Summary

The Wolfman Expedition Dry Saddle Bags are a great option for waterproof motorcycle luggage. They offer a unique strapping system and a good size that allows reasonable capacity without being too wide for offroad riding.

 Intro

Wolfman was founded in 1992 in Colorado and they proudly offer products that are made in the USA. Wolfman has created a loyal following by producing high quality motorcycle luggage and providing a high level of service to their customers.

Construction

The Expedition Dry Saddle Bags are constructed of RF welded heavy duty 22 oz vinyl for the body and 34 oz vinyl for the bottom. The closure is a standard roll top closure with plastic buckles on the sides to hold it closed. There is also a strap and plastic buckle that comes across the top after the bag is closed.

Wolfman also includes a flexible hard vinyl liner that helps protect the bag from damage from the inside and gives the bag some shape to make it easier to pack. The liner is a great feature and it really enhances the usability of the bags.

There are two wide straps with large plastic buckles that come over the seat and each bag has four additional mount points to hold them close to the bike. The four additional mount points are part of their “Universal Saddlebag Straps” system. These straps connect to the rack by passing a small plastic buckle back though a sewn in metal buckle making a loop around the mount point. It works like button.

The mount points are integrated into the strap that travels across the bags and it is all part of a compression system that allows you to snug the bag up to the bike and keep your luggage from shifting around while riding.

Wolfman has also built these bags with replaceable straps. If you trim a strap too short or break a buckle you can order replacements and keep your bag in service longer.

Installation

Installing the Expedition Dry saddlebags was pretty simple, but it did take a good bit of adjustment to really get them how I wanted them. Once you get through the adjustment process you don't have to do that every time.

The first thing I did was buckle the seat straps together and hang the bags across the bike. I adjusted the seat straps to hang the bags level but with a little room to move so I could attach the other mount points easier.

The tricky part is finding just the right spot to attach your other straps. These straps will be used to hold the bag from sliding around and keep them stable against the bike. The good part is they can be looped around almost anything. The bad part is you have to find a mount point on a rack that won't allow them slide around. With my racks I have large openings and the first couple of tries allowed the straps to slide around on the rack and the bags would get loose. Once you find a mount point that keeps the strap from sliding around you will have a solid installation.

Size and Use

My main goal was to try and get side bags that would hold my emergency gear and items that I don’t need frequent access to. The Expedition Dry Bags were able to accommodate those needs with room to spare. These bags provide a total of 38 liters of capacity. The great thing about dry bags is they can be adjusted with the top roll to make them smaller or add a little more capacity if needed. One thing to keep in mind is you need about 3 rolls to keep it waterproof.

I found access to be easier than I was expecting. I can quickly get in and out of these bags with no issues. I added the bottle holsters to the back for water bottles and fuel bottles. The largest bottle that will fit is a 1 liter Aquafina bottle. It barely fits, but you can get it in there.

On my first ride I found the top front seat buckle was in my way and the bags kept sliding forward. Before the next ride I adjusted the mounting position and moved the bags further back. On my second attempt I was able to keep the bags in position and avoid sitting on the plastic buckle. The bags will work great, but you need to experiment with your mounting to get it right.

What Could Be Improved

There are a couple of things I would change on these bags. Instead of using two large plastic buckles on the cross straps I would change it to large strips of velcro or move the buckles to one of the bags. The top plastic buckles are large and if you have to sit on them they are not comfortable. I was unable to run the straps under the seat on the KLR because of the voltage regulator so they had to be over my seat in order to work. If you needed to carry a passenger you would have to install some sort of pad over these buckles to make it comfortable.

Wolfman does offer a solution to this already. I found out about their "Happy Passenger" straps shortly after publishing this review. They are cheap too! Retail price comes in at $16.49 so it is probably worth picking those up when you order your bags.

The second thing I would change is the way the bags attach to the racks. The "Universal Saddlebag Straps" system is a cool design, but I would like to see these straps as a separate piece with a small clip to attach it to the bag. This would allow me to remove the bags from my bike very quickly and I would not have to try and remember my mount points when I put them back on. The straps would still be in place and I could quickly snap the bags back on.

Final Opinion

I have had a great experience with the Wolfman Expedition Dry Saddlebags. I have ridden them in the rain, crashed them, and taken them up to interstate speeds and they have served me well so far. Spending the time to find the best way to strap them on makes all the difference. The convenience of the bottle holsters and compression straps makes these bags a very well rounded product. If you are in need of some tough waterproof saddlebags you can’t go wrong with these. They can be a bit expensive at a retail price of $259.00, but you get what you pay for. These bags can easily be repaired and all parts are replaceable so the service life of the Expedition dry saddlebags will give you a great value for your money.

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or would like to know anything I may have forgotten to mention please feel free to leave a comment and I will respond as quickly as possible. The opinions in this review are my own. If you found this review helpful, please consider supporting our sponsors with future purchases.