Motorcycles Archives - Page 4 of 4

Do you know the feeling of carrying your helmet whiles you would want to leave it with your bike in the parking lot? Are you also scared that it will get stolen? Don’t worry, there are ways to lock your helmet to your bike. In a Hurry..? This is the short answer: The easiest and best way of locking your helmet to your bike is by using a helmet lock like this (Amazon). You simply attach the helmet to the frame of your bike so it won’t get stolen. Option 1: Locking your helmet with a helmet lock As I said, a helmet lock is the best and easiest way to lock your helmet to your bike. These locks are small, lightweight and specially designed to lock helmets. Another benefit is the price. Usually, helmet locks don’t cost you that much. Most well-known locks cost you between twenty and forty bucks. What is a helmet lock Helmet locks come in many different forms. A helmet lock is specially designed to lock a helmet to an object, in most cases a motorcycle. Most common helmet locks use a wire to secure your helmet. You simply put the wire around the chin compartment of the helmet and connect it to the frame of your bike. This prevents anyone from taking your helmet away. But what if you have a helmet with an open visor? In that case, you can use a helmet lock that clicks your chinstrap into the lock to secure your helmet. I’m personally not a big fan of the helmet locks where you use your chinstrap to secure it. The chinstrap can easily be cut, which makes it easy to steal the helmet. It’s fine for hopping into Walmart for some quick shopping, but I wouldn’t trust it for hours in a row. When to use a helmet lock Most people don't use a helmet lock at home, they just store the helmet inside the house. A helmet lock is usually used to lock your helmet on the way. Some common situations where a helmet lock would be helpful: Going into Walmart for some quick shopping, leaving your bike in the parking lot.On a lunch break during a Saturday of touring with friends. Going into a restaurant to get some great food and drinks.Parking your bike on private parking outside your office.Visiting a friend, parking your motorcycle on the driveway of his house in a city center. Of course, there are many more occasions where a helmet lock would be helpful. What I'm trying to say is that a helmet lock should not be a permanent solution for storing your helmet. Check one of the most common helmet lock on Amazon. Option 2: Locking your helmet with a gunlock Using a helmet lock is great, but it costs you extra money. Money that you don’t have to spend when you have a spare gunlock. Every gun in the USA has to come with a gun lock, so loads of people have a spare gunlock. If you don’t, you could ask around. Maybe one of your friends or relatives has a gunlock eating dust in the basement. Most gunlocks fit perfectly around the chin compartment of the helmet. You can then attach the lock to the frame of the bike and you are good to go! The downside of using a gunlock is that they are usually not very long. You have just enough space to lock the helmet to your bike. You won’t always be able to put your helmet in a steady position where it doesn’t scratch your paint. It’s just a matter of trying what works for your situation. At the bottom of this article, I’ll give you some tips about places to attach your helmet to your bike (like the passenger footpeg or the handlebars). Option 3: Using a regular bicycle cable lock Another option is using a regular bicycle cable lock. The pro of using a lock like this is the length of the cable. They are usually quite long which makes it easier to put your helmet in a clean spot. The con of using a bicycle cable lock is the size. Where dedicated helmet locks are made small and light to fit under your seat, the bicycle cable locks aren't. They are quite a size and they might not fit under your seat. Locking your helmet to the chain lock isn't the best option Option 4: Putting your helmet on the motorcycle chain lock Last but not least, you can lock your helmet with your motorcycle chain lock. It’s not the best way to do it since there is a high risk of damaging your helmet, but it is an option. Basically, you just lock your bike with the chain lock you usually use for your bike. But in this case, you run the chain lock through your helmet. This also locks the helmet and makes it go nowhere. However, this is not the best way to lock your helmet. First of all, you’ll probably have to place your helmet on the ground. It’s not very hygienic and your helmet will get very dirty over time. Second, there is just a big chance of damaging your helmet. All those knocks with the chain are just no good for your helmet and you should avoid it as much as possible. By the way; if you are looking for a good alternative for a chain lock, you should consider an alarmed disk lock. Read my article about the disk lock here. Where should you attach your helmet to? So now you know WHAT to use to lock your helmet. Let’s talk about WHERE to attach your helmet to next. There are several options; Handlebars: You can lock your helmet to the handlebars of your bike. Make sure the lock cannot be slid off the handlebars. Usually, the center of the handlebars is a good spot to connect your helmet lock to.Passenger pegs: The passenger pegs are commonly used to store a helmet. You can simply flip the passenger peg down and use it as a rack for your helmet. This is fine, as long as your bike is parked in a safe place. Do not leave your helmet there on public roads, as people can bump into it and dogs can become your worst nightmare (see next paragraph).Buddy seat: Do you ride a scooter? It’s pretty obvious, but you can put your helmet underneath the buddy seat.On the seat: Is your seat detachable? You could take your seat off, lock your helmet to a spot under the seat, and then put the seat back in place. You can let the helmet rest on the seat and nobody will be able to mess around with your lock since it is under your seat.On the mirror: Another good way of storing your helmet is by putting it on the mirror. Just run the mirror through your helmet and let the helmet rest on the handlebar. Then attach the lock and you are good to go. Use the footpeg for your helmet Use your mirror for your helmet Use the handlebar for your helmet Why you should NEVER put your helmet near the ground I gave you some good spots to lock your helmet to in the above paragraph. There is also a spot that you want to avoid at any cost! That spot is the ground, and there are several reasons. First of all, the pavement or road will make your helmet dirty over time. Second, your helmet will start absorbing water in case it rains, which isn’t ideal. But most of all, it’s the place where dogs (and even some drunk humans) pee! You just DON’T want to put your helmet on the ground, ever! You won’t be the first person to find your helmet full of dog piss. The same goes for the passenger pegs, although they are a little bit less risky. Personally, I do not lock my helmet to the passenger pegs for this exact reason. However, it can be done with common sense. Be gentle to your helmet, don't put it on the ground! What are your experiences with locking a helmet? So not only locking your motorcycle is important, you also have to take care of your helmet. I’m very curious to know your experiences with locking a helmet to a bike. Do you do it, or do you take your helmet with you? I know that some people carry it at all times, especially when they own an expensive helmet. And maybe one of you has another way of locking it to the bike, that is missing in this article? Please let us know and help your fellow riders out!