PowersUSA said:
Just my impression from reading reviews etc from the past 5 months. I don't have any first hand experience. I'm in the market for an S10 and if it came with the factory boxes at no extra cost I would be tickled pink. BTW, was that a dealer advertised incentive or a Yamaha factory incentive? Where did you learn about it?
I have no info at all on a free Yamaha side cases promo, whether factory, dealer, or otherwise.
I was just curious as how you had arrived at your conclusion the Yamaha cases were sub-par. Certainly while the Yamaha cases have some compromises (what cases don't?), there are an awful lot of high-mileage, both on- and off-road riders who have 'em and have not had any issues. For me, I could have had any of the various cases out there available... And I talked a lot with Jesse, Micatech, Caribou, and others. Once I weighed *ALL* the variables in my mind the Yamaha cases best fit the bill for my riding, and in 12 months and 22,000 miles of riding with them - on- and off-pavement, with many multi-day rides out on the road - I haven't had the first problem with them yet. I've even dropped the bike on the left-side *TWICE* and sustained no damage that wasn't repaired with some sandpaper, some "Back-to-Black", and a big crescent wrench to straighten the lower bracket. Neither of the drops kept me from getting home to make the repairs, and right now no one has ever been able to ascertain the bike was ever dropped.
Note that I installed them myself, and was very careful with the installation of the locks, etc. Careful, thoughtful installation and preparation goes a long, long way toward mitigating the various latch and lock complaints you hear from some folks. My locks and latches work great, and still do after tons of hard use.
Could they hold more? Sure. Could they have tougher locks and mounts? Maybe, but at what cost and at what detriment to quick mounting/dismounting? Could they be made of different material? Again, maybe, but at what cost and at what sacrifice to weight, ease of maintenance, sealing, etc.?
They look good, tuck in tight to the bike no wider than the handle bars, fit symmetrically, hold more than enough (along with one of my MotoFizz soft tail packs and a SW Motech/Bags Connection "City" tank bag) for me to tour for at least a couple of weeks at a time, have been durable and reliable for me for over 20,000 miles, use the ignition key, can dismount in seconds to go into a hotel room with you, make dandy camp stools and even a table when off the bike, seal so well I've never had a drop of water in one even in driving rain storms at high speeds, have great ground clearance cornering, are reasonably light yet plenty strong, have great handles to tie things down to if need be, stand flat on nice corner nubs when off the bike, the mounts almost visually disappear when the bags are off the bike, etc., etc. etc...
Understand once again, I am *NOT* saying the Yamaha cases are perhaps the very best out there... Just that they are a good, solid choice out there in the marketplace, and that far too many people discount them (and frag, flame, and otherwise disparage them) without ever really trying them. Sure, there are some horror stories out there about them, just like there are Jesses, Micatechs, Caribous, Touratechs, Givis, Traxes, Hepco & Beckers, HAPPY TRAILS, and any and all others.
Just my two centavos... YMMV, and certainly you pays your money and you takes your choice.
Dallara
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