Where do you store your helmet when you walk away from the bike?

[wbw6cos]

Thanks for posting.  Come to think of it, the bags on my cruiser are slightly different, too.  During the week, my lunch box rides in the left side and whenever I store my helmet it goes in that side, as well.  There seems to be a little more room than the one on the right side.  My previous helmet was an HJC, which was tricky to fit through the opening.  I now have a Schuberth C4, which has a smaller outer shell.  I have yet to try and store it on my RT side cases, though.  I just use the top case.  

 

Good to know your method worked.  I think I will check it out on my RT side cases. 

 

Cheers,

[Miguel!]

I had to take right my side case off today to replace the right footage plate. While I had it off, to took a shot showing the different configuration of the backside of the side cases to show their differences. Left side case on the left, right side case on the right. The right side case has a smaller cavity to make room for the round cylinder behind it, shown in the 2nd photo. The left side doesn't have that cylinder nor the recess in the side case back side.

 

BTW, what is that black cylinder?

 

Best

Miguel

[Miguel!]

I 

[lkraus]

The cylindrical  canister contains charcoal to collect gasoline vapors from the tank.

[Miguel!]

1 hour ago, lkraus said:

The cylindrical  canister contains charcoal to collect gasoline vapors from the tank.

Is that a maintenance item? Thx. Miguel 

[dirtrider]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 10:32 PM, Miguel! said:

I suspect this is applicable to all the BMW R and K bikes from 1996 - 2006.

 

I have a Shoei NeoTec modular/flip-up full face helmet, not the Neotec II but that probably doesn't matter since I suspect they are the same size. Its a fabulous helmet.

 

I have sidecars but no topcase. No matter how I orient the helmet, I can't fit it into the sidecase. 

 

So where to you store you helmet when you walk away from the bike. I know I could use a cable and padlock but I was hoping for another solution. I scoured the area under the seat but can't figure out how'd I hang a helmet from anything under the seat. 

 

I suspect this has been covered before but I couldn't find it using the search function. 

 

Cheers!!

Miguel

 

Morning Miguel

 

In over 60 years of wearing a helmet I haven't locked one  up or stored one in a locked case yet.

 

I usually just toss it over a mirror, or set it over my GPS, or hang it from whatever is handy then walk away.

 

If someone wants my stinky helmet then I will just get my insurance to buy me a new (non stinky) one.

 

My thought it that I would rather have a  helmet stolen than my bike damaged when someone tries to pull a restrained helmet off the  bike & yanks the bike over doing it,  or  breaks off whatever the helmet is restrained  to.

 

Most carry a pocket knife so if they really want the helmet they will just cut the chin strap & be gone with it so those under-seat hooks are just to make the rider feel good.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

[lkraus]

3 hours ago, Miguel! said:

Is that a maintenance item? Thx. Miguel 

Nope.  Overfilling the gas tank or laying the bike down might let liquid fuel to saturate the charcoal, and cause poor (rich) running, so don't do that.   You can find "canisterectomy" procedures on the 'net, but it will not improve performance and likely violates emissions standards.   It also will not make your pannier any bigger. 

[Miguel!]

1 hour ago, lkraus said:

Nope.  Overfilling the gas tank or laying the bike down might let liquid fuel to saturate the charcoal, and cause poor (rich) running, so don't do that.   You can find "canisterectomy" procedures on the 'net, but it will not improve performance and likely violates emissions standards.   It also will not make your pannier any bigger. 

Thanks for the info Ikraus. I presume that the gas would eventually evaporate from from the charcoal. My other bike has this same system. It called the "evap" system. Most people remove or disconnect them on the older bikes (mine's 10 years old). I haven't touched it but sometimes my fuel tank "burps" as a result, a well known symptom after the gas heats up. It can also be  a cause for backfiring.

 

Best

Miguel 

[Miguel!]

4 hours ago, dirtrider said:

 

Morning Miguel

 

In over 60 years of wearing a helmet I haven't locked one  up or stored one in a locked case yet.

 

I usually just toss it over a mirror, or set it over my GPS, or hang it from whatever is handy then walk away.

 

If someone wants my stinky helmet then I will just get my insurance to buy me a new (non stinky) one.

 

My thought it that I would rather have a  helmet stolen than my bike damaged when someone tries to pull a restrained helmet off the  bike & yanks the bike over doing it,  or  breaks off whatever the helmet is restrained  to.

 

Most carry a pocket knife so if they really want the helmet they will just cut the chin strap & be gone with it so those under-seat hooks are just to make the rider feel good.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Thanks DR. Good to know. By contrast it, I have always locked it up. Just habit I guess. I don't know what I'd do if I were away from home and discover that someone had stolen my helmet. Hence my initial post. 

 

BTW, thanks for all you helpful posts!! It seems you are active on many of the forums.

Cheers.

Miguel

[Michaelr11]

2 hours ago, Miguel! said:

Most people remove or disconnect them on the older bikes (mine's 10 years old). I haven't touched it but sometimes my fuel tank "burps" as a result, a well known symptom after the gas heats up. It can also be  a cause for backfiring.

 

Best

Miguel 

 

If "my fuel tank burps" means that sometimes you get a rush of air when you open the gas cap ..... then your charcoal canister is plugged - or the lines to or from it are plugged.  That is not a good thing.  Chances are, by now, that the charcoal in there is clumpped up like turd.  Easy to remove the canister and reroute the vent hose so the tank vents directly to atmosphere. Avoids getting any charcoal bits into the tank or fuel filter. 

[Miguel!]

Thanks Michaelr11. This happens on my other bike and I think its also related to why my gas mileage has decreased too. One of these days, I'll disconnect it. 

 

Best

Miguel

[lkchris]

My $700 helmet has a $500 bluetooth communicator glued to it ... I take my helmet with me unless for some reason I have an empty topcase or sidecase at the moment.

 

Helmets configured like this aren't really waterproof and also I'd prefer all the sun exposure it gets be when it's on my head while riding.

 

No offense to anyone, but I see leaving a helmet cabled to the bike a bit 3rd rate romance, low rent rendezvous.

[Twisties]

On the adventure tourers we hang them over the mirrors, on the RT's we have tail plate mounted helmet locks, but we never lock them, just hang them there.  The BMW helmet lock under the seat is unusable. 

[joeb]

Just hang my helmet on passenger foot peg under the chin guard. Very secure have never had it fall off while all my buds have had to chase their helmets down the pavement after falling off of seats, bars, tanks. With the visor down it even keeps the rain out. If I'm worried about theft I have a cable and lock that I keep on the rear luggage rack.

[BF204]

I have a  modular with the ratchet type closure (no D rings).  I found that a computer rear slot cover is the perfect width to slide through the ratchet. I drilled a hole in the flat end large enough to fit the helmet lock on my bike, and took the sharp edges off the other end... Slide it through the ratchet from the backside, the folded end acts a stop. Then lock the other flat end with the hole to bike's helmet lock.  Computer guy has a box of 'em to discard in his shop, so I made a few of them to have one in each riding jacket.  I like that it weights nothing, and was free..... I imagine it would work on the tabs under the seat also.... Not sure if it would work on D-rings as an extension, but if not, you could easily cut/make something similar.  I saw something similar for $20 or so, which I thought was outrageous for a scrap of steel.

[Miguel!]

Nice BF204. Thanks. 

 

Years ago I used a small adjustable wrench through the D-rings and attached the wrench to a helmet hook on the bike under the seat with the hole on the non-business end of the wrench. I'll see if I can find picks of it.

Miguel

[BF204]

1 minute ago, Miguel! said:

Nice BF204. Thanks. 

 

Years ago I used a small adjustable wrench through the D-rings and attached the wrench to a helmet hook on the bike under the seat with the hole on the non-business end of the wrench. I'll see if I can find picks of it.

Miguel

Using a small crescent wrench (or even a box end wrench) would be a great idea for an extension on a D ring helmet...  Good one!

[Miguel!]

I found pics of it. I published them on another site about 15 years ago. Can't believe I found it! 

 

It has the obvious advantage of having an adjustable wrench on-board too. 

 

Best

Miguel