Wolfman Enduro Saddle Bags

Just got my Wolfman saddle bags yesterday from Dual Sport Armory. Doug was very helpful in providing pics and the shipping was super speedy. It wasn't five minutes after I ordered that I got an email saying they had shipped already!

The bags look to be great quality and will be plenty roomie enough for my simple needs. My only issue is the right side bag. It sits right on top of my FMF Q4. Not cool.... literally! My solution was to mount the saddles further forward than where you would normally mount saddle bags. It actually worked out pretty good this way and the angle of the bags compliments the lines of the side covers on the bike. It took a while to figure out where to place all the straps for a tight and solid fit, but I think I have it now. When I sit on the seat, the bags are right behind my calves and not in the way at all. There is plenty of clearance between the Q4 and the bottom of the right side bag.

Eventually I will fab some sort of brace or bar to keep the right side bag off the pipe, so I can mount the bags further towards the rear. But for now, this setup will work just fine. I have a bunch of T-shirts stuffed in the bags right now, just to give them some shape and so I could get a feel for riding with full bags. A short spin down the road and I was happy with the fit and feel. No problems at all. The right side bag does not get too hot on the bottom and the bags hold tight at highway speeds. You don't even notice they are there.

I agree with you, those look awesome mounted like that. They follow the lines of the WR perfect. It's like Wolfman used the WR as the model!! Keep us posted on how they work out for you.

Those look great, Mark! How many beers will it hold?

Great looking rig Mark!

Lovely...

1 question:

Is there any sort of quick releases?

mtb wrote:

Lovely...

1 question:

Is there any sort of quick releases?

I'm sorry to say there is no quick release. You must undo the four straps to remove the bags. I supose you could have some quick releases sewn onto the straps if you wanted. It's really not that bad to take on and off. About a minute job to take off, and a few minutes to install.

SheWolf wrote:

Those look great, Mark! How many beers will it hold?

I would guess about 12 cans per side. I would test it and let you know, but there is never a full 12 pack around here to try.

Hmmm.. ok...

so 3 on the top of the seat... 1 below the rear fender... and 2 to the frame?

anything needs to be secured under the seat?

Nothing under the seat. The three straps connecting the two bags are adjustable for the width of the bike and they just sit over top of the seat. Then there are two additional straps on each bag. Two to the rear and two forward. I strapped the forward ones around the frame and the rear straps went around the subframe rail under the tail. What would be nice is if the two rear straps had quick disconnects, so you could simply run them back under the tail and clip them together instead of strapping them seperatly to the subframe.

The other nice feature is what they call the Y-straps. They are on the bags themselves and you cinch them tight after you get the bags loaded. They draw up the slack in the bags and keep your gear from bouncing around inside the bag. I have found that when you empty the bags, you can wad up the bags nice and flat against the bike and draw up these Y-straps to keep them there. Now you can ride with the bags on all the time and you hardly notice they are there.

ah ok... that's pretty detailed.. thanks Mark

why didn't you buy the Euro tool pack (or something like that) to complete the set?

and 1 very important question... how's the water proofing ability?

I was thinking about another tailbag to compliment these, but I already had the blue one and it cost a pretty penny so I guess I'm stuck with it unless I can sell it to someone.

As for the waterproofticity (is that a word?) I really haven't put them to the test yet. You know I don't like to ride in the rain.

The material has like a rubber coating on the inside so it should be fairly waterproof. To quote their web site... "Full Highly Coated 1680 Denier Ballistic fabric construction. With foam and Non-slip Tough-Tek on the bike side."

The bags also have big heavy duty YYK zippers with a large flap over them to keep the water out of the zippered area. Just to play it safe, I have sprayed the whole outer part of the bags with 303 Fabric Guard. This stuff is great for most fabrics and makes the water bead right off. We use it on our boat cushions and bimini top canvas to keep them waterproof and guard against mold and stains. And it also stops the ultraviolet light from fading the material.

How well do they work? Are they worth the money?

Mark... you've always got good information

Does that mean if I can find the 303 products, I can just apply them to my back packs and increase its water resistance?

Tibarus wrote:

How well do they work? Are they worth the money?

Well I haven't officially used them for a ride yet. Just a quick test ride yesterday after I installed them. I think they will be great for dual sporting. Plenty of room for gear for a day trip, or even an overnighter when combined with a tailbag and/or tankbag. The way I have them mounted, the side covers and seat will support all the load, so I imagine you could pack them full of whatever you wanted. They are strong enough to hold the weight. I didn't think the price was too bad either, considering I paid about the same amount for my tailbag (although that was custom made).

mtb wrote:

Mark... you've always got good information

Does that mean if I can find the 303 products, I can just apply them to my back packs and increase its water resistance?

Sure thing. The 303 stuff is great on most all fabrics, even fine leather (so they say). Give your backpack a good soaking with it, and let it dry real good before using it in the weather. It will not discolor the fabric. It will darken the fabric when first applied, but then it lightens back up to the normal color after it dries. I'm not going to claim it will make them 100% waterproof, but it's darn close.

Does your boss know you are surfing the forums all day? You know, if you want to come work for me you can't be playing on the internet during business hours. NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!

It's almost bed time for me.... 11.16PM

I shall work in my dream

Sorry. I forgot where you were for a minute. Good thing you didn't make your bed this morning. You can just dive on in.

Don't forget to move that helmet out of the way first.

Mwakey, you should try mounting them like this:













HF

SWEET! Nice job, H5!! That gives me an idear....

Looking good HF. How do you like them?

I had thought of doing the under the seat mount but with the Q4 and no heat shield it was a little close to the silencer on the right side. I don't have a rack on the back either so the rear strap has to go a little lower to the subframe under the tail which also puts the bag closer to the Q4 heat. I supose if I loaded the right bag light and cinched it up real tight with the V-strap it would work like that. I just didn't want to burn my new luggage before I had a chance to use them. I would ultimately like to get them a little further back to give me more legroom. But until I can fab some sort of shield or bar to keep the bag off the Q4 I am stuck with where they are. I really don't notice the straps over the seat when I'm sitting on it. I like your look better, but another reason for going over the seat is to get the bags off faster without removing the seat.

I'm just testing them out right now. I've gotten to use them commuting and then on one good, long DS ride last weekend. Fantastic bags, I think. They look small, yet hold so much! Crazy...in a good way. Must be the shape, angles, & openings....I donno, but they just plum work. Nicely built too. Perfect for stuffing a MSR Fuel Bottle into!

You could still put them under the seat up front where you have them...so you don't have to sit on the straps. You think the straps don't bother you. Great! Take a real ride (all day), then, tell me what you think.

Regarding the Q4, or any aftermarket pipe for that matter, I believe I'm developing a simple, effective solution. You can see I re-installed my stock pipe for the initial test run. Meanwhile, I've been thinking & tinkering. I'm not thru yet...so no photos, but you can picture this.

Using some narrow aluminum bar stock (like 1" wide x 1/8" thick).....from Lowes or Home Depot, make some "Z" brackets in the vise. Real short ones to serve as standoffs on the Can. Drill a hole in the top part and attach to the stock heat shield (3 places). Then position it onto the Can in proper spot and using big hose clamps, cinch down the bottom portion of the "Z" to the muffler. Voila!

That's what I'm working on....anyway. Probably dip the "Z" in some Plasti-dip (rubber coating). The stock heat shield actually looks pretty nifty on the Q4. Its a good fit and color match. This would be an easy solution with minimal expense, if it works. Best of all, its completely removeable.

HF

You've got the stock heat shield working with the Q4? I'd love to see pics of that.

I was thinking of just getting a simple bar made to mount from one of the rear peg bolt holes (I removed the rear pegs) up to the hole next to where the can mounts. Picture a round aluminum bar shaped like a towel rack with mounting pads welded on each end. Maybe a flat piece welded in the middle to support the bag contents better. The guy who builds our towers and T-tops for our boats said he can fab one for me once I get it drawn out on paper and decide how I want it to look. I'll post up pics when I get it done.

well when you get that completed, let me know i would love to see it.

I have a few designs already, but I'm a picky MF when it comes to how it looks. I'll post up some pics when it's done.