I just completed a 1500 mile trip about two weeks ago with my son. We were a bit paranoid about our rides not being there the next morning also. Most hotels will try to accomodate you if you ask. Ground floor room so you can park right outside your window or somewhere close with pleny of lighting. We did have one hotel where the parking was way around the back of the building. We asked about parking up front but far enough away from the lobby door to be out of the way. Manager said no problem, he'd be the guy on duty that night and he'd keep an eye out for us.

Hampton Inn in Louisville, KY fixed us up with a room on the ground floor before we asked. The girl at the desk said she was familiar with traveling bikers so it was no problem. Our room was two doors from the lobby. On the outside of the building there was a concrete apron that went right up next to the building for about 75 feet, right by the window to our room. We pulled up on that and parked within 5 feet of our room window.

I think if you ask nicely, most places will try to work with you if they can. That was my experience anyway.

We also locked the two bikes together with a cable and padlock. The cable could be cut pretty easily but I guess all you can is is to try to keep honest people honest. The cable was probably more for my peace of mind than as a theft deterrent anyway.


I've made three overnight trips since I picked up my RK in June. I do the same thing with the windshield and backrest every night and don't feel one bit foolish. I have seen a RK Classic in a hotel parking lot that the owner had taken the saddle bags in with him.

 

Don't know how many nights I stayed in a hotel, and have never had problems. All the advice above is good. I carry one of the heavy security cables with me whenever I'm going to be out overnight. If I'm traveling with a buddy, we cable our bikes together. If I'm alone, I try to find some post I can cable to. The trick is to run the cable through the inner circle of the frame, in the space where the engine mounts. I often see people run the cable through a front wheel, or even worse, through an engine or bag guard. All of those things can be removed in minutes, and you'll wake up in the morning with nothing left but your engine guard chained to a post. The downtube between the engine and the front fork is a good place to loop your cable through.

I also set the fork lock, ignition lock, and the alarm (get the siren installed if you haven't already).

You can't stop a determined thief. What you can do is make it easier and less risky to steal someone else's bike.

My last defensive measure is the most radical: My bike is very nearly stock. Upgraded seat, a little chrome, halogen lights. If they steal it, I can get another one just like it tomorrow. I'd rather have the fun of riding anywhere anytime and not be emotionally invested in it. Just like I'd rather drive my beat up Suburban to the shopping center and squeeze into a place in the front row than drive a nice ride and feel I have to park 10 rows out to keep from being dinged.

Like the T-shirt says, "Ride it like you stole it"

PL

 

This is a good post!! Typically when I travel with a small group we try to find a local, mom and pop motel in a small town where we can park right up to the door. In Kansas we stopped at a large hotel chain (due to bad weather) and the manager offered to let us park our bikes in his garage / maintenace workshop that night!! Only had a couple of unfriendly hotels / motels and usually you can tell fairly quickly and the best thing is to just move on...

 

I've found the better the hotel, the better the security. They will go out of their way to make sure nothing happens to your bike, like parking in valet, right at the concierge desk's view, or in a closed loading dock. They don't need any grief either.

If you can't afford high end hotels in crappy cities, get ground floor, and park it right outside the window or door, with all the securty mentioned above. I also have put a string attached to the bars, through the window tied to a lamp. If they move it, the lamp will crash.

 

Just completed a 2500 mile trip... I'll park most anywhere and not lose ANY sleep over it. I'm insured.

 

I recently took my brandy new 05 Ultra on a ride from MA to NC and back. I was lucky in NC, I stayed at a Marriott in downtown Greesboro and they let me park it up on the side walk under their walkway about 10 feet from the main door but out of the way of folks.

Here's what I did.

1. Obvious lock forks, alarm etc...
2. I have a Xena alarm lock with chain, placed this around the rear tire even if it wasn't around a post and made sure the chain/lock was visible even with the a cover on the bike.
3. The cover.... an old, dirty, slight moth eaten cover that no one would suspect a new Harley under

Joe

 

I'm one of those dumb ones that bought Gap insurance..so..................................I park it and go to sleep now.
At first I'd look out the window every 30 minutes..which made for a bad nights sleep.

I guess all the talk of "your bike will be stolen" as soon as I bought it. I lock mine up, with the factory stuff..no alarm.
It depends on where I'm staying, motel or hotel. I always park it where I can see it or try to.
I lock the forks when ever I go in to a store, or gas station and that's about it.