What to do with gear when of the bike?

[Shelterwoods]

I am always concerned about leaving my gear when away from the bike, and am interested in what others do. I have an R1250RS with saddlebags and top case, and when traveling they are too full to store my helmet and Aerostich gear. There is no helmet lock on the bike, and the methods I've seen and used are a bit clumsy, and I don't have a good way to attach the riding gear. I would appreciate any suggestions. 

[TEWKS]

I’ve seen guys use cable locks like this. Run it through the sleeve and the helmet chin bar. 

 

My Stich is so disgusting nobody would want it!  

[Lemans]

When in a familiar restaurant parking lot, I'm a trusting soul and generally leave my gear on the bike unsecured. If it's cold and I don't want to remove my jacket, I'll remove the radar detector from the tank bag (where it would have been covered by the jacket) and place in the unlocked side case,

I may be a little more cautious and take all my gear with me when in unfamiliar areas or when the bike will be out of my view.

[lkraus]

I use a cable lock, down a sleeve of my jacket (and/or pants leg), through the chin bar of the helmet and the triple clamp. Helmet sits over my clutch reservoir mounted GPS. For short stops, that's enough.  For longer stops, the GPS is removed and locked in hard luggage or in the cargo pocket of my riding pants.  I may also cover everything with my half cover to discourage casual vandalism and provide sun & rain protection.

 

Yeah, a little clumsy and a bit time consuming, but I can do it quicker after a day or two on the road. 

[Twisties]

It's a risk I just take.  Jacket over the bars, helmet on the right side mirror.  Pants, if they are coming off, with the jacket.  Electronics in a hard case (top or side).  So far, so good.  Sometimes, I guess usually when it's cold or wet out, I'll wear the gear in, wherever I'm going.  But that is fairly rare. 

[MichiganBob]

If possible, I always park in conspicuous places. In restaurants, at a window with a view of the bike. At stores, close to the entrance, even on sidewalks if I will  not interfere with foot traffic. At races, maybe I have been lucky but helmet in front of handlebars with jacket draped over helmet and handlebars. In my weird mind, I think that setup may deter a petty thief. Naturally, pros are another story. When we go to races or other events and staying overnight, check in first, empty bags, take off tank bag, then helmet fits in one bag, jacket, etc in the other and pull off GPS and put it in rear box.

[fourteenfour]

Never traveled with so much that I could not stuff my jacket and gloves in the top case except when I was doing two up.  My helmet is attached to me but once with friends he cable locked all of our helmets to his bike; though with my current helmet my face shield cost a pretty penny all its own.

[dirtrider]

2 hours ago, Shelterwoods said:

I am always concerned about leaving my gear when away from the bike, and am interested in what others do. I have an R1250RS with saddlebags and top case, and when traveling they are too full to store my helmet and Aerostich gear. There is no helmet lock on the bike, and the methods I've seen and used are a bit clumsy, and I don't have a good way to attach the riding gear. I would appreciate any suggestions. 

Afternoon Shelterwoods

 

I keep hoping someone will steal my ratty old helmet or permanently borrow my well worn riding coat, but so far no one wants them. I do toss my riding gloves in my tank bag or tail bag as those will be difficult to replace & are way to easy to walk off with. 

 

About all I do when I park (about anywhere) is toss my helmet over my GPS so it goes sight unseen then grab my roscoe out on my tank bag  & go on with life. 

[Skywagon]

I take my helmet with me.  Gloves are in the helmet along with GPS.  I remove the Kimber from the tank bag and lock it in the trunk.  All the clothes are just on top of the bike.  The only thing I worry about is the helmet really only because they are expensive, and it takes a while to break them in. I don't mind riding without my jacket and pants, but I want my helmet and gloves.  

[TracerBullet]

I’m another one that runs a cable through leg,sleeve etc. 

[Miguel!]

I've selected my gear so I can stow it on my bike when necessary. Over the years, I've purchased gear with stowing it in mind. My Shoei helmet has a racket lock, they no longer sell my helmet with with "D" rings tho I wish they did. Regardless, I use a Helmetlok to lock it to the rear rack on my R1100RT. The arrangement allows me to sit the helmet upright to keep debris from falling into it. The wide lock shackle provides a number of locking possibilities. I'm sure there are other places on the bike that it can be locked to, possibly around a footpeg. I think the lock is available without the Rachet adapter so suitable for helmets with "D" rings. The R1100RT had a locking compartment on the left fairing for an optional radio/CD player. My bike didn't have the radio/CD player so the compartment is used for all sorts of things akin to a glove compartment. My gloves always find their way in there when I get off the bike. I generally wear a mesh/perforated leather jacket with an orange mesh vest over the top. I wear the jacket when I get off the bike and stow the vest in the side/top case or cram it into the "glovebox . My armored mesh overpants always find their way into a side case. They fold up pretty tight, even with the armor. Also my riding boots look like lace up shoes under my jeans. In 5 or so minutes, I can transform from a fully armored rider to civilian-looking garb with gloves, helmet and overprints secured to the bike. As mentioned by other posters above, a lot of riders use cable lock to secure riding jackets, pants and helmet but I haven't found that necessary. Hope that helps. Miguel

[Rob Nowell]

4 hours ago, Skywagon said:

helmet

When traveling, I have a "Lid Lox" for my helmet; I use a homemade, double-loop cable and lock up my jacket.

[Shelterwoods]

I'll try the cable through the sleeve technique. I have a shoei helmet with ratchet buckle also, and have run a strap through the chin bar and around the seat, so no reason that won't work for the suit. My previous bikes have all been Japanese, and have had locks on the exterior for helmets.

 

Del

[Traveler1]

I use a cable lock similar to the one Tewks recommended for my jacket.    For my helmet, I bought a lock from Revzilla which I'm more than happy with.   It's called a Motion Pro Universal Helmet Lock,  Item P354606    SKU 1172191.    There's an easily used adapter for helmets with ratchet locks (at least for my Schuberth).   Here's a pic of the lock mounted on my 2015 GS.  

 

[Matts_12GS]

On 8/13/2022 at 1:20 PM, Twisties said:

It's a risk I just take.  Jacket over the bars, helmet on the right side mirror.  Pants, if they are coming off, with the jacket.  Electronics in a hard case (top or side).  So far, so good.  Sometimes, I guess usually when it's cold or wet out, I'll wear the gear in, wherever I'm going.  But that is fairly rare. 

That's pretty much my thoughts too. 

 

If someone really wanted to wear my nasty helmet or my sasquatch sized stitch, more power too them

[TEWKS]

My New Anti-theft Helmet Sticker! 
 

[szurszewski]

This is a tough subject. I have used cables before, but I am basically too lazy so I have a two option solution: if I’m somewhere I think it’s unlikely my gear will be stolen, I put my gloves over the ignition (if I’m feeling really good about where I parked, like if I can the bike from

my table in a restaurant, my keys stay in the ignition), helmet resting over gloves (nested between tank bag/tank and bars/windshield), jacket tossed over helmet. 
 

If I think my gear is likely to be stolen, I don’t leave it at all. Just recently I’ve had a friend have his helmet stolen by someone cutting his cable lock and another have his stich stolen the same way. I guess my point is the cable lock is only going to stop someone who really didn’t want to steal your stuff in the first place. If you’re worried about it, really, you need it inside locked luggage or just not left on the bike at all. 

[Hosstage]

I've not had any one I know have their stuff stolen, but I also do not leave my leather jacket on the bike, always locked in a bag, or on my person. I rarely wear a helmet, but that gets hooked on the handlebar over the mirror if I do. Though when we rode in Europe, the helmet came with me along with my leather.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

For short fuel/rest stops, I take my chances. 

 

For meal stops:

- GPS is in a locked Touratech mount (see below), so no security concerns there (although if it's hot w/bright sun, I may put it away just to keep from roasting it).

- Helmet (w/gloves tucked inside) gets locked to bike using a small cable lock (see below).

- Sena Evo gets removed from helmet and tucked in glovebox.

- Spot Messenger doesn't have a locking mount, so it gets turns off and stashed in glovebox.  I'm actually less worried about theft than I am about some asshat triggering an SOS response that I then have to pay for.

- Jacket comes with me.

 

For overnight hotel stays, everything gets stashed in the glovebox/sidecase or brought into my hotel room.  

 

On 8/15/2022 at 6:55 PM, Matts_12GS said:

If someone really wanted to wear my nasty helmet or my sasquatch sized stitch, more power too them

 

To each his own, but I'd rather not have to buy a new helmet before it's really time - and at least as important, I really don't want to be stuck two states away from home trying to find a helmet on a Sunday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doctor T]

There is a helmet bag avalible. It looks like the helmet bag you get with a new helmet but it has metal mesh that you tighten and then padlack it to your bike.

[Rougarou]

You all worried about gear, my fob may or may not stay on the GSA 'cause I don't like keeping track of it in the various jackets.

 

 

[TSConver]

The gun lock in OP original message is what I carry for a helmet if I do not have space in my trunk for it.  If I can see the bike from where I am at I just hang it on a handle bar and throw my gear over it.

[Tpoppa]

The only thing I've ever had stolen off my motorcycle was a bottle of hand sanitizer that I left on my seat.  That was during the stages of COVID when hand sanitizer was worth its weight in gold