Long time Baja racer and streetbike rider who bought a UC for a long road trip with the Mrs. Have a stupid question but need to ask since I've never ridden anything with bags.

When going on long trips do you always take all three bags off the bike if you're staying in a hotel? Camping I wouldn't be too concerned because I'll sleep right next to the bike. It's the nights when we're in a hotel that I'm concerned about.

What do you guys do? Take them all off or leave them on?

I've been reading a lot of posts about theft and just want to hear other Baggers point of view.

45 day/5,000 mile trip planned with 2 days in Sturgis if that helps....

 

Nope,I just lock them and keep good insurance on my bike. I did get rid of the factory saddlebag fastening system,so that helps with security.

 

yup, ditch the quick connects, bolt em to the bike and lock em.

 

Stupid Question...Do you have to take the Mrs.?













Just kidding... :-)
I take a long plastic wrapped cable that coils very nice on the bottom of the tour pack.i run it thru the luggage rack on pack and over bags and thru rear tire. Bags can still be taken but not tour pack... Most theives will move on to another bike first.
Also might take a cover...one that says Honda...They will shurly move on!!!

 

You can buy a set of soft bags that you can easily load into and remove from your hard bags. Unless you're Charles Atlas you will find carrying the hard bags way too much!

 

On vacations, I always remove the saddlebag quick release & bolt them on. My tour pack is quick disconnect, with HD's lock. Depending how "shady" an area I'm in, somtimes I'll take the tour pack in the room. I need my drinking time (it is vacation ya know!) so I'm usually looking for a room by 3-4pm and always ask for a room with parking right in front of it (no, I dont stay at Hilton's)and leave the curtains slightly cracked open so they never know if your watching or not. LOL!. I even carry a cheap, nylon type bike cover (wads up pretty small) & cover the bike at night.

PS. I also make sure my insurance is payed!

 

No tourpack on my RKC. Although I did install locks on the latches on the bags, the locks just replace the standard latches and could be defeated by cutting the leather straps. Nevertheless, I just lock them and leave them and nobody has messed with them yet.

 

I always use the saddlebag liners, and remove them for the hotel, keeping the hard bags on the bike. Mine still has the original pin lock system and have never had a problem with theft. For long trips, I also have a bag that straps to the top of the tourpak, and remove that also.

 

As said above, I went with removable liners with handles and just leave the saddlebags on the bike. I bought the Brukus Saddlebag Secure to keep them from getting snaked in the parking lot.

 

A Honda cover, now that is one of the best ideas I have heard in a long time. first I laughed then thought was an awesome idea. Next is I can find one with fake fading and a fake rip = Perfect.

This is good for me since I have a red street glide with shine and chrome. Now the search is on for what will appear to be a old bike underneath.