Soft Saddlebags - Continued

My earlier post covered some of the big bags that are available, now I will try to touch on some of the more compact options. It has been said that the bigger bags you have, the more crap you will end up taking. There is a lot of truth to that, but then again you also need something versatile enough to adjust to your load, because you don't really want to look like the Beverly Hillbillies going down the trail. There have been several times while loading my bike where I have come to a point where one of my bags may be full, yet I really don't need a top bag, yet if I add that top bag, I could almost go without the saddlebags. Having a versatile system allows you adjust to the amount of gear you need to take.

For soft luggage most of my experience is with the Ortlieb Dry Saddlebags, the Dirtbagz Ranger Saddlebags and the Wolfman Expedition Saddlebags.

Ortlieb Dry Saddlebags
http://www.aerostich.com/ortlieb-dry-bag-saddlebags.html

These bags come in at about 39 Liters per pair and are available in Black and yellow and cost $197.

Here are my high mileage Ortliebs on my DR650. These bags really need a rack underneath them to keep them from flopping around on Dual Sport bikes, and once mounted, they are very secure. I am running the Happy Trails SU Side Racks on this bike and they work very well with these bags.
http://www.happy-trail.com/Departments/Motorcycle-Luggage/Happy-Trail-Luggage-Systems/SU-Side-Racks.aspx

These bags are 100% waterproof and work very well, but they do have some issues. First thing is that the straps that go over the seat on my bags are a little short, making them impossible to use on bigger bikes like my KTM 950 Adventure or the V-Strom 650 that I used to own. The next issue that I think could be improved is that the straps mount between the bag and the foam backing they have, in if you crash with these, there is a chance that the strap will rip out and it will be very difficult to strap these down again. I really think they need a removable strap and buckle, so there is a another point that can fail without damaging the actual bag.

Here is what I am talking about, after a lowside in Baja Mexico, the strap was torn out and I had to use whatever was available to secure the bag.

Dirtbagz Ranger bags
http://www.dbzproducts.com/

I have ridden with a lot of people that had the Dirtbagz, and I have always though that they were tough, cheap and well designed bags. When I bought a WR250R, I knew I wanted a lighter setup, co I chose the larger Ranger bags from Dirtbagz.

These bags were big enough for a light camping setup and with a top bag, they are plenty for Dual Sport camping trips. These bags are not waterproof, but they will hold out some water, so packing your gear in liner bags is a good idea. The Rangers are 15 liters each and only cost $260 with the racks! The only real drawbacks with these bags are the lack of waterproofness and the racks are not super heavy duty and not really good for anything other than these bags.


Wolfman Expedition Saddlebags

http://www.dualsportwarehouse.com/Wolfman-Luggage-Expedition-Dry-Saddle-Bag-EX505.htm
The Wolfman Expedition bags are a very versatile bag that can adapt to either factory racks, aftermarket rack or Wolfman's own Sideracks. http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/Racks/index_Side_Racks.html

I really like these bags, they are 100% Waterproof and easy to mount and load, plus they have attachment points to attach other items like water and fuel containers, or other small bags.

Here is Roger Springborn's DR650 on the left with the Wolfman bags.

Roger is running home made racks here, but later switched to the Wolfman racks and then added the Rotopax fuel container mount like this:

The Expedition bags hold 19 liters each or 38 per pair and you can actually squeeze out a couple more liters with the tall opening. Wolfman's Teton bags are the same design in a non waterproof ballistic nylon design.

In my opinion, the Wolfman Expedition bags are the best setup for small to medium dual sport and adventure bikes. Larger bikes with factory racks could probably benefit from these or a larger set of bags.

These bags run $219 per pair and the racks run $215 to $305 depending on the application.


Giant Loop Great Basin Saddlebag
http://www.giantloopmoto.com/collections/giant-loop-gear-collection/products/great-basin-saddlebag-1

Coming in at $399, The Great Basin bag is a unique piece in that it doesn't require racks, and keeps the load low and close to the rider, this makes it a great option for those rides that can get technical. The capacity on these is 60 liters, but it takes up space on your seat, so you can't carry quite as much as you could with actual saddlebags and a top back, but your bike will probably handle quite a bit better. Giant Loop also offers the Coyote, which is very similar to the Great Basin, just smaller.

Nomad Rider Venture Saddlebag
http://www.nomadrider.com/venturebaglarge.aspx

This bag is a Giant Loop knockoff, and while they may have taken some liberties in the design department, they also managed to change a few things as well. These bags are 55 liters and also do not require racks to support them. From what I hear, the design on these is of a lower quality then the Giant Loop bag and they also have less material covering the main zipper, which could allow in more dust.

There are plenty of straps to mount this bag to the bike and also attachment points to strap on other bags like a tent bag, dry bag or a camp chair. They also have small zippered pockets which is a nice bonus.

Overall this is a very interesting bag, as its considerably cheaper than the GL bag, coming in at $239

Well that's it for this installment, I'd love to hear your questions or comments on the bags! Safe riding!!
Once again, many of these items are available from Dual Sport Warehouse!
http://www.dualsportwarehouse.com/main.sc