MO Tested: Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage Review

In 2010, Wolfman created its first rackless system for mounting modular bags to a variety of bikes.  With the knowledge gained over a decade of use, Wolfman released the updated Unrack System in 2020. The new E-Base for smaller bikes and B-Base for larger ones are constructed of two layers of 840 denier TPU that sandwich a layer of plastic for strength. The Base lays over the back of the bike like a saddle, mounting via replaceable straps to the tail section and two lower frame pieces, like passenger pegs, and provides a stable base for the bags. Every mounting strap is replaceable. So, you’re not out of luck should you accidentally melt one on your bike’s exhaust. (Don’t ask how I know.)

Because the Base is the platform for most of Wolfman’s bags to mount, it has multiple laser-cut webbing slots in addition to 1- and 2-in. D-rings to use as attachment points. When fully mounted to the base, the Rolie bags in the saddlebag position on the legs will have no less than six attachment points on the Base. Center-mounted bags on the seat area of the Base will have 4 attachment points. 

For some, paint is a delicate subject, and I would be negligent if I didn’t mention it here. One disadvantage that soft bags have compared to rigid-mounted ones is that, invariably, the bags or the Base come in contact with the painted surfaces (or shiny plastic) on your bike’s tail section. Because of the movement of these non-rigidly-mounted bags against the bodywork’s surface, some dulling will occur. Now, add in the jostling and the dust kicked up by riding off road, and you are guaranteed to return from a week-long trip with bodywork that shows some wear. It’s the nature of the adventure-touring beast. You can try to mitigate the damage by covering the shiny parts with a protective film, but if you want to keep your bike’s finish pristine, perhaps this type of luggage isn’t for you. Consider hard bags or buying a second set of rear bodywork for hanging at the local coffee house. Personally, I see this type of wear as a badge of adventure-touring honor.

Rolies are Wolfman’s variation on the venerable dry bag with the fold-to-seal end. If you’ve ever done any backcountry water travel, you’ll be immediately familiar with how to seal these bags. Wolfman has designed these with rectangular bottoms to help them maintain their shape. The 840 denier, TPU-coated material used to form the bags is hella tough, as I learned after a few tipovers, and all seams are radio-frequency welded for strength and waterproofness. To mount the bags to the Base system, the exterior material receives a series of laser cuts to accommodate webbing. To maintain watertightness, a lighter waterproof layer is welded to the interior of the bag. Sealing up a Rolie is as simple as folding the opening over on itself a few times and using the plastic clips to form a loop and hold the bag closed. 

Three sizes of Rolies hold 6 ($80), 12 ($95), and 20 liters ($110) of cargo, and because the bags are so easily removed from the Base, buying different sizes for different carrying needs is possible. Rolies perform best when they are in a sweet spot of fullness, neither underfilled nor stuffed to bursting. To make loading cargo easier, Wolfman sells appropriately-sized stuff bags to slide in and out of the Rolie while it is mounted on the bike. 

In my time testing the Wolfman gear, I traveled with both the small and large Rolies on different trips. For an overnight outing on my KLX300, small Rolies on the Base’s legs with a medium Rolie in the center (for 24 liters total capacity) was just about perfect for my trial run on the Kawasaki. On a six-day adventure tour on a Ténéré 700, I used two large Rolies on the legs and another bag I’ll cover in a bit since I was carrying gear for two-plus people. 

During days on the road/trail, the Rolies proved to be great for carrying my gear. However, they have some characteristics that need to be discussed. First, Rolies attach to the Base’s legs via six separate points. There is no way they are going to fall off. Also, because the Base is strapped, not bolted, to the bike, there will be a little movement of the luggage when traveling over rough terrain. I’m not saying the system will shift on the bike, but rather, that there is a little play in the non-rigid system. YOU MUST RESIST THE URGE TO CRANK DOWN ON THE STRAPS SECURING THE ROLIES. If you go Incredible Hulk on the straps, you force the inner and outer layers of the bags to pull against each other (the outer layer is being pulled one direction by the strap while the inner layer is being held in place by friction between it and the cargo) and possibly shear the waterproof inner liner. Simply snug the four 1-in. webbing attachment points down, then close the 2-in. webbing clips and tighten them until they are snug. The Rolies may move around in their mounts over the rough stuff, but there is no way your gear will fall off. 

I comment on this at such length because I damaged a pair of large Rolies on the first day of our six-day ride by tightening the bags as much as I could. While Wolfman would warranty this repair, it was clearly my fault, and perhaps Wolfman should consider putting a flier inside of each Rolie with a detailed explanation of how to tighten them down. For the remainder of the trip, I simply snugged the straps down, and everything worked the way it should. (Wolfman’s YouTube channel has a great video showing how to cinch down a Rolie the proper amount.)

On our extended adventure tour, almost one bike’s complete carrying capacity was consumed by video gear. So, my bike, the Yamaha Ténéré 700, needed to carry more than just my gear. We opted for a $165 medium Expedition Duffel. Measuring 11 x 12 x 24 in., the bag is capable of carrying 50 liters of gear, and the list was extensive: 3 tents, a tripod, a JetBoil stove, a camp chair, a pair of Teva sandals, large battery pack with charging cables, and all the accessories I need to download and backup my photos while traveling. To top it off, on the last day, I also wedged my Think Tank Streetwalker 2.0 backpack containing 15 lb. of camera gear into it. The duffel is huge!

The Expedition Duffel features a flat bottom and the same RF-welded seam construction as all of Wolfman’s current generation gear. Instead of the laser-cut slots for attachment to the bike, 2-in. D-rings are used to handle the additional weight that can be packed into the large size. The opening is along the top of the bag instead of the ends, as with the Rolies, giving you excellent access to the contents. However, this is not a bag that you want to use for cargo that you need to frequently access. Opening the bag requires that you release six clips (2 bike mounts, 2 bag top closures, and 2 end closures). Also, since the bag is released from its mount, it will try to slide off a bike that’s on its side stand. 

Still, the $165 Expedition Duffel will swallow your gear, keep it dry, and secure it to your bike for the long haul. 

The Zip-R Bag takes a Rolie and adds both a second flat rectangular end and a waterproof zippered closure. The small ($105), medium ($110), and large ($130) sizes hold 5.3, 10.6, and 18.0 liters, respectively. The Zip-R Bag attaches to the Base the same way that the Rolies do, so the same caveats apply. The zipper, however, makes this bag an ideal place for gear you need to access quickly on a ride. Additionally, there are straps on the opening end of the bag that allow you to strap gear to while on the road. Ryan took advantage of this to hold his waterproof REV’IT! Component H2O jacket for most of our sunny six-day ride. When that one big rain hit, he was ready. (Since my rain gear was buried in my bags, I opted to get wet.) The top of the Zip-R Bag also has a bungee cord that can hold gloves at a stop or strap down larger gear temporarily. 

Since we mostly ride in the arid Southwest, the Wolf Bottle Holster ($45) is a necessary accessory for our trips. It features the same beefy construction and mounting system and is capable of holding a 48-oz. Nalgene water bottle. The bottle is securely held yet easy to access on the trail.