Recommendations for a pillion dry-bag?

stevec677 · Apr 21, 2015

I just bought the medium size Wolfman bag. Last night I was looking at how to attach it to the bike. I don't want it to rub on the paint, so I removed the passenger seat and ran the straps crisscrossed under the seat and then clipped the seat back in place. It seemed to work perfectly. The only down fall I can see is the you have to remove the seat to take the bag off. Has anyone else tried this method? Is this bad? Am I missing something?

puppychow · Apr 21, 2015

I run one pair of straps to the bar under the front seat on my Gen 1. The other pair of straps are secured to the Givi bars.

I don't have to take the seat off to remove the bag, I just unclip the strap buckles.

No paint rubbing and easy on, easy off FTW!

SacramentoMike · Apr 21, 2015

stevec677 said:
I just bought the medium size Wolfman bag. Last night I was looking at how to attach it to the bike. I don't want it to rub on the paint, so I removed the passenger seat and ran the straps crisscrossed under the seat and then clipped the seat back in place. It seemed to work perfectly. The only down fall I can see is the you have to remove the seat to take the bag off. Has anyone else tried this method? Is this bad? Am I missing something?

Might be. What kind of straps are you talking about? If you use Rok Straps there are places to loop the ends on the framework under the seat--I use the rear footpeg brackets and also the Garauld rack, which gives lots of mounting points. The stock tail piece could be used, but it's not nearly as handy. Never a problem with the paint after many miles. I'd hate to have to remove my seat to get at my bag.

I usually don't have a pillion, so I just leave the straps crossed across the back seat when not in use. Always there and hooked up, always ready for a large box from Costco or odd-shaped cargo, as needed.

I have the XL DryPak duffel, which is big enough to hold everything I've ever needed, including all the camping gear. It extends over the side case latches, so it's tough to get into them when the duffel is mouted, so I try to pack with that in mind and don't usually need to get into them until I stop for the night (tail and tank bags serve for the stuff I want to keep handy). The duffel itself holds only camping and other end-of-day things, never a warmer/cooler jacket, rain gear, or anything I might need at any time.

puppychow · Apr 21, 2015

stevec677 said:
I removed the passenger seat and ran the straps crisscrossed under the seat and then clipped the seat back in place. It seemed to work perfectly. The only down fall I can see is the you have to remove the seat to take the bag off. Has anyone else tried this method? Is this bad? Am I missing something?

Why criss-crossed under the passenger seat I wonder. On the Gen 3, aren't there mount points for the straps on the subframe, or maybe what the front seat latches to, etc? I haven't seen what it looks like under the Gen3 seats, so just wondering. Refer to my earlier post, just above, as to how I strap my Wolfman bag on the Gen 1.

I am also thinking that you are using the straps which come with the Wolfman - which have worked great for me on the FJR, but I have Rok straps for my V-Strom, when I want to use the same bag on it - that way I don't have to move straps between bikes.

Whichever of those two straps you use, you should be able to just unbuckle the straps to remove the bag. I am not entirely sure why the passenger seat has to be removed in your case.

stevec677 · Apr 22, 2015

ok, I think I figured out what I did wrong. When I got the straps with the bag, I attached them to the loops on the bag. I should take the straps off the bag and attach them to the bike. Then use them to hold the bag on. I did buy the Rok straps, so I will just use those. Thanks for helping me "see the light". I think the winter was too long and my brain froze.