Luggage Recommendation for Apex?

[profstrong]

I'm looking for a recommendation on which piece of REAR luggage to buy for a 2013 Apex SE for tours of 4+ days. The Cdn website has two versions of "Combination Sport Luggage" - one is all black, part number SMA-8HG73-20-00; the other is black and grey, part number SMA-8FC63-DX-00 (why would they have the same product name for two different bags?!!). The descriptions on the website are terrible - no dimensions - the black/grey one says it holds 37 liters but no volume listed for the black one. I have called dealers and Yamaha Canada Customer Service, and no one seems to be able to give me dimensions or recommendations. I have also checked the US Yamaha website and their descriptions are no better.
As a side note, I bought the grey/black TANK bag a couple weeks ago, part number SMA-8FP83-DX-00. It is ridiculously expensive but very high quality and fits the sled really well. The grey/black rear bag (mentioned above) looks like a mate for the tank bag, but I'm less concerned about matching styling, and far more concerned about volume and quality. Does anyone have either of these rear bags and if so, could you please offer your comments on which to buy?
Thanks!

 

[actionjack]

SMA-8FC63-DX-00
I just ran 8 days in this bag. I was very happy with it. 5 of us with Apexes used them. Be careful of the rear straps getting in the exhaust. The Vector with us burned his up. In fact I am going to make a different way to secure the back since the straps are hard as hell to undo after a days ride worth of ice build up.

 

[sgauthier]

i also used the gray/black bag. great bag with lots of room the centre is divided by a zipper on each side that you can open up and have one hugh bag) but like mentioned above you need to watch where you run the rear straps. i melted mine and had to crisscross them across my rear tailight for the duration of my trip. they never moved after but i didn't like the straps covering the tailight and also rubbing against it. i also have to figure out a way to attach the rear straps some other way. i was thinking of ordering the semi-ridgid saddle bags for this rear. unfortunately i would then loose the map pouch that the other has.

 

[THKSNOW]

I've had that bag for 3 years. It has lots of room, doesn't rub on the painted exhaust covers and doesn't bounce around at all. Just got back from 3 nights in West U.P. I mounted a Ubolt in the tunnel extention for the back strap, works great and no problems with the exhaust heat this way.

 

[profstrong]

Thanks for the great feedback! The grey/black "DX" version is ordered and arriving tomorrow!

 

[sgauthier]

thksnow, is that a u-shaped bracket you have there in the centre of the tunnel below the tailight to hold the rear strap away from the exhaust? great idea

you didn't have any issues holding the bag in place?

do you just use one strap to hold both sides by passing it thru one side to the other or are you running a separate strap to the centre for each side?

 

[THKSNOW]

thksnow, is that a u-shaped bracket you have there in the centre of the tunnel below the tailight to hold the rear strap away from the exhaust? great idea

you didn't have any issues holding the bag in place?

do you just use one strap to hold both sides by passing it thru one side to the other or are you running a separate strap to the centre for each side?

The bag is tied down using the front clips rivited to each side of the tunnel. The rear strap runs from one side of the bag throught the u bolt then connected to the end of the strap on other side of the bag. Rock solid, it never moves. Running the rear strap thru the u bolt has never heated up in any way from the exhaust. The u bolt will need 2 nuts on each side to attach (top and bottom of tunnel extention). I also used lock washers and cut off any excess threads on the bottom with a dremel.

Make sure you don't have a rear heat exchanger...

 

[sgauthier]

thanks thksnow. i'm going to try that with my bags. i really didn't want to order the other semi rigid bags since i do like how much room these have and the map pocket on the top is great as well. Held everything i needed for a 6 day tour last year, just those rear straps the first few KM's gave me grief. worked great after i changed it up but like i mentioned above i didn't like where i had them located. I've got the 2011 XTX so i'm going to have to make sure the heat exchanger is not in the way if not then this should work great.

 

[Yamaha Power to Satisfy]

Used to have the same bag and really liked it (stolen in a break in, not off the sled).
The girlfriend liked it as well, when she rode double she enjoyed the extra bit of comfort it added. Tiny little rise from the bag gave her reassurance of not falling off the back of the sled. Guess I could have slowed down, but where is the fun in that?

 

[Viper_Dave]

I mounted mine on my Attak with a loop of nylon strap from an old set of bags. Pop riveted it in the same location as your u bolt. Very unobtrusive when not using the bags.