Where do you leave your helmet ?

[sebastienb]

When you go out with your bike, do yo cary your helmet with you or leave ti on your bike ? My 796 has a security cable that ties under the seat but its always hot and hard to open the underseat compartment :-/ . A lot of times i see people just leaving their helmet on the handlebars, don't they get stolen ?

[ab]

i don't leave it on the bike.  I carry it.  I see some co-workers leave their helmet on the bike baking outside in the sun.  That's just ruining it.  Besides, I am too poor to leave it on the bike with the flimsy lock.  In fact, on bike night gatherings with hundreds of bikes, I carry it with me.  It is perfect time for thieves  to blend in and steal your gear and even your bike.

[Preisker]

My helmet was $525.   No need to tell me how good those $100 helmets are, I don't believe you.  But I digress.  I don't leave it anywhere but in my garage or house, or in my hand.

[Desmo Demon]

When you go out with your bike, do you carry your helmet with you or leave it on your bike ?

I take all of my stuff with me. I actually caught a kid trying to steal a buddy's helmet at a twisty mountain motorcycle hangout and have heard of people pooring fluids (or peeing into the helmet), throwing dirt in them, or simply cutting the helmet strap and taking the helmet. I simply don't trust anyone. The majority of the time, when I leave my bike somewhere, it's either within my sight or the sight of friends. When on multi-day trips, it is not uncommon for us to sneak our bikes into the hotel room with us.

[kopfjäger]

. When on multi-day trips, it is not uncommon for us to sneak our bikes into the hotel room with us.

Hooligans 

[Desmo Demon]

Hooligans  

Yeppers!



My wife is disabled, so if I make reservations in advance, I make sure I have an outside, ground-level , handicapped room. Sometimes they have larger entrance doors and more interoir room. To get the  bikes into the room in the picture above, we had to walk them down a little corridor to the room's door.

[bevel]

When commuting to work, I bring my helmet in and leave it at my cube. I've got a nice shelf that keeps it high enough that it's above the cube walls, and serves as a great reminder to everyone that I'm not going to be there after 5:31pm.

When I'm out for a ride, I either keep it with me, on the ground next to the bike, or on the handlebars. Depends on where I am, and how long I'll be there. Quaint small town where we'll be in sight of the bikes - on the ground/handlebars. Have to walk a little distance and be out of sight of the bikes, its coming with me.

At the end of the ride, when I'm "home" (wherever home happens to be that night), my lid comes inside with me and stays in the room.

I've learned my lesson and don't leave it on the tank or seat, even for a moment. Too easy to bump the bike or the wind to catch and drop your lid on the ground, usually resulting in some nice new scratches.

[StephenC]

Similar to above. I leave it on a shelf at work and in the garage at home. When I'm out and about it depends on how long I'll be. If its just a short stop I can't be bothered to chain it to the hook under the seat, but otherwise that is what I do. No problems so far.

[justinrhenry]

I have a cable lock under the seat of my bike.  It gets locked up there and placed on the seat.  If I'm going to be quick and in a decent area I'll leave it on the handlebar, but that's rare. 

[Bishamon]

I bring my helmet inside wherever I go.

There is someone at work who regularly leaves their helmet and jacket on their bike; I can't believe they've never been stolen. 

[sofadriver]

don't leave it on the tank or seat, even for a moment. Too easy to bump the bike or the wind to catch and drop your lid on the ground, usually resulting in some nice new scratches.

Great advice about where NOT to put your lid.
4 years ago, I sat my 1/2 hour old Shoei RF1000 on my seat "just for a second". It fell and made a one point landing on the chin vent and broke it. Dammit!

[mickyvee]

  My £500 Arai never leaves my sight. I take my helmet bag with me, so I can sling it over my shoulder. Makes me cringe when I see nice lids perched on mirror stems and suchlike. Each to their own.

[krolik]

If I'm going to be out of sight of my bike, I always take it with me.

Leaving a helmet on the mirror in the sun all day is not good for the life of your helmet.

[hillbillypolack]

Rule of thumb:

It protects your head, so treat it like your head.

It comes with me when I park the bike at a store, cafe or in the driveway.  That way, I avoid having it stolen, rained on (or in if it were hung from the 'bars), or simply kicked accidentally.

It gets washed, especially the visor and kept on a shelf so it's ready for the next ride.

[sebastienb]

Thanks guys, so far I've always kept it with me. Wind blew first helmet, a $50 cycle gear helmet I got to pass the MSF off the learner bike and broke the visor mount. Never leaving my Arai on the seat and I guess from all your input never leaving it on the bike!