Corbin Smuggler

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Orient_Express

Fire Base Ripcord Association
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I really want one of these things... (tax refund!!) But the last I heard is that they leak.

Anybody know if Corbin has corrected this problem?

 
I have one and can see why the Corbin Smuggler leaks. The top needs to be more ridgid. It is just a flat piece of plastic and needs some raised ridges on the underside of the lid to compress the rubber gasket. I live in SoCal and it rarely rain, so not a problem for me. I still baggy my first aid kit!

 
I purchased a Smuggler for my 06 FJR last July and after it leaked during a moderate rain and just about wiped out my cellphone in early September, I worked with Corbin to try to alleviate this problem. They sent me a new gasket to install, but it was pretty much impossible to remove the old one and things became a real mess. No way could I get all the old glue and pieces of old gasket off and install a new one. NOT A SOLUTION! And, the lid was never tight on the gasket and no way to adjust.

In early November Corbin had me send my Smuggler back to them to see what they could do. They received it in mid-November. Over the next few months they worked on this one to no avail. They even made a new one using their current (at that time) mould and apparently the results were such that it still leaked. They told me in early February that they re-did the mould and made me a new Smuggler. I received it in late February, but I was out-of-town until mid-April, so did not get it installed on the bike until this past week.

The new one has more of a lip on the lid and also the area where the lid fits seems to be more recessed. I gave it the old "hose" test today and it did drip a little into the Smuggler, but I believe (and hope) that riding in the rain will result in no significant leaks. I'll probably carry some baggies to put valuable and water-sensitive items in until I know for sure.

The Smuggler is expensive, but it sure does look nice on the bike (they do a great job painting them) and it is handy to have such a place to store small items. I ride solo all/most of the time so it is perfect for me.

Would I recommend the Smuggler? Maybe, maybe not. I'd explain the story and let the buyer decide. They are quite expensive and one should not have to go through things like the above, but, Corbin did come through in-the-end (I think). After a few rides in the rain I'll update with my experiences.

 
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