Where to secure a full face helmet?

[Gabe]

Being a new rider and a new owner, I have a bit of a quandary - where and how to secure my full face helmet that won't damage the bike, paint or the helmet? I have a small steel wire cable from Home Depot in a rubber coating that could work, but it would hang by the side tank or the saddlebags / panniers and possibly damage both. I've ordered the trunk, but there will be situations in the future in which I pack for a weekend road warrior trip and won't have trunk space for it. The manual apparently says to remove the seat - nearly a 2 person job (seemingly no easy feat) and I would feel better about securing it through the main chin bar of a full face helmet, rather than through the D-rings which could be cut or yanked unnecessarily.

I'm curious to know how other NT owners out there are securing it.

Thanks!

- Gabe

 

[charlie b]

Stow the cable lock in the side case. When you stop, put the helmet on the seat and run the cable around one of the grab bars and the helmet. If the bike is on the side stand I use the right bar so the helmet won't fall off as easily.

I have one of the cable locks for bicycles that I use. Works fine. It is also long enough to run through the sleeve of my jacket in case I don't want to wear it at the stop either.

 

[dnktng]

Retractible 3 foot cable lock from Master Lock. No keys to lose or fumble. Certainly not as secure as thicker cables and padlock, but at least its a cable & lock all-in-one. And as previously stated many times, the red lock is fast.

 

[ARKNT]

I have the larger panniers and normally store helmet in the left side. If it is full I set helmet on seat and lock it with cable and lock around passenger grab rail. I prefer to put it in pannier to keep hot sun off it and keeps it dry if it rains. Also won't blow off seat in a wind gust.
Someone here has mounted helmet lock back by the lisence plate. I have done that on my old Concours.

Brad

 

[larrylarry75]

I use one of these with the armored cable option; no key required and simple to use. It's easy to secure to any number of places on your bike and the cable isn't something that's easy to cut through. I bought mine on Amazon but they're available at lots of on-line stores for around forty bucks with the cable.

LL75

 

[larrylarry75]

Retractible 3 foot cable lock from Master Lock. No keys to lose or fumble. Certainly not as secure as thicker cables and padlock, but at least its a cable & lock all-in-one. And as previously stated many times, the red lock is fast.

I looked at those but figured a firm tap with a hammer might do in the plastic lock so I went with a heavier all metal unit. However, I do use one similar to your's to secure my Ninja's tank bag from inside. What I did was install a brass grommet in the forward end of the bag, then I fish the lock's cable through it, around the handlebars and back through the grommet to the lock inside the bag. I leave enough slack cable to allow moving the bag off the tank during refueling which works really well as the cable helps hold the bag on the handle bars. I also use a small steel combination lock to secure the bag's zippers together so as to discourage the snatch & grab artists. All together it seems to work or at least it has for many years so I'm confident in the system. Of course locking a bag made of cloth is like installing a dead bolt in your front door when there's a glass window right next to it but it's better than nothing at all.

Thieves...don't you just love 'em? :frown:

LL75

 

[RedLdr1]

I use a cable "gun lock" that has Beretta stamped on it... It secures my full face helmet by going around the chin bar and the bike's handle bars, or the passenger grab bars... The "Beretta" stamp is a little more discouragement for anyone who might want to fiddle with my bike or gear.... You can get locks like these, without the brand stamp, for less than $10 at most sporting goods stores.


Cable Lockhttp://www.flickr.com/people/wecnwise/

By the way it is quite common for thieves to cut off the D-Rings to steal a helmet in Atlanta. Even with my lock setup I try to not leave my helmet, or anything else, visible on an unattended bike unless absolutely necessary....

 

[vzshadow]

Kryponite cable locks are handy. They fit in the dash board compartment.

 

[Warren]

I almost always take my helmet with me so locking it is not necessary.

 

[Gabe]

Great suggestions! I like the idea of a cable lock and something small like the suggestions here would have minimal chance to damage or ding the helmet or the saddlebags if put on the back between the grab bars. I would also love to lock up my air-bag jacket but that would be bad as the gas cartridge shouldn't be stored in enclosed high-temperature areas (saddlebags/trunk), and externally it would be a big temptation for someone to come by and give it a good "yank" to set it off - though carrying the helmet is the biggest inconvenience and while the risk of tampering is always there, hoping to leave it in sight or near sight in most cases.

I will give these a try, thanks all!

- Gabe

 

[Lorien]

INteresting concern given that I have more or less never locked my helmet and have never had one taken. Just lucky I guess but there seems to be an ethic that in my general region that helmets are a little to much like underwear I suppose and no one would steal that. In any case I have been to many events and never even heard of a helmet heist. And there are plenty around to take at most places I go.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Lorien, for 14 years, I've left my helmet sitting on my bike while it's parked next to the church and I'm inside working. One night, I'd come home to eat and gone back to work for another couple-three hours. When I came out, my helmet was gone. It had been sitting on top of my Street Pilot 2720 GPS, which was still there. The missing helmet was a four-year-old Nolan N-102 that was due to be replaced soon anyway.

I reported it missing, but really didn't expect to ever see it. I didn't report it to my insurance company, but now I know that it could be covered as personal property under my homeowners insurance.