Guys!

I'm leaving with the missus for RTW trip 2up in August and am thinking of getting this setup on my dl650 weestrom:

Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage - Rainier Tank Bag

AND

Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage - Dry Tank panniers

AND ALSO

Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage - Dry Duffels - two small ones as I'll be taking Givi Paniers and Topcase.

I need the tankbag to carry all the electrics - camera, camcorder, lenses, accessories, sat phone, gps and laptop - do you think it will cope with this setup? Do you know how these backpack shoulder straps work? Are they any good? How long does it take to put the tankbag on and off?

I was also thinking about the Touratech range - specificaly: Touratech UK Webshop - the photographer tankbag - really like the compartment idea and if it had a seperate place to put the laptop I think I would seriously consider it. There is also a tankbag combining the duffels as well but not waterproof: Touratech UK Webshop

I'm also wondering how to resolve the fluids issue on the bike - water/additional petrol - where should i put it? Bear in mind the plastic Givi Panniers - not the fancy alluminium ones with the straight sides.

The bike we're using two up is DL650 Wee strom!

HELP!

All comments would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Andy

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Have a look at pelican paniers.
Bill

Sorry Bill,

We already have the Givi panniers and Topcase bought and they seem to be ok in my opinion. Had a lot of good reviews from people using them on BMW and Vstroms so I think we'll stay with them.

Andy

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Hi Andy,
That's a ton of electronics to be hauling around in a tank bag. Will you be taking the tank bag off at each lunch, sight seeing stop and carrying it with you?

I have the Wolfman Ranier on my DR and the older version Denali on my F650GS and use it primarily for snack bars, note book and my DSLR in it's own camera bag. I use the waterproof cover when it rains and have both these tank bags padded with some foam. I definitely wouldn't be able to fit a spare lens or a laptop into the Ranier. You mention that you have a Givi top box - have you considered padding the base and keeping your electronics in here except for the camera which you want quick access to. Safely locked away when you are off the bike. I use a pelican 1500 as a top box on my DR for that purpose.

I have no experience with the TT tankbags, so can't comment on the size and capacity.

Regarding fuel, have you thought about custom making some mounts/brackets onto your fairing or engine crash bar's if you have them for the extra fuel or water. Weight will be down low.

Hope this helps and safe riding.

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Central America, South America & Africa on DR650's - BLOG

Hi Andy

For the tankbag, have you considered the PacSafe 25lt tankbag? It is fully waterproof, mesh lined and is lockable to the bike, plus it comes with straps to carry it as a backpack, although I never used it for that prupose.

It zips off the base easily enough, unless you have locked it to the bike, which would be an extra minute or so to remove it.

I carried a 3lt camelback water bladder in there, plus all my snacks, all my documents(always need to be close at hand) plus it stored maps, my music and I installed a powered connection to charge some items.

For fuel, I cannot advise because you have soft bags, I had aluminium panniers so I could mount all sorts of extras onto that. I would not conside rmounting fuel containers in a non protective location like the crash bars, in case you have a crash, water would be fine for down there though.

Cheers
TS

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www.travellingstrom.com

Wolfman is good kit.

.. Too much for one bag, lap top will be of little use most of time any way. gps you may want a mount for that. Sat pone in a bag someplace else. Lenses ever try to stop the bike pull out a slr swap out lenses and get the shot? Now try it with that fully loaded bike not going to happen. Get a point and shoot for wide and zoom for the slr put the rest in top box.
If you want to shoot out of tank bag only have your camera in it, you will not have time to deal with anything else in it. Side bags are a grate way to deal with the rest of the stuff. If not then a bag in the top box to hold the rest will be fine.
Some thing may want to look in to is what you need to take a fast 50mm a wide like 18mm and something long like 200 or 300 is nice to take. zooms can get around taking to many, like the "Bigma" the sigma 50 to 500 and a 18 to 50 will cover you in almost any shots you need. But take a fast prime there sharp work in low light and focus fast. May want to look in to a tripod as well.


For water I have water bladders and use tie downs and nets over that holds more that I will need. I also have a backpack camelback I use sometime.

Fuel only need to bring it once used a small 1 Gallon can for it used straps and a net for that as well. Do not do to much where I need more than 250 miles the wee can get me. The Wee can get good MPG if you ride slow.

This is not so much about your bags but your communication to the rest of the world - check out Skyfile if you have not already. You can compose emails and then hook the sat phone to the computer and be able to send and receive news where ever the phone has signal. We used this on a sailing trip thru the Pacific Islands for daily news from home and weather reports. OH Dont forget to have some sort of backup for the computer - external hard drive flash drive whatever so that if the errant cup of coffee finds the laptop its not all lost!!

Hi!

I agree it is quite a lot of electrics but I really need all that to update the website and prepare material for the film. Main reason why I wanted to put all these expensive items i nthe tankbag is to protect them from damage when comming off the bike (which I'm sure will happen many times). I'm afraid that keeping that stuff in the topbox is the most risky location as it will be the fist thing to end up on the ground?

As for the water yes I'm thinking of custom making some mounts for the water and attaching them to the crashbars but when it commes to fuel I realy don't like the idea of attaching a container with fuel next to the engine.Unless if I put the fuel in one of the tank panniers as they are high enough not to be damaged when we come off PLUS they will be protected by spare tyres a little bit.

I understand however that the Rainier is roomy enough to fit some of the things in it and overall seems to be a good tankbag? How long does it take to take it off? Is it a problem when refueling?

Thanks,
Andy

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Sounds like a good tank bag but it's a little pricy to be honest - AU 340$ - that's about 210£ PLUS shipping. A little steep for us. Sounds like a very good bag though.

I agree that carrying fuel attached to the crashbars isn't the best option in case of a crash as you may smoke your bike and yourself!

I'll think about the bag - ask the missus

Thanks Andy

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Hi!

After reading what others said you're kinda putting a dot on the "i" I'm gonna have to reconsider my idea of keeping all the electrics in the tankbag. I think I'll stick to the DSLR in it's own bag in the tankbag + GPS + camcorder with it's accessories. The rest I guess will go into the topbox and the tank panniers and that's it.

When it comes to lenses I'm kinda set to what I think I'll need. I have a Nikon D60 with a kit lens 18-55VR. What I'm thinking of doing is getting a 18-200VR and keeping the 18-55 as a backup. Additionally get a 50mm 1.4 lens for low light situations and portraits and stuff. Above all that a small 12MGpixel compact for fast shooting when you can't be bothered taking the DSLR out the bag.

Using nets and tie downs seems like a good idea for both water and petrol. That way you're more free do decide where to attach them to the bike.

You didn't say if the set I've chosen is good enough?

Thanks!
Andy

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I didn't know about that to be honest. That skyfile - what is that where do i get that?! How do I hook the sat phone into the computer? bluetooth? do i need a special phone for that? When it commes to the computer I won't be keeping anything important on it. It will be just for updating the website and editiing the footage. All the data is going to be kept on SDHC cards and solid state hard drives hopefully when their price drops a little. If not I'll buy 6x500GB HDD and keep 2 copies of everything.

Thanks for the info!
Andy

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Here is the site - if the link does not work just do a search for skyfile

Vizada - SkyFile®, Email via Satellite

I dont know what your carrier will charge for the sat phone time but the skyfile stuff is a free service - at least for now.

Have a great trip

Lee

I'm very happy with the tankbag and the smaller outside compartments. I have a safari tank, so have the tankbag below the fuel cap on the slope towards me. No problem with refueling, but I'm guessing it would sit on top of your gas cap. It's easy enough to unbuckle 2 of the straps, flip over to refuel and then re-buckle.
Ride safe.

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Central America, South America & Africa on DR650's - BLOG

I think the wolfman will be fine, seen them come up from from a funky back pack maker in Colorado USA where you had to look hard to find anyone who sold them to what there are now selling world wide. I do not have any of there dry bags but there bags are first rate. I have a back pack from them that is 25 years old and have had there tank bag in my hands it looks like will last a good long time. Still do not have it as it is a toss up with the packsafe and my tank bag I have now still is ok. Thing is with dry bags is once some one cuts, burns, or rubs a hole in it it is not a dry bag. So you may want to take some small bags, stuff sacks, or compression bags (do not compress as they use more space when there round than when there not) to keep things in that must stay dry well dry, it will also help organizing all your stuff. There have been people ride the world with them and still use them.

I have a givi top box it is ok but do not like for long trips I like a box with a tall sides and a short lid still can not find a good reason to replace what I have as it works. Have seen people make it RTW with a givi on the back and love them. Also seen people make it with givi side box as well seen others hate them and end up dumping them and take soft boxes or have hard boxes made on the way. Seen people do the same with TT boxs on the side as well. Any thing on the bike is at risk.

One thing you may want to look in to is packsafe net for your bags Pacsafe Anti-Theft Bags & Travel Security Products
helps with people using a blade to cut open your bag.

That camera set up looks grate Do not know if the 50mm f1.4 will get you any thing more than the cheaper 50mm f1.8 also the little 18 to 55 vr focus is vary close and can be used like a macro (micro in Nikon talk) also you can get a close up lens some times called diopters looks like a filter. shoot raw and jpeg fine the cards are cheap and small take lots. Do not think "is this going to make a nice shot?" shot first then think how can I make the shot better. One thing about the kit 18 to 50 and the 18 to 200 is there not as well made as the 50mm. But then I am a old film shooter and like the old lenses than are steal. Next time I take my 50 to 200vr I need to make a holder for it or it may not make it back.

It is not the most risky, I rolled my bike a few times and the top box hardly took any impact and it stayed on the bike until I went through the desert back home, but I did not have the correct mount down here, the only reason it came off. But, it stayed closed and everything in it would have been fine.

So, as long as it is a good quality box, and is correctly mounted, it will be safer in the topbox than in the soft side panniers imho, if a crash happens.

The tank bag should not be chocka full of stuff, if it has too much in it, it gets in the way of your body and will definitely interfere with the steering.

Cheers
TS

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www.travellingstrom.com