tech talk.....
Radio frequency welding (RF welding) is a way of joining two pieces of waterproof fabric together to form a waterproof seam, without sewing. A sewing needle would poke lots of little holes in the material, allowing water through. With RF welding, electrodes create high frequency radio waves, which heat the materials and cause them to melt. When they cool, the materials are fused together into a water and air tight seal.
MOLLE stands for Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment. It’s a military acronym, we didn’t invent that. The military uses MOLLE to connect different types of soft goods to each other; for example, to connect a gun holster or trauma kit to a tactical vest. There are thousands of different MOLLE compatible bags available online. Just do a quick google search.
Our rack systems – like the Scout 25 and Backcountry 35 panniers – are designed to mount to most OEM and aftermarket pannier racks with a firm, positive connection. On the BC35 the connection is through the wedge mount, on the Scouts it is through the laser-cut backing plate. In both cases the goal is a positive attachment to the bike with hard components, rather than over-the-seat straps like on a traditional saddlebag. This results in easier mounting, and also a much more stable connection to the bike.
With Rackless bags, we faced the challenge of how to mount soft luggage – which is flexible – to a hard bike in a stable and durable way. The Rackless mounting harness is our answer.
These harnesses (used on the R80, R40, and R10) feature a Polyethylene stiffener sandwiched and sewn between two layers of Ballistic Nylon and Hypalon fabric. This provides rigidity to the entire system, keeping it stable on the bike, even in rough offroad terrain.
The term “ballistic” dates back to World War II. This material was invented by DuPont to make protective gear for airmen, to protect them against debris and shrapnel (not bullets). Now it is widely used in motorcycle luggage and apparel due to its extreme abrasion and tear resistance. It is made from nylon yarn in various weights (also called deniers) such as 84d0, 1050d, and 1680d, which is then woven together using a basket weave.