I frequently go to cafes, malls, or many hangout places with friends.
But once I park my motorcycle there, the next big thing for me is where to put my motorcycle helmet.
What to do with a motorcycle helmet when parked?
The best option is to use a helmet lock. If not carry the motorcycle helmet along with you.
Few motorcycles (and most scooters) provide storage space where we can put the helmet in there.
And the last resort is to keep the helmet on the motorcycle handlebar and go.
Before you decide on what to do with that helmet of yours after parking, here is a detailed dive into each of the options.
#1. Carry the helmet with you
The easiest way is to carry the helmet with you wherever you go.
It’s a wee bit annoying. I hate it sometimes. But I love it too. It’s safe. No hassles. But yeah, I get back to hating it soon. It’s annoying to carry a helmet all the time.
Still, it’s the most hassle-free way possible.
Going to a cafe? No issues. Carry the helmet. Carry it right to the table. And place it to mark your territory.
On a serious note, carrying the helmet with you removes all sorts of confusion and anxiety of theft from your mind completely. Especially if your helmet is an expensive one. Carrying it with you eases out all your worries.
Another advantage is you can put your gloves, glasses (I know you love your Ray-ban Top Gun style), and other small riding stuff in the helmet and carry it once you have parked the motorcycle.
Makes things smoother for you since the helmet acts as a carrier to transport these things.
That helmet of yours cost a load of money.
You sure as hell are not going to leave it out there in the parking for someone to steal it. Unless you are dumb.
Plus, if the helmet is custom painted or it’s a recently cleaned helmet, it sure is going to be a chief (thief) target.
Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, that expensive helmet is precious for you to get stolen away easily.
So, ignore any haters, and carry your helmet wherever you want to.
#2. Use a helmet lock
Now, carrying your helmet everywhere you go is a pain.
It gets even more annoying if you have other luggage to carry with you.
The next alternative is to simply use a helmet lock.
Buy a suitable helmet lock and lock the helmet to your motorcycle.
Using a helmet lock comes with its specific advantages.
First, helmet lock provides the best safety feature when compared to the other alternatives.
Carrying a helmet runs its risk of you forgetting to take it back. And by the time you realize you forgot to take your helmet from that dingy place, the helmet would have been stolen away.
The safety lock will be tied to the motorcycle. The only chance of you losing your helmet is if your motorcycle gets stolen as well.
Second, the convenience.
Helmet locks provide you a far more room and convenience to go wherever you want.
You don’t have to babysit that helmet as soon as you park your motorcycle.
Helmet locks come in various types and forms. For a motorcycle helmet, a functional cable lock with keys should suffice. You can add the cable lock key with your motorcycle keys.
Also, do not buy a cheap helmet lock. Unless your helmet is cheap too.
A good quality cable lock is not a costly affair and provides the required safety and convenience for you.
#3. Few motorcycles provide storage
Mostly scooters. Rarely some motorcycles, if any, provide a storage space sufficient for a motorcycle helmet to fit in.
Many scooters, on the other hand, provide enough storage space for a motorcycle helmet to fit into the provided space.
This eliminates a lot of inconvenience and safety issues you might face whenever you park your bike and have to decide on what to do with your helmet.
The storage space is usually under the seat of your scooter. A key is provided to unlock that storage space below the seat.
The only time this storage space won’t work is when you have a large motorcycle helmet.
A large helmet might not be able to fit into the storage provided in a scooter. The base of the helmet won’t have a problem usually. But it is the height of the helmet that more often than not creates an issue.
Other than this case, the storage space in a scooter will be handy for the rider to keep his/her helmet and go off anywhere freely.
However, the main issue here is, rarely any motorcycles provide such storage facility where the rider’s helmet can be fitted in.
So, the motorcycle rider has to go with either of the above two options – either carry the helmet along or use a helmet cable lock.
Apart from these options, there is one straightforward, yet risky way of dealing with your motorcycle helmet.
#4. Keep the helmet on the motorcycle
This is not safe. Always runs with the risk of theft.
But it is convenient.
Who wants to carry a helmet wherever they go? Certainly not me.
If you don’t have a helmet lock, the motorcycle doesn’t provide any storage space, and you hate carrying your helmet around – you are left with the only option – to keep the helmet on your motorcycle and leave it there.
Mind you, this is not an ideal situation at all. You run the risk of your motorcycle helmet getting stolen.
However, if your helmet is about to expire, old and worn out, and you live in a peaceful neighborhood, I am sure you can take this risk and place the helmet on the motorcycle handlebar.
Do understand that this alternative carries its own risk of getting your helmet stolen. So, if you have a pricey and high-quality motorcycle helmet, it makes no sense to keep it as an orphan out there with your motorcycle.
Here, the helmet value and the pain of carrying it around are at odds with each other. If you value the helmet higher due to its price or quality, you wouldn’t mind carrying it with you.
On the other hand, if you feel the pain and inconvenience of carrying it around is higher than the value of your helmet, you will leave it there with your motorcycle.
Personally, I would say, if it is an old and worn-out helmet and you have parked the motorcycle in a safe and peaceful neighborhood, you can leave the helmet on your motorcycle and go off.
How to decide on what to do with your helmet
It is easy to know the alternatives. The difficult thing is the decision-making. You need to decide on what to do with that motorcycle helmet of yours.
If the motorcycle has storage space available, then there is no cause for worry since you can store the helmet there.
If there is no storage space in the motorcycle for your helmet, the next preferred option is to purchase and use a helmet lock. A basic functional cable lock should suffice for the helmet.
The next option, carry the helmet along with you. Doesn’t matter if people think you are a show-off. That high quality is expensive and you aren’t leaving it out there for it to get stolen.
The last preference is for you to leave the helmet out there with the motorcycle. Understand the risk it entails when you are leaving the helmet like that. It can get stolen. Risk it only if your helmet is old and worn out and the place is a peaceful neighborhood.
Before you go…
Here are a few more helmet related posts for you: