thumbs:
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#20 User is offline   TharkunRT 

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 01:50 PM

View PostTony Mac, on Aug 19 2008, 06:39 PM, said:

That was very informative, thank you. I like your feedback on the Corbin product process and as I work for a small manufacturing company, can appreciate the investment to support a relatively low volume bike like the Spyder. Everything I've seen about Corbin says "quality" and "custom" so I think I'll be really happy when the seats and back rests I ordered arrived. My interaction with Sergio and his sales guy has been great. I even got a thank you card for placing my order. Looking forward to longer and more comfortable rides.


Having over 5k miles on the Corbin modular seating system, I think you will be happy with it. :thumbs:

Also agree with your comments about Serigo (also JR), meant both for the first time well at Sturgis, after being with them at the Corbin display and staying wth the entire Corbin team for 12 days, I really enjoyed the company of all. :)
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