Hope all you CRF250L riders are doing well and had a happy new year! I was hoping y'all could chime in with some opinions on following... I got some Wolfman E-12 saddlebags to put on the bike for extra storage space. Mostly to help enable me to go on over night camping trips and visit friends that live a days ride away. I put them on today (with relative ease) just to get familiar with them and to see how hard it would be to take them on and off regularly. The only time suck was redoing this strap. I figured the strap would be quicker than taking off the man rack since I remember that being difficult to get that aligned and screwed on. The strap was a pain, but after some Macgyver'ing with a fish hook I got the strap back through and seemed to have everything more or less tightened and where it should be (other than the loose ends of the straps) I am a little concerned with how long it will take to put these on if I use them often. After a test ride with them on and seeing how they do not interfere with getting on/off or riding position I think I may also use them as day bags for all day exploration of WMA's and trails and such. My current day bag sits on my rear rack and makes it a little harder to get your leg off in emergency off balance dismounts. What do you think of the use of the E-12's in this way and for that reason? One reason I hesitate to use the E-12s more than is necessary for overnight travel is how the right bag sits on the exhaust. And how the strap is so close to the pipe.. The instructions don't add to my confidence even though it says yes it can be there. Although it is nice they can be easily replaced if melted. They say "The front mounting straps on each bag thread around the sub frame side tubes, below the side panels. Thread the webbing behind the sub frame from the bottom and out the top. On the Exhaust side be very careful. (Yes,the webbing can be close to the exhaust header, the pipe can be very Hot.) We have designed the front straps so they can be replaced if they get melted." The bag doesn't seem to be on top of the exhaust as much in this stock photo but that is not our bike.. Those with more experience and those who own the E-12's please let me know if I am worrying about nothing! I would love to keep these on mostly all the time too use as my day bags if the over-use and use when engine temps are higher off road won't kill these great lookin bags! Feel free to chime in with anything else that comes to mind as well! Remember... Much appreciated! __________________ ----------------------------------------------------- 2014 CRF250L www.FrommersNaturalFoods.com
Those bags look nice but you are right to be worried about how the bag sits on the exhaust. I have burned thru my saddlebags twice now. I keep tying them and retying them but they keep sliding back and back to get melted. From your pics, they look like they are far up enough to stay out of the "warmth" but yeah the strap seems close to the pipe. Sorry I am no help but I do like the bags. Ill will keep checking on this to see what your fix is. PS.........you in GA? I am in Gwinnett County if you are ever wanting to ride.
Thanks Vman! I am slightly less worried about the strap because knowing wolfman cust service they would probably send a replacement free of charge. But the main bag melting would probably be a different story. They do have a thicker slightly 'sticky' material on the back that contacts the bike so I am hoping the 'stickyness' will keep it from sliding back. As long as it stays on the white protector it should be fine though ya? Did you only have problems with it getting to close to uncovered pipe in the back? I have never really thought to touch the white protector and see how hot it gets after a ride. I bought the bike in Alpharetta cause there were many more dealers than where I am in Hilton Head SC. But I come back to the area a few times a year! I heard I need to check out Dawsons forest tract and Moto Mountain next time I am in the area Thanks again for chiming in !
The problem came ONLY from too close to exhaust output NOT from sitting on white part or black plastics. The have heat shield tape as well. Maybe thats your answer...get a loittle bit of heat shield tape to put around the strap down there.
Nice that is what I have been hearing! Ya i dont think they r gonna slide back off the wide number plate
Nah, from the pics they look like they will stay UNLESS you start jumping the bike or getting too crazy. Then anything can happen!!!
