I am looking for some luggage wisdom from all that have been there and done that.. I am planning on doing all or part of the TAT next summer on my TE610 I have looked at Wolfman and Dirtbags and I keep returning back to Wolfman. I will need to build the support bars in the rear(something like the Dirtbags uses) to accommodate my rack (Home built) but I don't see an issue with that. Note the stock reinf bracket under the rack is not used in my setup. All thoughts welcome Dan L
Eric (Wolfman) sews the DirtBagz products. Not sure if that makes a difference but just thought I'd pass that on. I own both brands' Cordura products and have abused them extensively. Can't go wrong with either one, IMO.
Pannier, Tank Bag, Duffle & Fuel Options Panniers: I agree with NC about the Dirt & Wolfman Panniers - great products. I'm using the DirtBagz and they are fine. One thing I didn't think of when I purchase them is how wet they and their contents can get in a "spirited" steam crossing - water gets in easier than it gets out. If I was starting over again I'd probably opt for the Wolfman Expedition panniers to get something more water resistant. However, you can pack your stuff inside plastic within the DirtBagz if you want. Tanks Bags: I started with Wolfman's Enduro Tank Bag. It's great works perfectly, but doesn't hold as much as I want. After several trips, I'm realizing that for me the tank bag is the most convenient place for the stuff I use the most (camera, binoculars [I'm a biologist and can't resist looking at birds & reptiles], tire gage, hat, etc). If I carry that stuff in a backpack, I find that I don't use those things as much because they are harder to access. If I carry them in a tail bag or a duffel I also don't use them as much. So I needed a larger tank bag. I've mounted the Wolfman Explorer Lite and I like it a lot. It isn't the bag for aggressive offroad riding as jumps and sudden rider-forward motion can make your eyes cross , but if you're the wandering "tread lightly" sort it works well. I adapted the front mounting straps to attach with the screws holding the radiator shrouds and tank plastics. Unsnap to fuel. Stop to stop turns and the bars touch the bag, but the bag doesn't obstruct them. The bag is wide and contacts my legs when I grip the tank, but doesn't interfere with a good grip. Because of wide bottom on the bag it will shift (roll as opposed to yaw or pitch) by a slight amount, but it is well attached and stable. Tail bag & Duffel: I use a Wolfman Tailbag for short trips and a Wolfman Duffel for long trips. My tail rack is the PM Billet and I've reinforced the tail rack subassembly. When using the duffel I often mount a 2 gallon Rotopax flat fuel container to the rack and carry the duffel on the fuel pack. This gets the weight a little high and I notice the balance when placing the bike on its stand or picking it up from a FDGB. If I'm tired I usually have to unpack the bike to pick it up (I usually ride alone and picking up a fallen bike is the main time I wish I had a partner!). If I had the fabrication skills I would replace the Dirtbagz supports with Rotopax fuel mounts. I'd then use the Rotopax fuel/water containers as the pannier supports. That would keep fuel/water low and close and improve balance. If you visit my albums you can find photos of some of these modifications. http://www.cafehusky.com/forums/album.php?u=230 Howard L. Snell
Well, I'm still in the dark ages with my doggy panniers and ProMotoBillet rack with gas can on top, so what do I know... However, if I had the money, I'd probably go with one of these... http://www.giantloopmoto.com/pages/the-big-idea I like the idea that you can still ride it like a dirt bike and not have to worry about your stuff. I wish it was made with waterproof material, but you can't have everything As far as water-proofing DirtBagz or whatever, I wash my bags in waterproofing so as to make them somewhat water-resistant In the past, if I thought there was going to be rain or creek crossings, I'd put my extra clothes, gloves, etc. in a zip-loc baggie. In the future, I will just use one of the many light-weight roll-top dry bags available on the market today as a pannier liner. Check out Cabela's if you're looking, as they have quite a few choices. The ones I would use as pannier liners are very inexpensive. Howard, I really like the idea of using the water/fuel containers as part of the pannier support system. Good use of space, and having the weight down low is always good
Howard, just got through looking at all of your pics. Nice job and thanks for all the helpful info. The license plate raise was the first thing I did last year when I got the bike. Not to hijack the thread, but how did your valve check turn out. Were you checking it correctly? Back on the subject, I have been wondering the same thing about bags. I like that Giant Loop Thing! I've really only considered DirtBagz/Wolfman. Stace
luggage If you check out the Giantloop link posted previously, search and you will find a waterproof version saddle bag that is a little bigger than the giant loop bag that is called Great Basin.
Yeah, I saw that one but I think it's pretty large for a dirtbike. I think it's geared toward the GS/KLR crowd? WoodsChick
+1 on the giant loop. in march i did 15 days in baja with 4 xr 650r's and 1 ktm 525. one of the xr's had the giant loop and i was impressed. it seemed to carry the weight very good and did not need a steel rack. they also avoid the constant cactus needles in the single track. i am going to put one on my te 450 for a november baja trip. backroadsmoto.com is a dealer of all three and Berg the owner can help you with deciding what is best for your trip.
