What to Do With Motorcycle Helmet When Parked
The most important thing to remember is that motorcycle helmets are expensive and critical pieces of safety equipment. Every inch of these devices is designed with the idea of saving your life in mind. Improper treatment of your helmet could compromise the efficacy of its ability to protect you in the event of an accident.
Be conscious of this fact when trying to figure out somewhere to place your helmet when deciding what to do with motorcycle helmet when parked. Repeatedly storing it somewhere in which pressure is placed on the padding inside could break down the padding, thus shortening the life of your helmet.
Leaving it with the bike:
Some riders have no trouble with leaving their equipment with their bike when they reach their destination. They will settle their bike on their kickstand and go for lunch or grocery shopping and perch their helmet on their bike somewhere and expect it to stay where it is while they’re inside. For the most part, they’re probably going to be okay, but why on earth would anyone tempt fate that way when that equipment is so expensive?
My recommendation is to take your helmet with you unless you’re only going to walk away for a few minutes. I have observed others put their helmet on their leg rests, shove it onto their mirror, or even leave it on the ground padded by their gloves. But in each of these positions it would be easily knocked off or would degrade the efficacy of the safety features inside the helmet.
If you decide to leave it with your bike, my suggestion is getting a lock to attach it to your bike, or threading the mirror through the visor for increased stability and so it doesn’t degrade the styrofoam inside of the helmet.
If you intend on being away from your bike for an extended period but do not want to drag it along with you as you go about your business, or worse yet, accidentally losing it or leaving it behind then you’ll be happy to know you’ve got options. Motorcycle helmet locks are available, with a variety of methods of attaching the helmet to your bike.
There’s a license plate lock that you can install on the back of your bike to lock your helmet in place. There are also carbon fiber cables attached to locks that are resistant to being cut or broken to lock it to your bike.
Carrying it with you:
If you have had to park somewhere known to be a rough neighborhood, or you don’t feel comfortable leaving it there, you can always take it with you. MotoJitsu commented that he has used the helmet to gather his groceries or snacks so his hands weren’t full, but there are always options. If you take it into a restaurant with you but don’t want to leave it under or on the table it would be worth looking into portable purse holders.
A variety of manufacturers have hooks that attach to a table where people with purses can suspend their purse from the table, thus leaving it off the floor, and not taking up table space. Some backpacks can be purchased to safely store your safety equipment into a bag you can keep with you that will protect them from damage.
Final Thoughts
These options are available for anyone who enjoys taking their motorcycle out, it all just depends on how much you want to spend, and what you are comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to try out new things either. just remember that when enjoying the freedom a motorcycle can give to you that safety comes first.
Always have that helmet with you, because it’s better to be slightly inconvenienced by having it with you than injured or worse because you didn’t have it on. Keep riding, my friends!
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