I'm renting a bike as part of a vacation. It will be 4 days/3 nights on the bike. They provide helmets if needed but recommend you bring your own.
I'd like to bring my own for fit and sanitation reasons. However, I always prefer to travel light and the idea of having to lug a helmet through the airport, customs, and around during my travels seems cumbersome.
What have been your experiences traveling with a bike helmet? Carry-on the plane? Pack in checked bagged? Or do you not bring one and just rent? General opinions welcome.
Checked bag, but only because I was already traveling with the family and had a duffel bag.
I opt for carry-on as a personal item. If I had hard cases, I might be inclined to check it. Otherwise I'd be worried about damage to the helmet in soft luggage. With checked, there's always a chance of theft or the possibility your bag is lost or arrives a few days later than you. In that case, you could still rent or buy new if price/availability is acceptable...
I took a trip to England including a week on the IOM. I carried
A helmet in a padded helmet bag for the entire 3 weeks. Not
A laugh riot, but better than borrowing something. Carried it
On all flights and trains ... A little nervous about letting it
of my sight. I also shipped
Leathers there and back. That's a different story altogether.
Carry on, you can fill the space where your helmet would be with socks & stuff. You can borrow my Bell helmet bag with good padding and extra storage.
All good replies. Looks like I'll carry it on. I didn't even think about the risk of lost baggage, so that confirms it.
Thanks for the bag offer, Howie. I think I might get my own since hopefully this trip will be the first of many. Do you have a model name or link to where you bought yours?
The one I was offering came with the Bell Star I have. Not as roomy for other stuff, but good protection is this one http://chaseharper.com/product/helmet-bag/ (http://chaseharper.com/product/helmet-bag/)
I have one of these too. I might sell you this one for...let's see now...DMFr, DESMO member, great riding to DIMBY companion...a beer maybe?
How about a 3-spoke Bremo front wheel? :D
We should keep that one for a spare for whomever, fits both our bikes as well as others in the area. I can keep it in my garage if you like. Wound up with a silver wheel on the front of old bike anyway. Turns out it looks great with the silver/black tank and back wheel.
You could just buy one there, then just get rid of it when you come back home. [drink]
having knowledge to where 1.21GW is traveling to . .. HE must take his helmet . . .
depending on "in between flights time" I would send everything checked and just have my passport and helmet on me as carry on . . .
Thanks, Carlos. BTW, it's not a secret, I'm doing this:
http://www.freedombikerental.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180&Itemid=233 (http://www.freedombikerental.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180&Itemid=233)
4 days/3 nights on a Husq TE630. If it's as awesome as it sounds, I may need to come back next year for the 9-day tour!
How much off road experience do you have?
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Quote from: 1.21GW on January 05, 2015, 11:18:23 AM
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Hrm. :-\
How long have you been riding, and on what bikes?
That's a lot of high-altitude riding, how fit are you (or can you be for that trip)?
3 years (~10k mi). Street bikes all. I've been reading and watching about dirt riding, but of course brain knowledge means only so much without physically doing it.
On the plus side, I'm relatively fit and can handle altitude (e.g. I climbed Mt. Rainier this past summer).
Looks like a fantabulous trip. Enjoy!
Quote from: 1.21GW on January 05, 2015, 10:42:36 AM
Thanks, Carlos. BTW, it's not a secret, I'm doing this:
http://www.freedombikerental.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180&Itemid=233 (http://www.freedombikerental.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180&Itemid=233)
4 days/3 nights on a Husq TE630. If it's as awesome as it sounds, I may need to come back next year for the 9-day tour!
I said that cause a "good" helmet that costs $200 in the US might be around $400 there . . .
Quote from: 1.21GW on January 05, 2015, 02:23:22 PM
3 years (~10k mi). Street bikes all. I've been reading and watching about dirt riding, but of course brain knowledge means only so much without physically doing it.
On the plus side, I'm relatively fit and can handle altitude (e.g. I climbed Mt. Rainier this past summer).
OK, fitness level shouldn't be an issue, but pace yourself.
I wouldn't pick a TE630 as a 'perfect for a newbie to learn how to ride dirt' bike, but they've not got many options.
Quote from: Speeddog on January 05, 2015, 08:20:09 PM
OK, fitness level shouldn't be an issue, but pace yourself.
I wouldn't pick a TE630 as a 'perfect for a newbie to learn how to ride dirt' bike, but they've not got many options.
Yeah, the only things available we the husq and the kawas---all else were booked. I expect some bruises both to my body and my ego.
Quote from: The Last In Line on January 05, 2015, 04:30:49 PM
I said that cause a "good" helmet that costs $200 in the US might be around $400 there . . .
Good to know. I was considering buying a helmet there so as to only have to carry one-way. Obviously, at twice the price, that ain't gonna happen.
Just go easy on the throttle, it can write checks that your dirt skill level can't cash.
A little bit of throttle helps the bike turn, a *lot*.
Look where you want to go; looking at that big rock or over the edge, not helpful.
Sit forward on the seat, particularly in corners.
When you put your leg out on the inside of a turn, stretch it forward toward the front wheel.
If your feet don't have impending business on the ground, keep them on the pegs.
Stubbing your toe on a rock at 40mph sucks. A lot. So does running over your foot.
That bike has more than double the suspension travel of a Monster, so it's going to feel weird.
There's folks here that have learned dirt after starting on the street, they'll likely have good advice.
I learned to ride on a dirt bike 40 years ago, so I'm a bit short of advice going that direction.
It looks like an awesome trip, enjoy!
Thanks, all. Topic was drifting, so I started a new thread with newbie off-road questions:
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=69872.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=69872.0)
dont you live in NYC?
how tall are you?
whats your inseam?
how much can you squat?
Of all those on the list for your trip, id pick the DR200 as easiest to ride. The altitude thing wont matter much since you wont be needing that much power. ofcourse im bias towards the DR650, they dont call it the swiss army knife of motorcycling withou reason. but it is pretty heavy.
i have carried a helmet to travel before (the time my Ducatis motor blew, i flew with my helmet from Ohio to Colorado and Colorado to New York). it wasnt that bad if you have a elmet bag. it doenst fit under the seat though. :p