# Motorcyclists - what do you do with your helmets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952 "2014-08-06T15:43:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![littlespeedysuperbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@littlespeedysuperbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littlespeedysuperbike)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/41 "2014-08-09T04:00:49Z")
I take it with me. If someone knocks my bike over, I’d rather not pay for another Bell Star as well. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/42 "2014-08-09T18:51:12Z")
> [@Essured](#): > > Mine fits reasonably well into the crook of my elbow with my arm through the open part (visor up) and isn’t too awkward to carry once I got the hang of it. Ah, the “purse carry.” Not really my style, but I’ve seen it growing in popularity since full-face helmets became the norm. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/43 "2014-08-09T23:19:37Z")
I usually strap mine to a seat cover I have on the bike so I can position the helmet upright but it won’t roll off. I’ve never heard of anyone’s helmets getting messed with in these parts. I hear anecdotaly that helmet theft is mostly a phenomenon in mandatory helmet states, although I probably wouldn’t be as eager to put that to the test if I had one of those $600 Shoeis. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/44 "2014-08-10T13:23:04Z")
A long time ago, if I was just in-and-out, I used to wear it sometimes… Walked into a bank, sat down, and started thinking about the withdrawal slip. I was thinking $10 ? or $20 ? (I was younger then, and didn’t have much money at all). Then $15 ? or $10?. Or $20? So I’m sitting there, wearing my helmet, trying to make a decsion, and I sit back and look up and see, on the mezanine floor, a security guard. That’s funny I think. Never seen a security guard up there before I think. So, out of curiousity, I look around, and I see another guard. And another guard, And another guard, and another guard ----jeez there’s guard everywhere, and they are all looking at me. So I carefully take my helmet off, with my hands clear where they can see them, and fill in $10, and walk over to the cashiers. They have “no helmets” signs on the front door now, but they didn’t back then, in the early '80s. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/45 "2014-08-10T15:42:52Z")
I may just have been lucky, but I’ve been riding for 20 years have never had someone screw with my helmet, despite frequently leaving it on the handlebars or locked by it’s strap to the ring under the seat. Now that I’ve surrendered to [practicality](http://www.ducatiusa.com/cms-web/upl/MediaGalleries/535/MediaGallery_535348/Color_Hyperstrada_R_01_1067x600.jpg) and ride a bike with bags, I usually lock it in the left bag. If I leave it on the handlebar now, I have a small cable lock from REI that I use. But that’s because even though I’ve always bought top of the line helmets, the one I have now is the first that’s relatively [fancy](http://www.spaetzuender.de/bilder/produkte/gross/SHO-1111-105_shoei-gt-air-wanderer-tc-1-integralhelm.jpg) looking paint-wise. What I have yet to figure out is what to do with my boots. I can lock my Aerostich to the bike, or if I separate the top and bottom and put it in the cases. If I’m wearing jeans, I’m good to go. But now that I live in Santa Barbara, I wear shorts under the suit most of the time. And big honking adventure boots and shorts is NOT a good look. No idea there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/46 "2014-08-10T15:47:01Z")
OK, serious answer. I just carry my helmet in my hand, by the chin piece. Before I got a better backpack, I’t put the top of my backpack through the bottom of the helmet and carry both things by the handle on the top of the backpack. When I’m not using my backpack as a shopping bag, I use the helmet as an ad hoc basket. Or sometimes, I just don’t take the helmet off. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/47 "2014-08-10T15:49:13Z")
Ran out of time before I could save in the link to my boots, but imagine wearing [these](http://www.revzilla.com/product_images/0022/9768/sidi_adventure_gore_main_detail.jpg) with shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/48 "2014-08-11T13:46:07Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Ran out of time before I could save in the link to my boots, but imagine wearing [these](http://www.revzilla.com/product_images/0022/9768/sidi_adventure_gore_main_detail.jpg) with shorts. Don’t have to imagine. My riding buddy wears a [Roadcrafter;](http://www.smartcycleshopper.com/motorcycle-news/new-lightweight-roadcrafter-suit-from-aerostich/) when we stop for lunch on hot riding days, he takes it off, revealing shorts and riding boots similar to what you’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952/49 "2014-08-11T14:07:59Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Ran out of time before I could save in the link to my boots, but imagine wearing [these](http://www.revzilla.com/product_images/0022/9768/sidi_adventure_gore_main_detail.jpg) with shorts. Could be worse. Could be [these](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA==/z/mB4AAOxyCGNTMwEw/$_35.JPG). Yes, my spouse owns those. No, they don’t match his bike, or anything else he owns. At least he doesn’t wear them with shorts… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcyclists-what-do-you-do-with-your-helmets/694952.md?page=2)