Another issue here in NYC is the thousands of illegal motorized scooters. Seems to me they would steal a free helmet hanging on our bikes. They should wear helmets, just not mine

 

I hate carrying keys and fumbling with them. I use the HD combination helmet lock. I fasten my 1/2 helmet to my front crash bar.. You may not be a fan, but it really works well.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/e...ock/p/52200003

 

I just bring mine with me if I don't trust where I am. Most of the other times it's over the mirror like in my signature pic. My mirrors are stiff and only require adjustment when I knock them on something. If the Bikes clean and not too bug coated from riding (very rare) I'll actually put it over the headlight. Blends in at a glance and not many people realize it's there. Few times I've had buddies coming in worried because they thought someone did something stupid and took it when I point to the headlight instead.

 

I guess reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit today.
Like I said in my post, I’m not too concerned with locking it to the bike, I just don’t want it banging against my fresh paint or having to readjust the mirror head 600 times a day.

And Google is nobody’s friend.

 

I guess critical thinking is not your strong suit today. If thats the case, then you have few choices - lock it in a tour pak if you have one, risk theft, or bring it with you.

 

We have a couple of expensive Shoei helmets that I’d like to keep someone from stealing. I bought a four digit cable lock that works great for this. The wife’s helmet goes in her seat and mine is usually hanging off the right highway peg. In sketchy places, I bring it inside.

 

It is not as much of a risk in most places anymore. Even an expensive helmet has almost zero value on the street. Therefore, in general I don’t worry about it. That said, I do these three things. I try to park or get a booth where I can see the bike. I throw my glasses and gloves inside it, buckle the strap and carry it in like a bag and place it on the bench next to me. While I don’t do this often, I’ve never even had a second look the few times I did this. Usually, it’s a seedy area and everyone understands. Also, I have a rotating combination (1,2,3,4) wire helmet lock, which I got in the 1970’s and have used 3 times. I still have it in the bike…..just in case.

In general, I don’t worry about it. Over the mirror, hanging from the grip, or from my Highway peg. However, two up there is one place I’m more prudent. Parking at trail heads, state or national parks where we might be gone for several hours or more. Here, I either put them into our tour box or throw my partially opened 1/2 bike cover over them on the mirrors.

I’m not worried about someone cutting the strap. Even the most expensive helmet is worthless nowadays with a damaged strap. Back in the Bell days, anyone could fasten a new strap on, but no one ever did.

In short, I mostly don’t worry about it. I guess my main fear is not losing the helmet, but getting stopped afterwards in a helmet mandatory state after it was stolen. Motorcycle helmet shops are few and far between when on the road.

For years, I carried a brain bucket spare. But not for theft, it was because I expected to meet Bonnie Bedalia hitch hiking and wanted to be ready. I actually used it many times in my youth for passengers. In the early 70’s, my mom loved to break free and go for a ride on the sporty with me or sit on the bow of my speedboat and just enjoy life. But mostly it was for my girlfriends.

Now, I always lived rural or rural suburbs, never planned little boxes suburbs or urban. That may explain my experience. Mostly honest people around me most of my life.

I guess if I was really worried about it, I’d just buy the ugliest helmet aside from my wife’s pink one and call it good. Okay, coffee is done, time to get going. Sorry I did not help the OP. This was just a caffeine trip down memory lane before going to work.

 

i know I'm exposed, but I leave my helmet unlocked on or next to my bike on the ground, as does my wife...been riding about 31 years, haven't had one disappear yet

 

I leave mine on a shelf in the garage.
Nothing has ever happened to it.

 

Normally it sits over top of my right mirror and grip.

If I'm realllly concerned about someone taking it, I hang it from my saddlebag. I open the bag lid, put the d-ring inside the bag as close to the hinge as possible, then close and lock the lid. Not fullproof, but better than nothing.