Bike riding can be fun, especially if you are off on a long road trip. But what if you want to stop in between for a coffee break and most importantly, have you ever wondered where to keep your motorcycle gear?
Well, you are not alone, I have been in such situations where I had loads of motorcycle gear such as the helmet, jacket, headset, gloves, etc to carry with me whenever I had to enter a coffee shop on my way.
Being a biker myself, I personally don’t mind using a backpack that is compact enough to accommodate my gears, as all I need to do is to fold them up nicely, place them inside the bag and carry them on my shoulders without much effort.
But what if you’ve got more things and perhaps a simple backpack might not be sufficient to carry your motorbike gears.
If you are someone who is looking to store your gears and other riding accessories in a much secure way, then I suggest you use a luggage box for a motorbike that can be tightened on the sides of your bike. The luggage box comes with key lock features so that you can easily place all your stuff inside and lock it securely.
However, if you are looking to carry with you a lot more stuff such as your boots, helmet, etc, then some options that you can consider are saddlebags, back-rest bags, hard saddlebags, and tail bags.
I would prefer to have saddlebags on my bike so that I can carry a lot more stuff such as water, food, clothes, etc. Saddlebags can be of great use when you hit the road for a longer-than-usual ride. Moreover, these saddlebags come in all types of shapes, sizes, and colors depending on the rider’s preferences.
If you are traveling alone, then a rear seat hauler may be the best option. You can mount it on your passenger seat and carry your gears, gadgets, and other necessary stuff comfortably and conveniently.
If you have a pillion rider along with you then saddlebags may not be a great option but however tail bags can be of great use as they are mounted on the motorcycle’s tail as allows the fellow passenger to sit comfortably. So yeah, the tail bag provides more space along with other storage features that are best suited for a quick ride.
Also read: 5 CRUCIAL MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
If you have any fragile materials such as your action camera, microphones, and other electronic gadgets then I suggest you place them inside a small-sized pelican case as it offers great protection to these devices.
Finally, before you place your gears inside your saddle or backpack, ensure that things like helmets, gloves, etc are properly cleaned and washed. I usually wash my gears to avoid corrosion and damage due to wear and tear.
You can choose to carry your motorbike gears in a manner that is more convenient to you. For example, if I am visiting a supermarket nearby, then I prefer to secure my gears as it may take longer than usual to finish my purchase while I have my gears secured and locked inside my saddlebag.
How to carry a motorcycle helmet?
Carrying your helmet in places such as restaurants can be annoying and boring as it is difficult to keep holding the gear while you have your food.
But, this is probably one of the safest ways to look after your helmet, by ensuring that it is with you all the time, and that’s what I do most of the time. And guess what? I don’t have to worry about someone stealing my helmet or of any other adverse circumstances.
However, not everyone likes to carry around their motorcycle helmet with them and if you are one among them, then here are some suggestions for you along with some useful tips on how to carry a motorcycle helmet.
The simplest and easiest way to secure a helmet is to place them on the mirror. If you are new to riding a bike then avoid the mistake of damaging the cushion material inside the helmet as you place it on the mirror, rather open the visor of the helmet, and place it through the opening of the visor.
Another way is to lock your helmet on your bike using a helmet lock or a gun lock. I have noticed that certain bikes come with a clip inside that allows the biker to lock their helmet by the side of the seat when they park their bike for a longer period of time.
If you have a gun lock, then all you need to do is to thread the gun lock through the visor and the passenger peg. By locking the helmet in this fashion, you can minimize the possibility of theft.
You can also strap your helmet on your duffle bag or a backpack. Similar to the abovementioned method, use the strap of the duffle bag and tighten it through the visor of the helmet as this will prevent the helmet from falling or rolling off.
Also read: Common mistakes while buying a motorcycle helmet
If you are still unhappy with the above options, then I suggest you buy a helmet backpack that is designed to carry your helmet like any other backpack in the market, and if your backpack has enough space then you can also try keeping other important items that are smaller and fragile such as your Bluetooth headset cum intercoms, action camera, etc.
However, I found that some bikers use unconventional ways of keeping their helmets. One such unconventional idea is to make use of the footrest of the bike to lock and protect the helmet, but I generally don’t recommend such practice as your helmet can get kicked off by a passerby unwittingly.
And if you have taken a bike ride to the airport to catch your flight, then it is recommended that you carry your helmet as a personal item or place it in your handbag for easy portability.
