yamaha panniers vs after market any thoughts

[alaskabound]

I have been lurking on this site for a little while looking for a used bike, I have lost out to 2 of them. I have decided to buy new and was offered the option to purchase the three piece Yamaha set for about 1400.00 is it worth it or should I shop around for after market luggage? Any tips are welcome about the bike purchase as well as the panniers. I also realize that some of it is a matter of opinion, and planned use. By the way the bike is a 2016 es for 15600.00 out the door registered in CT.
Thanks

 

[RCinNC]

You're saving about $200 off buying them new, so if you wanted them, it's not a bad deal. Brand new from Yamaha's site, they would be about $1600, not counting any shipping charges.

That being said, I bought the side cases when I first got the bike, but I never really liked them. I didn't like that they had to be opened with a key, and I didn't have a ton of confidence in the longevity of the locking mechanism. I have Pelican type knockoffs on my bike now which I much prefer. Were I in your shoes, I'd probably be shopping around for something else. Happy Trail makes a rack system and pretty durable aluminum panniers, though they aren't as flashy as something like a Jesse case. The big advantage of the Yamaha panniers is that they hug the sides of the bike better than a lot of the aftermarket systems that use bolt on racks, since the Yamaha panniers use unique attachment system that doesn't require an actual rack. Which means they can be removed from the bike without leaving a lot of hardware behind.

The knockoffs I use have been on two different bikes now for a total of around 55,000 miles, still going strong. I've tried two different styles of top loading metal panniers, and found that I prefer the side opening suitcase style boxes. Just a personal preference.

The photo is what I have on my bike. That's my touring setup; normally the top case is a lot smaller. The cases came from MCM Electronics; I bought them years ago, but I think the big cases were around $50 bucks each. They cost a little more now.

 

[gv550]

I have all 3 Yamaha boxes, Canadian bikes come with side boxes and I bought the top box because it holds my full-face helmet. I had Happy Trail Teton boxes on my KLR that I traded in, and I regret not keeping the HT boxes to transfer over. No comparison in durability and the Yamaha locks are a d*mn nuisance.
I'm resigned to using the stock boxes now that i have them and they do integrate with the bike quite well, but no way I would pay their price if I ever had to replace them.

 

[magic]

My bike came with the Yamaha side cases. As mentioned many times the locks can be a problem. I would never pay that kind of money for them. There are many better options available. Keep in mind the Yamaha cases are plastic. For about $1100 you could get the Touratech Zega Mundo side cases and add a top box later. You may want to make sure your helmet actually fits in the Yamaha top box before you buy it. FWIW, I like the looks of the Yamaha side cases, they are just the right size for the bike. Mine survived the trip to Prudhoe Bay without any problems, but I was travelling pretty lightly loaded.

 

[Sierra1]

I like OE boxes. I am not a hyper-mile tourer though. They look good, fit the bike well, and do not have an obtrusive framework when not on the bike. I found that you can put a case of 24 12oz liquid refreshment in the small box (left side) without removing the cans from the case. BUT, do not buy the boxes new. My dealer set me up with a guy that totaled his Tenere, but still had the luggage. I got all three boxes for $700.00, and they're spotless. Keep an eye on the For Sale spot on this site. The new bike has three new locks under the seat; don't let your dealer charge you for them. The locks are stiff, but I don't use them daily so....You can probably find enough guys near you that have different bags/boxes; go visit them and see what they have.

 

[Cycledude]

My 13 came with Yamaha saddlebags and top box, other than the very lousy Yamaha locks I'm satisfied. I had new keys made and JB welded radio knobs to them and leave a key in each lock all the time so no need to dig out a key every time you want to open a box, no one has ever messed with them and because it's kinda tricky to open those boxes I think most crooks would just give up.

 

[Blackbms]

When I finally pulled the trigger on a set of Panniers I decided on a set from "Happy Trails".
They were, as close as I could figure, the best bang for the buck.
I have a "Crazy" amount of storage, and "Happy Trails" has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I lost a bolt on the luggage rack that is on top of one of my Panniers and they shipped me a full set of hardware, for a reasonable charge of course, right away and I had it within a week of the order.
Not that I 'Need' to do this often, but I figure I could carry a minimum of 10 gallons of Milk.

 

[Madhatter]

my riding buddy has the Yamaha boxes, he seems to like them... his bike has taken a few naps with the boxes on with no issues.... the Yamaha boxes were designed for the bike and look most natural mounted ... so many options to choose from, I chose touratech boxes , well made ,looks good , but lots of money.... could have paid down the cost of the bike quite abit ... but I need , we need, to carry things... if I were stating over I might choose a less expensive choice , probably happy trails , maybe Yamaha boxes.... its your bike your money your choice , they are just boxes after all. the one advantage to aftermarket brand boxes is that I can with a different rack system transfer the boxes to a different motorcycle, say I decided to go the GS route, just need a rack for the bike and I can transfer the boxes.... good luck.

 

[ucwinters]

I went the cheap route and bought a pair of lightly used Pelican 1550 cases off of eBay. Prefer side-opening case for ease of getting to my stuff instead of having to dig through everything w/ top-opening cases. Figure that since the plastic material has a lower coefficient of friction than metal cases that it would (hopefully) do better if the S10 is ever sliding down the highway. Was able to win used Touratech mounting racks on eBay auction and the rack and 2 cases were <$500.
Another low cost option is the Tusk aluminum panniers found on eBay. They should mount up to the Happy Trails racks OK.

 

[Topcop45]

I bought the Yamaha boxes with my bike and they sucked. Very cheaply made and very expensive to buy. I sold them and bought some Jesse's. Sooooo much better for a little extra $$$$

 

[Terminus]

I went with the Givi Outback Trekkers. Very happy with them. I went through Motostorm.IT and I think the total for the top box, and two side cases with all of the mounting hardware was under $1,200. That includes shipping from Italy. It took a while, but it was worth the wait.

 

[WJBertrand]

When I bought my bike new I had them remove the OEM panniers that were already mounted. They wanted $1200 and I thought I was going to go a different way. After all of my analysis, I ended up back with the OEM boxes. One important consideration for me was width and the fact that lane splitting is legal in California. The OEM boxes are the narrowest I could find at the time. I ended up finding a brand new set on-line for less than $900.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[SIXTEEN]

This is my 3rd set of Jesse Bags. They'd be my first choice either way, but I got lucky and this bike came with them.

 

[sjh]

One important consideration for me was width and the fact that lane splitting is legal in California. The OEM boxes are the narrowest I could find at the time.

That's important to me also - ever seen a list of after-market widths?

I'm happy with my OEM boxes, but the left took a good smack / slide in France

 

[Checkswrecks]

There's nothing wrong with the OEM boxes, but I'll agree that the price quoted in the OP is absolutely more than I'd pay and many of the other options will hold more. Because these bikes are more likely to be on their side at some point, rugged is a requirement. I have a set of welded aluminum that can be pounded back out or fixed anywhere in the world and they cost a fraction of the price. There are a number of options in aluminum. We have a set of Pelican or Caribou cases on the old VStrom and you'd never know the hell they've been through.


For mounting any of the side cases, you also have numerous options. Detachable or fixed. I simply bolted my aluminum boxes to a set of these but there are other options:
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/sw-motech-quick-lock-sidecarrier-yamaha-xt1200z-super-tenere-10-evo-style-for-givi-trax-alu-box-krauser-sidecases
Wait for a sale and watch the reseal ads on any of the above.


If I were to buy side panniers at this point, I'd buy the Mosko Moto soft bags.
https://moskomoto.com
http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=22349.0
They are Kevlar lined and having seen two post-crash, they truly are rugged. The other advantage is that if you go down, hard boxes are more likely to break your leg. http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=16088.0


For a top box, I have a Holan Nomada welded aluminum case, which is made in Poland. Again, good stuff.

 

[ADKsuper10]

I bought the OEM cases, racks, and inner bags (all 3) from a forum member and I coudln't be happpier. Cost about half what they are new, and brings the price closer to what they are actually worth.

I've had them for a month or so now and run with just side cases most of the time. They hold plenty for me. I went on a three day trip and with all three cases I had plenty of storage for gear, tools, and my luggage.

They come up for sale often on the forum here - so if you want this type and see a good set jump on them they won't last.

I wouldn't ride the Paris-Dakar rally with them, but for the riding I do and normal banging around they are perfect.

 

[Sierra1]

::026:: At about half price, I feel I got what I paid for. And they work well enough.

 

[Grumpy]

I have the 3 box OEs. The helmets I have are XL Shoei Neotec and Multitec and neither of them fit in the Yam top box

 

[corndog]

I studied them all for a while before I made my decision. It was down to Bumot or Jesse. The 2 cases are about equal in strength and build quality but the Bumot has a stronger rack system with a rear cross bar. The narrow Bumot size is as tight to the bike as OEM and mine have been wrecked and straightened out with no damage other than a minor scuff of the finish.

Hands down the best money I spent for the bike after the Rumbux bar/skid-plate combo. ::026::

 

[lacofdfireman]

I'm on my second Tenere. Had a 2013 sold it and now have a 2015. Also both bikes have OEM Luggage. All 3 pieces. The way I camp I could use more luggage space and it would be nice to be able to fit a helmet inside the top box but mine won't. The OEM luggage is good enough for me and if you buy it second hand it's half the price of most others.

Having said this I'd like to see the big Mosko bags on a Tenere. I'm not sure how they fit and look but soft bags would be nice. I put the Wolfman Rocky Miuntains on a KTM 990 that I had but just wasn't enough room for me. Maybe I have just to much crap.


Pot up a pic of a Tenere with the Mosko bags if anyone has them. I'd like to see them and hear how you like them.