Review: Ducati Performance Rear Tail bag for Monster 696/796/1100

I have been looking for a decent tail bag for my monster and after looking at a few options, decided to go with the Ducati Performance (DP), rear tail bag, as it is designed for the bike and from the pictures I saw on the web, seemed to fit well with the bike.  I was not able to go check it out in-person at the dealership, but went ahead and ordered it.

I also could not find any decent reviews on this bag, like how much it would carry (other than that it had a capacity of 18L, which to me means absolutely nothing!), would it fit a laptop, an ipad, a camera etc.  Also if it would fit with the passenger grab bars installed on the bike.  So with that in mind, some thoughts on the bag and pictures.

What comes in the box? - actually there is no box, the bag included the base, which goes on the seat, a rain cover and a strap to make the bag into a backpack. Oh, and some useless instructions.

Finish:  A little disappointing for the price, which can range from $250 to $280, depending on the dealer.  I needed it urgently, so paid in the middle.  Back to finish, it had threads hanging in a few places (see pic), the zipper seems  cheap (the expansion zipper stuck a little), but lets see if it lasts. The inside of the bag has sort of a cardboard piece which helps hold its shape. Overall,  it is made of nylonishy, type of material. It does have some reflective material on the bag which looks good. The shape, if it holds it fits nicely with the bike.  The finish of the base seems better than the bag itself.

Fit: The base goes on the back of the seat and the holes on it line up with the two screws that hold in the seat cover.  Had to struggle a bit to get it all to line up, but overall it fit well.  It was also super easy to zip/ upzip the bag from the base.  Still concerned about the zipper, when the bag is full, as that is the only thing holding the bag to the base - no other supporting straps.

What can you fit in it? A laptop (10 inch netbook) or an ipad will not lie flat in the base of the bag, however, once you fill it up halfway you can lay it flat about mid-way.  In terms of other things, with the bag extended, I was able to fit in 3 t-shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of sweat pants (the thin kind), pair of flip flops, 3 pairs of socks, a netbook, a charger and some toiletries - with a little room to spare.  So from the looks of it, you can pack enough for a couple of days in here.

What about the base? The base has two little pockets on the side.  These are zippered with a velcro flap covering it. Pockets are good enough for a cell phone, little camera, etc.  With the passenger grab bars installed, your use of these pockets is limited.

So overall, the bag looks decent, seems like it will carry enough, but lets see how long it will last.  I'm still not sure if it is worth the high price.