Wolfman Luggage earns your brand loyalty when we rigorously R&D our new products and constantly improve our old ones in the field by our skilled rider- owner-designer Eric. This product testing ensures that Wolfman stays ahead and keeps us relevant! Our testing shows us where an item might fail, what limitations and benefits each design provides you the rider.
How does Wolfman come up with a new product? Wolfman listens to our customer input from all of our platforms, comments given by users, social media, and forums and then research and development (R&D) starts to see if the idea will work here at Wolfman Luggage.
Take the new Zip-R Bags. We received many suggestions for a quicker access other than a roll top Rolie bag. Eric, who is a classically trained pattern maker and a premium sewing machine operator gave this hard and deep thought. He started with pattern work and made a series of samples. "I knew we did not want to change the size so we went with the current Rolie sizes (S, M, L)" He then added extra features like the outside Bungie and on the medium and large, a zipper on the rear or bottom of the bags to hold flat items that you might want to get to in a hurry like keys, gum or ear plugs.
Once the samples were complete….it was time to test. Eric loaded the bags onto his B-Base and off he went to Hagerman Pass. When doing the R&D on products, Eric looks at how they function, what can be improved, is this even a good idea. Eric was also testing the Stuff-it stuff sacks as well to confirm their fit and if they indeed make packing easier.
First sewn Zip-R Bag (All the slots are hand cut with a special hole punch)
Pack up and try a new set up at Hagerman Pass
After the the initial test trip is complete, Eric determines zippered Rolies are viable. It works. After a few changes and tweaks, the patterns are sent off to our factory and RF Welded (not sewn) samples are made with our signature fabric. We received the samples and everything is good.
Time to do a photo shoot of the complete kit front to back
Now our next in-field test is in the dry and dusty Copper Canyon, Mexico with J.J. Lewis, Wolfman Ambassador and owner of The Good Adventure Company. This R&D in-field test included close to 1500 miles in 7 days. From Benson, AZ to Batopilas, Mexico and back. The bags were tested in extreme dust, 96 degrees with expert level trails. The Zip-R Bags performed well in all of these conditions!
The Wolfman Luggage set up used in MX: 2 Medium Zip-R Bags on the legs of our B-Base, one Large in the center. Eric's Bike: KTM 790 Adventure Rally.
Photos start with clean bike and end up very dusty at the end!
After the Mexico trip, Eric had one final quick trip to Arizona with Scott Lee of Colorado Motorcycle Adventures and in November he will add Arizona Motorcycle Adventures as well. A fun weekend based out of the Jonquil Inn ( Sterling and Eva) in Bisbee, AZ riding parts of the AZ BDR.
On the AZ BDR trip Eric used a different set: 3 Small Zip-R Bags and a Wolf Bottle holster, all on the B-Base again on the 790 Rally
Studio pics of all of the features on our new Zip-R Bags!
Folks will LOVE them! And they are SUPER convenient!
TECH TIP: Our YKKAquaGuard zippers work best if you clean the zippers at the end of each day!